my '30 coupe was chopped 4.5'' and it just wasent enough for me, my new coupe I got is a '31 and chopped 5.5'' and looks waaaay better if you ask me but then again I've always been a big fan of heavily chopped cars
Re tig rod: I like to use mig wire. Cut a 3 foot piece, stick one end in the vise, put a pair of visegrips on the other and twist it 8-10 times to straighten it out. And I like Esab spoolarc easy-grind wire, much softer to grind/ hammer afterwards.
I did mine 6 inches and channeled 4, I am 6 ft tall had 67 camaro bucket seats bolted to the floor, no headliner in the car, any good size bump hit my head on the roof I was around 21 wouldn't have changed a thing but don't know if it would be as much fun today
when doing chops i have always doen the doors separate because it is a good chance to realign them and make sure they match up to everything on the body. i also ALWAYS use a 5" or 6" electric cut off wheel. i haven't found anything that is easier to cut straight with. are you sure about a 6" chop? that's what i was going to do, but i was talked into doing a 5" chop instead and i am very happy i did.
Take the quarter wood and rear wood out it is easier. I removed the doors and cut them where there was less taper. Before you cut anything if you can bolt it to the frame and line the doors up and brace everything that will be a big help. Then hang the doors and cut the tops to fit the opening.
not sure of the amount but it belongs to a club member and will be at Detroit, build pictures http://s8.photobucket.com/albums/a25/swade41/Rons Car/
Got every thing lined up but the a post **** in just a little,put a stright edge on them and there s about a 1/8 gap in middle tapering up to 1/16,thought about using the porta power on the bottom posts,but worrying about windshield fit,is this a normal problem with 5.5 in chops,most fix with lead or mud?better to ask alot of ? than alot of rework,thanks quinton
When I chopped mine a couple years ago, I ended up just making several relief cuts on the a-pillars until they flowed right... I only chopped it 4" though, so yours might require more work since it's a heavier chop... But still, I'd just make relief cuts (on both the top and bottom pieces), and move it around until it looks right...
Here is mine with 6" chop that I sold recently, ch***is by johnfordman. Chopped by a buddy here by m***aging metal with no filler or relief cuts.
Me and a buddy chopped his coupe 6" and we decided to lose the top hinge, the doors don't weigh enough to cause problems. Because of that, we opted to cut the TOPS off the the A-pillar! They end up looking more natural because of the taper and they look better since they're thicker too, dont thin out at the top. This takes extra work on ALL the pieces that go across the A-pillars: inside brace, inside pan, wood header and visor all had to be narrowed slightly. The windshield fit fine. Good luck on the chop. The finish work is the hardest part!
Although mine's not a coupe, my '31 sedan has a radical 7 1/4 chop, and I did it with the doors tacked closed and lots of bracing. Welded it all back up with a miller 140 autoset mig. tons of tack welds working slowly around and around to prevent heat build-up. yep, ended up with a 5" high windsheild and a cl***ic 'mailslot' rear window...you can do it. measure 3 times and use a zip-cut wheel on your angle grinder, easiest to control. the door posts may need to be cut with a sawzall, as there is wood inside the window posts. Have fun and good luck
I guess that it is possible but it's not likely. Even with my 4" chop some relief cutting was needed. Quinton, I'll see if I have some pics of the cuts.
theres no way mine would look right without relief cuts,i dont mind a skim coat of bondo i just dont want 1/8 thick mud,i would like to see some coupe pics from the front with that much chop,my buddy did 3.5 and it was alot less pain in the ***,maybe mr ford would chime in,the a post leaning in just a bit is the main problem
I had a little problem with the windshield frame fitting flush so I took a piece of 18 gauge metal the right width and put a straight edge on the A pillar. I marked where the straight edge touched top and bottom and cut the filler piece about 1/4" short on both ends and welded it in, the weld will make up the shorter cuts. little filler ans a straight edge. Hope this helps.
Yes brace, brace, brace. I would only tack the roof first, chop the doors and tack them, then check the fit of the doors before continuous welding the roof? I had to cut mine loose and use a porta power to make one of the doors fit, after I had done a lot of welding. My bad. In my opinion 6" chop is the max with a 4" channel, mine is chopped 6" and if my roof was filled I wouldn't be able to see the traffic lights if I was any closer than 200 feet from them, a traffic light viewer is a must. I'm 5'11" and my head is less than an inch from the roof-sitting on 2" of compressed foam on the floor. Love the look though! I chopped mine with a straght line all the way around, I think I would do the front pillars different from the back next time(less pie cutting?), maybe 6' down from the very top(instead of the middle) since you will be taking out the top part of the windshield frame?(I didn't realize that the sides of the windshield frame were slanted they look straight. Anyone know the easiest way to cut (where?) the front pillars?
Coopsdaddy, the "buddy" I'm refering to above, IS Mr. Ford. We chopped his car about a year and a half ago, and thats how we did the A pillar...
Just wondering how tall are you guys? At 6 ft with a mini van seat I have about 1-2 inchs of clearance, more than 5 inchs chop just looks to flat. My 2 cents
6 ft,180 chopped 5.5 inches,spent alot of time deciding on chop,i like heavy chops on 30-34 coupes,green grenade is my all time fav and i almost did a reverse section but to much work and not enough time. Got most of it looking good,a post on driver side is bowed in just a little,like 1/16 inch when you put a stight edge on it,now to doors,windshield and front garnish mouldings,hopefully front mouldings will cover up the gap on the a post,doors seam to have a little more gap at the top now,easy fix with a little metal and going to lose the top hinge,i wish i would have cut the top off the a post off but didnt relize at the time,thanks for the input and will have some pics soon...quinton
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