calling all top choppers!

Guys I am getting ready to chop my F1. I have read about as many articles and viewed videos dealing with said project that i am both tired dazed and confused! My question involves some conflicting info. Is it better to fabricate the filler strips of sheet metal with a flange or butt weld them. I see both pluses as minuses. What do you guys think? Thanks for any and all help in this area. Zeke

 

butt weld

Flanged welds are nearly impossible to metal finish back into proper shape. They also trap moisture and will rot away faster than a butt

 

Butt weld and hammer and dolly the welds down as you go while they're hot.

 

butt weld.. chopped a 51 f-1 6 years back never do one again

 

Yes, butt welds are the way to go. You may want to buy one of those seam clamp kits, I think Eastwood sells them. They give you an even gap and hold both pieces in place.

 

That's a nice way to inspire confidence

 

well didnt mean to discourage him but it was hard it was different then chopping a sedan but came out bitchen.will try to find pics.

 

Butt weld it back together again; just take your time and be patient when going across the roof. Space out your welds and do a lot of tacking instead of one continuous bead. That should be about it! Like I said, take your time... and stand back and check your progress often.

 

use clecos and those little clamps those come in handy

 

Man make sure your doors shut well before starting then weld braces across and diagonal use masking tape to lay out. The top will probaly be 2 to 2 .5 wider depends on chop. Your gonna have to cut corners and bring the windsheild frame together on the bottom and spread the post on the top side lowering the back glass will help viabilty. Short pieces of angle iron lots of vise grips. come along and a Porta power even a cheap one is a help. Planing is key or it will be a nice roadster !! P.M. if you need help. Scrap top and door tops make it a lot easier one slice not 2. the corners will need some pie cuts to line up.

 

its not an F1, but this can give you some general ideas.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=303403

 

Dont buy the seam clamps from eastwood. Harbor freight sells the same clamps, 8 for like $5. Eastwood want s $25 for them.

 

I butt weld and fabricate patches. I spot weld areas that will need alot of shaping to keep heet and distortion minimal. after the welds are complete I hammer dolly the weld and push the welded area in to a v shape so I can fill the void with silicon bronze wire and body solder. Try to make pie cuts and fit the remaining panels in verry much like a puzzle and build it up like a sculpture. And get some magnets they even up the material and hold it in places where clamps wont fit. Also keep a bucket of water and a damp rag to blot and cool the material between welds. Get some good china markers measured and draw out each cut long before each cut. The Theo likes this yeah!

 

Butt weld, no question is the right way to do it.
I would advise against quenching the weld with water, let it air cool.

 

The butt weld wins. I had planned on that and found two articles using the flange method. As a welder I know that would give better heat dispersion but I knew the finish would be a mofo. Better to go with the gut (and help from the HAMB!)! Thanks guys. Mark good tip on the seam clamps. I almost bought them from eastwood!

 

and I wouldnt do it this way.

 

Me neither, I call shenanigans on the self proclaimed Hot Rod God... very much not.

 

Go ahead, cut it. If I can do it anybody can! Butt weld for sure. My opinion FWIW after looking at mine a long time, I think less is more, 3" max. Take your time, it'll pay off in the long run.
Good Luck!

 

Charley you read my mind! Just going 3" on it. More than adequate. Again thanks for all your thoughts and ideas. This should be fun! I love hackin up shit!!

 

You can buy the butt weld clamps on ebay for a lot less than eastwood. I used the to chop my p/u

 

You can buy the butt clamps for a lot less than eastwood. I used them to chop my p/u

 

When I did mine, I quartered the roof, because I'm not very keen on slanted pillars on 'most' old car, esp. trucks.
Luckily, I had a spare roof off another F1, but you could do the same with a piece of roof off another truck/car, or even fabricate up a panel.
I kept the weld area in the middle of the roof edges with the most curvature is, to contain the warpage, make it easier to correct, without shooting across the flat of the roof.
I fabbed up filler pieces to fill in the gaps between the roof quarters, and tacked them in. They extended a bit past where the roof curvature was maximum.
Then trimmed out the center of the roof....the 4 quarters, and the fabbed pieces, using the center of the second roof to see where the best area would be for the parts to meet up. Trim for a tight fit, tack, and butt weld them together. With some luck and skill you can avoid most warpage, except perhaps where you are close to the rain gutters, and can't hammer and dolly very easily.
Good Luck!

 

Hey don't knock me please! I let my work do my speakiing. Actions speak but rewards for actions are even better!! You don't have to do it my way I was only providing sugestions on how I do things!

 

Exactly what I did when I chopped my 49 COE. I removed 4 inches and quartered the roof. Stock pillar angles look better than pulled in. I also used anothe roof to get my patch pieces and butt welded them all in. I left my back window stock size and removed 2 inched above and below it. Now all my wondows are approx the same height. My roof was all dented up from past hay bales landing on it, so I did not get so worried about being perfect smooth and weld distortion. I also cut down the vent wondows and have them operational, I think it makes a chop more finished than one-piece side glass.

See attached pic for reference.

 

not an F1...but still relevant to "quartering" the roof when chopping it...


Use a donor panel that fits the contour good....



before you cut it, trace the panel where it fits best... (this is just for reference to help center it up later, if you cut along the line now, you will have a big gap later)



then mark the top to cut it in pieces (6 sections on this truck)



then once you line it all back up, lay the donor panel over it again, you can use the line marked earlier for reference in centering it up...then trim to fit...





I've done them a couple different ways, and I like this way the best...for sure...

 

I wouldn't quarter a roof.

It puts the seams at the middle of the roof, where its hard to reach with a hammer and a dolly to correct the warp ( and it will warp...)

Also, its at the point where there is the least crown, which makes it more critical.

I'm pretty sure I've done a Tech on a Ford Truck I've chopped, but I cant find it.

Here is one I did on a Chevy Truck.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=61370&highlight=top+chop+tech+chevy+truck

 

Hey moparman thanks for the pics. Nice job too! I appreciate any and all info recieved.

 

Hey metalshapes my fellow southwester thanks to you also. Appreciate the help and insight. Gonna be a fun saturday!