I bought a 29 pickup a couple weeks ago, ive sorted out some "rat rod" mounts/frame work on it and other stuff and now its time for some fun. Im leaning towards a chopped top, planning on a mild chop and eliminate the panel over the windshield. Has anyone got pics of doing a 28/29 pickup chop? Im thinkin of the really small rear window, i have to keep that intact. The rear cab is just bolted pieces so im thinkin of cut the lower piece under the rear window panel and keep the top panel with the rear window intact. Any tips and suggestions would help.
Make sure you can still fit in it, not only head room wise, but pedal placement. Those cabs get very small very quickly. Neat little truck, good luck with it. -Abone.
I could see that. A 2” chop, keeping the windshield frame intact. Thin the header, regular chop through the doors and rear corners, then lower the rear center panels and trim off the bottom.
Well, you can't put the seat back, so get some blocks of wood (or something else), put them on the seat in increasing depth 'til you can't see out the front. Rinse and adjust.
Like what was shared previously, these trucks get very small fast. I built a 29 phone booth fendered pickup three years ago. There’s not a lot of places to put batteries, a heater if wanted, or room to bend your knees so that you can operate the vehicle and still be comfortable along with seeing out of the windshield. I’m 5’ 8” and I could last about an hour driving till I wanted out so I stretch. Mine was not an all day driver that I would want to travel long distances in. Don’t get me wrong, it was a fun truck but not really comfortable
Additionally, if you remove the upper header panel then you will need to change the mount for a windshield wiper (easy enough to do, except now that’s going to be in your vision space above the windshield frame). Then what will you do with the visor? It mounts over the header panel. When you drop the height of the cab then you will be dropping the vertical location of the visor so now you are limiting your visibility again. To me, the visor is such an important piece of the visual presentation of the truck so removing it would be a shame Be aware, the rear window panel is busy with raised sections. It won’t be a nightmare but you will have some work to keep everything flat Don’t want to rain on your parade, just some food for thought
Not only headroom, but tryng a lower seat cuts into legroom. Personal Taste, says the 'phonebooth' look is neat.
I like the way yours looks without the fenders. Almost inspiring me to build my patina CCPU fenderless annd unchopped while I wait until I find a set of perfect black lacquer fenders. idk maybe it’s the dark grey mags and hairpins that are doin it for me but I love it.
I don't know but I believe Tudor doors are shorter, might save cutting up your set of doors, & achieve the chopped look you are chasing. Edit - just realized that you are in Sweden & Tudor doors might be tricky to find??
Hello, My brother and I bought a Model A coupe back in 1957 for our first hot rod build. We were going to put in an SBC motor and Paxton supercharger to compete with our friend’s 34 Ford 5 window Oldsmobile powered coupe. We actually towed the Model A home and cleaned it up, while getting the motor to run. All was set for the removal of the motor and driveline for a LaSalle 3 speed and Chevy rear end. When we went around the block for our test drive, we both sat in and instantly, my brother said it was cramped for both of us. He was 5’7 and I was 5’9” tall. We were both growing teenagers. The two brothers in 1959-60, dark blue nylon jackets, Penney’s T-shirts, Levis and desert boots. The Model A seats were as far back as possible and although we could easily fit into the pedals and clutch, even by our selves in the driver’s seat, it felt cramped. But, when I was in the driver’s seat. Now, I felt really cramped with my brother sitting next to me. The head room also felt like it was pressuring our heads, even though it was stock height. Jnaki So, with that in mind, a simple chop around 4 inches, base on the 15 inch wheels looked good proportionately, but a lot better than the tall telephone booth look. IMHO but, I can imagine the feeling of the roof being 4 inches lower pressing down on our heads while sitting. For a 12 second drag race and only used on Saturdays and nights, it could have been ok, as long as we were having a good time with the powerful Paxton supercharged motor. But, it was not just going to be a Saturday dragstrip Model A only. My brother had ideas of making it his daily driver to high school and for me to drive his 51 Oldsmobile sedan, when I got my license. Now that was a future we could both like and enjoy. But, at least I would not have to feel someone is stepping down on my head while inside the Model A coupe. The Model A truck has less adjustable area to expand, unless you lengthened the whole rear cab…YRMV But, that is another whole ballgame with the cab extension.
Hey, be nice. We all like different looks, no need to be rude. Ive had two 29 pickups before with fenders and might just play around a little with this one just for fun.
My personal opinion is that your truck looks awesome as is. The phone booth looks of the closed cab 28/29's is the appeal to me. If you want to chop it though, I've seen guys mock up with cardboard over the windows to simulate their view after the chop. You might want to try that to see how awkward it might be to drive and see traffic signs, lights, the road ahead, etc.
My suggestion would be to extend the cab and doors about 76 mm (?). IF, you could find another cab for a donor, it would make extending easier. Just cut each one about 38mm longer so when welded back together you get the extra length. Same thing with the doors. Then chop it to suit you. Or you could fill in the gap with sheetmetal if you can do that kind of work. Adding the length in the door area rather than the rear post helps retain the original look better. Don't have any pics of one like yours, but here are two different Chevy's at the Street Rod Nationals so you can see how nice it looks. The truck actually looks much better and probably a lot more comfortable. As for the rear panel, I'd remove the window as a whole by cutting the window panel out in the flat area surrounding it. Do the chop and then trim the panel to fit the new hole. OR......you might be able to remove some from the top and bottom of the bottom panel and move the top panel down .
Id channel it even with the frame. Then decide if you want to chop it. Honestly channeling would have more of a visual impact than chopping
Just to stir the pot a little… (I posted above and owned the black fendered phone booth) It’s my understanding that when Ford developed the pickup model they had a bunch of left over Model T pickup doors so rather than reproducing a new expensive part they used up existing stock and installed the T doors on the 28 - 29 pickups These doors have a raised lip on the three sides of the lower door. There is a substantial crown in the center of the lower panel both vertically and side to side. It’s nothing impossible to create just more work. When I started the project both of the door faces had been stepped on which bent the door frames along with distorting both the upper portions and all of the lower face panels. The previous owner laid the doors down on the attic floor to keep them out of harms way then promptly stepped on them both… This is what I started with a little over a year earlier
Here is my actual experience. Hope it helps. A guy I know built a Model A closed cab pickup. Standard steel body. No chop, no channel. He was talked into putting a ford 351 engine and c6 trans in it, so he recessed the firewall to suit (3" I think?) That was all it took to suck the fun out of the whole deal. He sold it soon after finishing it because he couldn't drive it for more than 30-45 minutes without needing to get out and stretch himself back into normal shape. He is 5'10". I couldn't even drive it. Just couldn't get my legs in properly to work the pedals safely!!! I am just a bit under 6' tall. It was a nice pickup. Shame he spent so much time and money on it only to not be able to use it......
Just a fun fact, the 28-29 phone booth style pickup was actually built into mid 1930. Those later ones have the 1930 style gas filler neck.
My '29 AA is tight for my 6'1" frame and I'm awfully scrawny. I'll use the original seat springs and cushion but swap out the back springs for dense foam. I've designed and fabricated a tilt steering column to give myself room to get in and out, and I've got a 6'3", 300-lb. son who will inherit the truck when I'm gone. He won't fit, I'm sure. Just know there's less room in the 28-29 ccpu than anything else Ford built in those years. Were all truck drivers assumed to be short during that era?
This is my pickup that I am building. 28 Tudor doors & cowl which are about 3 inches lower than a pickup so it looks chopped. The cab is 3 inches longer than standard
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