how to chop a top...my way

[hotrod preacher]

This is a great technique! So when you did your initial chop, did you take into account prior that you would be taking an additional 3/4" to adjust?
I'm looking forward to you leaning pillars since that's new to me too [cl

actually i will not be cutting another full 3/4" - just about 1/4" from front corners of cab corner to get the rar down the full 4"

notice in the pics how the back near the rear window is not down all the way?
that is b/c of the angles the front edge touched before i was down all the way

it should still be right at 4" on the rear of chop when the rear window piece from the roof and body touch

thanks for the interest, will try to get the rear portion finished this friday (maybe)

 

[hotrod preacher]

another lesson for those chopping a top= DO NOT GET IN A HURRY

well i finally got back to this project a little yesterday...

fine-tuning the rear portion took longer than i wanted, and quite honestly it is not completely ready to be welded up yet...

pic 1- always have a good supply of nurishment for such a task

pic 2 & 3 showing the sides of the rear portion...how they needed trimmed to get a closer fit... tho you may not do an angle chop, or even choose to do the slanted windshield posts, the basics of top-chopping are the same...
measure a lot, study the shapes a lot, and do not get in a hurry...

pic 4 is of the rear glass opening- pay close attention to details such as how the window opening is "lining up" also to body lines and other "clues" that tell you if you are even or too far to one side ... my roof portion almost always fit better on the right that left, and it showed to be too far too the right according to the window opening--so balancing the left to right helped to make the left side to fit better

next pics show how i relief cut the "roundness" of the corners to help make up some of the 1/2" of width difference between the roof and the body... and penty of pliers and clamps, and vise grips help hold things on one side while finishing up the fit on the other side...

there is more to fitting things that just cannot be fully expressed in pictures or words here... i just want to say again do not get discouraged when things don't just "fall into place" it will take some work to make things fit, but the more tie and patience you use in this fitting process, the better the end results

 

[hotrod preacher]

once tha rear portion suited me (well almost) i then deided to work on a windshield post... i had alrady removed the entire dash as it was rusted out beyond saving-and i really want something different anyway-

i made some reference marks and then did a few cuts first was with a sawzall, but found i liked the plasma better... if you do not have access to one, a cut-off wheel will work also...

i may scare some of you, but i like to "relief cut" until i can move the post by hand, myself- a porta power would push more but it can also put a warpage in things so be careful if using a jack or porta-power to not twist things out of shape...
i got interupted so i only got one side cut and clamped - it isalmost the way i want it, a little more fine-tuning for all will be done before anything gets welded up... the next round of pics will hopefully be of door cutting and fitting

remember! everything needs to fit before anything gets welded...[

 

[Old Iron]

[cl [P

 

[Sam_Fear]

How about a pictures of the A-pillar cuts from the inside too? That is where I ran into problems. I should have separated the inner structure from the skin on the upper part of the pillar, worked it separately, then welded it back together. As I pulled the roof wider, it tried to pull the center point downward causing the windshield areas to deform from flat. Major PITB! <-Self censored since this is HRP's thread.

For anyone splitting the roof, you can use the door window frame clamped to the opening as a guide to keep the drip edge aligned to the original curve.

Great thread HRP. [cl

 

[hotrod preacher]

sam, ill try to get a ic of that area next week... and i liked the idea on the use of the door edge on "split roof" top chops[cl

i really don't want to sound stoopid, but other "experienced" top-choppers can add what tips or advice they have.... this is not a "look what i can do" thread, but was supposed to be a "here is some advice for people chopping tops" thread...


i have one area on this that is bugging me and will try to cover it in my next installment,

and now for these messages from Binford tools....

 

[jmlcolorado]

Now it's getting exciting! I've been waiting to see how you lean the pillars. Now that I see it, i get it.
I guess you got to be COMPLETLY sure everything is lined up on the windsheild before welding it all into place cause you don't want the glass to be tight on one corner and floating 1/2" on the other right?

 

[von-zipper]

I prefer to stretch and add a filler strip down the center of the roof, rather than lean the pillars back.

it's a matter of taste, but the leaned back posts just look a little wonky to me.

Funny, it is a matter of taste! I prefer the posts leaned back. That's the way they did it originally to reduce wind resistance and think it looks much better! Using a filler strip can also alter the flow of the roofline but to each his own.

Great progress Preacher!

Zipper

 

[hotrod preacher]

thanks zipper, i think either can be successful, what i found interesting was biGshiz has only made one post in his 3 month membership and it was to voice an irrelavant and somewhat rude opinion... i took it as "odd" to say the least...oh well...

 

[hotrod preacher]

Now it's getting exciting! I've been waiting to see how you lean the pillars. Now that I see it, i get it.
I guess you got to be COMPLETLY sure everything is lined up on the windsheild before welding it all into place cause you don't want the glass to be tight on one corner and floating 1/2" on the other right?

thanks for the comments! i am enjoying sharing this... i do not claim to be an expert at all...but felt that a thread on this subject might help others... i hope others offer "pointers" as well

and i will definitely make some final measurements and test fit some stuff before ANYTHING gets welded up...[

 

[hotrod preacher]

have to admit i was not planning on a 2 week "break" from this project, but life happens...


i worked a little on this last week, and will throw out a few more pics...
i learned at one of the first shops i worked at to use self-tapping metal screws to hold things in place while fitting and checking gaps and alignment of everything...
so that was the plan for this job, but i went to get my drill and it was dead, then i couldnt find the screws either, so i got aggravated and dragged the welder up to the project and made a few tack-welds to hold the roof in place... after i measured and triple checked my measurements of course
i also "sleeve" the A-pillars/ windshield posts to make things easier on welding up...
now with the roof tacked I RECOMMEND fitting the doors to the new roof line before welding up everything on the roof-- the reason being if anything "shows up" as out of alignment there is not as much to "undo" to make changes...

the doors are on now and my next phase is fitting the curves... possibly the hardest part for me is the patience to do this as it needs to be--safety in mind, and looks as well

 

[rainbow lungs]

Preach what year and make is this truck cab?

Thanks Lungs

 

[Bamamav]

Looking forward to seeing you do the doors. My truck was alreay chopped when I got it, but the doors were never finished. I have a door top to use for my add in pieces, they stretched my roof about 4". I'll get around to it again one of these days.

 

[kingots2004]

great job! any more progress?

 

[millaway31]

i imagine this is a dumb question but i'm in the middle of doing a 1950 chevy truck chop right now and planning and doin the pillars like you have in this thread, do you releif cut the doors the same way to make them fit the pillars?

 

[Sam_Fear]

HRP probably isn't going to be available for awhile. You might want to ask that question in a new thread (with pictures ).

 

[IronFreak]

Where did HRP go>??

This thread is getting me all fired up for this weekend...........then BAM!! it stops right in the middle of the good stuff!

 

[bones]

Awwh

What Happened to HRP??? I just got into this thread, i had my soda and a snack [P all ready to get to learning then......BAM! It Stops