1932 coach build

[62131]

It's closer now than when I bought it. I'm just fitting up all the pieces then I get to take it apart again and primmer  all the pieces and put it back together again. While it's apart I would like to take a couple inches out of the top. Wish I had a little more information about chopping a top.

[madmike3434]

Personally chopping a top is reducing the amount of people who maybe interested in your car down the road when everything comes up for sale.

Being tall 6--3" , I find most chops too hard to get in and out of.  Even my stock top 35 coupe I can feel top of my skull rubbing on the headliner, unless I slink in the seat  a little.

mike...................

[vette59jdwl]

Chopper 526 I let my 32 sit to long and when i went to get the hood off no one was around so i attempted it myself and i broke the hood  first thing.I should have coated it with something.I didn't. Now what i thought was  to get something similar to a piano hinge but in stainless steel  i think most hoods are around 500 to 750 bucks  wayner

[chopper526]

Vette59jdwl, I think it could work if the hinge rotates basically 360 degrees. I think you have to tig weld it to carbon steel, but I could be wrong about that

[62131]

As you can see in some of the pictures I posted I have separated my hood sides from the center section, After giving it thought I believe I'm going to remove all hinge  loops and make the sides removable panels.

[62131]

I've been putting fiber glass reinforcement on the inside of my splash apron

[sammons]

Wish I had a little more information about chopping a top.

62131, you are lucky on your body style to chop. It's a very simple drop (exterior sheet metal wise). It would be a straight drop, not involving roof lengthing. Doors just a straight cut, rear a straight cut. Maybe a simple slice on the front portion of the A pillar. Problem with Chevy is the inner structure.  If wood is still in any of the areas to be cut or if you have already replaced with steel in these area's.  It's best to do a chop before replacing structure.

Sorry, I was thinking about the previous body style, I thought your frt door edge was straight up and down. May be a bit more involved up front.

I had to make that decision on my coupe early before I put the steel structure in. My '35 3-w would have required top and upper door(window frame) lengthening (doner parts) if I were running fenders I probably have chopped mine 2".   Yours can be done, but a real pain at this point. It would look good either way, good luck what ever you decide.

[chopper526]

I chopped my '32 5 window Chevy. I was very apprehensive. No, correction, I was SCARED!!  But it worked out pretty well and was easier than I thought. I tack welded the doors closed all the way around, that way I could chop the roof and the doors at the sme time. Then I tacked braces inside the car to keep it from springing open when the roof came off. I used 3" masking tape and ran it around the roof where I thought was the best places to cut. I got out my sawzall and angle grinder, said a little prayer, and away I went. I made the top cut first and took the roof off, door frame tops and all, and set it aside. Then I made the lower cuts. I took what little wood was left in the car out after I chopped the top, that way it gave a little more stability to the body when I did the chop. I set the top back on the body and tacked everything in place, including the doors. Lining up the A pillar wasn't hard because  the angle is negligable, and with just a little hammer and dolly work it fit perfect.
Anyway, I am no welder, and I certainly don't have the talent that most of you guys here have, but if you are thinking about chopping your car, I say GO FOR IT!
All that being said, it may just be a little tougher chopping a sedan

[sammons]

Dad showed me a simple way to look for problems on a chop. He would lay a plumb line level down the side (where the cut line would be), then used masking tape to mark the area to be cut out. Then he would take a picture of the vehicle (develop the film, get double prints, before scanners and digital cams) cut the picture at the upper and lower sides of the tape line, line the door edges back up, then tape it back together. It would let you see how much it would be off and where. Then you could cut upper pic to line up, using second pic behind to fill in additional fill areas.   Whole lot easier to do with todays computer, scanner printers.

[chopper526]

Here's a few pic's of my chop.

[ghost28]

Nice job, ain't it fun.

[62131]

If we didn't think it was fun we wouldn't do it.

[62131]

After getting the fenders back on, I've been  thinking about what size rims and tires to use. I would like to keep the tires under the fenders but yet fill the opening.

[TFoch]

I went with 15 inch rims on mine as I like a taller tire.  I have 205-60-15 on the front and 255-70-15 on the rear.  Definitely fills the fenders and has the stance I like.
Tom

[62131]

Tfoch  are you running 2" dropped spindles? What width rims are you running?