1946 Oldsmobile 78 Reserection {my way}

Don't you just love it when they roll again [cl
Looking good, "Full Bodies Rule Also"

prepping for the chop doors are on, I had 2 days on tapping the bolts out of the doors and the cab but they are re taped and good to go.

...this ones gunna be kool!!! ..lookin' good!

Do me a favor - take a lot of pics of the chop - especially the windshield area - that's where I had the most problems - spreading the top apart.

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chop

this fasback bodystyle with the b-pillar shape looks like it already has been chopped compared to regular sedans of the same era. I say it looks great as is. Maybe someone on here can photochop it first. I would hate to se.e the proportion,s get ruined, which can happen with a chop.

440shorty.

I am going to slice the roof in between the A and B pillar from door to door and move the roof forward in the front meeting the A pillar and the back section will be slid back meeting the B pillar and add a section for the gap. I will slice 2 cuts from front to back in between the center of the roof and the end of the door frame widening the wind shield and add metal, I am going to cut a slice across the front of the back window and do this in 3 parts, 1 roof, 2 back window and 3 pie slice the trunk. Hey Sam Fear, any suggestions? Here is an example as followed.

Looking good, nice work.[cl Keep us posted [P

I'm assuming the chop pics are of another car, not yours ?? If so , please consider a different approach to the chop. The best looking way to do it is to not pie cut the trunk and slant the rear window section forward. Do the stretch to the front between the doors as you said but keep the entire rest of the roof in one piece, including the trunk and a lip around the trunk opening and lower the entire thing down into the body by cutting along the peaks of the fenders and, down and below the trunk lid. Then fill the gaps up to the fenders, it will make the fenders appear to stand out more. There was an article in a rod mag a couple years ago on this, I think it was a Chevy, but the same body style and the chop was performed by none other than Bill Hines hisself. You know he has the eye for the right chop and this will preserve the great line of the roof.

I had a heck of a time dealing with one weld across the roof, so I would run from cutting it twice. Can you hammer weld? That would probably help, I would think. I MIG'd mine which is hard to control warping. If you do cut it twice, cut farther away from the rear window, by maybe six inches or so. I messed with a photochop and it seemed like folding it forward would match up better with a cut farther forward.

I also thought I would have to split the roof longwise, but when I got into it, I saw it was close enough to just bend the pillars a bit. My one big snag I had - I should have cut through the inside windshield header when I tried to spread the windshield top.

If that were my car, I would do one of two things. Basically go about it like I did my 48, or move the rear section back with the rear roof curve and cut/reposition the B-pillar. If you cut the rear like ZZ says, you'll have to deal with the belt line - I think that Bill Hines chop was on a 49+ car.

Sam_Fear said:

If that were my car, I would do one of two things. Basically go about it like I did my 48, or move the rear section back with the rear roof curve and cut/reposition the B-pillar. If you cut the rear like ZZ says, you'll have to deal with the belt line - I think that Bill Hines chop was on a 49+ car.

Click to expand...

Yes Sam , I think you're right, that was a 49+ body. How about this - cut along the belt line and fade it out as it meets to the trunk lid, slice the bottom off the lid by the amount of the chop.

The car was a 49-50 fast back and and the belt line is quite a bit different. ZZ I like what U suggested on the trunk and it would be nice to get away from dicing up the lid. Sam I am glad to hear that You did not have to split the roof longways to meet the windshield posts, Thanks guys I am all eyes and ears. Any more suggestions?

If you don't cut pie the lid, you'll have to heavily dice the sections along the fenders. I dealt with the roof section first and then sat a decided how to deal with the rear. It all depends on where the curves wind up, and that all depends on how much you chop and where you align that section to - so figuring it out beforehand is nearly impossible. About all you can do is make your cut so that you have options when you get there.

As you lower, the roof gets narrower. The same when you move it forward. Somewhere you have to make up for that difference in width. I did it on the trunk lid. I'm just not sure how you would deal with that belt line without cutting up the lid since the break follows along the trunk also.

Maybe something like this?

I would say cut it right at the belt line behind the rear quarter window and drop the whole rear window / front trunk lip straight down. Leave the side lips of the trunk opening alone where they meet the fender. this will keep all of the fender lines crisp. You will have to stretch the front part of the roof and you will also have to rework the trunk lid. I would suggest pulling the inner structure out of the trunk, make that fit first then tackle the outer skin. You should be able to drop the center front of the lid without too much trouble. Think of it kinda like reverse pie cutting a hood [P

That is what I was thinking about sliding the rear window in to the body, hear is my first cut.

Your way is looking good [cl
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Bracing

I am no expert but bracing up the inside would be next on my list... Before things get exciting and you find the car without a top.

Well, here's nothing.

That was scary, but looks better than I expected.

there is 3 inch off the top.