Thread: chopped pickup question

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i have another im just starting in the rat rod community and have a lot to learn .....but i just bought a 41 ford pick up i have seen outhers do a 6" chop but hears my problem im 6 foot 5" tall will i fit in it after i chop any tall guys on here that has had that problem im going to get ride of the orig seat mount and run buckets ........

Best thing to do is get the door gap set correctly and get the latches working properly before you do anything. Then remove the doors and set them aside. Then thouroughly brace the inside of the cab and the door opening with welded in temporary bracing. Then chop the cab and reweld it. Then remove all the bracing. Then make the lower cut on the doortop and rehang the door. Then, hold the remaining peice of door-top up in correct position and check to make absolutely certain that the amount of chop you anticipated is going to be correct---then cut the remaining peice out of the vertical legs of the doortop, tack it into place with the door still hung and latched properly into place. then remove the door and finish the welding on the door.

Originally Posted by ntudeepp

i have a question is it better to chop the top with the doors still on the truck fit them in later ?

It's going to be tough to get stock height doors to close on a chopped top. Before I cut the door tops, I tack weld a brace between the door posts to maintian the door gap and alignment, then cut the door tops off, chop the top, and fit the top of the doors. Also, before I make the first cut in ANYTHING, I crossbrace and X brace the body shell so things don't move around when you start cutting. And, I have the frame bolted or otherwise fastened securely to the frame before cutting. Another method I have used to maintain the door gap when I chop is to use the correct thickness of washers in the door gap tack welded to the doors and the body shell, 2 on the front and 2 on the rear of the doors.

Excessive channeling does nothing but kill cab room. I would recomend just enough of a channel to get the bottom sill where you want it. If you need the overall cab height less then the channeling and a reasonable chop, then sectioning the car is another option....

There are proponents of both methods. We do them off, after bracing the body to hold it's shape. We feel it's easier to do the chop, then cut off the window frames and then fit them back in to match the new opening.

Others have said they like to do it with the doors on, so it just becomes a matter of what seems easiest to you. The way we do it allows you complete access to the inside of the car during the chop process, and is one reason we like it.

Don

thanks for all the info

Good to see that someone else is also building a 1941 ford, My plan is for mine I want to do a 5 inch channel if the frame into the body and a 3 inch top chop,,hoping it will give me the look I want.

Don't recall where I read it ( I'll link in, when I do ), but this one builders idea of chopping was to leave the doors ON, and only cut off & of course modify the window channel. Of course you knew this anyway,...JMTC,...but it made a-lot of sense as the door revel will stay constant..
- 41 -

I forgot to ask this before but does anybody know where I would find the serial number/I.D. tag on a 1941-1943 Ford P/U?

I forgot to ask this before but does anybody know where I would find the serial number/I.D. tag on a 1941-1943 Ford P/U?

Its suppose to be on the left side frame rail just ahead of the steering box. My frame was to rusted to see it, and the ones at the junk yards I looked at were hard to make out the whole number.
From what I learned was, back in the day they used the serial number off the motor which was suppose to be the same as on the frame, But I can't swear that to be true.

This cab and doors that I got was just that,,,a cab and doors,,,no frame or motor. So I guess the best thing for me to do is get ahold of motor vehicle and see how to go about geting some numbers for this thing unless somebody has a better idea

Great job on the Dodge truck. I have a 41 Plymouth truck which I bought back in 1971 and my son has a 46 Dodge truck which he has had since he was 5 years old. Both are street rods and are still undergoing changes. I like these old trucks so I thought this would be the best place to make my first post. Keep up the good work.

hey bought a 41 ford through ebay and when i drove ct it was hammered so i left it and keep shopping around i now own a very solid 41 chevy cab ....THAT I STARTED A CHOPPING TODAY i wish i knew how to post pics i took out 5" i deff got the look i wanted ....i will keep ya posted on how it all goes back together im kinda sweatin it a little MATCHING THINGS UP WILL BE TRICKY ......THANKS FOR ALL THE PICS YOU GUYS POSTED IM IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

What year???

Don

what is the wheel base on your dodge pick up ?

I am at that same point as ntudeepp, Just got that cab all braced today,,looking at my sawsall and the cab and wondering where to start. Like to do a 6" chop and I have a 5" channel in it now.

Is there any easy way to ID an old frame?,,, I got one today and am just wondering if there is anyplace on it that I may find some numbers to see what it is.

ya know thier is a junk yard near me with a 41 ford that a tree fell on it thier probly is a vin tag on the fire wall .....if you interested let me know