I have chopped a couple of early 30's somethings cars, but not any later, say 1940 and up rods, but when I see pictures of these "rounder/bubbly" body styles, it seems like they always have a "L" shape cut in them around the rear corners. Hard to explain in words... as the cut goes around the back window, along the belt line, then progressing into the side of the car, a sharp 90 degree cut straight down about 3" (roughly) and then another 90 degree cut back to cutting along the side again...Does this make sense??? So if you were to lift the top off, you could actually "re-locate" the top back down into that same cut-out, maybe thats what it is for?!?!!??! but I don't think I have ever seen a picture of a chop being done where someone has cut that same shape again to lower the top! JEEZ after reading this myself, it doesn't really explain fully what I am trying to find out, I'll go try to find a magazine that shows what I am trying to describe and list it with a page # so anyone can see what I mean...Thanks in advance!!!....Ken
I think what your describing is when they chop the top but not the back window. On my son's 48 truck we took out 5" but only 2" out of the rear window so as not to **** up his visibility. Later, Mark
get the book "how to chop tops" by tex smith I picked mine up on e-gay for 13 bux....After reading what you wrote I confused myself but I believe they have what your after in there...if nothing else its good reference material (thats why I got it)
Chopper... sounds like what the previous posted said.. You saw some examples of people chopping the top. but not cutting out the back window. I just chopped my Studebaker pickup, and the raw window opening (metal to metal) was only 9 inches. I initailly started to cut out 2.5 inches all the way around. THAT would of only left me with a 6.5 inch rear window opening. SO I decided to do what you were trying to describe. Marked the truck where I wanted to chop it,... all the way around to the rear window; but then cut straight down,.. and cut that 2.5 inches out BELOW the window. Where you makes the cuts straight up and down that part just serves as a 'slide', and a way to get to the lower area that you cut. SO from your explaination I think you got the right idea. In the end, on my project... I felt a 2.5 inch chop all the way around left a rear window that was too small to see well out of,.. and just didn't look "proportional" compared to the windshield and window openings. I ended up cutting 2.5 inches out of the front post, and just 1 inch out of the rear (I did end up cutting it out of the window). Gave a nice rake to the roof. I guess i should mention I did an extended cab on my old Studie, and added 18 inches to the cab, so the rake stretches out a bit longer than original. Gonna look pretty good, (well I think so anyway)
I don't think he's asking about the rear window cut. That's pretty straightforward - you're either saving the window or saving the curvature of the silhouette of the rear portion of the top (as viewed from the side). But he's asking about the cuts they make (I'll call them "jogs") on the corners themselves. Behind the rear quarter windows (if the car has them) and not all the way around the top (as in - towards the rear window).... Very hard to explain (?) Anyways - I'll say this. They cut the jogs to preserve a certain curve or to save a body style-line. Also they make the jogs because (when we concider the multiple compounded curves) it's just easier to cut certain places - and if the two cuts can't line up - just make a jog. You see them doing a lot of jogs when they channel cut a body too (as seen on Monster Garage for instance). Trying to cut on the flattest and straightest portions of the body - and avoiding cutting into/towards a feature - such as a wheel well - at any angle other than 90 degrees. Hope this is close to what you're asking....
I'm not sure if i can explain this one either, but on my 39 the rear window did not match the line that i was cutting out of the rear pillars. there for I cut a jog up wards so when I weld the back window back in it will look proportional to the other windows. If i get some time tonight I will try to find some pics i snapped during the process.
Damn, wish I could explaine it better, but I think the closest to what I am trying to describe is what Broman said, and yes that '54 they did on M/G has exactly what I mean in the side of the body when they did the section on it, I have Tex Smith's "chop book" but there is only one page that has what I am describing BUT I don't think it is refering to what I mean, (but it may be?!?!?) it is on page --1 8 3-- the 1-middle and 2-bottom pictures. Thanks for all the answers, maybe this is a better question than I thought???? OR maybe I am just easily confused!!!...KEN
He's doing that because the whole roof moves forward as it moves down on the A pillar (windshield) and the cutout is the radius of the 1/4 window needing to move forward the same amount and be fitted into the new location of the 1/4 window. I did that on my 40 GMC since I took 3-1/2" out below the rear window and leaned the back of the cab forward. that window corner of to door needed to move forward about 5/8". If you don't do this you get a "squeezed" uneven or tight radius at that corner of the window. This can look ok though if the front door does it too, as it is different on a Mercury from a Ford. Either way it needs a smooth and logical transition to look like it's supposed to be the way it is.
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