I just like the looks of the 49-52 Chevy Fleetline, and have been looking for one for over a year. As luck would have it I found this one last week in the next town from me. It came out of Kansas 6-8 years ago and has great floors compaired to what you can find here in Connecticut. First thing I plan to do is a top chop. Have any HAMB members done a Fleetline? I saw a few nice ones at the Rhinebeck, N. Y. Goodguys Meet last year, and I understand chopping the trunk lid is a must to keep the flow of things. Sure would like to see some in progress photos, and measurments and chop lines. Thanks for any tips you wish to p*** along.
Talk to choprods. Fathack says he laid out one in chalk on a visit over there, and he say's it's fairly simple. Plus, the choprods version doesn't require a split down the middle like that one on ebay last year! If my farggin computer didn't just crash, I had pix of it! Damn, I just tried searching an old post about Hacks car that had a nice photoshop of one... it's gone! Hatch, was it yours? Jay Jay
No, it's not fairly simple. It's one of the most involved chops you can do. Not only do you hafta chop the top but you have to do the same on the decklid. It's a big deal, especially if you have never chopped many cars.
I agree with Roothawg. One of the most involved chops money can buy.... when you chop the top it will lower the opening at the top of the trunk area. Which means pie-cutting the trunklid. Not to mention the other obvious transition areas. It's gonna be a gooooood learning experience....... But I couldn't think of a better way to learn or a better car to start on. That's no show winner you got there. perfect for a novice chopper. My advise. Don't do a heavy chop. The more you cut out the tougher it'll be on ya.
Choprods laid out how he does it...and his way DOES involve some work, but it's not nearly as daunting as the way the average person would approach it, and I was impressed with the simple cleverness of it all! He advises no more than a 2-3 inch cut, and he has a slick way of keeping the rear window and the bulk of the roof in tact...but ask him for specifics on the chop, he's the Master!!
Broman, Thanks for encouragement, my first chop was a 1929 Ford Tudor and that was real easy. I have to think out the Fleetline before the first cut. I think a "Business card" chop is what I'll be doing 3 1/2 inches.
Hack, Thanks for the advice. I'm off to the Vintage Races will be back tonite to check on whatever info you folks want to offer. Bob
Ok, I worded it wrong... sorry. As if any top chop is really simple... Besides, I hadn't had caffiene yet.! jay
Check out biokustumz.com , go to where it says customs on the home page and then role down about 4 or 5 cars and there is a fleetline that they are working on. They are doing it like I plan on doing my 49, they cut around the trunk lid and sink it with the top so you dont have to try and reshape the lid just the space between it and the fenders
[ QUOTE ] Check out biokustumz.com [/ QUOTE ] That's how I'd try to tackle it - sink the decklid. Then you end up with more pontoon-type fenders like the late-40s Caddy Sedanettes (love 'em!)
Thank you! That looks like the easy way to go. First step will be buying a supply of 1x1 tubing for bracing the body befor the cutting starts.
Chop it if you must, but those fleetlines only need to be slammed on the ground. Oh Yea!!, they also have to have a *****in dual gl*** pak inline six. Frank
fleetlines look so good unchopped and are a hard car to chop which to me equals don't chop it. i've never seen one chopped more than 3 inches look all that great. 2-3 max as said above. more than that and you get yourself into an unbelievable amount of metalwork. for way less work and money you could focus on really putting the car on the ground and little things like a nice grille treatment(55 plymouth looks amazing in 'em), a set of lincoln push****on in the doors, yada yada yada. just an opinion. i love fleetlines and plan on doing one like above in most likely mile deep black paint...ken....
I gotta agree with a non-chop. Got a guy here that chopped his 50 Olds fastback and in the words of FlaminAbone, "It looks like ***.". Anyway, I don't like it at all...very awkward looking to me. .......and please! No goofy sun visor on it either.
[ QUOTE ] .......and please! No goofy sun visor on it either. [/ QUOTE ] You couldn't pay me enough to put a sun visor on a postwar car! Thanks for all the input so far. There is going to be a lot of thought put into this, but I have to do something with the top. The fastback section is what I like best about the car, but the windshield/top area looks too tall to me.I want to focus on the body first, since that is what I like doing. If that turns out as planed then I can force myself to do the ch***is. This photo was taken at Goodguys/Rhinebeck I like the way the rear windoes turned out.
You may have seen a blurb in HOT ROD a couple months back about this car with another guy taking credit. ********, all the body mods were done here by our guys and my boss Gene Jobgen. The ch***is is Morrison Airide and is sitting about 15 feet from me, the car is across town getting final paint green so dark it looks black. When it comes together I will post pics.
Tman, that is great! i just LOVE baremetal!! there was a chopped 4 door Fleetline at the last Detroit Autorama (DARK blue in color) that looked KILLER. made me want a four door somethin fierce!! ...if i find a pic i'l post it...
this chopped Fleetline was was on Ebay a while back. a friend of mine had SERIOUSLY concidered buying it but in the end, did'nt....
Tman, Thanks for the photos, that car has the look I like. You did a nice job getting rid of the stock windshield/top area.It is difficult to discribe how some features look to others, but the Fleetline top above the windsheild looks like a bump on your forehead after you walk into some underp***. Sorry your shop got cheated out of credit for the work you did, been there had that done to me. Were the stock rear inner fender wells kept or are they new? If I go with the drop the rear onto the trunk floor method it looks like the top of the wheel well is the limiting factor. ...almost forgot, how many inches were taken out of it?
Damn, those are bad***. How in the hell do they change the rear wheels? Maybe it is just the pic quality, but the blue car and the last sectioned car looks as if the skirts were molded to the fenders.
Sounds like you've got your mind made up on chopping it so there's no sense in me trying to convice you otherwise. I'm happy with the way my unchopped '49 looks, but that's just me. I'm going to concentrate on other custom touches. Here's one for you to consider. I like a lot of things about this car and still would even unchopped.
I chopped my 50 pontiac fastback, alot of work . the truck lid has to be sectioned and I took out some of the slop in the back.
The Jalopy Journal
