Thread: sectioning a 50 Ford

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I have the opportunity to acquire a 50 Ford 2dr & would like to section it & chop the top. I saw a acticle about sectioning and chopping a shoebox but do nor know where I saw it.

Any "how to articles" on this project would be appreciated.

Its amazing what goes thru your mind when spending most of your time in bed

Thanks Don

Hey Don,

Hope the recuperation is progressing well, seems like a long time I'm sure.

If I remember, I think those were in Rod & Custom. If you go to their web site, find their "tech" section, they've got a collection of prior articles. Just page through til you find them. I think I saw them in there the last time I visited there.

Keep good thoughts on your health.

Hi Bob, Thanks for the responce. I found the articles(3) on chopping the 50 Ford top......well writen. Next I have to find info on sectioning a car(it does not have to be specific to a 50 Ford).

I've done a Google search but,no luck.Not as many people section a car thus, few articles.

Thanks again Don

I see what you mean. So far, the only items I found were this Brit magazine, you can order the July 2003 issue, it's on a Taunus, but the principles may be there. http://www.customcarmag.co.uk/cgi-bi...030007CCM&s=bi

Then there was a reference to Amazon for a book "How to Customize your car", a Tex Smith publication. There's also a book called, Barris Kustom Techniques of the '50's. Doing this search jogged my memory on it. I dug it out of my "stash". They show cutting a '51 Ford, only thing is, it's only two pages of pictures with brief commentary. Basically "cut the outer skin" then "cut the inner structure", then "drop it". Not a gang of help.

From memory, the how to's I recall all emphasize planning the cut lines, both in and out, so that there is a minimum of "odd" lines (find the flattest run). The quarter panel is the longest cut, usually done where the side trim runs. For the doors and deck lid the inner structure is cut somewhere near the "middle", but the outer skin (which was ground at the edges to separate) is trimmed off the bottom to avoid the long seam in the middle of the door. (would only work on a "simple" skin that has no prominand character lines). The fenders and the portion around the trunk opening usually run a "zig-zag" line from the side cuts in order to maintain the contours surrounding the openings, e.g. headlamps, tail lamps, opening lips, etc. The structure needs to be braced to the floor pan and or across the pillars before the final inner cuts are made so that upper and lower pieces will retain shape for alignment. Lots of welding and hammer/dolley work.

Oh, and then there was the Monster Garage episode where the greats of customizing sectioned a '54 Chev. It just ran a couple weeks ago, so it may be rerunning again in the near future. It didn't show a lot of the detail of the process, but there were some useful references if you watch closely. I think they have a web site with schedules for run times.

Won't be much help, but down here in Aus, at a recent Kustom Nats, one of the Countries leading kustomisers, chopped, 2 doored, and Sectioned an FX Holden, (sorta looks similar to a late 40's chev, if you squint a little) during the course of the weekend, it' would'a been a great way to see how it all happens. Won't be much use to you though.

Hope you recover shortly

Outback