I just picked up this 49 Ford 2-door courtesy of a HAMB cl***ified Ad. I have looked up the threads on chopping the top, however my question is I cant do it my self and would have to take it to a shop what would I be looking at cost wise?? The roof has a few dents in it caused by overhead store items hitting it. the previous owner had recently had a custom paint job as well as a new interior and headliner installed. It has the original floor pans and trunk which are rust free. The flattie has been recently rebuilt but just sitting on the mounts, I am thinking it has to go to make way for a overhead V-8.
first off, why ditch the flatty. you said its fresh, so why fix that if it aint broke second off... the "cost" of a chop is going to depend on the shop doing it... anywhere from $3k and up. make sure you do your research before choosing a shop to do the work. see some chops they've done, talk to guys who have had chops done there...
There is no proof of a rebuild, just fresh paint on the engine and the guys word. Also I am not wild about flatties. I guess the other consideration the chop DOES NOT increase the value of the car, so they tell me.
We just got done chopping a 49, take your time and decide what you want done. slant the b posts? rear windows to roll up and down? the amount of chop?(front and back)check out our web site and you can see some pics of our 49 and what was involved, it took 7 months but a lot of other work was done and that was only on weekends. WWW.SLACKERSCC.COM go to project cars
jerk the heads and intake... that alone will tell you if its a fresh build. chop tops not increasing the value of a car? why buy it if you're worried about worth and or value? i just dont understand that phenomenon unless you're a broker, dealer or a reseller... but then, you wouldnt be looking into a chop if that were the case
are you buying this just to flip it and capatilize on a "trend"?? because you have a nice interior INCLUDING headliner, so why not just get it running, lower it and drive it if you are worried about a chop decreasing value
Giving a price is tough since most projects involve more than the Roof. I have never written down the time involved in just that part. There are many different ways to do a top each taking more time that another. Personally I start with a Rust hunt to be sure I'm working on a stable foundation. Then I fit the doors, Now I can get to the Top. Time is money and we haven't touched the roof yet. If your car is rock solid you can get out of the Chop pretty Cheep Excluding paint and headliner. Don't forget there is a bit of time spent on the window moldings. Here's some advice. Go to shops and look at the work they are doing. Good metal work is worth the extra money up front, it ends up being less in the long run. If a shop has 10 cars in progress and 2 guys working. Leave! If they show you cars that have been sitting a year or longer, RUN. If your coming down to the Portland Swap Meet stop by. The Wizzard
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, Very informative including the photos, that is exactly the chop I had in mind. When I find a shop around here capable of doing what you guys did I hope you dont mind if I refer to your web site.
The Jalopy Journal
