Chopped 1951 Victoria?

I picked up a 51 Ford Victoria about a year ago and been collecting parts So far I've rounded up a 54 Chevy grill, 54 buick headlight rings, 54 Merc taillights and rear bumper, 55 pontiac side trim ect. So the question... anyone have any good suggestions on Chopping the Hardtop?

 

The best two ever are Ron Nebels from Maryland and the one that was on the subscription page for Tex Smiths Custom Cars magazine but was never in it. My advice would be to have two roofs and keep it stock length. Make sure that after its chopped the raingutter line on the roof is perfectly parallel with the door line. Also its only worth doing if every piece of factory trim and stainlessis utilized around all the windows....tall order

 

I had a chopped victoria back in the day and let me tell you....DO NOT SHAVE THE RAIN GUTTERS. With the curved gl*** in the rear, the best thing to do is to sink it an inch or so. Dont go too much or it looks like ****.

 

I think sinking the back windows the way to go, if your were to leave the roof stock lenght what would the 2nd roof be used for? patching trim?

 

I like the long roof chop on a 51 Vic-cut in two in center and add a filler pc,have it TIG welded or hammer welded -------sink the rear window.
The door windows don't need to be cut just make stops so they don't
roll up too far.-------------------------------TWOCHOPS

 

The most successful one I've ever seen was a show car from long ago. The chop was fairly mild, maybe 2 1/2", and the wraparound rear window was replaced with a tailgate window from a '52-4 Ford station wagon. The top was then covered, so it looked like a convertible with a carson top. The reason I say it was the most successful is that the guy got the proportions just right (see below) and the smaller rear window looked good while skirting the problem of cutting the stock 3-piece thing. The pictures I saw of it were from some fifties car show, and I unfortunately didn't copy them at the time.

One serious problem with chopping the '51 Vic is the proportion between the heights of the side windows and the windshield. If the side windows are cut, say, 3" for a nice profile, the windshield is stupid low. Looks terrible. If you stop before the windshield is too low, the side windows are very conservative and it almost isn't noticeable.

I decided if I ever cut mine (and I am tempted by the lower side windows), I'd have to futz with the windshield opening and the rain gutter over it so that the windshield was close to stock height. Good luck!

 

Voicing another opinion for thought, I would never chop a victoria cause I like it just like it is. Chop a coupe or sedan, but I don't think you can improve on a Vicky. Having said that, it's your car and this is America, do your thang.

 

They have one of the nicest roof lines on an early fifties car that I've ever seen. I own one now. If you chop that roof, I will have to hunt you down and kill you. I also have two spare rear windows.

 

section it!

 

This is Ron Nebels car!....The one I was referring to up top!

 

Yup, I'm with you on this one! Why mess with perfection?

 

Hey.Someone have pictures on that purple victoria from early 90`s.I remember that from american rodder.It was much nicer then.

 

well, this post is pretty old, but since it was brought back up, what the hell, here's my 51 vic...the top was chopped 5" (sounds like alot, but i think the proportions are on the money), the roof was stretched through the middle to keep it the proper length....all factory stainless was cut and used....

 

Nice!Do you own that car now?Built pictures?I have a victoria partscar.Think i gone take the roof and things and build a carsontop like.Not so much about carsontops here on hamb.

 

I used to have a photo of a mostly-stock looking one that had the top chopped 2 inches and it looked fantastic. However, most people wouldn't realize it was chopped so before you start you gotta ask yourself which is more important: a) that your car looks beautiful and most people can't figure out why, or b) that everybody who sees the car will know it's chopped? If you answered b then you need to chop it a lot and ruin the looks of the car.
My car has a very mild chop and I'll tell you it's just as much work as a more radical chop and it is a little bit frustrating to have people not even realize you've done it. I parked my '53 next to a stock one at a recent cruise in and I couldn't believe how many car guys I know said "I never realized how much you changed the roof"! At the time that was my goal, but I'm just saying don't do it that way if what you really want is for people to go "ooh, a chopped top!"

 

Yeah, I own this car now...I'm in the middle of redoing the body on it, hence the primered nose and roof....i have tons of build pictures but no scanner....the car was originally done in the early 80's during the revival of kustom cars...I originally bought it in 1985 when I was 14, and owned it from 1985 to 1988, and the chop and the quarters were done on it during that time....I sold it in 1988 and found it in 2004 and was able to buy it back...It was my first car and it's never going anywhere again...

 

Thats is the right thing to do. Never sell it again.

 

I wouldn't chop my own car this hard, but I do think it has a pretty good look:

 

Looks good!More pictures?Chopp pictures.

 

May have rep on both the Purple one and the Dark one. Will check my magazine stach. Have 2-3000 mags or something like that!!

 

I just find the purple on in agust number of american rodder 1990.Jag fick tag i bra med tidningar på 80-90 talet när jag jobba på stena metall där dom hade pappers återvinning.Hitta mycke svenska tidningar 20-70tal,reklam allt från bilar till båt motorer,symaskiner o pinup tidningar.Blev idiotförklarad när ja släpa hem sånt!Ska försöka komma åt gnarp o ***ta va ni pysslar med.Ä pappa ledig nu.Ovant 17 år mellan ungarna.

 

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what he say?

 

Du e välkommen. Sundfors vet vart jag huserar.

 

chop it. my father has a 51 victoria and is thinking he might chop it. but they still look good chopped or not.

 

here is another victoria

 

Nice.

 

I think they had one of the best rooflines of any factory car....my opinion...don't do it. I don't think I've ever seen one choped that looked as good as the stock car.

 

I say cut it if you want to, it's just a Ford, not a Bugatti or Deusenberg. I found a fairly decent one I could have brought in and couldn't find anyone who gave a **** about it, so it's still rotting.

 

Here's one a friend built a couple of years ago, you might have seen it before...

 

I think any car can be improved with a little slicing. Problem is, when they look great from the factory, even a little mistake looks REALLY bad.

This one belongs to a friend....it's getting some updates as we speak...




Bryan