Top Chopping Tip

OK..
I have just completed my first chop, and it worked out great..
My biggest concern was how to figure out where to chop it so that
front and rear edges of the window openings would line back up..
This is what I came up with..
I am sure there are other ways, but this worked for me, and I hope it
helps someone else out some day

First I took a short level (9" in this case) and marked the center of it..



Next slide it into the windshield opening and move it up and down until the upper bubble centers (please don't mind the cardboard simulation of a windshield opening..lol )



Now use a square on the side of the level and line it up with the mark you made at the center of the level and marl your post..

Now on your post, measure up and down from that line 1/2 the distance you want to chop (using a 3" chop in this example)



Now using the level and square method, draw your lines using these marks...
You can see by the red line that once you cut out the section that the upper
and lower parts will line back up once chopped and you will not have to pull the posts in or out..



Hope this helps

Sounds like a plan.did it work out ? pics of the actual chop pleaseLFE

luckyfasteddie said:

Sounds like a plan.did it work out ? pics of the actual chop pleaseLFE

Click to expand...

Yup, worked out great..
I am at work right now and will have to see what I have for photos at home, but you should get the idea from these I have here..

clean, dude...

Looks like it worked well for you. Did you level the cab in some way first? It may seem pretty low tech, but I just measured up from the Belt line moulding on the door, front and back, and used a stright edge to mark a line on the truck cab.

Looks good! excellent thought!
Ill be doing the same on my 52 chevy, same shape roof. I see in the pics that your roof was caving in a bit did you striaghten it out flat, curved or leave it concaved? Are you planning on shaving the drip rails also?

Wildman said:

Looks good! excellent thought!
Ill be doing the same on my 52 chevy, same shape roof. I see in the pics that your roof was caving in a bit did you striaghten it out flat, curved or leave it concaved? Are you planning on shaving the drip rails also?

Click to expand...

Wildman,
ya, it looks like they hosted dancing with the stars on the roof of my truck.. I left it the way it was, I have a friend that owns an upholstery shop that is going to do an old school canvas sunroof for it, so I'll be cutting the caved in part out..

Thanks

Thanks for the tip. I'm getting ready to chop a 50 Chevy truck and I need all the help I can get. I've got to fix the floor, brace the inside and remove the glass so I'll start the chop in a week or so.

I choped my 50 6'', years ago ,if i can find some pics ill try to put them up for ya.

Hey Blue

Hey Blue, I live in Jacksonville. I was wondering if you mind if I come to Wilmington one day and check out your truck. Let me know. Harleyboy

harleyboy said:

Hey Blue, I live in Jacksonville. I was wondering if you mind if I come to Wilmington one day and check out your truck. Let me know. Harleyboy

Click to expand...

That would be no problem

Blue, My # is 910-389-5251 Call me and let me know when is a good time for you. Thanks

Sorry for Resurrecting an old thread, but this is the same truck that I am about to chop. Mine is a 41, and I would love to see the pictures on here that are no longer visible, this little piece of info would sure save me from a lot of work!!!

Here are pictures and info on how i am doing mine: http://www.ratrodsrule.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16617

Your pictures have been deleted, darn, really wanted to see them.

They are all still there bro. On this site you have to make sure you check the little box where you log in, in order to stay logged in to view the site. For some reason, the site tends to unlog us when we wonder from forum to forum. I just checked too, to make sure the images are all there.

looks like it came out well

Looks killer!!!

Heres a tip for the next one, right above the drip rail go up a few inches then to the right a few inches then all the way across.

This will allow you to clamp the two half's together and line everything up,

Heres another, before i cut i make a few paper templets of the radius of the roof front to back to get the crown of the roof, then i transfer to steel and flip the raduis, i cut out a few and tack underneath the roof to keep the raduis of the roof line,

Sellers Equip. could you please explain that one more time, I have a 35 Ford I'm getting ready to do, and I didn't quite understand that up the drip rail & over clamp it together thing. Obviously you have this down. Please teach me.