Hi there, I am about to start my next project and I had a question on what I should do first. I am going to chop the top on this 1950 Ford 2 Dr. Sedan, but I'm also going to redo the frame with a notch and some Mustang II IFS, airbags & the works. But my question is should I do the chop first before I do the frame while the car is solid & Mounted to the original frame or can I take it all apart and do the frame first and work my way up to the floor replacement, body panel replacement, then mount it back on the frame to do the chop? I know that the trunk area will lose some material from the notch, the aft floor panels will need to be cut out for the trailing arms on the 4 link rear end, and the trans tunnel won't be in until I get that all figured out. It just seems like the car would be the strongest while mounted to the original frame even though I will have plenty of bracing to support it all. Which way have you guys done it, What works, What Doesn't & what do you recommend? Thanks for all the help. Tom
Do your floors first. Mine were bad in the body mount area and this caused the cowl to lean back, dropping the rear edge of the doors. I suggest getting all the frame work and corresponding floor mods done before even thinking about cutting the top.
My 2 cents, for what it is worth, would be to reinforce the body and take it off the frame. Level your frame and check it for twist or being out of square. Make the necessary adjustments,fix any rust damage, and then add your mII and the other frame modifications. Once your confident that the frame is right, you can re-attach the body to the frame. I would then address any issues with rust on the body, starting with the floor pans, door pillars, trunk floor, and the remaining sheet metal. Keep in mind that the door gaps could be affected by any repair work to the door pillars. Add the front clip and the start the top chop. Sounds like a great project. Love shoebox's with chopped tops.
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