Hey guys now that I have my old gasser car "done" I decided to build my wife the car she wants. I picked up this cherry survivor '53 chev the other day and am flirting with the idea of chopping it. My worst fear is f'n up a cherry car and I'm doing my homework, but needed to ask if anyone had any helpful suggestions about this job and any tips on the back glass. I fabricated everything on my '55 and it turned out nice but I'm no Bill Hines and want to make sure I do this right. Don't be pissed I'm asking, I know it's a dead horse of a topic just looking for general advice.
Bill is one of the best when it comes to sinking in those Chevy rear windows, I've seen him do a few of them back in the day. Check out hotrodhotline.com they have a diagram on how to sink that window.
I hunted all over that site and can't find anything on sinking the rear window, do you know the link to it? I have searched the HAMB endlessly and can't find any detailed pics on the sinking process. A lot of the links that people have posted about it are long gone. Can anyone post some detailed pics or posts of the sinking process?
There's no doubt the chops look awesome. It's all the details to make them look correct, finished, and work properly, that's the hard part. You'll probably spend 10 times as much time effort and $ on those little items as you will on doing the chop.
Yeah, go to " Hot rod M.D." , then "Paint & Body", then I believe you'll find it on the second page " chopping a top" or something like that. It's a drawing showing a rear window sunken into the trunk. You gotta cut the bottom of the window channel so it will allow the window to sink, make sure to leave the part of the window frame where the stainless attached cause that part sits against the window with the rubber seal glued to the window while the window sits on a channel in the package tray area. Send me a pm and ill give you my # to explains better. It's hard putting it in words.
I am chopping my 54, back glass i have 50 Chevy coupe glass that will be going in. It's going to be a 2 3/4inch chop up front, the rear will be what ever looks good with gentle slope toward the back. There is a thread that Ian Berky did chopping a 53 that has lots of good pics and lots of detail, walks you through the entire process. I would start with that, good luck john Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App! Using iPhone 6
I put a '46-48 Chevy rear window in mine specifically because I didn't know what to do with the wraparound rear glass (other than sell it to a restorer - it was factory tinted and mint condition) and because I prefer the look of a smaller rear window in a chopped car. Some will say '49-51 Ford rear window will also work but it's too humped. Somewhere here on the HAMB I did a thread on the chop but the pictures are in some weird format so no one paid much attention to it. In there somewhere are a couple of photos that show how I spliced in the rear window. I'm sure it's just like John~N~Dallas's but with a slightly different glass.
Yeah... I don't love the idea of cutting up such a clean car. Chopping is a pretty ugly business. Surely there are some beaters out there you can chop the heck out of?
Chop the hell out of that thing. The late '40s and early '50s sedans are prime chopping material. That said, I always liked Hoffman's hardtopped sedan...
I know you can purchase replacement laminate rear glass for these which can be cut down by an experienced glass guy, that is what i would recommend. As far as sinking the glass you can cut the frame and leave it on the glass then move it down and tack in place then brace, remove glass, and build down to the new channel. Then when you do the new rubber you cut a rubber and make a false window rubber outline. Now the other issue is the beltline will sit wider in the corners once the glass is sunk so you have to modify this to fill the gap which is no easy task.. So back to what i said before, laminate rear glass and have cut or go with a different non wrap rear glass and make new sail panels.. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
^^^^ Alex knows what he's talking about for sure. I'd still ask the lady of the house how she wants it as it ain't fun sleeping on the couch because she is pissed because you hacked her car up when she didn't want it chopped.
See if you can source a copy of Tex Smiths how to chop tops. it has lots of photos related to laying down as well as sinking the glass frames. also food for though the 53 business coupes had a smaller rear window much like the 49-52 rear windows which would work also. I used a 41 chevy in a 52 hardtop as well as my 51 merc. but I really like the small window look. just make sure all your door gaps and panels fit and then brace the inside completely before you make a single cut!!!!!
I'm switching the rear window with a 46 ford sedan back window it was all done by Rick Murray at Krazy Kreations in Denver and all the grunt work by me lol but so far so good I will post more as I get it done but if you want a chop Rick Murray at Krazy Kreations in Denver Colorado is the place to go
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