stepdown chop tops, anyone?

[Deleted User]

Just thought I'd check with the custom crowd about chop tops, specifically for stepdowns. I have a 4 door '51 Hornet, and I'm assuming it would be a very difficult chop, since it's already got such great lines. Does anyone have any pics, good or bad, or experiences for or against? Would love to get some first hand knowledge and even see some photos, since there doesn't really seem to be much out there. Thanks!

Jon B

Why try to improve on perfection? LOL!

bent metal

I've never done one but from what I hear the biggest problem is what to do with the front windshield.

[Deleted User]

there are some blokes in queensland that went to the effort of making a template for a chopped stepdown windscreen and have done a couple that came out looking good, one a sedan to coupe, you know the bronze 48, and also a sedan that stayed 4 door. aint cheap though

mrsbojigger

Here's one for you which shows what can be done tastefully with a 4-door.
Peace,
Chaz

MikeWA

That one would be just crazy hard to do- its obviously the rear side window from a brougham. Grafting it to the rear door would be pretty easy- the hard part would be manufacturing the door edge and matching part in the roof. Guess you could use the pieces off the four door from the front part, but the back section around the tight curve would take some ingenuity. Sure looks great, though.

bent metal

Can anyone comment on my earlier comment about the windshield? The reason I said the front windshield is a problem is because I had a glass guy tell me that it's very difficult to cut down a front windshield without having it shatter. That been said, I've been looking through past posts and I saw where the "panty Dropper" said he had some guy in his area cut his windshield down some two and a half inches with no problems mentioned.....So was I just talking to a bad "glass guy", or is it difficult to cut down the front glass?

RL Chilton

It's a little more difficult than a flat piece of safety glass, but for a glass man, it's not really that much more difficult and certainly very doable. I haven't cut any curved pieces myself, but have done hundreds of flat pieces.

bent metal

RL Chilton wrote:

It's a little more difficult than a flat piece of safety glass, but for a glass man, it's not really that much more difficult and certainly very doable. I haven't cut any curved pieces myself, but have done hundreds of flat pieces.

I was thinking that it had more to do with the temper rather than the shape? I don't know? Like Rambo's Ride was saying, sometimes when you see a chop they actually slip the glass down inside the cowl a little bit (however much the chop was). Which makes me think that they too were a little concerned about cutting the glass.

[Deleted User]

bent metal wrote:

Can anyone comment on my earlier comment about the windshield? The reason I said the front windshield is a problem is because I had a glass guy tell me that it's very difficult to cut down a front windshield without having it shatter. That been said, I've been looking through past posts and I saw where the "panty Dropper" said he had some guy in his area cut his windshield down some two and a half inches with no problems mentioned.....So was I just talking to a bad "glass guy", or is it difficult to cut down the front glass?

Well, I had mine cut here locally by an old hot rodder who has been cutting glass for years. I had a spare pair of windshields at the ready as well. Both windshields turned out ok, one of them cracked when I installed it (top to bottom crack right at the curve) and one cracked when it was hit by a rock on the road this summer....so, now I'm back to square one.



New windshield pairs are available from Bob's classic auto glass in portland, or, and I plan to get a new pair, and have them cut.

[Deleted User]

here's a link to a thread on a different forum that talks about cutting glass with some sort of cut off wheel....perhaps I'll try this next time.

[Deleted User]

Here's a link to my thread on chopping a Brougham. Not exactly the same as doing a 4 door, but it does have the same roof. It'd take a bit more work with the extra windows, but it could be done....

[Deleted User]

And here is part two of the chop.

RL Chilton

bentmetal-



You're right in that you cannot cut tempered glass. Try it and it will break into a million tiny pieces. However, windshields aren't tempered, they are safety glass (two pieces of glass with a plastic liner between the panes, and can be cut to fit.

ESSX28-1

RL Chilton wrote:

It's a little more difficult than a flat piece of safety glass, but for a glass man, it's not really that much more difficult and certainly very doable. I haven't cut any curved pieces myself, but have done hundreds of flat pieces.

I've not cut laminated windscreens, but I have cut plenty of convex/concave (curved) glass. It's usually not a problem, just takes a little more care. Very old (over 60 years) glass is the trickiest. The critical thing is to support the glass so that the curved edges are not taking all or much of the cutting pressure. If the curve it not great, then a scrunched up towel is sufficient otherwise fabricate a closed cell foam support.

I've used both a diamond cutter & a tungsten carbide oil-feed cutting wheel. Both work well but I prefer the diamond - old habbits die hard.

rambos_ride

One old-time trick I've read about...

When you chop the top, you just recess the front windscreen into the cowl - with appropriate drainage of course...then you can still have a cut-down look in front using full-size, easily replacable glass.

Browniepetersen

Anyone seen a chopped top on a four door?

[Deleted User]

Browniepetersen wrote:

Anyone seen a chopped top on a four door?

Look at the photo posted on page 1 of this thread. 4 door chop.

Browniepetersen

I saw this the other day and thought it was a broughm. Thanks for getting me to take a better look. It works for me....



hudsoncustom wrote:

Look at the photo posted on page 1 of this thread. 4 door chop.

Unknown

I was just wondering if you are working on your Hudson roadster? Was Dave Rapp able to give you any more history of the car?

Unknown

Found this pic whilst searching for lead sleds, although its a 2-door the chop job looks pretty clean.



Car is located in Australia.

Spencer Yarrow

found these today started out as a 4 door the pictures say it all. it is a big block c--v in it.

bent metal

That's a sharp looking car. I noticed the trim on the side of the car. I've lengthened and shortened stainless trim for people but I've never had to make a piece from scratch. Does anyone have any experience with doing something like that?

[Deleted User]

that burgundy hudson from australia was a 4 door to start with too.

[Deleted User]

Nice cars, especially the first one but IMHO they look too much like every other Merc Lead sled. I'd rather see more of the Hudson styling kept.

[Deleted User]

i agree, the first one even has a merc grille shell worked into the front.....

Unknown

Here's a couple more pics that I have found.



















Cheers

Adam

[Deleted User]

I have recently completed a chop of just under 3 inches and I welded an 'L' shaped lip around the entire inside of the screen opening so glass could be glued in, such as in use on modern cars. I made a template of the curve and started looking for a suitable windscreen to be as close as possible to the original curve. I found that very few late model cars had enough curve to suit but found that VW Kombi from the 1970s windscreens are pretty close. These are in abundant supply and cheap, use a new one not 2nd hand. I also raked the 'A' pilars when I did my chop so this would also change the profile required. I had 4 very good original screens but these are toughened and not able to be cut. Most good Auto Glass companies will have a guy who can cut laminated screens although it is not a perfect art and you will have to pay for broken screens. You can actually get both right and left from the one VW screen. The screens are then glued into the recess created by the 'L' shaped lip (a special windscreen adhesive, a type of SIKAFLEX, is used) and a small rubber mould is then fitted to the outside to finish it off. Its a very neat job and looks great. Hope this can help you.

[Deleted User]

I'm better with a welder than I am with a computer but I'll se what I can do.

[Deleted User]

Struggling to get the file size small enough to attach, any hints ?

[Deleted User]

what i do is open the file from my camera in paint, then in the top toolbar there is image- stretch/skew i usually bring my photos down to 40% and save it to my pictures folder. the vw windscreen trick is awesome by the way