It's been done a bunch of times to 2 and 4 dr 55-57 Chevy's with the repro conv parts offered by CARS, so why not the 54? Find the conv. 54 parts (top,etc) ala cart or better yet, buy a 54 conv that's rusted up to the beltline and swap the conv parts to the sedan, fab an x member t your frame. I've seen it done to other cars too such as the 36 roadster in latest R&C that was a coupe with rdstr parts spliced in.
I have bought a 36 Ford Fordor sedan wich I want to transform in a convertible sedan and I want to use a 70s beetle top frame wich has to be widened and lengtened a bit. I will make the transverse reinforcement behind the frontseat backrest as in a regular convertible sedan or pheaton. The frame has allready its original X member, so it should be strong enought. I will maybe weld some little gussets in the lower door openings to ad some strenght.
I think the guy to talk to would be Bob K. I believe his '52 started life as a hardtop. And if anything looks sharp that car does. Little kids in Antigo think that's Santa's summer wheels....
DO it. Dont be bothered with peoples opinions. Its your car, do what you want. I would make it into a convertable. You'd have to inforce to body a bunch with x members underneith and 2 by 1 steal in the door jams, possibly support bars running under the dash and behind the rear seat. Before cutting the top, weld braces throughout the car like you would with a chop. Cut the roof, then start working the doors to make it a 2 door. Rap around sheet metal where the rear roof pillers would be. Troubles: Getting front gl*** cut if you were to chop the front pillers. You could slope the front gl*** down to get the effect or shove the gl*** down into the cowl. laxan or plexi, etc.. Remember it is a curved 1 peice windsheild.. To find a good shape 53 or 54 convertable is nearly impossible unless you have the moneys. a 4 door is cheep, if you screw it up you can always find another one. Isnt this board suppose to be about trying different things, keeping it backyard style the traditional way.. I dout any old customizers would stop and ask a bunch of people for their opinions if to cut or not too.. Screw what people think, have fun...... steve
Bobk's green 52 was a ht and now is a full functional chopped convertible. Sorry don't have a pic on my work computer.
Go ahead and do it. Just make sure you take heaps of photos along the way and do an in depth build thread on here. Who knows, maybe what you do on here can help someone else with their similar challenge, do it.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/album.php?albumid=3732&pictureid=30676 Here's one my buddy just bought. I haven't seen it in person but it looks kool!!!
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