Has Anybody ever chopped a 55 or 57 chevy 4 door post?

If you woul want to play around, here is my vision,
57 chevy 4 door post, chopped about 2.5 to 3 inches, bagged, same wheels and tires i have on the 53. Paint-- matte grey with a metal flake green scallops, with flamethrower kit in the exhaust.

Here is a pic of a 57 4 door post (wayy nicer house than mine but we are just looking for the car) lol

 

In re your gl***:
Aircraft material is called Lexan, and is not DOT approved for auto windshields (i.e., illegal).

Gl*** windshields can be custom made (typically in Sweden), but cost MEGA-$$$!!!

Local gl*** shops can often cut windshields, but can't guarantee against breakage. Many customs have gone through more than one windshield in the process. Still, this is the standard practice. Look for an experienced shop.
(Many guys cut their own. Do a search on this board, just to get an idea of what's involved.)

Once again, the Chevy Hardtop/Conv. windshield is available new, contoured right, and enough shorter to really make a difference.
This is especially true if you do as lucky suggests, and take a little more out of the rear of the roof. With (1 3/4)" at the windshield, just (3/4)" more at the rear would give you the 2 1/2" you seek, with few windshield h***les.
Repositioning the rear window to maintain the flow will further accentuate the end result.

I would say go for it! You will learn a lot and never regret it, regardless of the outcome. Just keep us posted if you do!

 

Also for your first chop I recommend getting the HT windshield like mentioned several times above BEFORE the first cut is made. Then make a fibergl*** template off the new HT gl*** and use that to then chop the top. You will find most chop shops (that have good success) will get the windshield cut first and chop the car to fit, as metal is a bit more flexible than liquid sand!

Sounds like a fun project just be honest with your self as to your abilities before starting so we don't end up with another crushed cl***ic. Also I agree with not molesting your grandmas car. Keep it whole so you can p*** it down to your kids.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

 

And if you do decide to go for it, you may still consider using a curved rear door post ('50 chevy?), and eliminating the little back window (ala Russian's photo-chop). Check the rear arch in the profile of a '57 Chevy fordor hardtop. Sweet! (Though the wrap-around rear window helps.)

 

That guys on the HAMB, goes by the name of Rek Kustoms.....He seems to have got gl*** in his 57 (unless its only lexan). might want to give him a shout if you go ahead with the plan......

 

ok man, here's a couple of pictures to help you see what is moving and where...this is by NO MEANS all that is involed...there are tons of cuts to make this happen, but it can be done.first pic is of how the rear window is moved up and angled(red color bar is original placement and blue shows it's new position)and also how the c-pillar must be repositioned. Second pic shows the roof dropped with the rear dropped more..

 

Looking at the Hardtop fourdoor, I think taking some of the shapes from that car would be a good idea. If you were to use a hardtop roof it would help, or even just the rear screen.

 

chopped just a tad...

 

Drive it on all Fours!

 

ahhh ok, so then the rear window never as to be cut right? it is just being repositioned? but to do that you would need to cut the roof right?

 

yes yes and yes

 

Overlayed the hardtop onto the post and I see that the hardtop has longer rear doors, but the roof line doesn´t appear to be any lower, except at the back.



I made a mash up of a hardtop rear screen and roof added to the post body, with custom rear door window frames and the hardtop gutters changed to match the post style. Not chopped, but it has more of a coupe look to it and it would certainly get people doing double takes!

 

My first chop was a '53 Ford with a wraparound rear gl***. I sunk the gl***, still have the car but I hate the rear gl***, it leaks and there's no good way to get a seal on it.

If you're really serious about this, the easiest/most cost effective way to do it would be to chop the roof to the height of a 2 door hardtop windshield so you can use the HT gl*** uncut, and maybe find a different rear window to use along with the surrounding sheetmetal so you don't have to cut or sink the rear gl***. I wouldn't use an oval shaped rear gl*** though, you'd need something that fits the era a bit better.

Maybe once you have the roof cut to HT height, you could work a '57 Olds or Buick 3 piece rear window into the roof. Might look cool and would keep you from having to sink or make the rear gl***.

 

Here's mine. Chopped 4 inches. It's a work in progress.

 

the only way i could own a tri-five chevy is g***er or severe chop/kustom

 

I chopped this 57 4 door post in the early 80's
this is the only photo i can find of it

 

You must way cooler than your avitar looks.

 

huh?

 

thanks guys. Well i went to the guys place that has them sitting out, he said this word for word "they are mine and been in my family, i would rather see them out there rust than be turned into some damn hotrods." so now that kinda ruins my idea of doing it anytime in the close future.

chopt57--what did you do about getting gl*** for it? your 57 looks bad***. Pretty much the look im going for.

 

thats a crying shame. maybe he was beat up in high school by a hot rodder?

 

Alb. New Mexico!

 

Someone had one here locally... wow, 15 years ago maybe now it came to the shows for two or three seasons. It was cut way down, had like a '48 Ford rear window in it, and they padded the top to hide the sins instead of using filler. It was.. either brown primer or a copper color with a black top. Seems like it had a Corvette grille in it.

I wonder what happened to that car? After a while you didn't see it anymore, but someone must have it somewhere.

Anyway that's another way to handle the rear window, put something else in it.

I suppose the point is moot, but on the other hand 55-57s are still pretty common. I'm not big on them but I wouldn't mind having a '57 4dr hardtop in the driveway either.

 

My 55 is chopped 4 1/2 inches. It's not a more door but it has gl*** in it. The windshield and rear gl*** I cut myself and the second pic will show the cut off section. They sell laminated rear gl*** for the tri-fives so don't let that stop you. When you cut it down it will move to the rear. Mine got 6" longer and you can see were the section was added. You will need a donor section of a roof.

 

not a chevy, but a chopped 4 door post car.

 

That reminds me of how the original AMT '57 Chevy 2dr ht customizing kit came - if you can find an early one, they have a cross molded inside the roof and some guide marks on the posts - you cut the top in four pieces, then glued it to a one-piece window insert that was molded with a raised cross to fill in the gaps so the top would still fit. (you then had to mask the windshield and rear backlight to paint it, apparently; I started one and cut the actual window portions off, got it to primer and that was it). Apparently the top needs to get wider as well as longer? From the looks of the cars people have done, it doesn't seem to be the case -

 

For some reason I think these cars are one of the hardest to chop and make look right.

 

Who's is this, I need to talk to them about how they finished it up as I'm in the process right now with my '56 Olds.

 

Thanks 53vicky. Todd Kraft cut the gl*** for my car. He is our local expert and was working out of Suburban Rod and Custom in Merriam, KS .

 

Unsettled-- Yeah maybe! he was kinda a grump about it, ill try again another day tho. Ill put some pics up if i can.

Hal -- I didnt think about that, adding a section into the roof, it makes perfect sence tho to have to add a section. Did you do that to choptop 57?

Buick - Thanks for the pick! ther was a 56 4 door buick for sale by me a little while ago and thought about trying to chop that too but it sold way quick. Thanks for showing me what it would look like! Is that car sectioned too?

 

53vicky,
No. On mine we were able to come pretty much straight down and added a filler piece between the rear window and deck lid.

Love that Olds. Need to make mine sit like that. I'm guessing it's bagged?