well....ive finally come to the decision after about 2 years... to chop my 52. As this is my 1st chop,im not taking a stupid amount out, maybe 3 or 4 inches at the most, but im going to do a nice clean, subtle chop. id be lying if i said i wasnt nervous. so...words of encouragment would be nice. and pictures will indeed follow in the next couple weeks!
Words of encouragement: as long as you have done your homework and you are patient and you are willing to stop and step back if anything goes wrong then you will do just fine! '52 Ford or Chevy?
the hard part is the research and planning...once you figure that out you won't be nervous..3 or 4 inches is not too bad to work with on most 50's cars..you can do it LOL pics would help thou
It's only metal. Whatever you cut off can always be welded back on. It is definitley nerve wracking to cut up a car but as mentioned if you take your time do your research and ask questions if you get in trouble it will be one of the most satisfying things you have done to your car when you are done.
<HR style="COLOR: #e5e5e5; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e5e5e5" SIZE=1> <!-- / icon and ***le --><!-- message --> It's only metal. Whatever you cut off can always be welded back on. you forgot about the gl***. figure your gl*** first. then fit the top to the gl***. are you chopping the black 4 door Olds in your pics? you got to really plan around that back gl***.
its been a thought process/plan with my 52 oldsmobile since day one of bringing it home. along with the help of my friends/club brothers, and between all of our skills, i think we'll be able to pull of something really special with it. its going to turn into a 2door hardtop chop. i know patience is key, and as far as the back gl*** goes....3 inches is about the most i can go if i want to use the back gl***. i have another gl*** piece cut that i know will work after extensive measuring, if i decide to go more. but like i said...i dont wanna go crazy and end up with a sardine can ya know? i'll post pictures when i can fellas
Hey, Not to **** in anyones punchbowl or anything,but a sucessful chop is about more than jus cutting an old car apart! Whenever I hear " it's only metal" I think 'bout the dozens of overchopped, black primered complete and total pieces of **** runnin the streets of SoCal! These can usually be spoted from 20-30 feet, because they are the ones with the plastic windas. Always plan your chop around your gl*** cutting plans, never the other way 'round. Who's going to do your welding? A chop is no place to learn to weld. To "hard top" a Buick will require more metal in the roof and the B post to rocker areas. If the pinch weld is not properly layed out, fit up and welded correctly, plan on a few broken windshields! Confidence comes from competence, if you're feelin' alittle gunshy, ya may wanna ramp up on some other projects first. I'm not tryin to fling **** or talk ya off your plan, but I've seen more than a few of these go south! good luck, "Spending A Nation Into Generational Debt Is Not An Act Of Comp***ion!"
It's easier to cut it too short and weld it back on athn being a woodworker... ever try glueing a 1/2" back on a 2X4?
good luck man....im in the same boat...kills you huh looking at all the killer art work done around here and not want to be apart of it...i want to chop my 51 chevy so bad!!!!! i wish you good luck bro i hope it go's great and look even better...johnny
Take your time, One big thing I found out when talking to the guy that cut my gl*** is that you don't want to pie cut the roof to fit the A pillars, pull the A pillars in, if you'r only goin' 3 to 4 inches you shouldn't have too much of a issue there. the other thing you can do that we did was when you cut the A pillar and lift off the roof, put a piece of round stock in the bottom side and leave it stick out, to help line things up when it goes back together. good luck
im a competent welder, and im fair with metalwork, i have friends who work/own shops as well as guys who have built cars since jesus was a baby. hahahah i dont think, but i KNOW this will turn out fantastic in the end. its just nerve racking having had a car for years, and having done so much to it, to finally undertake something MAJOR like turning a 52 olds 4 door into a 52 oldsmobile 2 door hardtop. like i said, this has been a plan for a very long time, with research and planning since day one. thanks for all the kind words and info everyone.
although that would be fun...this isnt the car for that. hmm.... an interesting idea for the show though...
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