Actually looking for an old article..a very detailed how to..of Jake´s coupe chop. There is a legendary pic with the man hanging from the rear post with a belt or something and holding a saw... I had the article in a Hot Rod yearbook or something but it seems to be in some secure place...that I´ve forgotten a long time ago... If someone could find & scan it..it surely would be appreciated by others on this board too. Thanks
If i had one these days that wasn't chopped i would leave it unchopped. This is one that i got to go see when i was in NY this fall. It was built in 1961 and has not had one change since. If it was a 5 window i would cut it too but 3 windows look good like this.
That article was in R & C, I'm guessing 1973. Pretty sure it was the Coupes Are For Chickens theme that month and Pete & Jake's (before they were "Pete & Jake's") coupes were on the cover.
I have that article written by Gray Baskerville when Jake was working @ Rod & Custom in 73 getting the "Then soon to be yellow 57 buick powered chicken coupe" ready for the nats in Tulsa that year. Jake built that car while living in Compton & within the next year he was then living on the same street as Pete in Temple City. Email me if ya scan it & email it to you.
There was a redo of that story in one of the other mags a few years ago with the legendary pic! I probably have it but **** if i can remember what mag it was in. I remember the article was abotu both pete and jake. Im thinking it was in street rodder Dave
I have that issue in my office somewhere, but my recollection is that they cut it the old, traditional way.... straight across from middle of rear window through to the B pillar. In the last 10 to 15 years it has become fashionable (as well as just plain better) to begin in the middle of the rear but then jog down to with say 3/4 of an inch of the belt line and follow the heavy body line over to the B pillar. It seems like extra work , but the overall crown in that area makes for less effort (pie cuts) to make it all come together. I did a '34 tudor this way and there were no pie cuts needed.
A lot has evolved in the top chop in the last 30 years..... A lot of the vertical relief cuts he made were un-necessary.A SAWZALL is not the tool to use either-Ha! Also if it is a mild chop the front posts can me m***aged and the door gaps tightened[ stock were very loose and un even]...and chop it without the top being lengthened..... Here are some 34 shots from my shop work....a sedan but all that is shown can generally apply to both styles of the coupes as well...... this will work on up to a 3" cut.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v605/jimmyschev/Hot Rod Mag/Un***led-28.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v605/jimmyschev/Hot Rod Mag/Un***led-29.jpg
The Jalopy Journal
