Custom Mopar ????

[Torchie]

The bathroom is now useable and mostly done. My wife is going to make some glass tiles for the area above the shower surround and I still have some trim work to do.
Started to clean out the shop so that I can move the Dodge in. all the while I have been thinking about the chop. The rear window and other assorted ramblings.
I found a FB site called Old School Kustom Mopars that has many great looking custom cars on it.
Got into a chat last night with the owner of the blue car pictured. Nice guy who provided lots of info.
His car uses the stock rear window laid down. It's a pretty heavy chop. Like 6" in the front and more in the back. I'm thinking maybe 3-4" on mine.
Thanks for stopping by.....
Torchie

 

[DozerII]

[P[P[P[P

 

[Skip]

That's a radical chop. But it works. Hardly looks like a Mopar any more.

 

[Torchie]

That's a radical chop. But it works. Hardly looks like a Mopar any more.

It is indeed Skip. And it does work. The roof on these is tall and pretty square - ish looking. My concern about that heavy a chop would be windshield visibility. Might have to raise the windshield up into the roof.
Torchie

 

[Sam_Fear]

Besides seeing stop lights turn green, visibility really isn't a problem in mine and I sit fairly tall in it. I have a 9" windshield. 4 1/4" Chop on a car that probably was 2" shorter than that Mopar.

 

[I-R-POPS]

Looking forward to seeing what you do with your "new" Dodge project.
MOPAR OR NO CAR!!!!!

 

[Torchie]

Besides seeing stop lights turn green, visibility really isn't a problem in mine and I sit fairly tall in it. I have a 9" windshield. 4 1/4" Chop on a car that probably was 2" shorter than that Mopar.

Thanks for that info Sam. I will have to do some measuring.and see what's what.

Looking forward to seeing what you do with your "new" Dodge project.
MOPAR OR NO CAR!!!!!

LOL Thanks POPS. I think that I may have posted earlier that the chances are good that someone in my family had a hand in building this car as many of them worked at Dodge Main in Hamtramck Michigan during this time period.
I have a lead on an early hemi for a power plant but I am really leaning towards a "Slant 6." ( No pun intended).
Those things were darn near bullet proof.
Torchie

 

[Torchie]

Alright.
All this talk of chops spurred me to go outside in spite of the hi heat and do some measuring.
Pic 1 and 2 shows In rough figures it looks like I have a glass height of 17.5". So even with a 6" drop that would still leave me approx. 11.5" windshield glass height. I think the one on the truck was around 12"'.
It also shows that raising the windshield up into the roof would make the windshield higher the the door line and trow things off.
Sam said his is 9" and has little issues with visibility.

Pic 3. The bottom edge of the tape Shows the approx. height of the side window opening with a 4" drop.

Pic 4. Shows the approx. window opening with a 6" drop.
Pics 5 and 6 shows the approx. windshield height with a 6" chop.
I will most likely do what I always do and start out with 4 inches out of the A pillar and see how it looks.
Thanks for looking in on me.
Torchie

 

[Old Iron]

I have no opinion on this one (holy crap that's a change) so I'm in for the picture show [P[P[P

 

[Bamamav]

I like the 4" chop better. When you get into more than that on a slab sided body like that, it tends to make the car look fat in the midsection. 4" will get you a smoother transition to the body. Another thing to consider is the windshield itself, is it flat or curved? Either way it's got to be cut or lowered into the cowl, how hard are they to find? And how many $$$$ when you do find one?

Just throwing some things out there Torchie, you probably know more about the details than I do. I do know when everything flows right, you can't beat the looks. I also know too much here or there can totally screw up the proportions quick!

 

[Torchie]

I have no opinion on this one (holy crap that's a change) so I'm in for the picture show [P[P[P

I like the 4" chop better. When you get into more than that on a slab sided body like that, it tends to make the car look fat in the midsection. 4" will get you a smoother transition to the body. Another thing to consider is the windshield itself, is it flat or curved? Either way it's got to be cut or lowered into the cowl, how hard are they to find? And how many $$$$ when you do find one?

Just throwing some things out there Torchie, you probably know more about the details than I do. I do know when everything flows right, you can't beat the looks. I also know too much here or there can totally screw up the proportions quick!

All good points Bama...
Windshield is two piece flat glass so that's no biggie.
I leaning towards the 4" as well.I like the looks of the one posted but if I chopped it that much I would probably regret it.
I don't want it to look like a pillbox.[ddd
10 years ago I would have been giving this car a mild chop and most likely a 3" section as well but we all must live in the now......
Moving towards getting it ito the shop ASAP.
Thanks for the comments gang. Keep em coming......
Torchie

 

[Skip]

I just noticed that you have faster B-pillars than my Plymouth.

 

[Torchie]

Yep Skip. That's the one thing that the Dodge had. The slanted B pillars. It was "Customized" at the factory......[ddd
Torchie

 

[forbigpicture]

I'm with you on the 4in chop Torchie...think it will look better
proportionally ....what's the plan on suspension and drive train...

[P[P

 

[Torchie]

I'm with you on the 4in chop Torchie...think it will look better
proportionally ....what's the plan on suspension and drive train...

[P[P

Up in the air at this point fbp. The OG frame has some rust issues in the front crossmember. From the looks of it I should be able to fix it. When I get back to the junk yard I will try to check out the frame under the donor car.
I have a line on an early hemi but I would also like to run a Mopar slant 6. What ever I do I am going for all Mopar on this one so most likely a change to an open rear end and then some different front hubs. Probably discs.
Torchie

 

[joedoh]

I vote a small chop, maybe even less than 4". just enough to take the bathyscape conning tower look out of the original car.

I also vote slant 6, most reliable engine ever. of course, I am the guy who put a 4 banger in a 65 fullsize... I loved it but when it came time to sell I got columns of disagreement haha. hemi is more hot roddy for sure.

 

[Torchie]

I vote a small chop, maybe even less than 4". just enough to take the bathyscape conning tower look out of the original car.

I also vote slant 6, most reliable engine ever. of course, I am the guy who put a 4 banger in a 65 fullsize... I loved it but when it came time to sell I got columns of disagreement haha. hemi is more hot roddy for sure.

I love the slant 6's Easy to work on and darn near bullet proof. I had one in a boat years ago. Not the fastest boat I ever had but it could pull 3 skiers.....

4" inches seems to be my number when it comes to chops joedoh. Anything less then that and it's hard to tell it's been chopped. (Not that that's a bad thing). I will sit and stare at it for a while once it is in the shop and I get the stance down where I want it. That always makes a big difference in how things look as well.
Torchie

 

[joedoh]

I told this story before but cliff notes my friend tried to blow up the slant six in his volare to install a 383, ran no oil then no oil and no water for a couple days. sounded like shaking a bag of hammers but kept running! filled it back up, figured it deserved to keep going after that. he had that thing another 3 years.

 

[Torchie]

Yeah. They are great motors joedoh.
So while trying to beat the heat (100 degrees here again today. Like 3rd day in a row) I came across this beauty. 225 slant 6 with a speed manual trans.
About 2 hours from me......[ddd
i won't say the price because It's too hot to listen to the whining.....
Torchie

 

[I-R-POPS]

Sweet! You buy it for the motor and trans then use the body for your tomatoes hot house with all that glass.