any body here chopped there 31 or anything similar... i was wondering where i should put the braces to support the body while the roof is off..any help appreciated
I chopped my '31 coupe, and we made sure to brace the body BEFORE we cut the top off. This ensures nothing will move until you weld the top back. We used some pip that I had laying around and tack welded it to the inside of the doors from lower left to upper right, lower right to upper left, front lowere left to rear upper right, etc. you get the picture. Make sure you brake in each direction so that the body cannot flex or move once the top is off. We also kept the doors in place and aligned, then tacked them in 3 places to the body to keep them from moving. After the chop, we simply used a cutoff wheel to remove the tack weld and magically the doors were still perfectly aligned. Hope that helps.
On Rides Tues. nite they were chopping a '33 sedan. They showed how to brace it. Basiclly, it's the way Blane descibed except I think they used square stock. I wished we had done that when we cut the top off my sedan to make the tub. It was never quite square and not semetricial in the rear.
Tinbender did a pretty good post on this topic a few months back. Do a search under "chop bracing" & you should find some useful stuff. I helped a friend of mine do his '30 5-W & we did it with minimal bracing but left the DOORS ON. I think that adds a great deal to the integrity of the affair. Here's an image of Tinbender's 33 truck from one of his posts, braced for the chop. -r
Thanks for posting that Randy, I'll add that I build my braces in sections that are bolted in. Each section can be removed, one at a time for access to the inside of the car. A well braced car does not need the doors on during the chop. Fit them perfectly FIRST!(It won't hurt anything to have them on, other than they are in the way) One last thing SLEEVE the pilars! It makes for a much stronger joint, and aids in alignment. I don't have time right now to find the info on sleeveing, but you should be able to pull it up on a search. PM me if you can't find it.
When I chopped my coupe, I bolted the body to the frame with all the wood blocks and bolts... and didnt' brace ANYTHING. When you use braces, they can sometimes pull the body into a shape that is not desireable. Just be sure to measure EVERYTHING before you cut. I used a punch to make referance marks all over my car's body... wrote those down and then used them as reference when I went back together with it. But you will run into things that will need to change... for instance, the A pillars on a Model A coupe actually move apart from each other as you go up... So, it's like sectioning an upside down triangle... I had to narrow my header 5/8" to get the A pillars straight... if you look at 75% of the chopped Model A's out there... they have a kink in the A pillar as you look at it from the front... Anywho, with careful measurement and bolting it to the frame, you should not have to brace anything. Sam.
Hay Sam- we do have somethin in common...Ive chopped a few tops- I never brace any of them!.Just in the fuckin way of progress!BUT in bracings defense- I never weld anything till I re-install the doors and fit them as I "assemble" the rest of car around them........but then I don't know shit.....
Choprods, I've done both braced and not braced, either way will work. I've found that the time spent building braces, saves me time & effort in the long run.
Tin bender-I have learned that there are as many ways to do a chop as there are people doing them!they all turn out OK.........
There are many was to skin a cat...I feel having the body on the frame and blocked and shimed correctly with the doors adjusted BEFORE you make the first cut will make the end product much easier to live with. This and some bracing inside will be fine. And yes, depending on the amount you cut you will have to deal with the windshield posts. Have fun.
yah i have everything measured up i am going to take 6 and a half inches out both doors fit pretty nice right now and the body is still on the frame but i think i am going to throw a few braces in... because the body is a little flimsy thanks for all the tips guys
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