For all you Model A Sedan owners who have chopped roofs, how short is your rear window? My Murray Fordor will get a chop job (a****st some other serious cuts later to be disclosed), but things are measuring out sort of whacky. If I do a 5-inch chop the rear window comes out to about 3-1/4" or so. If I section below the window (the only flat spot) I get another inch bringing it to 4-1/4". If I reduce the whole chop to a 4-inch chop I can bring that window to 5-1/4". Did anyone else have this problem? Anyone have an experience or some photos of what they did with their chop job to keep the rear window a decent size. I like semi-squinty windows, but the rear is just getting rediculous. Here's a visual of how it looks right now before any kind of molesting: The body is off now and some other things are in the works, but I'll reveil those later. One question at a time for now.
I lowered the bottom of my window like 1.5 inches towards the belt line instead of completley mail slotting the window. here is a picture. we took about 4.5 out
How tall was the window when you started? I have a feeling the Tudor windows are taller than the Fordor rear window. All the Tudors I see that have a 4 to 5 inch chop look like yours. I only have room to take out 1" below the window and it's not going to be even CLOSE to the height of yours... Or so it seems. What does the height actually measure at the center? I need to get Dodgerodder in on this one...
Okay chopped sedan guys... post 'em if you could get me a dimension or two off the window (where started and what it is now) that would help. BTTT
Wow! I learned something new about rear window differences between the body styles... I was doing some sketching to get a visual of how the cut will be. I took some measurements of the window to show my concern. Rear window measures about 8-3/4 inches. Here's the section I'm thinking of to allow a +1" taller window than the chop. Anymore and the belt line beads are going to need attention after welding. So this means, if I do a 4" chop that leaves me with 4-3/4" + 1"section = 5-3/4" window. So, maybe the answer is a 4-1/2" chop to bring it to 5-1/4". That's acceptable in my book. Tudor, what did you use to do the verticle cut for the section below the window? I need the smallest width cut possible so welding it together turns out nicer... unless I weld a backing plate behind the gap that is created from the blade/wheel that I end up using to make the cut. Anyone have any thoughts? Looks like the 31 Murray Fordor has a shorter rear window than the Tudors and Briggs Fordors.
I chopped my top 3" and only took an 1 1/2" out of the rear window and the other 1 1/2" below the rear window from the body. I dont like mail slot rear windows.
My car is chopped 4" and we took 4" out of the back window as well. I like the look of the little back window.
Tudor, what did you use to do the verticle cut for the section below the window? I need the smallest width cut possible so welding it together turns out nicer... unless I weld a backing plate behind the gap that is created from the blade/wheel that I end up using to make the cut. I am not sure what the measurement of the original window was. The way it ended up, when I lowered the bottom of the back window, I lowered it till the bottom lip was about even with the bottom of the side windows. I used a 6" cut off wheel on a grinder to make that cut. I would raise your bottom cut line like a 1/4 - 1/2" to give you some room to put it back like you said. A backing plate is not a bad idea - by the time you get to welding that up - you'll be good at filling in gaps without backing plate Something we did was tape off the cuts then spray paint over the tape - when you pull the tape off it leaves a nice line that won't go away. don't forget to take the gl*** out.
Yes! The tape and paint method works great! Did a little of that last night and I used some engine paint I had laying around figuring it wouldn't peel as easy if the metal got warm while I was cutting... and yes, removing the window would be good! I'm going to do a huge intro soon for this project giving the low down of what's going on here with this build... but first.... I will need..... one meeelion dollars.... errr.... one treeeeelion dollars! Thanks for the input guys!
hey scooter! made my way over to my brothers house last saturday to check out his fordor that I posted about last week. turns out he does have that header panel it's just sitting on his cowl at the moment. I could take some measurements and pictures of it if it would help you make one? here's your chop all done. I snuck into your garage whilst you were sleeping. bill's in the mail
My car doesn't live in that garage anymore! You chopped the wrong car!! I hope the owner intended to chop his car! HAA!! Looks neat! I took some very serious measurements as I got deeper into the chop of this car. We started with three inches, set the roof back on, and took some measurements for head room with a 4 inch channel and a inch thick subfloor. Was pretty tight since the car is also shortened 27 inches. That probably sounds like nothing to most of you, but you have to remember that the windows in this car were substantially shorter than a standard Briggs or earlier Murray body. Then add the channel job and the idea of actually being able to see over the dash and you have a whole series of things to consider. So for those of you who haven't seen how it turned out, here's how it turned out... Before final fitting and tacking it in place After fit and tack. (looks a little messy in the picture, but it was a nice fit) Not extreme looking at all, unfortunately... but I don't think I'll ever get a screwed back and cramped neck. I intend on driving this ALOT and on road trips. Plus, I can always take more out (god forbid I go through that chop again) if I need to.
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