Shoebox Chop "the right way"

O.K. Guys I have not been around in a couple of years so I will start by saying hey to anyone who remembers me (I used to be Hot-Rob) but had to re-register. I also want to introduce myself to everyone else before I ask for there help. I live in Texas and am in to all aspects of internal combustion insanity. I drag race, I love 4X4 and rock crawling in my jeep. I build and ride custom bikes ussually harley or clone but I did try my hand at a BSA witch was a miserable failure. but most of all I love Hot Rods.

Most recently I have built/cruised a 46 Ford, 55 Ford, 37 chevy, and my newest endevor is a 49/51 ford coupe.

Now for the question:
I know this has been posted to death but it is a chop question.
I have brought down a square top before with no problem, but this 51 coupe has for lack of a better word, a "pinched" top. So the question is after I have removed a few inches from the pillars do I bend in the door tops to fit the narrower profile of the lowered top or should I add a strip down the center of the roof to make it wider?
I hope this makes sense, because I need some closure. I have been lying awake at nites going over it. Adding metal to the roof to make it wider sounds like the "Right" way to do it, but it is also a lot more work. I am wondering how it has been done with you guys. I would like to just take a little wedge out of the window frames and lean them in, but I don't want to screw it up or make the windows not roll down or some **** like that.
Lets here what you got.


For the record I did search all the posts I could find on the subject and did not really find what I needed.

 

Guildner is a ruler...

http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/techarticles/135_0302_chop/

 

most people make relief cuts on the pillars at the body and the roof, this way they will both move the same amount and line up better.

you can do it the strip way but thats much more difficult.

both methods yeild a great looking chop if everything else is done right.

 

The web site murph turned me on to is great. They are leaning in the pillars like 122 wagon indicated and it really seems like the way to go. I think that cinches it, and I will opt to lean in the pillars instean of adding to the roof.


Thanks a bunch

 

To me, cutting it in quarters is the right way depending on how much your chopping it.

 

slowpoke:

When you say cutting in the corners later, do you mean removing the quarter windows then peicing then in after the top is lowered?

 

lean the pillars in if you make the roof wider it looks dumb

 

Don't neglect to lean the door gl*** run channels in the doors OUT to the same angle you lean the pillars IN

( I don't remember ever seeing this item detailed in a magazine top chop article..)

 

good point DrJ.

I have not looked at the window channels to see if they are easily relocated, but I bet I can make it work.

 

That is pretty easy. Once you finish your door pillars, disconnect the vertical window tracks at their bottom attachment points on the door. Then roll your new window gl*** or temporary cardboard all the way up (close your windows all the way). The bottoms of the vertical window tracks automatically reposition themselves per the new angle. Drill new holes and your're done.

 

actually cutting your roof into four pieces, lengthening and widening your roof. But thats just my opinion. I have seen it done nicely alot of different ways and i would probably do it that way on most cars but some look just as good with leaning them in.

 

I just chopped a 50 shoebox with a video I got on e-bay. Best $60.00 I ever spent. Four
and a half hours long. This good old boy really knows his ****! First time I ever chopped
a top and it came out beautiful. He goes into every detail on window moldings, wing windows, angling the posts and laying down the back window with a nice flow. Check it out, you won't be sorry.

 

Hey,

I would say with rare exception that I would never four -quarter a roof for a chop! I may cut the Header, Cant and Backlight rails in half in order to widen the roof panel, but never the center of the roof panel! This saves you from having to weld in the semi & low/no crowned areas of the center of a roof panel, which is a major task for even a skilled welder. A chop on a Shoebox wouldn't require cutting these rails to drop the lid anyway.
The A posts would get the required amounts removed with a horizontal messurement, the B posts, if a vertical post is chosen, again a horizontal measurement and removal, the Sail panels get cut loose and moved foward with some releif cut, as necessary, the Backlight and surrounding metal gets either cut out and moved foward, or all but cut loose with only tab holding the area in alignment, the window leaned down, and filler panels added to blend in the flow of the chop. The door frames get wedge cuts made at the belt line to tilt them into alignment once the frames are cut down to meet the new flow and line of the chop. Cutting the roof panel, fore to aft to widen the top would creat much more work would flatten the top panel, sometimes not a bad look, but one not usually taken on a standard chop on a Shoe.
If you go south of six inches on the A posts of a Shoe, on a chop, you will be talking major cuts into the Cowl panels, A&B posts, the Header rail and the door frames, as well as the Sail panels to gain the flow and line of the chop.

S****ey Devils C.C.
"Spending A Nation Into Generational Debt Is Not An Act Of Comp***ion!"

 

Let's see some photos when your finished.

 

agree 1000%, , , don't quarter the roof!

 

Your Join Date is March 2008 and THIS is your first post,digging up a 4 YEAR OLD thread???

 

Wow 2005

 

If u wana see a nice lookin chop check out 51box. He's got a real nice chopped sedan

 

WOW is right. I don,t mind when cool old threads come back, but this ain,t one of em. Sorry guys. Sold this car to Atomic50 back in late 2005.