saving or shaving

i was wondering if anyone on here had a problem with there shaved drip rails..i really want to shave my 53 chevy but had a lot of people say i will regret it..i think it looks cleaner shaved..but dont want any problems with water damage..open to all sugestions..plus it would be much easier to cut it off..because the car has a factory size rear window...lots of trouble to reposition the drip rail..the car was chopped just like the 54 that was chopped on monster garage..but the quarter glass was moved forward about 4''....i see alot of merc's and fords with thr rails gone but not many chevy's most of the chevy's still have the drip rail..any reason to that????..any help would be great..the drip rail problem is holding me up from finishing up the sides of roof..thanks guys

 

I'd just shave off the outer upright edge and mold in the remainder. Keeps most of the function and diguises the looks of it.


jerry

 

Yep, you're going to get water everywhere if you shave the drip rails...the rubber on the tops of the doors don't seal that well. You cannot even have the window open an inch when it's raining cuz the wter will run inside...worse if you are moving...or then again, maybe it doesn't rain where you live. Besides, with the drip rails removed, the tops of the door become very obvious and look out of place with all that "smoothness."

Instead of removing them, simply fill them...that'll make most of it "go away"...use 1/4" round rod and fit it to the rails, weld in place...the tops of the doors will remain "hidden" ...but you'll still get some water coming in the windows...that was the solution I used on my rad '57 after it was chopped...

R-

 

In the words of Gene Winfield
"It's not a full kustom if you have the drip rails"
He said this to me when we were chopping hot rod hons top at Paso!

 

thats the way i feel about it to..every merc ive seen him chop he shaved them...but he didnt shave the monster garage 54..and i was wondering why..i like the idea about cuting off the the upright edge and filling it in from there..thanks guys

 

Shaving them is easier....it' s cheating in my book. A well done chop is enhanced by well done drip rails, since it's so much harder to do!
If you live anywhere it rains, KEEP'EM. It WILL leak without them, even with molded in ones (1/4" tubing or whatever)
Winfield lives in a desert!

 

I have never seen a chopped car with shaved drip rails that I liked,Ive seen a few ......It always took away from the final results.......Always.

I relate the look to resembling a bald man with only one ear.......other that that it is ok,I guess.......

 

i like the drip rails.

 

I shaved mine cause. I hate it.. And i dont even get mine in the rain YET (no glass)

 

I agree with Kenny- I dont like shaved drip rails, they make the door gap look out of place- leaving the quarter window dissapear in the roof...

Tuck

 

What he said, if the car remains a sedan with a B pillar.
Without the drip rail the window fram ends up sticking up into the top area Like "only one ear" and then goes begging for that line of continuance above the 1/4 window. it finishes the opening.
The only way it works without it is if there is no 1/4 window like on a first generation Stingray.
If the drip rails are getting in the way of the new line of the top, as mentioned, cut them back leaving 1/8" or so still sticking out and weld a piece of 1/4"-5/16" tube or rod to it to repace it both visually and functionally. That way you will have a substantial piece of material you can shape the way you want it at the C pillar.
Weld it good or moisture will get under it and rot out the roof, again...

 

Chopolds is right, cutting corners happened 40 years ago and persists. The right way is to keep the drip rails OR desing the doors like modern ones. I see very few folks put that kind of detail in making old doors seal like new dripless doors.

 

I like mine...doesn't mean that everyone has to like it though

 

I like them left on..
A friend has a chopped 49 chevy,and it's a KILLER car, but he removed the rails on his and it's the one and only thing i don't care for on it..
As Tuck said, it makes the quarter window get lost in the roof..

I'm glad i left them on my 53.. I just think it add's to the overall chop.

Of coarse, thats only my worthless oppinion...

Tony

 

Keep them.

 

If you are still taking input I like the idea of molding them in. You get to keep the lines but you also get a cleaner look. The best of both worlds. My dad did that on a 58 Plymouth Savoy and it turned out good.

 

does anyone have proof ? i wanna see a 54 chevy with no drip rails ... and we can all look at the same time