[bg]

I have a 48 Chevy 1/2 truck that i would like to section the hood down to remove the big hump at the nose. I was wondering if anybody has plans put on paper. I know that you can buy CHOP TOP plans but i have not seen them for hoods???

I know somebody will say just remove a pie cut section and weld back... but i would like to do it right the first time.....




Thanks
bg

[MARTINSR]

I have to tell you,that is a toughy. The hood is so much narrower at the top you really have to "massage" the metal out to meet once you cut a section out. I have planned out sectioning my hood (48 Chevy truck as well) after sectioning the body, that is hard enough. Just sectioning and "tilting down" the front will "shorten" it even more.

All I can say is do as little as possible, ONE inch would make a HUGE difference in appearance.

Brian

[bg]

I was thinking about a 1 1/2 inch drop on the hood. I know you have to do alot of metal strecthing to get it to work right. Thats why i would like to get a set of plans that would get me started in the right direction.

THANKS
bg

[IROC100]

I plan on doing my hood also{55 f100}, but I'm not doing the one thats on my truck, I went and got another hood that I can do. I plan on only taking 3/4 - 1" out, I think 1" might be to much that why i'll try 3/4 first. Doing the sheetmetal shouldn't be to hard, I was more concerned about the bracing in the back of the hood, however now that I put the tilt kit on, I don't have to worry about the stock hinges. BJ, if you can, just try to find an old hood to practice on and I think you'll be ok. good luck and let us know what you do.

[bg]

IROC100... I do have a spare hood and will try a cut on that hood first. I would think a person should mount the hood and maybe spot weld it to the front fenders just to make sure i get the correct width.... just my thought???


Thanks
bg

[Bee4Me]

I'd be more inclined to fab up a rack of sorts to work it on cause if you spot it to the truck wouldn't it be hard to work the underside??
Or you talking about the initial cut?

[IROC100]

I really can't see where tacking the hood to the fenders is going to help. You're not changing the width of the bottom. All I'm going to do is set it on some sawhorses and clamp it down so it does't move around, then take my measurements and start cutting. The only part of doing this, that I'm concerned about is getting my measurements the same from side to side and making sure the hood sets even, not lop sided. Remember the saying measure twice and cut once, measure 4-5 times and cut once and you should be ok. Again I don't think you need to weld the hood to the truck, I'm no expert everything I did on my truck I learned by doing. I didn't have anyone to ask and I wasn't a member here then, boy sure wish I had joined a lot sooner it would have made the job a lot easier. Again bg, let me know how you do since you'll probably get there before I do.

[John Kelly]

BG,

Do you have a close up picture of the hood?

John www.ghiaspecialties.com

[MARTINSR]

I have to tell you something "less is more". 1.5 inches is a ton on something like this. Take some good side photos and enlarge them. Cut the hood in the photo as you plan to using a known measurement on the truck as a guide. You may be surprised at how the truck may look like a monster stomped on it with 1.5. One inch or even less can have a pretty dramatic effect on something like that. Remember, the hood is only a few feet long. So you have look at the % of change compared to the length. If you were wedge sectioning the whole truck, that would STILL be enough to be seen, but just the few feet on the hood it may be too much.
Brian

[IROC100]

Whoa..... I didn't even see that he wants to take out 1 1/2". Like Martinsr said, I think that would be way to much. Also, I don't know what your radiator support looks like, but you could run into problems with also by taking so much off. It would also throw the looks of the truck out of perspective I think. Is that your truck in your avatar?

[MARTINSR]

No, there is TONS of room with the rad support and motor. A blown big block fits UNDER the hood on this truck. I have sectioned my cab 2.5 with no problem with the rad support.

But again, there was a LOT of work for the 2.5 but it looks real nice like Chevy should have done it. Not the 5 inch most of these were done like the R&D dream truck which look like someone stomped on them. The R&D truck had so many other mods it worked well, but without those other mods it would have looked like crap.

Brian

[bg]

I will take some pics and post in the near future..... and yes that is my truck in the avitar... I have posted some pics in my photo album and will be posting more.


Thanks
Bg

[MARTINSR]

Cool looking truck bg, did you chop it?
Brian

[IROC100]

bg, nice looking truck!! how much is that thing chopped and are you using air bags?

[John Kelly]

Hi BG,

One thing you might consider is shrinking the hood down with a shrinking disc. You would be amazed at how much you can shrink. It would take a long time, but no cutting or welding. If you shrink over an area of say 20"X20" on a bulge like your hood, you could reduce the crown an inch I'm betting. In my album "drastic shrinking" I reduced a small bulge back to the original shape this way...a panel over a larger area with this same amount of shape per square inch would be a similar amount of shape as your hood....or more:

http://allshops.org/cgi-bin/communit...=9980124046566

http://allshops.org/cgi-bin/communit...=9980121727059

John www.ghiaspecialties.com