My first Chop 1950 Plymouth...need some advice.

Well like what JCS64 said, its done. So now just time to fix it. Friday and sat i got to work on getting the window corners in. Im going to end up cutting them back out to widen the base[you can see how they don't line up with the bottom of the window now that its shorter. Then i can also work on the the inner structure before making them permanent.

Before and after shot of the corner:

Tacked in:



I had a buddy come by on Sunday[well yesterday] to help me out. He's much more experienced with sheet metal/bodywork. We were able to get the peak on and line up the A pillars nicely. He showed me how to use a hammer and dolly properly, and we're going to tackle the center split later this week. I need to order some parts to fix my mig, and get a smaller tungsten for my tig. I would have never have realized my tungsten was too big if he never stopped by.

Some shots of the peak/crown, still unfinished:

 

Hi Marcello, you just keep plugging away at it buddy. We are just giving up advice to help you along, had you had a tape line down the center of your roof from the first postings i would have strongly adviced you against it and told you the way that is easier like i did, but we can not read minds and it will still work out in the end, just remember for next time, and believe me once you have done this one you will be looking for more fabrication work to do.
By the way, what you jave just done with that side window corner piece looks amazing, it as a super smooth transition and looks like it belongs, you have already got the knack of it and are on your way to doing a mighty fine chop. And you went big on your first chop, way to go buddy.
Also, with the way i mentioned of cutting above the gutter line, sometimes you can actually peel the roof out wider to meet up with the seftion they were cut from, this is called pancaking the roof when it is done with a chop, but if you were not doing a chop through the windows, you would take a section out of the roof skin and lower it that way to pancake it. Kenny.

 

nice job on those rear side window corners. looks factory.cant wait to see it completed.

 

Thanks guys, its funny my buddy that's helping with straitening the roof mentioned it to his dad. His dads words were "Once you split a roof in half, you'll learn to never do it again!" Its coming out good so far, im learning a ton of metal working basics and little tricks from my buddy.

Thanks guys i spent a decent amount of time on the corners. Im working on the B pillars and top of the doors now. Wasn't sure the best way to go about this, so what i did was start with the top of the door, and use that as a decider of how much of a slant i was adding to the b pillar. Here is a quick shot, need to adjust it a bit, but the door gap along the roof-line is perfect. I also need to work on the radius on corners.

 

Its most likely not stretched if its neer the weld spot.
Needs to be stretched with a hammer and dolly.

 

Check this website out. http://www.allmetalshaping.com/index.php

there is alot to learn on there for metal shaping goes, plus they are a great bunch of people that can offer some great advise.

 

Nice to see you're angling the pillars... they look so much better than left straight up and down! Right on!

 

I never could figure out how people do side glass that goes up and down once they slant the pillars.

Jeff

 

Did a ton of hammer and dolly work with my buddy today. Got it pretty damn strait from the peak to half way down the roof. Needs more work from there back, but im holding off till he can come give me a hand again next week.

I got a little bit more done on the b pillar as well. In the picture the door was tacked together but the actual pillar was not. Got that situated fairly well, now im starting to plan the top corner. Need to decided the best way to cut it up while retaining as much of the detail of the curve as possible.

I'll prob spend a few hours on it tomorrow evening.

As for the glass, i was simply going to take the whole assembly and tilt it. So rolling it up and down would roll it up and forward along the angle of the b pillar.

 

Thanks, i agree. Plus i think it helps with the fact that the plymouth roof is so flat, and that i took out alot more out of the back. The rake of the roof will be complimented by the slant of the pillars.

 

You are really getting there now buddy, i was speaking from experience about how you split the roof, your buddy's Dad does sound like he is speaking from experience, awesome saying, blunt and to the point.
If you can duplicate the corner sections on the rear side window sections you first did, you will be right on track buddy.

I love the door handle scuff plate too, it is awesome, keep that kind of stuff.

 

Hey Marcello, that is the correct way to go about it buddy, when you make the template for the front door window, you have an extended part of the glass that sits down in the track vertical, just visualize the back of the door glass traveling the same way as the front of the door glass vertically, pretty easy.
There is another way to do back side windows also, well there is a few other ways if you want to get tricky, but you can make a pivot point a couple of inches down the B pillar and this will allow the rear side window to travel in an arch, it all depends on the size of window, do everything with templates to work that stuff out, doing it the way you suggested will be the best way for your first attempt.

 

Yup, learning experience to say the least. Not sure if im keeping the handles at all tho. I have shaved handles on my 65 chrysler and really like the smooth look. I'll be selling the chrysler to fund the motor/trans and suspension and everything else for this project.

 

The part im not 100% sure on is for the front windows. Since there is no longer a strait up and down track for the glass[im removing the sail windows, if thats what they're called] what keeps the window from flopping when not completely rolled up? My thought on it was to use a very tall glass, where most of it stayed in the door, and the bottom half would always stay in a vertical track although the top curved inward on both ends .

 

Man the shape of that stock roof makes it a bastard to chop!

 

It depends on the design. Most of the time you have room to tilt the window channels enough. As the glass get's shorter, you have more room.

 

Not sure if i have room for it that way. But we'll see, these are just thoughts in the back of my head, so when i get to it i'll atleast i have idea of what options to try.

Here is a quick shot of some more B pillar progress. Going to get that last corner fabbed up before i call it a night. Maybe move on to starting the other side as well if this goes smoothly.

 

Finished it up, threw a can on there to show a reference of how big the windows are now.

 

It is called a quarter vent window, so you are doing full side glass with no quarter vents. You will only need 2 inches of extra glass below the belt line for the window to have enough vertical support, the beltline is the line where i t looks like you removed some stainless trim from, it is the part of the body that meets the lower sections of the glass. So the lower portion under the belt line of the side glass will never be seen, another thing you will have to take in to consideration is the type of glass you will need on windows that roll up and down, they will have to be toughened glass, you can not use laminated in this application, because with out a solid frame for support, laminated glass will for ever keep breaking.

You progress is looking good, just a couple of areas on the turns of the door corners that you may be able to heat up and shape with a hammer and dolly, providing you have a torch to do so, or simply cut those sections out all together and hand form new sections, there is nothing saying you have to use the radius turns that you removed prior buddy.

Keep going, you are doing well, have you put any more thought in to how you will tackle the rear window yet ? a good chop is a thought out chop, you have to have an image in your mind and keep that ahead of the job, always see the finish line so obstacles will not be a worry if they arise.

 

Lookin' good man.

 

Im planning to lay the rear window down keeping the bottom where it meets woth the trunk in place. If it doesbt look right i may shrink the window down untill i can make it flat so getting glass would be easier.

 

Beautiful so far!

 

WOW !!!!!!!!!!! I love it.

BB

 

Looking at that again, i like how the rear wheel skirt is lengthened. Something so simple but its a nice change! Its making me consider tilting my fenders. So the top of the fender has the same slope line as the roof.

So many different idea's floating around my head. I really need to get the rear window laid down, and the car dropped to my expected drive height.

Slowly coming along on the driver side b pillar. Much easier now that i have a point of reference with one side done. While i was working on that, i had my brother install 3" drop blocks i had laying around. Here's a pic with him on the bumper for a little extra drop. Going to cut the front springs for now, untill i finish the chop and order some bags.

 

Yeah you got it where it needs to be sitting buddy. Looks cool. Do not just cut the back window out, pivot it as i mentioned and then extend the dutchman, this will give you a really nice transition and great lines to match the side windows.

 

If you can, try Fatman's dropped spindles... I've got 'em on my '51 Cambridge and they make the car sit just right with 3" blocks in back.

 

Yea i definitely plan on the pivot trick. Would save quite a hassle of holding it in place and trying to line everything up all over again.

A little too expensive for me at the moment. I may get my hands on an extra stock set and make my own tho.

 

Got some work done over the new years. Pretty much finished up the driver side b pillar. Started finishing up some welding on some minor things that were just tacked together. Trying to decide how to finish straitening out the back half of the roof. Im going to put a strap down the middle from side to side at the b pillars.

Im thinking of laying the back window down. Tacking it, then removing the strip from the b-pillars back and putting a new better fitting piece in.

 

Straitened out the roof a little more and laid down the back window.

 

Wow, Marcello you have done an awesome job. Looks real good, what is the gap you are left with under the rear window now it is layed forward ?
It will not be hard to get a nice transition from the roof to the rear window section now, do some slices to allow the roof and window sections to meet up better and then cut the excess off where they meet, man you are back on track, i really love the door and side window profile too, do you see what i mean about having more glass gives it more class ? Great stuff buddy.