1957 chop info

Trying to locate some fotos/ information on how to chop a 1957 chevy/pontiac. Tried doing a search, and have spent hours on the boards and have come up empty.Anyone got a link or a magazine article??

Anything pertinent I should know before i start.

 

cut the glass first. after that the rest will be easy.

 

in the book "how to chop tops" by tex smith they chop a 56 chevy 2 door sedan. its a step by step but it seems a little short. hope it helps

 

The 55-57 Chevy/Pontiacs just don't take well to chopping, except the occassional Nomad?Safari. They are not at all happy to the viewer if severely chopped like the bottom car in a 7-car stack at the local scrapyard.

 

Don't chop it!!!

 

very difficult glass to work with both front and rear. have seen a couple where they even use a smaller older year rear glass in a smaller opening. personally don't think it looks good and i like most chops. good luck, mike

 

Here's some pictures of the "Hint of Mint" II and the "Hint of Mint" '57 Chevrolet when it was on the show circuit in the mid-to-late '60s. . .nicely chopped!!

 

As said "Lots of Glass". Had a friend who went thru seven windshields before he got it right and that was a "Glass man" doing the cutting!!! Good luck.

 

Yeah the front glass definately looks like a challenge thats why I asked .Im still debating on wether to pull out the torch or not.

 

I think 2 inches just looks right...at least thats what I keep telling myself when i look at my 57 wagon! But I have broken 3 windshields already...guess I will sandblast the next one. Anyway...if a sedan is like the wagon it was a pretty easy chop...straight down drop and on the sedan you will have to lean the rear window forward as the roof comes down...I would think the roof could be dropped in one piece and still work (with a small chop anyway)

 

So are they the same car??I always thought it was an old custom but had never seen a pic of back in the day.

 

I love your wagon !!

 

i agree, that wagon does have a kool look.
I havent done an availability check on front windshields yet, that might determine if I cut it or not.Why is it that magazines make glass cutting look so easy. hmmmm

 

What is the body style of your car?
I believe that hardtop/convertibles have shorter windshields from the factory (about 1.5 "), making them a good starting point, should replacement be necessary.

 

I was going to say what 'Mo said: if you have a sedan, the hardtop/convertible windshield is about 2 inches shorter. I would cut the roof to fit that windshield.
The one thing no one has mentioned yet is that '57 windshields are CHEAP! I paid $350 for a windshield for my '53 Chevy, and the same guy was selling '55-'57 windshields for $125! (That was at a swap meet, but surely you can find them for under $200 if you shop around.)

 

Do a search on 'sinking windshields', could be an alternative to cutting glass.

 

Same car. . .30 Plus years later!!

 

I have the crusty old roof from my 57 Pontiac if some one wants to experiment. Its a 2 door hard top roof, which is plenty rusty, but would be ok to practice with or use selected parts for filler material.

 

I think there is noting more trad than a chopped 567

 

Dont chop it more than 2 inches.....the presure on the front windshield is to great and it will crack when installing.....I learned this after chopping my wagon 3 inches......S**t!!!!

 

I dont have a scaner but there is a good article in november 95 Custom Rodder on chopping a 55 buick without cutting the glass the work is done by famous Canadian Custom car builder Jim Bailie, who is known for his own style of chops

 

Brew ,Great "Long Roof". What are the headlight rims out of?

 

56 olds....thanks!

 

I found a really good article on sandblasting/ cutting a windshield.So im gonna go ahead and cut, cut ,cut.Thanx for all the good info and fotos.

 

what body car is it? 2 or 4 door? Ht, sedan, or wagon (hopefully not nomad).

I have heard that if it is a hardtop, you can chop them 2 inches and use a stock sedan windshield. It might be the other way around though.

 

What I have is a Canadian, Pontiac 4 door with a straight 6. I picked it up for $200. Its in really good shape. But,,, im gonna cut the roof off, cut the windshild down about 5 inches, reinforce the frame , make it a 2 door, drop a V8 in it and than imma drive the hell outta it. (not in that order)
Being from southern california the rain isnt an issue, so its gonna be a permanent convertible.

So using a sedan front glass is still gonna be a little too high.I was gonna chop the roof, but I have always wanted to make a "california" car and this is a good candidate for the job.

 

Contact matthewsgarage on here.They did one like this.Actually looks like a clone of this.

 

I have chopped 5 tri five gm cars over the years and have to agree that a 2 1/2 inch chop is the best and easiest to do.I sand blast the glass to fit and grind the edges with 36 grit on an air grinder use plenty of water.remember that when you cut a wrap around windshield you have to cut almost completely around the glass to get it to lay back, this can be tricky especially if you are using an original style rubber,I prefer to flush mount.The back window is tempered and can not be cut instead of going thru the hassle of laying the window forward I use an aftermarket rear window from a reputable company these are laminated so they can be cut down. Good Luck