1941 CHEVY Rat Build....yeah another one!

[glen1978]

Well here it is guys. Picked up this cab other day. Also got the bedsides, hood and grill. Chopping 4" and putting it on a 2x3x3/16" frame. Still havent decided on the front end yet, probably hairpin suicide (still learning about all this stuff), 9" rear end, motor is undecided. Kinda thinking Chevy 350 for ease of parts but might drop a cool 292 straight 6 in it. Any and all comments are welcome. Thanks for a cool website!! Here are some pics.
PRE-CHOP

MEASURED

CUT

AFTERMATH

ANOTHER

 

[glen1978]

Last pic is just mockup. I think Im leaning towards sectioning the rood vs. laying back A-pillars. Plan to run the hood and chopping up the grill to look like a 30's style. I would like to cut a few more inches out of the top but I think anything over 4" and you create ALOT more work for yourself. What do you guys think??

Cab is pretty decent, front rockers are rusted out but thats and easy patch. Roof and back wall are solid. Driver side cab corner is pretty beat up and havent found any aftermarket panels for that.

 

[Tim...Ok]

that really looks great, looks like a really solid cab..I think I need to grow a set and give mine a haircut..I figured if I made mine at least a roller with the motor and tranny in it before I chop, I'll finish it no matter what..afraid if I started with the chop and was in over my head I'd just give up..trying to play mind games on myself again..LOL

 

[Oldrodder43]

Ohhhhhh, it's gonna be a good one! Nice chop. You got more balls than I do! My middle name is TIMID. or cautious too! Keep the pics coming please. perley

 

[glen1978]

HaHa, yeah my first plan when I got it was to come home and build the frame and get it rolling. But I dont have engine, tranny, rearend, front suspension and all that cost money. All that chop cost me was a little time, few pulled out hairs and some beer.

My 12 y/o boy is helping me out too along the way. Im trying to get him to appreciate things a little more and learn about our heritage......he just cant fathom it. This truck being 70 years old means nothing to him and we have nothing but society to blame for that.....ok off soap box.

 

[RAT IHC]

Nice start...keep us updated. [cl[cl[cl

 

[glen1978]

Only other pick I have for now. I work 7 days on/7 days off and Im gone the whole 7 days so will have to wait till next week to get more. I will be asking questions and hopefully yall poke your heads in here and give me some advice and good criticism.

 

[skull]

4''

4'' looks good

Later

 

[glen1978]

Guys school me on this....I have read till I dont wanna read anymore. Laying the A-pillars back vs. sectioning the roof? I think that laying them down would be easier till you got to the doors and tryin to make them match up.

 

[LUCKY DEVIL 13]

Guys school me on this....I have read till I dont wanna read anymore. Laying the A-pillars back vs. sectioning the roof? I think that laying them down would be easier till you got to the doors and tryin to make them match up.

Layin the A pillars back gives a cool look and I am not sure how hard it would be to do I sectioned my roof but I think I may try layin the A's back on the next one

 

[glen1978]

So say your doing a 4" chop. If you lay them back dont you only take like 3.5" out of the A-pillar and 4" out of the back? I have 4" even took out all the way around on mine. I would have to take alittle more out of the back I think wouldnt I if I were to go the layback method? Any good threads yall could think of that show this REALLY good? No one seems to show the door part of any chop, whether it be layed back method or sectioned.

 

[GJunktionMike]

Guys school me on this....I have read till I dont wanna read anymore. Laying the A-pillars back vs. sectioning the roof? I think that laying them down would be easier till you got to the doors and tryin to make them match up.

Laying the pillars back gives a nice slope, I layed mine back 3" on my 51 but my chop was a heck of a lot different. check out "bonehead back to work" post he has some good pics of what he is doing.

 

[GJunktionMike]

So say your doing a 4" chop. If you lay them back dont you only take like 3.5" out of the A-pillar and 4" out of the back? I have 4" even took out all the way around on mine. I would have to take alittle more out of the back I think wouldnt I if I were to go the layback method? Any good threads yall could think of that show this REALLY good? No one seems to show the door part of any chop, whether it be layed back method or sectioned.

If you do this to get you posts lined up you will have to make two cuts, one in the lower part of the post and one a little above the windsheild and bring them together some times it works out with 4" taken out all the way around. If you take more out of the front the cab will rake forward this is better than raking to the back

 

[glen1978]

Your referring to the relief cuts right? I would like to have a good bit of rake to the front. Since I plan on leaving the hood on it seems to make it look more racy looking.

 

[sgtpontiac]

Man....you move fast.....

Looks like you're well on your way..... I do like the look of layin them back...chop looks good....man, where did you get such a solid cab?? Great start to what will probably a nice build....[cl

 

[GJunktionMike]

Your referring to the relief cuts right? I would like to have a good bit of rake to the front. Since I plan on leaving the hood on it seems to make it look more racy looking.

you got it. for sure take a look at boneheads thread

 

[glen1978]

I got it from a guy down in Livingston, Texas. He had two more cabs, one was decent and one was pretty rough. He also had a near finished 41 GMC in the shop.

If you think this one was clean you should have seen the 1.5 ton 46 model I had. Two owner truck, came from Plainview, Texas. Was bought in 82 by a woman in Stephenville, TX and put in inside storage. It was dissasembled down to bare cab/frame/axles and all the hardware was nickel plated to keep from rusting away. There was NO RUST ANYWHERE ON IT!! NONE!! Truck was all complete minus engine and tranny. Original title never transferred out of original owners name and also had the owners manual. I bought it for $1500 bucks and had plans to rod it out but I couldnt bring myself to cut it. Sold it to a guy that was gonna restore it. Here it is.....

 

[Mr.Gussett]

chop

Here are a couple of pics of a 38 ford that I just finished a 3 inch chop on.
I laid the A pillers back.I cut 3 inches all the way around to give it a bit of a rake. Just cut below windshield inside and above inside and fill void after the top and bottom line back up. It might be needed to put a small relief cut outside as well opposite the inside cut.
The key to cutting the doors front post is to cut the first cut as low in the post as the cab was cut and then cut as many cuts as needed to shape to cab.
Hope that makes sense! ???

 

[glen1978]

you got it. for sure take a look at boneheads thread

Diggin' in his stuff right now! Thanks

 

[glen1978]

Well read his stuff but the one was a Ford cab which are different animals than Chevy. His little "drag rat" he built is Chevy but didnt show much of the front A-pillars. The more I look the more I want to lay back the pillars. Just gotta find out more info on it and where to make the cuts exactly.

If Im thinking right here on the bottom A-pillar (calling it this after you cut it off, bottom is on truck cab and top is on roof panel) you would cut it on the door side and spread it open and weld it up to fill it back. On top pillar you would cut a small "pie" shape out on the outside and spread it.....it would be self filling for lack of better words, then weld up. Hard to put this into words. I will keep doing research tomorrow.