Okay, I have a 1951 Chevy and I have been thinking about taking the roof off, running it with no roof for the summer, and then putting a carson top on it over the winter when I have lots of time to make it exzactly the way I want. My question is, what should I do to finish (or make) the top of the windshield (where the roof was cut off) to make it look decent and not just like the roof was just hacked off? If anybody has pics that would be great too. Thanks.
An east coast hamber has a blue one with a carson top. Might be Clark don't remember for sure, hope that helps.
Hey, Sooooo......whata ya gonna bout the door gaps that will be spreadin on ya , without reinforcment? Cowl shake could become a serious issue, as well. "Real" droptops have some serious x-members between the frame rails to support havin no roof panel/posts. Swankey Devils C.C.
I have already cut out the b-pillars and I have braced from just near the top of the door where I cut it, to the drveshaft hump (reinforced with some sheet metal) and then a braced from that piece of tubing back to the rear wheel-well up against the door. I have thought about the cowl as I thought it would be strong enough to support itself...
Convertables from the factory on 49-54 chevs have more support on the frame. If you look in the factory manuals, convertable frames and sedan frames are slightly different. Just make sure you have plenty of bracing, or like was said above, things will start spreading apart. If you read about or see any chop being done, there is always plenty of bracing until the top is welded back on. Good luck.
Make sure that all your body mounts are solid...I would replace them and while you are under there add some extra rails or reinforcement so you don't get the flex all these guys are worried about. As for the header I went over to a buddys house when I was building a 40 merc with no roof...anyway I went over and used some paper to make a full size template of his real convertible merc widshield. I laid the paper on and taped it tight then rubbed a crayon on all the edges. Then I went home and cut away everything that did not match on my car...the rest was handformed steel..but when it was done it looked like a real convertible windshield (oh yea...I chopped it 4 inches while I was at it) and not just sone car with the roof cut off....in my opinion you need to do this to get the right look!
Yeah I definatley need something very close to a stock vert top to make it look right, otherwise, like you said it will just look like a car with the roof ct off. Thanks for the help so far guys.
No offense, but this is the second question about removing roofs on old Chevy's from you guys north of the border. What's goin' on up there? Wouldn't it be better to locate and buy a convertible? Sell your car to fund it? You're going to be disappointed with your car when you cut it up, IMHO. You gonna run it all summer with no roof? in the rain? OK, it's your car, so do what you want, but I doubt you want to leave those braces to the trans tunnel in there either.
^^^Well first off, I dont want to sell the car as I already have lots of work done to it and I have spent a fair chunk of money on it. Second, I wont be driving it in the rain, its a summer only car and if I happen to get caught in the rain, it doesnt much as the car has no interior next to the front seat and dash, so there is nothing to get ruined anyway. And last, I am leaving the braces where they are cause the car will have no back seat, and I really couldnt car less because there will be nobody sitting back there.
The verts up here tend to be few and far between... And cost a ton when not rotted out from the floor to the windows... Just part of life in the winter wonderland Flatman
i cut the roof off of a 69 ford pickup and it was great, we had a blast, for about 10 mintues. then it rained. the seats got wet, they stay wet for hours. everytime u sit down boom just like that you ass is wet. so u figure ok i'll only drive it on sunny days, so there it sits in your garage, cause u cant park it outside, waiting ofr a nice sunny day. Finally oneday the sun is out so u decide to drive it to work, then around 2:30 it gets cloudy and starts raining. so u drive all the way home in the rain, gettin soaked to the bone. there it sits in the garage some more to dry out. it stops raining u drive to the store go inside and it starts raining again. u come out sit on the wet seat drive home getting rained on park it in the garage again. then all winter it sits in the garage cause u still cant leave it outside. u buy another vehicle start fixing it up cause the other one is ruined cause it needs a new roof now which is a very difficult job to build one ore put a factory one back on and there sits the connvertable. Chopping the top is way easier than cutting one off and it looks way better. just thought i'd let u know my opinion cause i've been there and done that, right now the ford is sitting in the backyard with a tarp over it a wrecked interior and i'm looking for another cab
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