Just picked up a driver condition '31 Coupe that Im gonna make into a nice early '50s transitional lakes/drag rod. It'll be about a month before I actually have the car here, and the first thing I wanna do when I get it is wack 6 inches out of the roof. It looks like a pretty staright forward chop-are there any books out there I should get on the process or is it just pretty much just cutting and welding back together? Not that it pertains to anything but the roof has already been filled . Any info or input would be great. Thanks, -Dean
The model A is as I see it the easyest, (is that right? I got to get me a spell checker.) to chop that there is except a 32-34 pu. Chop and drop. You may have to make a couple relief cuts between the quarter window and back window but that is all I can remember that might give a problem. Oh yea, you might want to cut the windshield post as high at the top as possable, cause of the taper. sep 76 Street Rodder had chopping an A, may get a reprint of that to help out.
Tex Smith "How to Chop Tops" is a good book, but you probably wont need it. The book does have tips on how to handle the wood. I know Im gonna hear about this.
You should pm loudpedal. His is at least 6 inches if not eight. He should be able to tell you the ins and outs of a radical chop.
DO you plan on driving it on the street, I don't know where you live but in Pa. you need 7 1/2 in. gl***. 3 or 4 looks good, doing more just for the sake of chopping makes it look too squat. Take some pictures and try cutting them apart, cut a little set the top back on and look, you can always take more off.
Go to Rolf's site and scroll down to "CHOP" http://www.cl***icroad.com/modelA/index.htm Spend some time there btw...awesome build!
In 98 I chopped my 31 "A" coupe 2"--I used Tex Smith's book..great information, whether or not you use it. It's an education in itself... I took all the junker parts I had collected over 27 years to build mine--the car basically should have been crushed..but I saved it. As the body was dis***embled, I took the "T" trim off the back turret section, cut it down 2", cleaned it of all rust and pits, and then cut the turret 2" to match, rewelded it, and then re welded the "T" trim to the turret, bolted it to the side quarters, and then cut the top sections of the roof down to suit. Both top sections were from different cars...and there was a difference between them. Ford used, I believe, 6 different sets of body stamping dies. The front "A" pillar post on the driver's side was crushed beyond repair, but I had another to replace it on another junker cowl section that was attached to a coupe door I bought. I cut the 2" chop amount of the post from the BOTTOM of the post, and did relief cuts to make them like up. It turned out perfect. Not sure where I learned that rick. Can't remember. I did a 2" chop to save the banged up door frames...so I cut the damaged part out of the doors...it was at the top of the door, and taper wasn't a problem there. The use of a 2" or 3" chop dimension is a factor that I fought with myself all winter long during the planning stage. As I'm pretty tall (at 5'-11" )...I wanted a car I could sit in and drive and not have to fight...I figured go 2" and if I wanted 3" I could do that, just have to have the windshield cut another inch. Right now I'm fighting with myself over whether or not I should channel the same car 4"--as I have a hacked up set of body sub rails froma coupe that was torch channelled. (I bought this car back in 73 for parts to restore my first Model A coupe, an early 30.) I'm planning on doing a 4" section on a butchered (channelled with a torch) Model A firewall to see if this will work out the way I'm thinking it will. The thing that gets in the way is the cost of getting a custom 4" shortened Walker Radiator (32 Ford) made for this project, along with a 32 grille shell and a 4" chopped shell. That's about $1k+ at today's prices...unless a HAMBer can set me up cheaper... I used all three hinges. Windshield height is a legal thing you should look into. I know that my 2" cut was ok, as a lot of guys here have 2", 2 1/2", and 3" chops with no h***les. a Model A Tudor sedan can take a 4" chop as there is more height in the side windows. A coupe is shorter in the side window area. The top is Factory chopped 1". Windshield height is the same though. I'm thinking that 7 1/2" windshield height is the minimum here in MI also. 6" might look cool, but might not be legal for the street. Just my humble opinion/experience. mark aka Abonecoupe31
Good luck with the chop bro.. I am curious how one builds 'a transitional lakes/drag rod.' Keep us posted on your progress. You can't get into too much trouble with an 'A'. Jonny
Thanks for the info. I've looked through some pics and 6" looks cool to me (who cares if its "legal"). As far as the transitional lakes/drag deal goes, it'll be something that in its current configuration is an early '50s drag car, just coming out of the late '40s lakes era. Something that would have been built earlier and updated through time. Thanks, -Dean
You will if it turns out to be a problem. Un-chopping strikes me as being a total *****. I'd do a little digging in your states vehicle code before I took it down too far. That said, here's a site with a couple of interesting how to do it's with lots of good clear pictures and well written text. One on chopping the top on a 30 A coupe you may recognize and the other on the old cl***ic wheelbarrow firewall recess. Go here: http://www.donshotrodpage.net/Project-30/TopChop/Page02.html Dons Hot Rod Page is an interesting place and just loaded with photos.
Hay one thing no one has said yet is model A's are quite a bit wider at the top than at the bottem. So what you run in to if you chop it more than 4 inchs you will have to narow the windshild frame and the area above the winshild frame about 1/2 to one inch.So that you dont have to lean the pillers to match up. This would be no big deal execpt if your roofs filled.Witch I think you said it was. So most likley you will have to cut at least the front third of that. Good luck . Just weld in some suports, mark it out and start cutting. Scott
Check out the chop that rob paul did on his coupe. Step by step he take's you through the entire CHOP , He is one of the best. .........PINCHER
Call Derrick from All Star Hot Rods. He will set you straight. Not that hard to do. I chopped my sedan only 4.
The tex smith book, whether you use it or not is a huge help. The chop on my 52 is the only one I or my friend have ever done and the book helped immensly.
I did my wife's coupe last year. I too thought it would be a chop and drop, not quite so. We did 4 1/4", the lower you go, the more dramatic the misalignment gets, as the top is wider. The cowl /windshield posts will have to be pushed apart, I made a jack out of a piece of pipe and some allthread, along with a rose bud and some heat. Plan on vertically slicing all the posts, doors, window openings, and the back of the cab to make the transitions flow, adding metal to the bottom, taking some out of the top. Make sure the body is solid bolted down to the frame, and brace the heck out of everything. Tex's book is helpful, look real close to see the diagonal cut needed for the doors, Don's photos were helpful too. Good luck!
I chopped it 5"....got a little nervous at the end about doing 6". I think it looks just right though for the car. I'll post some pics up soon, have been busy with other projects lately. -Dean
My dad helped me do mine a while back... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=344314 We used an article ("Jimmy Shine Model A Coupe Chop") in the July 2008 Rod & Custom as a guide. Get lots of gas and wire. Every time you think you are done welding ... you're not.
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