[hotwheels1]

Well, i am a little nervous since this is going to be the first time i have ever done this. I kind of wanted to keep the top the way it is, but everyone i show it to says i should chop the top. So, what i have done so far is; i measured off of the frame up to where i felt the rear window of the cab could be moved down without allot of changes. I then took a level and walked around the truck with the level and drew a line where i am going to make the cuts. I too measured down 4" inches since i am taking that much out of the cab. My lines are now all the way around the cab and doors. Here are the pics of my layout and i will be cutting the cab off with a sawzall.
I know before i make the cuts that i need to reinforce the cab, so i will be using heavy rebar and weld it to the inside of the cab.

Wish me luck.......oh, and i added a picture of the rims i am planning on running.

[NEW INTERIORS]

Just remember that on some chop's.. You have to cut the roof into 1/4's.. Because the roof get's narrower and shorter..as you move it down..
There is ways to get around the strip down the center and side to side..
The first one I did was on a 48 Chevy truck.. I used two cabs.. That way I didn't end up with a 2'' strip down the center and side to side.. I hope you under stand what I'm trying to say.. If you don't use two cabs.. You sometimes will have that strip down the center and side to side.. Good luck.. And this is where you will learn.. Don't be in a hurry, and it will all work out..

[hotwheels1]

I gotcha bro......after looking at tons of pictures, i planned on using a strip of metal down the center of the cab and door tops. Hopefully if i use one of those tools that can flange the metal, it won't look to bad across the top. Thanks a bunch for the heads up, i will see how it starts to look and if it gets to bad, i will find another cab.

Well the top is off. I checked and double checked my measurements, i removed all of the windshield molding and the glass. I welded in my rebar in a bunch of different directions for strength and removed the top. Here are the pic's with the top off of the truck.

I have to admit it was pretty scary making that first cut. After making the first cut and i relooked at what i was doing, i am pretty excited. I am going to be sure to take my time and make sure all of the metal lines up nicely, i hope anyways.......

[NEW INTERIORS]

Looking good so far.. Don't look back now.. The reason I used two cabs is.. I had a extra one sitting here.. I cut one side long on one 1/4 piece.. Then on the other cab I cut the other 1/4 piece long.. and so on.. The way I laid it out.. I only had One weld down the center and side to side.. Worked out great like that.. By sometimes we don't have two cabs to cut up.. But your doing a great job.. My first cut wasn't to scary..I knew I could fix what I would mess up.. Now I will cut them and smile..Or Should I say Smile then cut...

[TucsonJay]

There is another method. It is called a "toupee".

You chop it in 1/4s, then after the four quarters are reattached... and you have filled the gaps about 6" above the windows... you cut the entire center out of the roof, right where it starts to flatten out on top.

At that point you use the top roof panel from a donor truck, or something with a very similar shape... cut it to match the dimensions of the hole, then weld that in.

The point of all of this is the have your bodywork around the edges only... and not have to struggle,trying to get the patched up area on top straight and smooth again.

[Onefunponcho]

I have never done this but Im watching this post close. This is a chore I would like to do on a future project.

Thanks for posting

[hotwheels1]

Awesome guys, thanks a bunch for the info and yea, no going back now. I just finished cutting the full 4" inches around the top of the cab. I temporarily placed the top back on the body so i can get an idea of which and where i need to go from here. Check it out:

[NEW INTERIORS]

Look's great !!! The only thing I would have done different is.. I would have move the back glass up... It's a little to far down for me..I would have put it a little more center of the back of the cab.. It's a little to close to the body line... But that's me... You have to like it.. But then again I ''never'' leave the full back glass when I do a chop.. It isn't as bad as some may think... (To chop a truck)... But every chop is different..

[MARTINSR]

Very cool, nothing to make you feel better than pulling something like that off. I found it cool that you are all the way over in Cheyenne, and you are doing the exact same thing my brother and his son are doing at the exact same time over here in California.

Here are a few of his project photos.









Here is my brothers email to me today,

OK here are some pix of how the truck is coming, we just chopped it 4" and we already channeled it 6" and stepped the frame 6", 2" dropped axle and the tires will be 600 and 700 16's.. We need to C the frame above the rear axle another 6" .. I say WE but he has done 99% the work with my guidance..


The block in the frame is just for mock up, he already has his 401 Buick Nailhead built and ready to bolt in.

Brian

[Mike H]

When I did the top on my 51 F1 I laid the windshield back a bit and like the way it made the truck look. Check out the pictures on webshots search mphracing

I did not 1/4 the roof at all. I also TIG welded everything so I could control the heat and warping better.

I didn't want to stretch the doors etc and didn't have a doner cab for the tops of the doors and door openings in the cab.

[MARTINSR]

What I am going to do on my 48 Chevy is lengthen the roof AND lean the posts back. In other words lengthen the roof about half as much as needed, then lean the posts back the remainder needed. On most chops such as the "AD" Chevy if you lengthen the roof the windshield looks like you leaned if FORWARD. The reason for this is the distance from the top of the glass forward meeting an imaginary vertical line from the bottom of the glass becomes shorter than when the top was stock! Soooooo, it effectively makes the windshield look more vertical than when stock!

If all you do is slant the window back then the windshield looks just that, like it is slanted back and doesn't match the factory lines.


Lengthening the top half way and racking the posts back the other half gives it lines more like the factory would have if they were to have put the top lower to begin with.

Brian

[hp246]

Very Cool. Thanks for sharing.

[NEW INTERIORS]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

What I am going to do on my 48 Chevy is lengthen the roof AND lean the posts back. In other words lengthen the roof about half as much as needed, then lean the posts back the remainder needed. On most chops such as the "AD" Chevy if you lengthen the roof the windshield looks like you leaned if FORWARD. The reason for this is the distance from the top of the glass forward meeting an imaginary vertical line from the bottom of the glass becomes shorter than when the top was stock! Soooooo, it effectively makes the windshield look more vertical than when stock!

If all you do is slant the window back then the windshield looks just that, like it is slanted back and doesn't match the factory lines.


Lengthening the top half way and racking the posts back the other half gives it lines more like the factory would have if they were to have put the top lower to begin with.

Brian

I have no idea what your trying to say.. And I thought you chopped that truck when you was 15yrs old.. Brian you sure swing a big bat.. We would sure like to see some pictures of the things you did.. I know I would...

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by NEW INTERIORS

I have no idea what your trying to say.. And I thought you chopped that truck when you was 15yrs old.. Brian you sure swing a big bat.. We would sure like to see some pictures of the things you did.. I know I would...

I chopped it when I was a kid and have done others, and have my "new" cab to re-chop out in the back yard. I make nothing up there buddy, I haven't done much of anything like that in 15 years since I closed my shop and went to work for others though.

Is there something wrong with that?

Listen, if you can't understand what I said I will draw a picture for you. It's sort of a art thing, not all people can grasp concepts like this so I will draw you a picture.

Brian

[NEW INTERIORS]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

I chopped it when I was a kid and have done others, and have my "new" cab to re-chop out in the back yard. I make nothing up there buddy, I haven't done much of anything like that in 15 years since I closed my shop and went to work for others though.

Is there something wrong with that?

Listen, if you can't understand what I said I will draw a picture for you. It's sort of a art thing, not all people can grasp concepts like this so I will draw you a picture.

Brian

Well buddy !!! I have done ''almost'' anything that can and can't be done to a car are a truck,, I'm not one of your little school kids here.. So I don't need any picture of what your ''trying'' to say.. What you said just didn't make any sense to me.. Maybe your talking Japanese or something.. And as far as seeing some pictures.. I have been on here for sometime now,, And all I every seen was one picture of you ''I guess'' at the age of 15. I would just love to see ''SOMETHING'' you did..