Does anyone know the lowest a '53 F100 can be chopped?

Also, is there anywhere that I can find a step by step guide? Online or book?

Thx for helping!!

 

There is probably no limit but comfort and practicality would probably dictate the limit as well as how long you are in the torso.

Later Man...

 

The old rule of thumb (to keep you legal) was the length of a dollar bill. I agree with dave boley though, if it's not comfortable to drive then it may not be worth the "cool" factor.

 

echoing what Dave and all said.... practicality should rule. The process is the same no matter how low you go.... just larger patch pieces in the middle. If you don't know, the roof will have to be split into 4 sections and patches will have to be welded in...this involves some pretty good body/welding skills. Some hammer/dolly work... if you don't have the skills ...you gotta pay. ...... you also have to consider all the glass cutting. The windshield is a bear and would probably have to be to be cut down in steps

you can find glass guys that will do it with no guarantee... if they break it YOU buy the next one... and the next one and the next one till they get the final product... With a radical chop the shape (compound curve) of the glass might determine how much you can chop. the side and rear glass are flat and not really a big deal... other than the vent windows... frames, hinges , etc. and the window mechanism might have to be modified.

There are books on top chopping... check with the transportation section at Barnes&Nobel or BAM. I have one some where by Tex Smith I think. You can probably find them online... google "How to Chop a Top"..

later
John

 

Several of us in here have chopped the tops on our trucks. I think all of us stayed between 2.5 and 4. inches ( I went 3.0")

There are several books out there - go to amazon.com and do a search using " Chop Top" . The most famous book is by Tex Smith. I think it's the one I leaned on the most.

There are lots of things to think about BEFORE you commit yourself;

- do you have access to a competent welder? There are HOURS of mig or tig welding involved.
- you'll be lengthing the top of the door frames. Can you get a spare roof or top half of doors to get pieces from? Otherwise wou'll be fabricating the pieces. (the roof will expand by about an inch to 2 inches from front to back and about 3 inches from side to side as you lower it)
- are you going to keep the rear window the full size or make it a mailslot like several of us did?
- you'll have to custom make your headliner as the store bought ones wont be large enough anymore.
- I think it took me and my expert welder son close to 200 hours to do mine - from start to finished bodywork.

Have a look in my gallery for a sample of what's ahead of you.

Was it worth the effort? No question!

Regards,
-

 

I'm sure you can chop as far as you want providing you can get a windshield in.
her's a link to my top choppin gallery. sorry some pics are a bit dark.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...&albumid=16608

 

The key with your 53 is it has a curved windshield. You will need to mantain your A piller angles both front to back and side to side. If you don't you may never be able to get a windshield fit properly.

 

A less common but actually easier way to do the chop is to leave the windshield frame intact so the windshield does not need to be cut and take the height out of the cowl under the windshield. That's the way they chopped Chip Foose's 56. You will be limited to about 3" that way and will have to lower the dash the same amount, but that's no more difficult than doing the chop itself. I'd suggest you get a parts cab and try it first before cutting into a good cab if this is your first attempt at major body work. Ron Covell has a DVD called chopping and sectioning where they chop a Studie pickup.
Easiest way to see how low you can go: Remove the seat. Decide what seats you'll be using and measure their height from the floor to the seat surface. Make a wooden box replica of the seat bottom and put it in the cab. Sit on it in the cab and make sure you can see over the dash and close enough to the truck for everyday driving and parking. Park another car in front of it and see if you would be comfortable pulling up behind another car in traffic. Don't rush the above spend about at least an hour sitting there pretending to be driving, operate all the controls. After that have someone measure from the top of your head to the underside of the roof. Subtact 1 - 1 1/2" and that's the max chop. If you are planning on cutting the windshield, tape off that much of the top of the windshield and do the driving simulation test again. Remember there are times when you'll need to be able to see traffic lights above you, so simulate that as well.
I think you'll find that 4" is about the max practical chop.

 

Yeah AX,
That sounds a lot better because it actually lowers the dash and leaves a lot better visability. I don't recall seeing Foose's '56 but I've seen so many that I probably have seen it and I don't remember it. At any rate I would think it would also be a good idea to take the hieght out of the doors at about the same height as the section below thw windshield so the side windows would be in line with the windshield. I have a few cabs laying around that pretty bad in the bottom, (as are many), and I have thought about taking everything off the bottom as an expirement. In reality it might look sort of strange though. Overall proportion has a lot to do with how good it will look in the end.

Later Man...

 

Thank you all for those replies; they will all help alot!

I will for sure look into the Tex Smith book.

I am a short guy, and I have a real low seat (00-06 3rd row suburban bench) so I am pretty sure I will by comfy at any level.

Again, thanks for all the input and I will keep you all posted on my mods!!

 

Don`t forget about the next guy that might be interested in buying your truck at a later date, you don`t want to eliminate too many of the resale possibilities.

 

You could cut the roof off altogether and chop the windshield i think that would look better than a chop roof , or you could do a targa top , just a different twist to the same old chopped tops of the 1970's that were done to death.....

 

Comfy maybe, but if you sit too low you won't be able to see anything in front of you. I'm 6'2" and had to build risers for under my van conversion seats to see out properly. You will look silly if you have to assume the bluehair pose with your nose on the steering wheel trying to peer over the top of the dashboard, and IMHO will be an accident going to happen. Most radical chops include channeling or sectioning to lower the body as well.