So my two door conversion is well underway and I am at the point where I can put the post back in on the chop or make the car a hardtop? I am torn and can't seem to move forward! Input requested. This is where I am now....post are tacked in, door frame obviously not done. The above "animated" GIF was to show the transformation - old picture - but gets the idea across.
Thinking about it... I think I'd only hardtop a car the factory didn't already make a hardtop of. Chevy eventually got around to making a BelAir HT in that basic body so I'd keep it a post. Otherwise ya might as well start with a HT in the first place and change the other year identifying parts like 50fraud did on his '50 (actually a '51 with '50 single bullet front end and other '50 trim) HT Shoebox.
have someone photoshop it up hardtopped with slanted gl*** before making up your mind. I'm not liking the proportion of the quarter window, but I know it looks kinda funny because it's sort of in-between being a coupe quarter window and a tudor quarter window. As for Chevy doing a hardtop, sure they did, but it had a wraparound rear window and a lot flatter roofline than the others. A hardtop based on the Styline bubble top is something Chevy never made -
angle the post, the roofline is wrong for a hard top and a straight post just takes away from the looks of the chop...I think an angled post would really set the car off.... just my .02
Chopt49-- I went through the same decision making when converting my 49 Mercury into a hardtop. The side rear windows were just too long. I shortened mine and removed the bottom curve at beltline. This brought it more to a point like on a factory hardtop. Best of Luck. TwoChops
I know it is a little to late, but that thing had one of the nicest chops on a four door(I'm in the process of trying to mimic it on my 51 4door) that I don't think that I would have converted it to a two door. That said, I would leave the post.
that pretty much sums it up. hardtopping a sedan shouldn't be an afterthought. the rear of the roof needs to be lower than normal or you'll end up with a car that looks like the post has been cut out.
If you go hardtop, you'll have lots of fun getting the front and back side gl*** to seal to each other. By "fun" I mean grief.
straight post is what was done in the 50's i say its either both look good straight post or HT..the next 49-50 im gonna build is a 2 or 4 door Chopped Fleetline HT
Problem is...the side gl*** will never fit correctly if you hardtop it...the rear will never fit to the fronts IF you decided to use the original cranks...if they're a slide in type, then you've got to store them when you "play hardtop"...besides, what about sealing the sidegl*** to each other...and the opening and closing of the door against a rolled up window...you got that one figured out when it rains...or maybe it doesn't rain where you are...lots MORE problems for you to figure out... I'd stay with the post. R-
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