I cut this thing apart and have started the chop at the door, this is the first time i have put the pieces back together for a 'look see'. Whadda ya think, am i doing it right? oj
You should chop the top before you do the doors, its easier to adjust the door tops to fit the top than it is to make the top fit the doors. IMO, I think its too much chop.
Yeah, always make your doors fit the roof and not the roof fit the doors. Also I think too much chop, unless you're under 5 feet tall it's going to be really tough to sit in there.
What you're looking at is a truck and the cab is bigger than you think and the roof is about 6" higher than the door. It is a '47 Federal, nice and roomy.
Even if you have plenty of room with the heavy chop the proportions are way off, maybe if you section out 6" or so from the body it might look better.
#1. Doesn't appear that you've brace the cab. **** moves around. Good luck with that. #2. I have never ever seen a person cut a door first. Kinda makes it harder to match the roof to the doors. Good luck with that. #3. Theoretically, you want the top of the windshield to be in the same plane as the top of the side gl***. Given what you have for a door, that will leave you with a 3"-4" tall windshield. Again, good luck with that. #4. The cab being higher that the door with a 4" windshield means that you will be looking at the middle of the hood unless you bend down or unless you are the previously mentioned midget. You want to look straight out the front gl***. At least I do. If you're not sure, ask. This site has tons of people who have done whatever it is that you are trying to do. Most will advise or help you if you ask. Personally, I think that you're doing this ***-backwards. But then again, what do I know, I only do this for a living. I could be wrong.
The windshiel is 6" and this is radical, all of you are probably right but what the hell, i'll continue to see what happens. Personally i agree with most - it is too much - and i am as concerned as Mark T with the proportions but we'll just have to see what the finished product looks like. Give me a couple weeks to go the next step and i'll post another pic and we'll see whats' what. Later, oj btw - the glove don't fit me either
Looks very aggressive. Did you photoshop or cut/paste some 8x10's prior to cutting? As someone else mentioned, think about sectioning the cab. Since you have to reskin at least on of the doors, most of the sectioning work will be in the rear cab panel. Lots of cross bracing. I did see one chop how to in a magazine where **** Dean insisted on chopping the doors first when he chopped early 70's Chevy pickups. He stated that a straight chop revealed a backwards raked look because of the door window shape and he would get the shape correct, then chop the roof to match.
Actually i did it in AutoCad Inventer 3D, i didn't like what i saw either. The car should be about 125" to work right but thats not going to happen. I found this body, very rough, sitting on a 2 ton wrecker that somebody gave up on and was going to get crushed. I was looking for a 38 Ford pickup and this contraption caught my eye, totally evil looking and i brought it to my shop and started to hack and cut. I don't think it would section right, there isn't room now anyway. With a 3" channel and allow 2" riser for the seat it puts the door gl*** and windshield at eyeball height and still has above head clearance. I really can't give up more height. Thanks, oj
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