Need help with my chop

Just picked up an early 30s Chevy truck cab and want to do an 8" chop. But I'm a newb to all this and you guys can tell me that. But I need some advice on the proper steps to measure and set up my chop lines on the cab so I'm only cutting once and not filling huge gaps!

Just looking for help we all half to start somwhere.

If you chop it 8" you will be filling a large gap in the roof unless the posts are pretty much straight up and down. Plus 8" is quite a bit. How much window will you have left?

Look through some of the builds on here to get some idea of what to do and get Tex Smiths book how to chop tops.

Check out my build http://ratrodsrule.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3567

Here is the truck.....
First off what year is this cab? 31 chevy?

First thing you better do is figure out if you'll fit COMFORTABLY in a 30's cab with a 8" chop. Take something like cardboard to lower the roof and some boards as the seat - then sit in it. A lot of times on the older trucks, your knees will be in your chin. Many states have a minimum windshield height law - Iowa's is 6".

Notice I said "comfortably" - if you want to drive it more than 15 minutes at a time, don't convince yourself that you fit when you no deep down you really don't.

Thanks Jeff haven't got a chance to get some good pictures yet! I got supports in the cab, and mounted on a table to square corners up!

Sam makes a great point. Remember what I said about not driving it like a go-kart.

That cab will be easy to chop.

Bonehead said:

Sam makes a great point. Remember what I said about not driving it like a go-kart.

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I'm curious.... What are these words of wisdom?

Sam_Fear said:

I'm curious.... What are these words of wisdom?

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Yep... hard to drive a real car like this.

My 2 cents.......
If it is like the one that Bonehead shows these square style cabs are the simplest to chop as everything more or less drops straight dowm. You may have to make some relief cuts on the pillars to either squeeze them together or spread them apart to match. the piece above or below. Same may aply to the rear cab roof corners.
If it is a later style with slanted pillars then yes a roof spacer or leaning the pilars back will be needed.
You also need to decide if you are cutting thru the rear window and crating a mail slot or cutting around the rear window and dropping the opening down intact or a combination of the both.
If you don't have a frame to bolt the cab to make sure that it is as square as you can get it then put some internal criss cross metal bracing. I think that there is a lot of wood framing in these old Chevy cabs.
As Far as the chop amount goes it's yours so do what you want BUT.... bare in mind that it may look cool but if you can't drive it what's the point.....
And Sam makes a very valid point. I would do a mock up or 2 or 3 or 4 or...... before you cut. Seat.Steering and pedal placement as well as driver visibility.
Good luck and have fun..

Don't forget, if you channel it over the frame you will lose 4" of head space also.

bruno said:

Don't forget, if you channel it over the frame you will lose 4" of head space also.

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....and the transmission hump will take up more foot room.

Im just guessing at the 8" part !!

Thanks for all the info guys. I think I will mock up a seat and do some measuring. On the exact chop amount. Does anyone have an idea what year this cab is. It's the exact one bone head customz posted. I bought it from him. The A pillars of windshield Frame is a perfect square

I'm gonna say that's more like a 10-11" chop. Looks awesome though!

Something that can be done to get a little taller windshield is to get rid of the thick header. Then hide the top with a visor.

These cabs look good at 3" great at 4" hard to see out of at 5".
Throw in a bit of a channel and you're miserable right after the first person says, there's no way I could fit in there and they are only 5' 8" tall.
This 35 Dodge is a similar truck that my customer bought with a 3" chop and a 6" channel. He ended up having me remove the channel and put it back to original. He's 6' tall and still cramped for leg room.
I also Z'd the frame 6" in the front and 16" in the back so the cab would sit low.

Ill throw in, get your doors on and fitted properly before you cut.You dont want to have to fight poor fitment afterwards.

Kustomz33 said:

Does anyone have an idea what year this cab is.

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'31 to '33. (One-piece steel roof started in '31 and the entire cab changed for '34.) I believe an ID tag is the only way to tell a '31 from a '32 or '33... but somebody else may know better!

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I had a 31 35 or so years ago and if memory serves it looked just like that. The seats in those old truck were tall, kind of like sitting in a chair. When chopped and channeled your seat will likely be 6" off the floor, make sure you have room for your legs to stretch out so you chin isn't resting on your knees