going to chop my 54 chevy with post. first i would like to know if there is any pics on someones chop in progress. second the big question that i cant seem to get an answer for, back window. does anyone run the original shape with cut curved gl***. everyone i see with this style either has lexan or nothing in there yet. should i just go with another window not curved(50 chevy) it seems even if i can get curved gl*** cut it may be a h***le if i need another one some day. plus i dont even have gl*** for it. thanks...
Are you 'familar' with how a 'search' works??...Check the tech forums cause this as been posted more times than Pam Anderson being on her back!! Real quick...Most common back window treatment is 49-50 Ford or early Chevys with the sedan style roof/backwindow. If you use the curve gl*** you'll have to sink it...good luck cutting the curved gl***!!..lol....or do the 'RatRod-eriffic' chop and dont run gl***....you'll prob make it into Old Skool Rodz!!
We did a HAMB chop at the "Unfinished Nationals" few years ago. 53 Chev 2 door sedan. Was lots of pics, don't know if they are still around? OLDBEET
you can get the rear backlite new in laminated so you could chop it down. neither your front or rear will be cheap to cut. you could be different and put a merc back window in it
heres the only 1 i could find right now..i used the stock rear gl*** and tilted it forward...i have alot more pics but cant seem to find them if i do find them i will post them
good thing the search police showed up, intro police must not be far behind them. I like the look of the smaller windows in 53-54 chevy chops. I'd go with the 50ish ford or 49-52 chevy back window myself... just use whichever showed up first. there are lots of different ways to mess up the flow using the original rear gl***.. I've seen more than one that wasn't quite right.
I think I'm going to be using the gl*** out of a 50 ply, like what was used in mike ness' and cole foster's 54's
the gl*** can be cut by professionals, we did a chop on a 54 and had our gl*** cut by kidwells in sacramento, ca its about 750-1000 for each curved gl*** *aftermarket lamenent not the stock tempered
Thats good to know..I like the three piece rear window on my hardtop and would like to keep in when it comes time for the chop...but $750-$1000 per curved gl***?!? Ouch.
ok so i think i found my answer, thanks. however do you guys cut the front down without problems? i just want to run into a big h***le after the chop, plan first. i was thinking 49 chevy or 50 merc to be different. we will see what i can find.
Kail, one more time, you CANNOT CUT TEMPERED GL***! And I can't either. And oh ya! TEMPERED GL*** CANNOT BE CUT!!!!.....................OLDBEET
Here is a link I found while reading about chopping a Chevy. This one is a post car but I liked the read. This is a tech link from this site. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5897
I got into a ******* match on here years ago about this cause i was told by a local guy who use to cut gl*** it could be done as well but considering i only paid that for the car it wasnt worth it to me but it sure got people fired up...lolol....I guess until i see it done for myself the answer to this question will forever haunt me...I know i'm not worthy of doing it...HAhah..But then again i drove that car thousands of miles out of town for car shows only to have the same people on here say you cant do that with 'babbit' motors....O-well atleast i 'drove' and enjoyed it... I personally like the Plymouth windows as well....Another HAMBer used one a few years back and when i had my 54 thats what i planned on using which i think a buddy of mine still has up in his rafters..
49ratfink and switchbladesuede are right, if you want to replace the rear gl*** most guys use a shoebox, 49-52 Chev or what Cole used, Plymouth rear gl***. You could lean/sink the original, but in my opinion it doesn't look as good. For the front windshield there are many ideas/ways on this board (do a search). I tried cutting mine with a diamond blade tile saw (broke two), so had a proffesional sand blast it. I ran a lexan one for a couple of months, then I used it as a tempalte to sand blast the gl*** windshield.
thanks for the straight info. i am going to start looking for a rear soon, and as i am seeing i guess i will find a stock front since i dont have one, and have it sand blasted somewhere. thanks again
Heres an old popular link from the tech forum-- http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5897&showall=1
not to piss you off man,but the chop is a mild one on that 54 so i doubt it was cut... I am using lexan for my back window, but about to put in a merc back window soon..
I think you may have repop gl*** that is laminated. It can be cut. I stand by what I say, TEMPERED GL*** CANNOT BE CUT! Will some REAL gl*** guys back me up! I'm a retired union glazier,35+ years. Gl*** is not magic, but there are some rules. Rule #one....Tempered gl*** CANNOT be cut. So **** OFF..OLDBEET
tempered gl*** will EXPLODE if you try to cut it!! PERIOD!! it can only be laminated gl*** like the front windshield. you can get new ones in laminated, that has to be what is in yours if its cut down. I like Skyrodders plan, that merc gl*** looks right at home!!
You can swap out the rear tempered gl*** in your 54 Chevy for Buick back gl*** of the same year and roofline, the Buick rear gl*** is laminated. I have not tried this but, I got this tip from a good authority. Happy cutting.
you say you ordered the gl*** to be cut. Does that mean that the gl*** guy purchased the gl***, then cut it and then you guys got it. Because if that's the case then he could have purchased a laminated version of that back window and cut it. That would also account for the $700-1000 price. As far as I know you can't cut tempered gl***.
Safety Gl*** (Like a windshield, break it, it just cracks)........ IS NOT ....... Tempered Gl***(break it, it explodes into tiny chunks) Most REPOP gl*** is now the LAMINATED Safety(CAN be cut) gl*** and NOT the original Tempered (CAN-NOT be cut) gl*** Again for the cheap seats................ LAMINATED SAFETY GL*** ,,,,,,,,,,, YES TEMPERED GL*** ,,,,,,,,,, NO
Am I confused or what now....I thought tempered gl*** was just that...tempered gl***. I also thought Tempered gl*** was harder (more brittle) and made to shatter into many small fragments rather than to break into large throat cutting shards.....hence it was safer. I thought it was tempered AFTER it was cut to size. Then laminated came along and it wasn't the same as tempered because it had a sheet of clear plastic between two sheets of gl*** fused with heat and pressure. When it breaks it basically stays in a sheet due to the plastic....making it a safer safety gl***. I was also told that lighting it on fire with a solvent makes it more forgiving when bending or cutting it?
Thanks MarkX You must have been typing as I was pondering..... Now another gl*** question before this gets to far off the subject....why does gl*** from older cars turn milky white after a while????????
It all depends on how your car is chopped... BUT.. Im gonna go on record and say that the stock gl*** never looks good, and gene winfield, as well as 99% everyone else will tell you the same... Shoebox gl*** RARELY looks good. most of the time it goes up too far into the roof and looks like a BALD SPOT on a guys head... a shoebox window is about 16 or so inches tall if memory serves.. With the chop on my car, first we tried the gl*** from a 49-52 chevy SEDAN, and i never liked it, cut it out and moved it around, still no dice. its a little shorter than the ford, around 15 inches If i recall.. THEN.. I put the back window from a 49 chevy COUPE... layed down just right.. And I think its about perfect for My chop... This way the lines from the top and bottom of the side windows match all the way around through the back window... New gl*** is available, but its around $300. I have a 1/4 inch thick peice of polycarbonate in mine with a normal rubber seal... Cuz Im poor. These are just my opinions, Im no expert...
i have your back beet!! you keep refering to it as safety gl*** wich as old beet said can be cut. but if it is an original piece of gl***,and not a reproduction than it IS TEMPERED, and CANNOT be cut! i too do this for a living..
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