Termites and Bowties- Early Chevy Group

I learned the 1964-65 Mustang roof skin makes a perfect steel roof. However, I’ve seen roof patches made from a minivan roof with ribs and I liked that too.

 

I have a ribbed roof insert in mine I think it's from a early suburban

 

the two I chopped and filled I used a second generation Camaro roof.....but they were cheap and plentiful in the eighties.

 

I’d chop it if it were mine. That said, have you got everything fitting correctly and hard tacked in place? If not, get everything squared up and fitting before you even think about cutting into it. Sounds like a longer path but it’ll save you tons of work and potential headaches in the future.

 

Photoshop picture of a 2” chop.

 

I suppose that I need to chop my roof after his...

 

Ah, What the heck take 6".

 

Now we’re talking lol

 

Part of this issue is the real fact that I am 6'3" tall. Like Jay mentioned, a mild chop or a "rake chop" for me would be ideal for my circumstances. The '59 Thunderbird bucket seats that I've had for years is waiting for the right upholsterer, and I may have found one in town. Just need to ask if they can execute the early style thin pleats in pure white or white pearl in metalflake, leaning toward the latter.

 

That interior is phenomenal. Yeah I guess with you being that tall it would be an issue for you. I’m only 5’10 and I have a 5” chop. I had a ton of headspace before the headliner was added.

 

I was joking about 6". The 2" photoshop looks very nice and clean.

 

So . . .
If I stretch the roof with that staggered cut to align the A pillar, then the B pillar will move back. That will make extra work. I’d need to cut around the upper window to move it forward to realign the B pillar. Or I could try to keep the B pillar where it is and lay the back window panel down.
If I change the angle of the A pillar, (which I’d rather avoid). Then the roof would not need a stretch.
Advice?

 

This may help.


You can also work you chop out on paper as you started to with the photo copy’s. Take pics from front/side/rear with your layout taped up cut with scissors and you see what you need to do and how it’ll look. Way less work that starting and finding out you screwed up in the layout after you cut it up.

 

His 3” chop on that 33 coupe turned out nice. I cringed when I saw what he had to do to that rear window. He can TIG and apply lead over weld seams. I don’t have those skills but I followed his process the whole way.
I think a roof stretch would be my method of choice - like he did but probably with the staggered cut I showed. It was good to see that the sides lined up even with a 3” chop.

 

Someone on FB shared 2 very helpful links , (2 part magazine article) showing the steps involved to do a chop on a three window 33/34 Chevy coupe.
Chevy coupe chop part 1
Chevy coupe chop part 2

 

Got the door pillars installed to the sheet metal. Doors align pretty well. It’s coming along. The jack stands are just temporary.

 

Lol Jay I seen a pic of the coupe on it's side did it fall off the jack stands?

 

You mean THIS pic?
Well, . . . . Now that you mention it. Yes, that was MY coupe. Operator error. Not equipment failure. One dolly was up against a tire and I kept pushing. Slow graceful tip over. Zero damage. Back up on the stands 5 minutes later.
The precarious “jack stands on dollies” is a VERY temporary solution. I needed some walk around room so I could square up the doors and door frames and my shop is too cramped.

 

I doubt it brother, that body is precious (any original steel body for that matter)... Speaking of steel bodies, I had some friends over from the Gilbert area, where I used to work, to stay over for two nights for a Championship Fishing Tournament on the Colorado River this past weekend and got some needed help to take my coupe body from the chassis, back on the body cart. Now I can finish up the last tasks on the chassis and very psyched about that!

 

Just for comparison sake and relevance to the two inch chop being done to the 5 window above, this is a two inch chop on my 3 window 33. And yes, the three window doors are larger/longer than the 5 window, and me being 6' 1", a three window is much easier for me to enter and exit the car.

 

She's a nice-looking hot rod Frank. For a steel body, the door gaps are excellent, looking so much like a fiberglass body. Dig the "seaweed" flames, like Larry Watson did in the 50's and 60's - also considering this on my '31. Mounting the body channeled over the frame by the firewall looks tough as well, would love to do this on my '31, most likely cannot be done with an original style wood floor that I replaced in '96. LONG LIVE CHEVY HOT RODS!!!!

 

Just so you know I’m still working on my 34 coupe . . .
I patched this original DS rear door frame support bracket this weekend AFTER returning from a weekend of Chevy truck fun in TN.
I hope to square up the door frames and doors this weekend.

 

WAY TOO MUCH... 3" at the most on my '31. Christ, that body in this video has more bullet holes than John Dillinger's sedans...

Rat Rod Chop Top// Chopping the roof on a 1931 Chevy Coupe

 

I had a productive day in the shop. I had planned to square up my doors and door frames. I decided to mount my rear leaf springs and axle instead. The rear frame brackets had to come off because they interfered with the planned location for the rear shackles.
I used a small bubble level to find the highest point of my frame arch. The body is pretty much where it should be. The highest point of the wheel well lined up with the frame arch which was what I was hoping for.
I dropped a plum line and lined up a carpenter’s square with the plum line. Then measured according to the instruction sheet. The front brackets were mocked up with a single screw so the bracket can swivel. I’ll tack weld the front brackets in place AFTER the rear shackles are attached to the frame. That way I can be sure the front brackets are perfectly lined up with the rear shackles.
I think the axle and tire look centered in the wheel well. I am pretty happy about that. If anything has to change, it might be that the body might move forward 1/4” - 1/2” max.
My 87 Camaro rear axle is too wide. So I might search for an S10 4x4 axle which is supposed to be just right. I like the 3.23 Camaro axle gear and disc brakes, so I might have it narrowed.

 

Here’s a technical question.
The bottom flange of my frame is not perfectly parallel to the earth. Therefore the leaf spring front brackets are not parallel to the earth. Do I need to add a shim to make them level?

 

I would

 

Great job so far Jay! You're nailin' it!

 

Not sure if I ever posted this video on our Chevy thread that my brother Scott found for me on the net A LONG TIME AGO... I posted this video on my YouTube Channel of a group of teenagers who helped with the build of their buddy's '31 Chevy 5 window coupe back in 1959 - 1960. Look at the background cars to show the timeframe of this vid. It's a bit corny, but something most hotrodders/hobbyists don't see too often, and should bring some smiles too!

(1) The building of an early 60's '31 Chevy HOT ROD filmed in 1959 - 1960! - YouTube

 

haha that's awesome

 

great video and cool car!