As this is my first thread, I'll start with an intro. Just a beginner body guy (30+ years) from MA. with a bunch of current projects, this one being my buddies 49 poncho. I always wanted to do a top chop but this is my first attempt. I have to give credit to FLOP for posting his poncho chop, as I studied it and it basically gave me a direction to follow. So here it is in pictures. Let me start with the the before and after pics to see if i can get the pics to work.
Nice job... How much of a chop was there? Looks like about 3 or 4 inches in front. Looks like about 4 in the back. These are just guesses....
Very nice... the flow on the top is really wonderful. Great job... especially since its your first one.
thanks for the kudos guys, I took 3-1/2'' out of the front and just lowered the back till it looked about right, guessing about 4'' there. rear window was just layed down so I could keep the beltline trim in relationship to the back window stainless. only get to work on this one once a week as its an hour from home but will post more pics as we progress. Theres more in store for this one, as we will most likely be sectioning the decklid and the hood is being pancaked also.
Please explain pancaking the hood to me. Officially Pancaking a hood means welding shut the original hood and creating a new smaller hood with the cuts made in the top portion of the hood. That could work... and I hope that is what you have planned for it. But somehow I'm afraid you are actually talking about pie cut sectioning the hood. (this often is mistakenly called pancaking) To drop the front of the hood down.... and if so I think that is a bad idea! A dropped down in the front hood only works if the whole car will be on a forward angle, but your roofline already has this wonderful lower in the back feel to it. So that will not work with a lowered hood line. Then you will have two different flows competing with each other. The sectioned trunk however is a great idea. So I hope you will be leaving the hood line the way it is... The hight hood line in combination with the wonderful teardrop shape chop and pie cut section on the trunk will look perfect!
I think it will look cool, just gotta fill in that stamped center like flop did. I will say that a merc grill surround would look stellar in that car! oh and I love the chop, the flow is definitely nice!!!
for your first chop, i would say you are an excellent student. i doubt most "pros" couldn't do any better! terrific job!
Thanks for the compliments guys. FLOP, the thread on your Pontiac build was a big inspiration and loads of help to get me going in the right direction, probably wouldn't have come out half as nice if not for that, so I thank you. Definitely gonna be rereading that one before the trunklid sectioning starts! Also if anyone has any suggestions for a grille and front bumper setup that will look cool, they would be much appreciated. I do have a 50 Merc grille but I'm just not feelin it.
Please use the original Pontiac trim on hood and deck. Top looks very nice, like the line a lot. Good luck with the completion. ~sololobo~
Ya, we're gonna keep the wide hood trim, (don't want it to look to much like a chevy.) With the planned sectioning of the decklid I don't know if the trim will still fit, but i'm gonna try. Has anyone done the sectioning and saved the trim? what do you think? seems like the stainless will need to be flattened a little and shortened up also. We do have a spare to practice on. I think even if the trim can't be used on the decklid the car will look much better with the sectioning. yes, no, maybe?
The Jalopy Journal
