Started the chop today!!!!!!!!

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harleyboy

Never to old to have a happy childhood
Joined
Dec 9, 2007
Messages
376
Location
Jacksonville, N. C.
Well, after much thought we started the chop of my 50 Chevy truck today. I decided on 4" Everything went good so far. Some of you have said that you don't have to be exactly on line and that's a good thing. I started one cut with a hack saw to please the rod gods, then went to the sawsall. I think that a saber saw would have come in handy and I have several but no blades. We were deep into the cut when we decided to try the saber and found out that I didn't have any blades. The sawsall did good but was hard to keep on the line. We had to cut the top into 5 pieces. After having a tip that I didn't have to cut the back half into because the window would be bigger on top that on bottom I found out that when the top is lowered down the top of the rear window is smaller that the bottom so I had to cut the back half into also. All we did today was cut it into pieces and tomorrow I'll dress up all the edges and grind a couple of inches where it will be welded back together. The front half was cut into 3 pieces because of the ridge in the middle of the front of the top. I'll follow up on this when we get the top back on. Here come the pics. Harleyboy
Sitting with to much top!
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Drivers A post first to meet the blade
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Working our way on around
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All the way around like this
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Harley,

Cool 3 winder build, love the look of a 47 1/2- 55 first series hammered either 3 or 5 winder. That looks like a nice cab also, way to go.

Jim
 
Good work!

Harley,
Keep up the good work & it's always a bonus to have a few extra hands!!! Thanks for sharing!

BoB
 
Okay, it all looks good, but if you add steel at the top of the rear section where you cut it, the top of the window will be wider than the bottom. Are you going to cut out the lower section of the window and add steel there? Maybe I am just not seeing it.
 
Bonehead, I thought so too, but when we stuck the top back on just to see how it would look the top of the window was norrower than the bottom. As the top goes up it gets more narrow so when I cut 4" out of it the top of the window was noticably more narrow than the bottom of the window. If the top was straight up it wouldn't have to be cut in half. I'll take good pics when we weld it back together and show what I mean. My friend just finished chopping the black truck that I showed and I'm trusting him, but I did see the rear window difference so I know that the back half had to be cut in half. HB
 
Okay, it all looks good, but if you add steel at the top of the rear section where you cut it, the top of the window will be wider than the bottom. Are you going to cut out the lower section of the window and add steel there? Maybe I am just not seeing it.

i think you should have left the rear part where the back window is at together the window frame to window frame cut was good .....
 
If you mean not cut the back half of the roof in half, then I would have my rear window more narrow at the top than the bottom. If I would have taken a pic of the top sitting back down after the 4" came out you would see what I mean. I would get my wife up and go out in the garage to hold the pieces up and take a pic but she's about heard enough of this project already and it's just starting. HB
 
I know with all the technology out there that this is kinda crude, but this is what I saw. Now I've given this a lot of thought and maybe my cut was not dead center of the window although I'm pretty sure it was. I found the center of the window on each side and went up 2" and down 2" and taped it off. I know what y'all are thinking that if I cut 4" out of dead center of the window the top should sit down with the window opening exact. It didn't. I see your point with more thought so the only explanation is that I cut the window opening more towards the top of the opening than the bottom. Maybe I'll end up with the convertable that I've always wanted. HB
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Every thing will fall into place as you go along [just remember to tack only till every thing is figured out]Figuring it all out is half the fun to me!
Just take your time and the solution will present it self.
Dont talk of convertablels ,no need to give in so easily its only metal and it can be fixed.
And you can always take more out if need be!!!
Gonna look great when it's all said and done!!!!:)
 
Thanks Choppertom, The plan is to clamp the window opening in place and tack it and then tack the rear door post. I think I'll have to kerf the area that curves around from the door to the rear window, but I don't see a real problem there. I'm having FUN and I'm going to have a cool truck for my daily driver. I can get classic car insurance on this truck value it at $15,000. full coverage for about $140. a year. I can drive it as much as I want with the only stipulations being that I don't let anyone under 25 drive it, I can't drive it to work, ( no problem I'm retired from the FD ) and it has to be 35 years old. I believe it's Grundy but i'm not sure because I go thru an agent in N. C. called Classic Car Insurance. HB
 
I believe you have it figured out, ( still can't see it) but I am not there. Thanks for including us on the chop, I am looking forward to the rest of the pictures. It is going to be a cool truck!
 
Easy fix!!!

Maybe I'll end up with the convertable that I've always wanted.

HB,
No big!!! Just like the top chop... u just cut the top part of the window out... make it match up, weld in a piece in the middle & u're done. Don't *even* think roadster. Like the Bonehead said... just take u're time to figure it out & it'll be great!!!

BoB
 

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Top looks great so far; Keep up the good work. Your an inspiration to use who have this coming. Like me in the spring. :( Post lots of pics. I'll be keeping a close eye on your progress. :D
 
Yeah man, you guys are digging right in there!! :D Looks good. As was said, it's only steel and you can move it around or add to it wherever you need to make it fit right. But sometimes when you get into the spot you are at right now one word comes to mind....................roadster. :eek:

You're doing good, keep it up.

Don
 

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