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Chop the top on my 1947 Ford Pickup

98K views 173 replies 16 participants last post by  mechanik 
#1 ·
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.
 

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#129 ·
Take your time welding up that seam!
Here are a few more photos of my nephew's chop. Maybe there is something there you can see for ideas.

Brian
 

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#138 ·
Aight, here is the passenger door complete. The gap in the photo of the top of the door looks bad, but in person, it's a great fit. If you look at the picture of the inside, you can see the gap is good.
 

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#144 ·
Today i worked on the drivers side door. This one was a little tougher to do since it appears i cut on the wrong side of the tape with one cut, so i ended up with a 1/2" gap from the bottom of the door to the window frame. I used some some 22 gauge steel as a backing plate, drilled a couple holes and welded the backing plate to the inside of the window channel.....after several tacking and grinding events to get the right alignment...I think i ended up with a pretty decent door chop.
 

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#145 ·
Chopping of the top is complete

Woohoo, as of today i am done with all of the welding and fabrication work on my top chop. There are still little things i have to do to truly finish it up, like grinding and sanding, but the main work is done...........I am so freakin excited, i can't believe how well it turned out.
 

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#150 ·
Onefunponcho said:
It looks great :thumbup:

well done.......Its been cool watching it unfold. :D

Whats next? Suicide doors????
that's what i am thinking about.......would love to make that work.

I have had a great time doing this and everyone in this thread has been so damn helpful. I had doubts that i could pull off a top chop, but thanks to the positive attitude everyone showed me here, it is complete and i am so freakin excited. I too think it's cool that i am now considered an actual hotrodder, i love it. There hasn't been one part on this build that i had to have someone else do either, everything from the c-notch of the frame, building my box, setting up my front end correctly and of course, chopping the top........thanks a bunch to hotrodders.com and the great guys here.
 
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