Technical TO CHOP OR NOT TO CHOP THIS IS THE QUESTION

I found some pics from the chop cl*** that a local hot rod shop put on recently. The donor car was a 41 Ford business coupe that they put mild chop to. Looking at the pics he used, compared to other chops that I've seen, very minimal cuts. I know chops are very involved and not for the faint of heart, but would I be able to apply what he did to a business coupe to a 47 Ford club coupe? I know there are some differences with the roof shape and there are some other steps that weren't do***ented.

 

The mechanics are the same, the dimensions are up to your desires. The techniques shown are sound and proven to work.

 

Every car has its own problems when it comes to chopping them , cut a little at first alot easer to cut of more than to weld more back on

 

The "magic" to chopping any car after around 1936 is the slant of the roof. Some are just straight down chops, which are OK for a hot rod. But some are delicious rearward slanted chops that make a custom flow like no OEM designer could ever imagine. Cutting up a large side photo will help you determine what you need to do to get the look you are after.

Cutting up a photo will also help you realize the amount of new panel fab you will need to do to match the curves. You can't bend the ink on the photo, and sometimes you can't bend the original steel panels. But you can create panels from scratch, as shown in the pics of the catwalk in your pics above. And some chops might require a whole new rear quarter of the roof.

 

Some good ideas thanks. Maybe I could buy a model kit and try that too.
The thing that makes me nervous is that they made it look too damn easy.

 

Your post ***le is "TO CHOP OR NOT TO CHOP THIS IS THE QUESTION", I'd vote no.

 

With the information now available on the internet along with affordable welders and English wheels, I think you really have to work at messing it up. When I chopped my car over 40 years ago, all I could find was the occasional magazine article that couldn't do as near a good job of do***enting the process. However, on the plus side, there were a lot more donor cars back then.

 

You could just raise the seats and it would feel chopped when you drive it.

Some cars do not need to be chopped, '40 Ford coupe is a good example, but when they are and it is well executed they are just delicious. I am not a resto rod type myself, so chopping or not chopping is a non-issue for me. For me it is a matter of how much work I am willing to do. I think that is something to be considered for sure.

 

The club coupe has a little more crown over the back seat area, doesn't it? That'd be the critical area I'd want to change when comparing to a short-door coupe chop. Otherwise the basics are all the same.

For a first-timer, when you include the gl***, window regulators and vent wings, and all the little incidentals, you could easily figure this job to take 200+ hours of work. You can get things tacked into place and looking cool in a few days, but that's very much the beginning. If you know you can devote that kind of time to doing it right, and if you really want a chopped car, I'd say go for it. But be realistic about the amount of time it'll take.

 

Do you have a link to that chop as it looks pretty nice and I have a 41 Coupe that I will be chopping end of the summer after I enjoy it for a while

 

I would seriously have to debate chopping a 41-48 Ford coupe if it were me. I have seen as many that I didn't like as I did. Anyway, good luck in deciding. My decision to chop my Merc coupe is easy...it looks silly not chopped.

 

It was on the Gas Axe garage's instagram

 

Being that you’re primarily working in the backyard without a garage, I’d get the car up and running, drivable, then worry about whether to chop or not later.

 

That is actually really sound advice!

 

Depends.

What style of car do you want to build?
Custom? Chop chop chop.
Hot rod? Maybe yes maybe no.

In my opinion, the roof of a 40s Club Coupe looks too humpy. Always needs a chop.

But a Business Coupe doesn't need a chop. They've got a pretty high roof, but as a hot rod, for some reason it works.

On one hand, they say that easy doesn't often produce awesome.
On the other hand, there's a lot to be said for leaving stuff alone.

 

I say:

 

I have been staring at a chopped 41 for the last month on my RoyBoy calendar... I do like this one chopped by Jeff Myers that has been shown here on the HAMB many times. Photo credit to @travisfromkansas

 

Here’s a long door I chopped a couple years ago
No small task to get it to flow
Get the 1/4 windows looking right and to cut all the stainless and garnish moldings
I think it was worth it though
The long door coupe has a clumsy looking top stock

 

To be polite, your car is rough and your skills are just growing. Get your car on the road and enjoy it. Hone your skills and find something to chop later.

I have had a hand in several chops, worked in a rod shop for several years, and would love to chop my 51 GMC like Geislers was done decades ago. However, it would add a huge amount of time and work to the timeline when I could be driving it.

Add to that the fact that many projects end up with a FUBAR'd chop and sold off before they ever get done.

 

Just doesn't look good with the rain gutters gone and the quarter windows
made too small.

 

any more picture of this cl*** ??...please post

 

The cl*** was held thru the Gilmore Auto Museum, and done by Gas Axe Garage. Look online, there were many posts from many people about it. The car was on display at the Detroit Autorama last weekend too.
Really nice chop, not extreme, just perfect.

 

I’m with ******, not all cars need a chop. Chopping something with straight pillars like an A would be fairly simple. On the other hand, chopping a post war car with sloping pillars is a major undertaking for a first chop. Not to say you couldn’t pull it off, just saying it will be much harder than it looks, especially without tools like a English wheel to make filler panels. Above my pay grade for sure.

 

Here is a chopped 46 with the details of how it was done. It looks good without an over done chop with the ski slope back.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/vernon-mckeans-46-ford-build.982797/#post-11454741

 

I'm not a fan of most chopped tops.... it takes more than metal working skills... it takes an 'eye' to pull it off successfully.
As @Tman said, a lot of chops wind up FUBAR and sold off as parts cars.
My opinion.... DON'T!

 

Nothing like a good chop on a '41-'48 Ford Business Coupe, the green one in the pics looks great...

 

-This is what it looks like right now
-I'm going for a custom look as much as I can, but not too wild either.
-In my defense, my skills are pretty sick for a newbie, but looking at some of these builds maybe not so much.

 

Hmmmmm
That car is cool. Make it go and stop.
The chop? Depends on either skills, willingness to learn skills, tools, willingness to purchase tools needed or just a big wallet to pay someone.

Can you weld? Willing to learn?
The skill to cut something is often never mentioned along with patience.
Vision has already been mentioned. (Flow)
Hammer and dolly work? (Metal finish)

No of this is rocket surgery. And I do metal work with simple basic tools.

There’s more than enough info here and folks that can help along the way.

 

@anthony myrick
Always willing to learn new things, and I've gotten pretty good a welding too. This was my car a couple of years ago, but this was all straight lines

 

Cut it

take a good profile pic. Print off a few. Chop the picture.