Projects 1931 ford chop question.

Getting ready to chop a 31 A and was wondering what you guys do when it comes to the a pillar, where the windshield swing arms are. Take it out before the chop and re position it after?

 

I chopped my '28 Tudor below the windshield stud- allowing it to swing out with no change in geometry. Then I chopped the windsheld frame and moved the pivot point up the same amount.

Here's a thread with lots of pix:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/tudor-update-angle-chopping-a-’28-ford.377233/

 

What Gary said , just below the top hinge . This was a first attempt at chopping an "A" and went well. For reference this is a 4" chop on a 30 . Have fun .

 

You can drill the rivets out and move the posts where you need them. I cut mine out and then used another hole in the pillar. Just use the same placement in relationship to each other.

 

One other challenge you'll face- if you haven't seen it already- is the vertical garnish moldings on the inside of the A-pillars.

Mine had two mounting holes for screwing to the A-pillars, one at the top and one at the bottom.

After chopping the pillars 3.5", I just cut off the bottom 3.5" of the garnish molding, then drilled a new bottom mounting hole.

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks guys. Good info.

 

I just did what Just Gary did ...worked out fine

 

It all becomes pretty obvious when you put the top back on after the chop.
You will need to move the pins for the windshield arms and section the inside garnish moldings so all the holes line up. Keep your welds to a minimum because you end up grinding a lot of them off when you weld the A pillers back together.
My car shown in the avatar is a 4" chop. It's all pretty easy.