Thread: choppin' a top

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hi,
gonna proceed with choppin' the top off of my '48 chev 2dr fleetline sedan. I'm thinkin' 3 inches should look good, leave the back window full size but lay it down a little split the roof across and adding in a piece to move the front ahead to match up the windshield posts. Anybody done this particular make and model?
Does this sound about right? I did get Tex Smith's book "How to chop tops." and it looks fairly straight forward although a bit of labour involved.
Would appreciate any input.
Thanx,
Pablo
ps. I'll take pics as I progress and send them in k?

Hey, don't take this personally, but I think it's gonna look like crap. I just hate chopped tops. (except a well-done '49-'50 Merc).

go ahead and chop away! Dont look Techinspector!

Just take heed and make sure to weld the doors shut, and cross brace the snot out of everything before you cut anything.
Are you gas welding this (old school), or mig welding?
If you are mig welding, go to your gas and wire supplier and tell him what you are doing. Tell him you want a blend gas and a soft wire. The stuff they sell you at the big box places is way too hard and you will be grinding forever.
Take a lot of pic's, so you can enjoy them later
Jeff

Originally posted by Pablo
hi,
gonna proceed with choppin' the top off of my '48 chev 2dr fleetline sedan. I'm thinkin' 3 inches should look good, leave the back window full size but lay it down a little split the roof across and adding in a piece to move the front ahead to match up the windshield posts. Anybody done this particular make and model?
Does this sound about right? I did get Tex Smith's book "How to chop tops." and it looks fairly straight forward although a bit of labour involved.
Would appreciate any input.
Thanx,
Pablo
ps. I'll take pics as I progress and send them in k?

Originally posted by techinspector1
Hey, don't take this personally, but I think it's gonna look like crap. I just hate chopped tops. (except a well-done '49-'50 Merc).

WHAT!?

Which you you rather have???




OR





Come on, Chops look good on most if not all pre-1960 cars.

"Come on, Chops look good on most if not all pre-1960 cars."

That's your opinion and you're entitled to it, but that doesn't mean it's the definitive answer for everyone.

I prefer them chopped. I guess I grew up learning that a chopped car was one of the most radical visual statements you could make! I prefer a radical look in most of my custom modifications. Let's say an 8 1/2 on a scale of 10, with ten being "ridiculous". It's just another of my personality flaws! Conversely, I always detested "restorods", which to me looked like an antique, not a hot rod.

I love to chop cars !!!! But I do agree with Tech, not all cars look better chopped. On a lot of cars it throws all the proportions of the cars out of wack. Some cars look good chopped, but the majority of the chop jobs I've seen don't take the proportioning of the car into account and the end result is less then satisfactory visuals.