Way back in the day when the Hamb was a smaller more personal space there was a thing called a HAMB chop. it started I belive just like this here post it was even before my time so I cant say.I was here for the last one at killers place I belive. Any how this guy is the perfect candidate for one a good ole southern BBQ served up with a chop. I have faith you southerners can step up to the plate and do something spectular.
Anything can be fixed. Building a carson top That actually works and fits right is not a simple task. I would say. Get your self some jack stands and long bar clamps. level the thing on the stands and use shims if you have to. check all the door gaps. Use the bar clamps to spread the body if necessary. brace the inside make sure everything is straight and square. Start with the windshield make sure the opening will take glass start there. A hardtop would be a good idea. then you dont really have to mess with the b pillars. The hardest part of the whole thing in my opinion is the rear window opening and actually getting it to take glass. If you are new at this you might want to try to find a new back window out of a different car and put it in. Fill the rest with sheet metal then weld and grind your way to a cool ride. Just my .02
you can make more than a doghouse out of that. My approach? 1) find a frame dimensions sheet from an old frame/body shop. 2) Go get a pile of cheap flat-tire jacks from your local pick-a-part. 3) jack the frame in as many places as it takes to get it within the specs of your frame chart. 4) go buy steel and some all thread and turnbuckles for you body braces. put in the braces in as many places as it takes to get your body twisted back into shape, The turnbuckles make it all adjustable. 5) double check all your frame and body adjustments and measurements 6) check all your measurements again. 7) NOW you can start worrying about what it's going to take to put the roof back on.
the doors being shut will help ..but it still probably moved ..the hardest part will be from side to side..cause when you cut the roof lose from the car it will bow out makeing your doors hard to shut and not lining up correctly..BUT thats not as bad as it sounds..just dont take the doors off make sure you leave the doors on..the door were shut when it was cut lose right?..also how are the floors in the car..rusty or solid?thatplays a big role in the bowing in the body as well..if ya got good floors it probably didnt bow out or in that bad..but i have a lot of piece's of the metal from my chop on my 53 left i could use ..if i dont have it i can get from a yard here in griffin ga.....but like i said i will fix the***** up and finish the chop for ya for $2800...if you want to go a lil differant with a differant rear glass we can work something out..makeing it a hardtop...thats a differant story..thats a lot more wore and the price would change dramaticaly..tghe post on the car im not worried about...now you said the car was still in texas ..befor any transporting ...to prevent anymore whacked out bowing...PLEASE brace the car before loading on the trailer..lol...brace it from side to side and from front to back and down to the floor..just dont let it move..and i will fix her up when you get her here.....do you have the door tops?
Holy*****! I didn't even see that the car was across a half dozen states..... this is gonna be interesting....... New rules for chopping: 1. Get drunk 2. Cut top off with no bracing 3. Load it on a flat bed and truck it 1,000 or so miles...... If anything, it will make for some interesting stories at the local car shows.... Keep us updated on this one Keith...
The floors are solid.so are the rockers. This is an original CA car. Witha****le. I am from CAL. I am stationede in GA,well retired here. it is a little bit of home. Hell the****le and vin is worth that to some. I am gonna get it. If anything it gives me another reason to drink beer. HA HA thanks for all
Hey Slamdpup, Do you owna shop or is this all in your Garage. Also you need help? hell it never hurts to ask. Mike
Definitely keep us posted, you will get it, if nothing else you will definitely get a lot of practice outta this build.....
for the most part it would be done in my garage..the body work and primer i will take to the shop....as far as help we have that covered
What would I have to brace up , If I just cut the top off and left it a roadster and put a carson top on later
I would send a PM to Nads & see what he says. Pretty sure he did the chop on his 54. Nothing like asking someone who's been there / done that.
meet nads, heres is alink to his sbuild up. there is a lso a finished post. I'll let you for that. go to advanced search put in nads and choose to search for threads started http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43462&highlight=paint
Mikey1610---Nope, I aint a glass half empty kind of guy. I've been building hotrods longer than half the guys on this forum have been alive, and I'm a realist. If the man who bought this semi finished chop wants true advise based on experience and knowledge, then I stand by the answer I gave him in my first post. Have you ever chopped a top?--Do you know what you are talking about, or are you basing your reaction to my answer on what you have read in magazines, and what you would like to do someday.
Keith089---Nah, we ain't going to war here. I sincerely wish you all the luck in the world with your car whatever you do with it. I just know that it is a total*****load of difficult work to bring off a successful top chop, and contend with the cutting down of windshields, etcetera. If you are brave enough to learn the skills required to weld, bodywork, etcetera at this stage of the game, then more power to you, and good luck.
Look, dont go out and shell out your cash to someone to finish it for you. Just because someone has done a chop does not make them a pro, and if you got basic skills, and a good eye...you are half way there. You got heart, and drive to see this come together. Now all you got to do is find some of the local guys around you, talk to them. Be humble and just ask for some help. I know I did not know***** about chopping bel airs when I did mine, I made mistakes, but I learned so much. I would not ever go back and undo what I did. It is not the best chop ever, but it was done by me, and I am proud as hell that I can say that. You will find that alot of people around this board, and this lifestlye are more then willing to pass on what they know. The older generation is who we are going to learn from, and we have to pass it on as they have. There are also the people that are just focused on make a quick buck and not helping anyone out. Stay away from people that always mention dollars and make no sense. The car looks good to me, yes it may be a lil racked, but if you can save it from getting any worse when you move it. Your going to be just fine. I worked with all kinds of wrecked cars, and with a rack you can do alot of repairs...so worse comes to worse find a chief rack and use it to help you out with getting the numbers in order. Just make sure it is one of the laser sight ones...so you can just hang the recievers on it and get the same number from each side of the body...need be? You are doing the right thing by sticking to yours guns about getting it done. You will be one proud boy when you can see it with some welds, then some filler...then so on and so on... Just ask for help...it will come.
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