OK the 54's totally gutted, all reinforcements and all the posts etc are solidy welded and done. Man if there's one word of advice I can give on a top chop it's 'reinforcement', body flex is a killer. I wish I'd the job right 13 years ago but I just didn't know any better, now I'm really happy with the work. I guarantee there will be no cracks on this baby forever. My back quarter windows are being a pain in the****. On one of them the screws are totally frozen, and the regulator's shot. I might have to chop out the panel just to get everything out. The back seats are seldom used and I was thinking about making the windows stationary. I know this isn't the correct way but I'm looking to reduce the amount of work on something that's hardly used anyway. Plus I was thinking it would look really nice with an unbroken upholstery panel on either side. I was thinking about ditching the warped rear armrests/ashtray combo while am at it. Some cool 50's car trim on the inner panels would be cool too. Bad idea or good? The work's coming along really well, you guys are gonna dig the way the car will look. ETA for the paint job is The Daytona Turkey Run. The top and the panels below the '56 Buick trim will be heavy dark purple flake (the new flat black) and the rest of the car semi-gloss purple. The dummy spots are being ditched too. I was also looking at how the car looks without vent windows, but one piece glass for the doors would be almost impossible. The hinge pockets are right where the window channels would have to go to make it work. Oh yeah I'm putting clip on Maltese Cross door mirrors too......no that's a lie. I'll post pics when the back window goes in.
Gotta say Nads your gettin it done!! See if that could rub off on the rest of your mates! We'll be ready for the 11th for sure!!....Solid back glass for sure~!!! hey I lost my spots as well
That's good news Mike, I didn't like them spots too much. Now there will be two sets of spots for sale at the swap meet, I'll get more for mine because they're all corroded and 'Rat Rodderiffic'. I'm getting excited pal. The idea that this perpetual project might be heading towards completion makes all the weld burns on my arms and hands worth it.
my vote is for stationary quarter windows, from what i have found out, 55 chevy 150 models had the option of stationary quarter windows, so like you am going to delete the regulators, and then will have smooth panels in the rear interior.. might get hot back there but i dont expect to have much need for the backseat anyway. bob
[ QUOTE ] The back seats are seldom used... [/ QUOTE ] that's really too bad, nads. you have my condolences. i thought you got a little more action.
What about finding a newer four door, and cut out the inner skin of the door, so you get the regulator and all, and weld it in? If you have to cut an access hole anyway....
Might think about adding A C if the rear windows don't open. Wife's 49 Merc is like an oven in hot weather, gonna change them to roll ups......OLDBEET
I would say go stationary, ditch the handles and arm rests. You can tie the back panels in with a design from the front door panels. You might use a stainless exterior trim piece running front to rear. The only break would be a small one at the door edge.
The car's already like an oven in there anyway. I'm going to put insulaton on every panel possible. The original firewall pad's completely disintegrated. I don't have the scratch for AC yet, but I really want to put it in. Vintage Air units are beautiful, all in dash and inconspicuous. I fixed my vent windows properly yesterday too. I can't believe what a poor job I did on them first time around. The vent windows do a great job of cooling the car down. Thanks for all your ideas, I really like your plan for tying the B and C pillars together Mr. Boland. PS, my Chevy's a 150 model, do you know if they came with roll down back windows as an option?
i think the factory only put non roll up windows on the business coupe body style in 53-4? i think all sedans would have roll ups.
I believe in certain sections being rigid, ask my wife. One thing I hate is rattles and stress cracking. Once you get her all firmed up and insulated it will be smoooove my brothah.
[ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] The back seats are seldom used... [/ QUOTE ] that's really too bad, nads. you have my condolences. i thought you got a little more action. [/ QUOTE ] well at my age, and with a bad back,, i would much rather get a room..... lol or for that matter i will be replacing my hood in the future,, so..... hmmmmmm . bringing back memories bob
Install some inconspicuous flow through vents. Late 70's cars had them in the door jambs. the air went through every crack and cranny you can't even imagine into the 1/4 panel area and vented out because of the low pressure area that exists in the door jamb area. These obviously need to be outside the doors weatherstrip to work. Another is the vent with a rubber one way flap that's in the left rear corner of the 1/4 panel on wife's 96 Civic. I didn't even know it was there till I took the bumper off you could install this or one like it behind the wrap around of your rear bumper if you have one (a bumper that is) I would imagine most new cars have one of some shape that can be hid on the car. Or you could make some functional rear facing scoops that actually exhaust interior air, like the one's on a Porsche, which are like the one's on a Mercedes 300SL coupe or a functional scoop ala '58 Impala, either the roof or the 1/4 panel scoops. What you need to do is have a way for the air to get OUT of the passenger compartment, just don't put them further back than the tail pipes or in the rear end because a lot of cars***** exhaust beak up againts the trunk. You can some times tell by the soot but Carbon Monoxide is an odorless killer. A guy died from it in a Nomad wagon a few blocks from my house. They think from the dump pipes that stopped in fron't of his rear axle
Just an idea but you could put slide out windows in the rear. It would have no handles or rests if you don;t want them but you could still remove the glass if ever needed. Simply cut a slot in the door frame where the glass could slide in. Put window channel on the bottom where the glass would normally go down into the door. Shawn
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