my80malibu Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 Hello, I have been searching for a tutorial showing where the cuts are made to chop a 32 Ford Coupe. Not having too much luck, locating any pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeatMan Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 (edited) Hey Gabe, I'm no expert (in fact this is my first chop job) but I put this together to document what I did. See link to pdf under the pic. The results were good although I wound up having to strip the paint because of some contamination. I'm sure other more experienced builders will chime in with better tips but I hope this helps. First Time Deuce Top Chop.pdf Edited May 8, 2019 by MeatMan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my80malibu Posted May 8, 2019 Author Share Posted May 8, 2019 Very nice, looks great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeatMan Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 9 minutes ago, my80malibu said: Very nice, looks great. Did you check out the pdf file? Is it what you were looking for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 (edited) Couple things to remember: 1) There are two different looks you can go for when chopping any top. These different methods affect the proportions and lines of a car significantly. The first keeps the pillars more-or-less aligned, and requires lengthening the roof as shown in the pdf. The second keeps the length of the roof as-is, and leans the pillars in to line up. In this case, it's usually the front pillars that are leaned back, and the windshield gets a more streamlined rake as a result. 2) Be sure to keep your mating parts and cut edges very square and true. Nothing looks worse than a chop that leans to one side, or is too low in back, etc. If, in the process of squaring things up, you inadvertently go too far, it's easy to get a little height back by adding strip stock at each cut. You're going to have to do careful bodywork at every joint anyway, so this isn't really an issue. The pillars on a '32 3W are close enough to vertical so you can get away with going straight down on the rear pillars, and only leaning the front pillars to meet each other. This avoids a ton of work, chances for misalignment, and gives a slightly lighter look to the top, as you don't make it any longer. Edited May 8, 2019 by Ace-Garageguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my80malibu Posted May 8, 2019 Author Share Posted May 8, 2019 Good advice made Bill. I want mine to be more aligned with the Front Pillar. The way Dennis chopped his. That's the look I was thinking of, Time to get the Saw out. Thanks Both of You, it really helped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterNNL Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 I just did a quick internet search for chopping a '32 Ford and a bunch of links come up. You might try doing that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my80malibu Posted May 9, 2019 Author Share Posted May 9, 2019 6 hours ago, misterNNL said: I just did a quick internet search for chopping a '32 Ford and a bunch of links come up. You might try doing that. Good Idea, I really didn't think of that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my80malibu Posted May 9, 2019 Author Share Posted May 9, 2019 I was Looking through some spare parts tonight. Lo and Behold, I found two Bodies to practice on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
da Speedinger Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 I followed this procedure and i am pleased with the results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mooneyzs Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 Gabe... Here is a link to a '32 I had started and chopped. Its not a 3 Window but the 5 window. But it will give you an idea on how I did mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Kron Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 Here's a Deuce 3-window I did about 5 years ago. I darkened the area across the roof where I inserted a thin strip of styrene so that you can see it. This was nevessary to align the windshield pillars and rear quarter panels. I also cut out the rear window and copped it searately to avoid the tiny "mail slot" rear window had I chopped directly into the middle of the rear window area. The cut lines should be clear there. The result is shown in the photo below. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my80malibu Posted July 24, 2019 Author Share Posted July 24, 2019 Oh Wow that Turned out Very Nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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