I have seen a few threads on this but I did not see the question I have? I may have missed it but here goes. I just got off the phone with my glass guy. He says that sectioning the roof in 4 parts in the only way to chop a top. Says that for a curved windshield ( we are doing a 56 2 door hardtop ) this is the only way to get it right. Who has some more experience in this area? I have chopped quite a few cars but all of them were flat glass. This adds a few more dynamics than what I was totally aware of. So anyone have anything on this? Is sectioning really the best way? I thought that sinking the windshield in would be best and just avoid cutting the glass altogether, but it has stainless around the windshield that the car would look naked without.
With a wrap windshield, you have to either sink it or cut the glass and build the frame to fit it. Or, spend big bucks to have one made custom for it - at least a couple grand involved there, plus making a buck and shipping it overseas. The rear glass you can cut the frame out and lean it in, maybe sink the corners if necessary. Take a look at any article on chopping a '55-up car -
I would get the glass cut first, the windshield is laminated safety glass like the flat glass and can be cut. It may cut and be good, or could crack and be lost where you will need to get another to try cutting down again. But by cutting the stock windshield first, you know what the metal needs to be to fit. Then build the chop to fit the glass, which to get the shape right will probably require quartering the roof and filling in length and width strips. Doing the metal first is going to be much more difficult to fit glass. No matter what, curved glass is way more work than flat glass to chop. You can sink the glass if the chop is not too much, just glue the stainless trim on. Not as good and you will be able to tell it is not the windshield in the gasket. On the 47-55.1 Chevy 5-window trucks, the corner windows are usually sunk down. The tempered glass can't be cut.
Not to hi-jack a thread but i was just dealing with this today, and because my roof is already chopped the glass guy said they might go through 5 windshields on my '53 before they get it right. At my expense, of course.
I would just cut the windshield before i tried to sink it.Anyone who tells you that cutting a windshield is tough or ticky doesnt know what they are doing.Here is an old thread of mine on the process ,if your interested.Its very cheap to do this by yourself ... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=532527
I was aware of the temperd/laminated/safety glass issues for sure. Just wanted to check my shit on this glass first. Seemed a bit fishy. Was always taught never to 1/4 a top unless truly necessary. Seems it might be the case. As for the back glass, I wanted to lean it forward anyway. I know that can not be cut and the expense of it being made is unreal. Plus, it would look shitty is done that way. IMO. any other opinions? Has anyone got a link or know of an article about sinking the glass in with stainless? That seems to add even more difficulties than I expected.
about 15 years ago I chopped a 56 chevy and sunk the windshield...its a big hassle,but can be done.slice the base of the frame so the glass slide down in there with no rubbing or binding.i supported the windshield under the dash with a bracket with a spring attached to keep it in place.
Hell yeah! That was the original plan until the stainless came into play. The lower stainless goes into the rubber channel that holds the windshield in. So when I sink it, the lower stainless will dissapear. Not sure how that will look. How did you do the dah on that when you sank it in?
spilting the roof keeps the A pillar line square which is a good thing for a 3-4 inch chop. but not necessry if you are taking less than 2 inches out. I can't imagine wanting more on a hardtop. With a 2 inch chop you only need about 1 inch off the top and another inch off the bottom corners to lay it back into the opening
Your glass guy is wrong....... There is never a reason to quarter a roof when chopping the top on any vehicle. IE you cannot widen the glass opening nor stretch that glass right? the basics of the 56 you mention choppin will result in having to cut the windshield on at least three sides to fit the opening. The assumption you should cut your glass and then chop a car to fit the glass is also absurd....Just shows a lack of experience.
Cutting the top into quarters seems pretty extreme even for a wrap windshield. There is a thread on chopping a '55 Cad Coupe with the same style W/S and posts some where on the HAMB although the sail panels were redone for a smaller backlite. There is also the option of laying the windshield back but for all the changes to do with the "A" pillars and vent frames I think a guy would do better with later curved glass and frame as Foose did on his '56 roadster build. Yeah , I know it's not traditional, butt--.
I would say if you want a top chopped without distortion, ala no windshield rake or rear window rake, the only way to do it is section the top. JMO. Lippy
Here's an old one: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=346900&highlight=chopping+55+cadillac (I don't know why it sez '55 Cadillac in the link, but it's a '56 Buick...!!!) Here's two more... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=569352&highlight=ted+cadillac http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=610595&highlight=ted+cadillac R-
You guys are the best. I have spent a few hours on here doin research and have come up with a few ideas but nothing concrete yet. Does anyone have links for sunken windshield chops? I have found a few but nothing significant
I had a chopped '54 Chevy coupe - no pics to post (now in Japan) - that had the windshield and back window lowered into the body. to hold the glass in position at the bottom a lightweight open channel was used lined with what may have been pieces of an auto inner tube. the remaining visible glass used stock installation rubber seals. at the bottom the stock rubber was cut thin and glued along bottom of glass after liquid sealer was used to keep a watertight seam. the roof at windshield had almost no modification - back glass was layed forward to give a smooth transition and not a boxy shape. have seen cars with stainless on them that had glass lowered - would take some true slow work to modify original stainless to look right. but, much easier than some of the other options you have had presented. look for threads here that ask for pics of customs to be posted - may find some ideas there.
If your glass guy says to quarter the roof is the only way then you need a new glass guy, this one obviously doesn't have enough experience with chop tops. I've never cut a 56 Chevy car before so I can't give any insight on your car but I have done both Ford and Chevy trucks with wrap around glass and I've never quartered the roof on one. Like others said, cut the glass first then fit the roof to it. On cars with curved glass I haven't chopped before I usually cut the top and tack it on without leaning posts ect, just leave the mismatch for now. At that point my glass guy cuts the glass to fit along the top and I can tell what has to be done from there on the sides, whether it's widening or sometime narrowing the roof or if your lucky just leaning the posts. If we have an old windshield around we'll use it as a trial fit, nice to be able to weld/grind around it without worrying about burning a good glass, make it easier then taking it in and out. Make sure the pinchweld lines up perfect to the rubber all around, especially on the sides, if not the pressure will eventually crack the glass right at the side "wings".
Dayzedandkonfuzed - you need to check for local shops that do custom work and chop roofs. maybe one could help you redo the roof rather than trusting the glass guy you have talked to. yes, I know a guy that had cracked several windshields by a shop that did a chop on '56 Ford pick up - so, it is possible.
I like the idea of sinking the glass but i, too, would like to find some good pics of exactly how it was done. Makes sense on paper for sure. My roof has been quartered, however im getting a 54 4 door today that i could rob the roof off of if need be.
how did you end up doin the stainless? Rubber seals? Dash installation?That glass on the rear does not even appear to be sunk in at all. That takes some craftsmanship for sure. I appreciate all the insight for sure.
Has anyone made a fiberglass pattern of their windsheild ? I seem to recall this in an old magazine. Im leaning towards doing this on my 56 F100 before cutting the top or glass. It may end up being a exersise in frustration, but I will have possibly learned something.
---------------------------------------------------- a old thread of mine called (good color for chopped 57 Buick) May help with the answers ,check it out. TwoChops
I have. I laminated fiberglass inside of the old glass and cut the fiberglass pattern to fit the opening. I chopped the car ( 1959 Dodge) about 2-3 inches, and If I remember correctly, the shape of the curved windshield didn´t change too much. Only had to take a little off the top and upper corners of the pattern. I guess you could use the fiberglass pattern when cutting the glass. First cut the pattern and use that. Or maybe aluminum sheet would do the same job. I had (and still have) the luxury of getting the a new glass made if needed The glass factory used the pattern to make a new windshield which fit the car perfectly. I wasn´t so lucky with the rear window.. Jouni
So if i wanted to sink my glass, i could theoretically make a fibreglass mould of my 4 door windshield and practice with that...? Then again... maybe sinking the glass isn't such a good idea with a 6" chop
willymakeit - search: ford-trucks.com and then thread: Ford f-100 roof chop - others have done threads on doing this chop on that site
To me 6 inches is a bit extreme on most any rig except one that is going to run comp coupe class at land speed races. But I'm not into the fat lady sat on the roof smashed down roof look. I don't think you will have near the problem getting glass cut for that car as he will with the 56 as the earlier car while having a curved windshield doesn't have wrap around sides to contend with. you may have to trim the sides of the glass a bit to fit if you massaged the posts so they would line up though. There always seems to be one chopped vehicle in every area of the country with a wrap around windshield that was chopped that either can't keep a windshield in it or every willing glass shop has already tried and given up with the rest just flat turning it down. The 56 Effie in this area in the 70's got passed from owner to owner about once a year or so for at least ten years and may still be floating around the Tri-Cities looking for a windshield.
OK, I guess I've got to chime in here, seeing I'm one of the few who's actually done this one. I chopped my Olds back in 83-4, when ANY chopped car was pretty rare, and you never saw a wraparound window car done. My boss and mentor, was an old time 50's custom car guy, who stayed with buildign customs, even when they weren't popular He was my help and guidance during the entire process. I cut the roof 2 1/4 inches. Keeping the A pillars exactly where they were, using braces, I had to spread the roof about a half inch, maybe a bit more to have the roof meet the A pillars where I cut them. I did so by cutting a slit in the roof, on both sides, right in the middle of the crown where it goes down to meet the rain gutter. I put a Porta Power in between the sides, letting the middle droop out of the way. Now I only had to move the sides out about a quarter inch each. I welded in a long (about a foot) wedge to fill the slice between the sides and middle. That's it for the front. The rear, I used a 57 window, eliminated the ribs,=. I cut the rear into 3 separate windows, and layed the center down to where I wanted it. SInce I had a "98" I had a huge catwalk, so I moved the base of the rear windshield back to almost meet the trunk edge, giving me more taper. The side openings had to get cut and wedged smaller to fit the new angle of the center. I DID use lexan in these small side windows. I cut the front glass, and did not sink it in. It fit very well, except for a small area that, when the glass was tilted back a bit, almost did not fit into the gasket. If I cut it any more, it probably would have came up short there. The glass needed a wedge taken out of the bottom corners to fit the opening. It' been done since 84, driven over 140,000 miles, without a problem. Here's some pics I never posted before. Just so you know there's more than one way to skin a cat!
The Jalopy Journal
