Iam planning on chopping my 1949 ford and at the same time considering turning it into a hard top, how do I go about making the front and rear window glass work? Ive seen chopped50ford's pics of his top but how do you make the door and quarter glass work?
The rear quarter glass is normally a slip in type. You run a piece of "U" channel at the top of the quarter panel(where your rear glass normally goes up and down in) w/ some "U" shaped window felt in it so it will seal. Basicall, the rear quarter window slips/slides in. The door glass is easy as well. You have to make sure your glass extends to the edge of the door in its channel guide in the door. (like a hard top) to seal the rear quarter window, you would use a piece of strip weather stripping or rubber so the door glass can rest on it (look at a hardtop) What to do: Bend your frame for the rear quarters out of 1/2" or 5/8" "U" channel, use window felt channel to slip/rest your glass in. This piece would slip in and out. I have always been told. There isnt a right way to do it. There are alot of ways to do it right. Use your imagination and look at pieces of rubber and felt to achieve what look/operability your needing it to do. See Pict. Good luck.
Thanks chopped50ford by the way was yours a coupe or a sedan, starting with a sedan so I have plent of glass to work with on the rear should be intresting.
How about Buster Lillons George Cerny chopped hardtop?Probably one of the best ones ever done! One thing that I feel is a sin on ant car made into a hardtop is when the door frame ends at the top of the vent window. All of the good early chopped hardtops had the vent windows attatched to the door like a convt.Most of the time the rain gutters were deep sixed but on a few occasions I have seen them look good.
[ QUOTE ] One thing that I feel is a sin on ant car made into a hardtop is when the door frame ends at the top of the vent window. [/ QUOTE ] I agree, mine was cut like a hardtop, smooth all the way around. the Vent came out w/ the door. Mine was a sedan. I ended up selling her , but I am looking for another to do again. Thanks for the recognition
Thats a damn good looking roof!! Tommorow Ill post some pics of a 51 coupe that my friend and I chopped 10 years ago but its not a hard top. The roof was dropped straight down at the b pillars so the 1/4 windows are nice and long w/ all the stainless working.
I like both styles hard top and not, I cant decide wich to do but I have a little time before I get to that point not much though.
Remember this, to hardtop the car is much more work than keeping the posts. I will say if I do it again, Im keeping the "B" pillar and angling it.
I did one a few years back for a friend. I wanted to do something a bit different, but also look "right". I used the roof sides off of a 56 Olds hardtop. Sectioned them into the Ford sedan roof, angled the rear window. Kept the 'flippers' working, trimmed out the Ford vent windows to look more 'hardtop-like', or maybe I used real Ford hardtop vents (?). Building all new window frames, as per Bill Hines instructions, with curved, angled window division, like the Hirohata. Gave the car a different look, it actually had longer quarter windows chopped, than the stocker had! I'm at work..can't post a pic.
[ QUOTE ] I used the roof sides off of a 56 Olds hardtop. Sectioned them into the Ford sedan roof, angled the rear window. Kept the 'flippers' working.......I'm at work..can't post a pic. [/ QUOTE ] Definitely post them when you get home then...I want to see that! Sounds very cool.
I have also seen a couple done such that the old tops of the door frames get welded to the body, leaving a vertical gap aligned with the divider that separates the vent from the main door window. It would require some slight mods to the upper door frames so that the new glass shuts against it instead of rolling up into it, but it is a look that can be made to look pretty convincing. That said, as others have mentioned, I agree that it typically looks much better to have it all go together like a real HT/convertible. That's one area where the original designers knew what they were doing! And, YES, let's see some pics of that Olds/Ford top combo!
Okay, I am going to ask a total noobie question here. By hardtopping in this sense, do you mean removing the B pillar and reinforcing the roof for structural reasons? -Taylor
[ QUOTE ] do you mean removing the B pillar and reinforcing the roof for structural reasons? [/ QUOTE ] It's more a matter of getting a good seal at the top of your side glass with the car body. Normally your side window rolls up into a slot at the top of the window. That slot no longer exists because a door in a hardtop no longer has window frames. Often the window frames are removed from the door, and then welded to the top. That's to get the nice radius edge that the door frames have. Something still has to be done with that slot which is now a permanent part of the roof. You can't roll your side glass up into that slot anymore. The door won't open with the window up because it is trapped in the slot. Getting a good seal at the top of the glass is a challenge. That's why Chopolds' solution is excellent.
yep. you have to reinforce the post where the door latches since it loses strength when it's no longer attached to the roof. I thougth about makign the*****box i had a hardtop, but the more i looked at ones that had done it, the less I liked it. When they've been chopped AND turned into a hard-top it kinda makes em look like they've been squished to me. Guess it depends on how low of a chop you go with too...
I have been looking for a 49-51 business coupe to hardtop. I plan on cheating all the way around. It's all legal. I found a shop that used a 51 vicky roof to fill a top on a 34 sedan. so I have both sides of the vicky roof rails (hard to come by) for the quarter windows I like to have power windows that roll up and down. The slide in units are more traditional. . GM and MOPAR used identical systems for their 50-52 hardtop quarter windows and they are easy as hell to adapt to any car that you want to hardtop. I've even used them to hardtop a 34 three window(do away with the door top) that was not easy but works well but needs Tempered glass.(also no problem) Basically the glass pivots from the leading edge and there is a curved L-Shaped track that guides the glass down into the pocket go to an old junk yard and grab all the parts in the quarter. Regulators,stops guides,track pivots ect. bring some kind of rust buster with you because the pivots are cast and the screws and pivots are usually froze up. laminated glass that was stock needs the full frame for strength so I reccomend using Tempered glass for this application. one thing you have to look for on your car is clearence on the rear wheel wells. most sedans are no problem and on most coupes you just need to let the roof move forward when you chop (this usually happens anyway) . the 34 that I did, I installed the pivots to the rear of the door and it looks strange when you roll the glass down half way with just the back half of the glass sticking up. makes people really scratch there heads
I hate to keep posting the same photos and this is way off from what you are up to but............. . This 52 plymouth wagon needed a floor and a friend offered up a 52 hardtop with good floors. the hardtop had all sorts of reinforcing that the wagon didn't have. after looking at it for a couple days I figured the easiest way to get the floor into the wagon was to swap the cowl, windshield part of the roof, the front doors, part of the quarters (to get the roll up quarter windows. took about a week to get the floor shortened 8 inches and graft the back half of the wagon to the front half of the car and I haven't touched it since
Hey 48, In my banter last night on this post I was babbling about George Cerny.Ever see his wagon?? Are you building a period Custom?? sure looks like it
Mack, are you talking about the cover of Car Craft April 1956! it was a 50 wagon with 49 bumpers 54 pontiac grill in a 50 merc opening 55 chev headlights 50 chev side spears on the front fenders and 55 dodge side chrome. 37 dodge tail light housings with 55 dodge bezels. 2 parts of the 55 dodge side chrome on the tailgate chopped top with shaded v-butt windshields. Yellow and Burple(his color) with flamed wheel wells. chromed tailgate hinges wide whites 55 dodge lancer caps running a 331 Cad to the unheard of speeds (in 1956) of 99 in the quarter mile. NO I'VE NEVER HEARD OF GEORGE CERNEY OR HIS WAGON!! . What can you tell me about it, sounds interesting!!
Mack I have saved all those parts above to clone Cerney's Plymouth and I have a 49 wagon to do it. but when came down to it and I had a hardtop parts car I felt that car would magically appear the day after I finished mine. and I could never be happy with those early style flames. So mine will run the 270 Dodge Hemi and a 3 speed overdrive. I think it will be a nice driver and that all I ever wanted
48 Hemi, How many hardtopped, chopped, long roof Plymouths could there be out there? Looks like two now. Took this pic last weekend. You oughta finish yours, they're pretty cool lookin'.
Mike that is cool, two things! first, it's not a hardtop just a slanted B pillar like a Nomad. hardtops were originally called hardtop convertibles because they had no B pillar like a convertible. by the late 50's they were just hardtops. second I had no intention of changing this shoebox ford post to a mopar post I just put it up as an example. third you right I should get that plymouth on the road. but my HEMI powered 48 ford has to get on the road first
Mike dig the car looks damn good. I also would like to see more pics of chopped50's car if he has any. Anyways thanks to everyone that replied on here, plenty of help to get me thinking of what to do with that old 49'
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