Technical 56 Ford Sedan to Roadster - Opinions Please

What I would really like from all of you experienced choppers is a firm answer on what will really happen when I remove the roof?
Here is my idea....from this.

to this


No need for roof, stored indoors. Only need one door (drivers) rest will be secured/welded shut to attempt to make up for loss of roof structure. I've searched on the H.A.M.B for two days now and can't find threads that talk about removing the roof for 50's cars (unless it is to add that roof to a different car). I've got to be missing the posts since I'm sure this question has been asked a thousand times (what high schooler hasn't thought about cutting the roof of a car at some point?). I'm sorry for asking the same question.

I know the convertible frames had x-members, and the roof is a SIGNIFICANT structural component for non-convertibles. I was thinking I would put full length 2" angle iron under/behind the rockers to add body stability, and weld/rivet the other three doors shut, and possibly a low cross brace between B pillars low down.

I'm feeling stifled in life with 2 kids, a non hands-on job. I'm going nuts for a chance to be creative. I now have a pole barn with shop...this car is taking up space and doesn't excite me as a four door. I'm prepared to fail and save the drivetrain for some other project some day.

Here my objectives
1) Super low budget
2) Do something crazy and get to use my welder and angle grinder and learn
2) Functioning driver's door
3) I can drive it on a Sunday once a month to get ice cream with the kids

What I would really like from all of you experienced choppers is a firm answer on what will really happen when I remove the roof? I've heard answers ranging from "it'll be so flexy your windshield will shatter" to "My high school buddy and I did that exact thing to a 56 4-door ford and drove it all summer...best summer of my life". What is the truth?

 

To add to the discussion, I found this on craigslist last fall

 

Ummmmm no! First off their wasn't ever a 4 door convertible made during that era..if ya want a convertible I would suggest going that route rather than chopping the the roof off that poor 4 door.... Sell it an buy a convertible project and I don't have a lot of love for 4 doors.....but way less love for a roof chopped off, supported with angle iron 4 door turd...

 

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but didn't you post this up somewhere else, like Y-Blocks Forever, last fall? Just do it. The best way to learn is to risk a failure. Not that I have much love for your plan, but as they say around here... "it's your car, build it to please yourself". -Dave.

 

From your narrative it sounds like you are going to ruin a perfectly good 4-door regardless of what anyone says. My suggestion is to stay off Ebay.
Where's that '56 Chebby located.........Havana?

 

That looks like a fairly clean 56 ford why would ya wanna ruin it by cuttin the roof off and weldin the doors shut? Lots of people would like that car like it is sell it and buy somethin that nobody cares if ya ruin like a 1970somethin big as hell ugly car cause after you cut the roof off and weld the doors shut the next stop will be the crusher. You could lower that car clean it up and make a nice simple cruiser that you could have plenty of fun with

 

Don't do it! You won't have much if you do. Buy a compressor and a paint gun and learn how to paint. I have a '56 Rideau HT but I've seen some very nice 4D's that with the right paint scheme and a lowered stance with cool tires and rims are very attractive. Google image search '56 Fords and you may come up with some inspiration. Good luck.

 

Are your objectives obtainable?......yes
Are they wise?.....can't say
Is the '56 chevy yours?
Where do you live(climate)?
BTW...Welcome to the Hamb.
It wouldn't be any worse, or not even as bad as some stuff I've seen here. Tim

 

Not much response yet. Cut the roof off and you will find out what will happen. Then you can answer the next guy that has this question.

It is a four door. Not worth a lot. If it doesn't work, part it out.

Neal

 

How are your kids going to get in the car with only one door? I can't tell you how much it'll flex, it will though. Probably enough to pop your doors open.

But what's really going to happen is your going to cut this car up and regardless of wether it's succesful or not it gets crushed when it leaves your possession.

If you want a project and something cool in the end go buy some two door doors and change your four door into a two door. Then go ahead and build a nice car with it. There's plenty of
Threads about doing the conversion

 

What I would really like from all of you experienced choppers is a firm answer on what will really happen when I remove the roof?

You will ruin that car.


If you want to be creative, and learn that's not a good project to start with. About the only thing you'll learn is a hard lesson.

 

You wanted a firm answer so here it is.
If you cut off the roof and weld shut the doors you will have less of a problem with body flex than if all the doors worked.. The problem occurs when roofs are removed and no bracing is put in to compensate for the loss of body rigidness that the roof supplies. So when you close the doors the pillar with the lock mechanisim flexes and when you are driving the body flexes and the doors can pop open. That's why the guy put the very feeble angle iron brace on the 56.
If you still leave the DS door working you will need some bracing at that door jamb.
It looks like a solid car to me and since I don't have am issue with 4 doors I would look towards making it safe for the kids.(Seat belts). And then direct your desire to create towards making it a mild custom.
Lowering it. Perhaps fender skirts. A different grill. ect.
Just my 2 cents.
Torchie

 

You ask for opinions,it a dumb idea!

You will lose structural rigidity and welding up the doors sounds more like a rat rod than a hot rod.

Build a clean 4 door and drive it or sell it. HRP

 

It would be a Rube Goldfarb deal.

 

No matter what you do after you cut the top off, it will look like a decapitated '56 Ford 4 door. It is a nice solid original car. I would go with paint, lowering, a few mild custom touches, but don't decapitate the poor thing. I saw this done one time. Guy I worked for in a body shop when I was in high school cut the roof off of a '56 Ford 4 door station wagon. This was in '68, solid good running car that he only gave a couple hundred for. Only thing, he was in the shrine club, and he fixed the car up as a clown car for parades, red and green and yellow. He also did a two front ends car, cut off the front halves of two good '55 Ford 4 doors and welded them together Put a front axle from a 4 wheel drive truck under it so both ends could be steered in parades. So, my first question for you before you decapitate that car is, Are you in the Shrine club, and will you paint it green, red, and yellow to use as a clown car in parades?

 

My opinion, you'll run into a million problems and it will look like **** and function just as well. Sell it and start with something else, or make it a safe driver for the kids once in awhile.

 

This is all very familiar. Think stirring it up is the OP real point. I've seen his pictures and read his story once before. -Dave.

 

What will happen?
You will get laughed out of town and possibly tarred and feathered, not sure about the last part.

 

Aw com on y'll........its not a '32 five window.?

 

Welp, to tell the truth.........I'd be embarr***ed to ride in it with the top cut off..Too ghetto for me. However, a dropped, cleaned up [nosed and decked] 56 ford 4 door reminds me of some of the "hand-me-down" cars we drove in high school while wishing we could afford a 32 ford roadster or a new 60s 'vette. I think they're cool with the top left in place.

 

For 59 years the car has remained as original from the factory. There isn't that many left and what made the glory days of that era will be history. Once they are cut and hacked you can't hardly give them away. China welcomes them , to turn into our new lawn mowers and washing machines.

 

You saying we are getting trolled?
I think so too

 

Trolled? Maybe.... but these hacked 'convertibles' turn up more often than you might think (I've even seen a few for sale here). It doesn't help that you do see some cars where it's done 'right' (Cabong's resurrection of a old Winfield car) but this isn't something you can do on a 'low budget' and a mor-door is an inherently poor choice.

 

The simple answer to your question is you will ruin an old Ford.

 

Damn its 3:00 in the mornin and i woke up thinking about this poor old car. normally when ya build a hot rod or custom you are trying to make the car better. Will cutting the roof off make it any better? Nope! Will it just turn a nice car into a parts car for somebody else? Yep! If this was a minivan or somethin i would say hell yeah cut the roof off and put a big *** umbrella in the middle of it for a working convertible top. The world needs less minivans there is only so many 56 fords. Lots of people have answered your question please reply and tell us you are not gonna do it so i can quit thinkin about the poor lil car.

 

The pics of the Craigslist 57 Chevy should have been enough to dissuade the OP.......

 

Don't cut the roof off, and ruin the poor thing, mabye weld the back doors up and reshape the roof, chop or fastback, or roof off of another? go crazy, and custom the whole thing, or carson style top or......

 

Thanks for all the thoughts guys...seems to be 100% consensus here on not doing it. Yes I posted this question on Y-Blocks forever forum a few months ago. But only one person there had actually done this exact thing (he was one of the few who supported my idea). So I came here hoping I'd find more people with factual experience to share since there is a fair amount of roof removing that goes in in these circles (albeit they are usually re-attached!).

I don't want a four-door convertible like the 57 chevy pics I posted (I don't understand the purpose of a 4 door convertible, sorry Lincoln), I posted it as the only evidence I have that a 4-door post car won't disintegrate without a roof. If the back doors were welded shut without exterior gaps, and the interior was done more tastefully I'd think it was really cool if it gave me a 50's convertible (to the untrained eye) for $2,000 bucks or less.

The front bench seat tilts forward and a nimble kids could easily squeeze past the b pillar into the back seat, but my guess is they'd have more fun jumping in over the side!

Someone asked if it is my car. Yes....got it for free. My grandpa tried to sell it 10 years ago or so for $1,500 with no takers. He parked it back in the barn (next to a pristine 52 Chevy coupe with 20k original!). My grandpa gave it to me a couple years ago (my uncle gets the Chevy). I got it running, driving and stopping. But then lost enthusiasm. The pictures make it look way nicer than it is, I don't believe I or anyone else would believe it is worth restoring.

 

Last year over at Y-Blocks Forever, a newbe calling himself Big6ft6 (might be someone else) started a thread called "4 Door To Convertible (Roadster)???" It went on for 7 pages. Maybe there is some merit in responding to this guy, but I think this thread should be closed. If I'm wrong, sorry. -Dave.

 

Sedans especially 4 door sedans have a tendency to bend in the middle when the roof is removed.

Verts have a little extra built into the C pillar/door jam area of the body and a heavier frame as a rule to make up for the strength you loose when there is no roof. if you go through the trouble of building the added strength into the vehicle then all that you have to worry about is owning a car that only has value to you, or someone else equally as twisted as you are.