Customs Just got a 50 Chevy.. need some advice

So i picked up this 50 chevy over the weekend. Was a project started about 10 years ago and the guy gave up. It was a 4 door, made into a 2 door with suicide doors. Good idea on how the guy did it but needs to be finished up. Top started being chopped and was effed up so im trying to figure out what to do with it? Have access to a rotted out donor with a roof. So should i take the roof off that car and redo everything or work with what i have? Any input would be appreciated. Thanks, John

 

Oh dammm!! Good luck

 

I vote for a donor roof.

 

X2.

 

wow!

 

X3...

 

ya i would say get a donor at least good luck

 

Check out timmy p he is working on the same thing check out his photo album.

 

Thanks.. i guess ill post up some pics once i start working on the rechop.

 

Well you can either get a donor roof or add some frame work here and there and make it a convertable. Maybe a small rollbar would suffic for enough structure for a convertable. Might look ugly though.
P.S. You did pay much for that car did you? Like over $800 bucks?

 

Wack it at the tulip pannel and the c pillar move the roof forward to meet the other end. Then add some meat in front of the trunk were you need it. Im no photo shop pro but I could fix it.

 

Is that the donor car or the car you're trying to fix??

 

How about putting in T-tops from a trans-am? Never seen it done yet.

 

That looks like some work, good luck.

 

glad to see someone else tackling someone's 4door to 2door attempt ive got a 53 thats been chopped 4 inches, two doored, doors stretched and suicided the overall job was okay but rough and now im gonna finish it out, re-chop the rear and corect the overall flow and proportion of the chop and un suicide the doors back to normal. good luck with your project.

 

This is an X 4 door and one of the coolest ones I've seen. Maybe shoot for something like this? The owner is here on the HAMB, can't remember his name.

Good luck with your project.

 

It would be okay with a donor roof cut so it fills that gap, but it's always going to look a little different from others. A whole new top would probably be a better place to start.

If your donor is a 2-door I'd consider using it's doors and recutting this thing as needed to make them fit.

 

I got it for way less than that but we'll see how much the ticket i got when i went to get the car comes out to be...

One im trying to fix, really solid. Just a little bit of rot in the trunk floor and thats it.

 

Donor is another 4 door. Car came with a 2dr door and all the garnish moldings and everything fits so it was done to make 2dr parts work.

 

Get the other car and use this one as the Donor car!!

 

The first thing I would do is find a book ! "How to chop tops " by Tex smith is a good one . He shows how to chop a 49 chevy . Then I would cut braces to fit the donor car . Now use them on the project and square it back in to shape . This will help you in the long run . Brace the rear window of the donor you will need this to save a lot of money ! The Dude is right about mooving it forward but I would do this with the donor roof ... May the force be with you John !!!

 

Mine wasn't quite that bad thankfully.
I replaces the back window in mine, Look for the crummy chop thread.

Hell that's what makes steel better than wood. If you really screw it up you can stick it back together

 

Holy shit, you better look into a carson top!!!

 

I'd look for a two door donor, switch to the two door door shells, move the B pillar accordingly( re hinge if you wanna stay with your suicide doors), do your fill work from the "B" to the rear 1/4s, THEN tackle the roof... me... I vote Carson top, quickest, easy way outta this can of vipers... (worms wont bite ya...) Good luck with your project.

 

Its obvious the guy that chopped it should stay away from cars.Holly crap he cut the opening for the back window.I would cut all his crap work off and start over with the donor roof using scraps and pieces from his hack job. Cut around the donor car back window and lay the window opening down,take the crown of the rear portion of roof out.The deck lid will also need to loose its crown to flow with the roof.I would find a pair of 2 door doors and use the original hinge setup.Those doors on the car look hacked up.I hate trying to fix someone elses hack job. The car has potential and can be saved but it will take a lot of work.Good luck!

 

Maybe hack the top entirely off and make yourself a Carson top. I've been thinking of doing this myself for a future project.

Hey.. you can start anywhere from anything.. You just have to decide whether or not you'll stay motivated enough to see it through.

 

I'm with that. Looks like too much like work, unless you have mad fabricating skills and even more patience.

Bob

 

I hate to discourage anyone, but that is a lot more work than starting over with a different car.
If I were doing it I'd cut that entire roof off and throw it away, and then chop the donor roof on using a traditional chop (you bring the rear of the roof forward and/or lean down the back window, but NEVER add metal to the middle of the roof. That butchers the proportions!).

Good luck. Have fun.

 

I would scrap that roof and go with the donor one. Good luck with the build you are going to need it!

 

Carson