How would I chop this?

I'm starting on my build. Its a 1971 Ford F100. I'm kinda stuck on chopping the top. Lining up the wing windows, cutting glass, etc. I'm planning on a 4''-5'' chop.
I've racked my brain and probably over-analyzed and over thought this process, and confused myself, So I'd like a little help.

If you lay the windshield posts back, you keep the same size windshield, and just leave the top piece in one piece And re-weld to the rear of the cab, cut relief slits in the windshield posts/A pillars, bend them back and re-weld, correct? But wouldn't that mess up the geometry with my wing windows? Would they ever line up again?

Whereas chopping the top, cutting it width-wise, and welding in a section in on top, a little piece of gutter on both sides, and then welding it back to the cab with essentially a lenthened roof, keeps the geometry of the side windows and wing windows the same, and the angle of the windshield relitively close to stock, but I'd have to cut the windshield, Right?

Heres what I have to work with.

On that truck i suggest cutting the top into 4 parts as to each corner and widen it out as you come down.If not you may get into a mess with the windshield ,when its time to cut it.I would get the windshield cut first mabie ,and make the top fit the glass.
If you lay the windshield posts back on that truck with the flat front and squared off profile of the truck it may look funny , i would try a photo chop to see how it might look best?
If this is your first top chop i also suggest trying to get a copy of tex smith's ''how to chop tops'',theres a welth of info and ideas in it and lots of inspiation to gain from it also !
I always wanted to chop one of those trucks so i will be egerly waitingto see how you do it !!! try to post pics of your progress if posible!

Hmmm... Elaborate on why I would need to cut the roof into 4 sections. Is it because the sides aren't exactly vertical, so to keep the profile of the windshield correct I would have to widen the top too?

It will be a while before i do the chop, Theres lots of other things that need to be done. And my parents aren't too anxious about me doing this either. But hey, Its gonna look killer.

Yea, when you drop the roof, it has to get bigger. I would suggest also to ditch the wing windows, and have some one piece door glasses cut for it. Like Chopper says, it will be tough (but not impossible) to have a windshield cut down. Some of the old guys (Barris and the like) used to sink the windshield into the cowl to get around the issues. Plan the whole job out to the last detail before you make your first cut. It would be easy to get discouraged early on by a ruined chop job. I would start with the bed and work my way forward, leaving the roof for last...

It would be nice if you could get hold of a nother cab to practice on and you need another roof skin and door tops any ways .But i realize that them cabs arent so easy to come by now days .
Now days i make my own inserts for the chops but i still amnot good enough with the english wheel to make a roofskin?
First thing to do is chang your seats to the lowest posible [or to your ride hyth comfort and see how much head room that you need to fill comfortable driving it .
The last truck i chopped was an s-10 ,i chopped it 11 inches in the front and had to take the bottom of the seat out and make the seat onto the floor[which i never got to finish the seat ]It was very radical with air bags on it but a lote of people hated it or didnt understand why i did that ,but o loved it !!![felt like an old coope when you drove it and it definitly turned heads!]

Well, as for avalability of cabs, I can go to just about any junk yard around here and get a cab for it. These trucks are a dime a dozen up here. The seat has 1.5'' blocks under it to raise it up a little, but those are coning out.

Thanks for the input guys.

Keith, the administrator at FORDifications, has one that someone else chopped. He did tell me they messed up on the windshield opening somehow and he was having trouble getting a cut down windshield to fit. You might go to the site and shoot him a pm, he is a great guy and will help all he can. Wouldn't hurt to tell him I sent you, or even sign on over there since you own a bumpside, everything you ever wanted to know about a 67-72 F series on that site.

Share the info that you get !,i may chop one of those some day!

how we chop them

you just need the right equipment, this works for us

this works for me!

now you know why they call me chopper tom!lol

chopper tom said:

On that truck i suggest cutting the top into 4 parts as to each corner and widen it out as you come down.If not you may get into a mess with the windshield ,when its time to cut it.I would get the windshield cut first mabie ,and make the top fit the glass.
If you lay the windshield posts back on that truck with the flat front and squared off profile of the truck it may look funny , i would try a photo chop to see how it might look best?
If this is your first top chop i also suggest trying to get a copy of tex smith's ''how to chop tops'',theres a welth of info and ideas in it and lots of inspiation to gain from it also !
I always wanted to chop one of those trucks so i will be egerly waitingto see how you do it !!! try to post pics of your progress if posible!

Click to expand...

He is correct, all of our 67-72 Chevys we've done had to be cut into 4 pieces. Takes a little more time than chopping a 29 Model A for sure.

Hey Chopper Tom, If I did a roof chop on my 1950 Standard Vanguard what would be the best way to deal with the back window.The one advantage I do have is that all the other glass is straight including the windscreen.The first photo is my car, the other is a better view of the same model.

ozmon said:

Hey Chopper Tom, If I did a roof chop on my 1950 Standard Vanguard what would be the best way to deal with the back window.The one advantage I do have is that all the other glass is straight including the windscreen.The first photo is my car, the other is a better view of the same model.

Click to expand...

How much do ya want to take out and how do you wanna do it ''trditional'' or ''radical ''? There will be some usues to deal with under the back window either way that you go you will have to reshape around the back window [ i think]Looks like a lot of fun !But i can only speculate on what you can do, every thing can change onced you start cuttin and without being there to help is tell you what i think might work .
How about a side veiw on the car?

I think it would only take a 2 inch chop to keep the lines looking good, I think it might be difficult job with the back window being where it is. this is a side view of the same model.

thats a wild lookin car as is,dont recall ever seeing one of those.
2'' shoulnt be too bad of a chop but i could be wrong ?
Thats an allfull lot of work for just 2'' of chop ,will it be very noticable?
Have ya done a photo chop yet ?

No ChopChop , I dont have photochop to give me an idea of what it might look like, it might just be one of those things that sound like a good idea but could involve a lot of swearing and opening of the wallet to get it right.Here is a photo of the project car I bought if anyones got photochop fire away with your suggestions. And yes the original sun visor is staying put, I love it.

hey 71rat..... i have a 68 and am doing away with the wing and door windows and just making it a summer cruiser. and i read on another forum that if you try to go to a one piece full door window then you will run into trouble with the door hinges unless you make some heavy mods. not sure but thats what they said. the site is:

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum39/

First chop the bed, then the cab,lower it and waalaa..

that one looks good it runs with the rest of the body