chop and sectioning...how hard
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
I want to keep the original lines but the blank areas like the doors..make em a lil shorter, the hood lower in the front down an inch or 2. i dont want to do like in that picture and make it to where there is hardly a line on the hood. i havent' read very many articles on chopping or secioning, but i have looked it up some on the internet like hotrodders.com. I can set the welder pretty good, my teacher used to work for ed roth and he hammers us about doin stuff fast, right, and setting the welder before we do anything. that kinda stuff gets on peoples nerves but that is what makes people better, so i dont mind at all. oh and i have made a patch about 18in long by 16in high on that 53 stude's quarter panel and welded it in with the torch..and filling..if you're talking about body filler I HATE IT i have been wanting to learn to lead for a while now..I'm old school baby!
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 518
Likes: 0
From: indiana
i chopped the roof on my 53, it wasnt really that hard,but figure all that
goes along with chopping the roof.
cutting the window frames
cutting weatherstrip to fit windshield, back window and doors
window felts and runners
getting the windshield and backglass cut
new side windows because the wings dont fit anymore,by the way a 450 dollar kit
headliner problems because stock doesnt fit and i cant sew.
and i'm sure theres more i havent come across yet.
i chopped mine and i like the looks,but,never again....good luck
goes along with chopping the roof.
cutting the window frames
cutting weatherstrip to fit windshield, back window and doors
window felts and runners
getting the windshield and backglass cut
new side windows because the wings dont fit anymore,by the way a 450 dollar kit
headliner problems because stock doesnt fit and i cant sew.
and i'm sure theres more i havent come across yet.
i chopped mine and i like the looks,but,never again....good luck
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
it has the orig back and front glass, door glass is gone, wings need to be replaced, and who says you have to have a headliner? 
why dont u get some nice alumum and put it up there? nice and shiny or brushed look. and my g/f can sew so i could get her to do it :P oh and we do SOME upholstry in my technical class..or atleast we did on a couch that was made frome a 57 bel air 
why dont u get some nice alumum and put it up there? nice and shiny or brushed look. and my g/f can sew so i could get her to do it :P oh and we do SOME upholstry in my technical class..or atleast we did on a couch that was made frome a 57 bel air
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 6,328
Likes: 124
From: Iowa
"why dont u get some nice alumum and put it up there?"
Got a smile out of that comment B1. Unless you're talking about Reynolds wrap, an aluminum headliner would be a treat to fab. Installing a headliner that belongs up there without damaging it is a pain in the ****.
Got a smile out of that comment B1. Unless you're talking about Reynolds wrap, an aluminum headliner would be a treat to fab. Installing a headliner that belongs up there without damaging it is a pain in the ****.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 358
Likes: 0
From: Joyce, WA
The best piece of advice I ever heard about chopping any top was: Get your glass first, it is easier to massage metal to fit glass rather than massage glass to fit metal. Chopped tops look cool but must be a b***h to see out of if you are over 6 feet tall.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 6,328
Likes: 124
From: Iowa
Originally Posted by b1gr3d
i dont know how to take that but mmk
mmk??? Don't know what that means.
A couple of us here have installed Rod Doors headliners. Designed to fit and still not so easy to install. I just read your post and imagined trying to fab something from scratch aluminum that looked like it fit at all. You would have some serious time invested in fabbing something to make all those bends. Whatever you used must be very flexible.
I have fabbed many custom parts for my truck. Sometimes it's a good idea, and sometimes if your time is worth a 50 cents an hour you could buy a part or farm out the work instead and come out ahead.
You asked how hard a chop is. The headliner will be one of the hard parts if you DIY and start from scratch.
Last edited by fatfenders; Apr 1, 2004 at 09:53 PM.
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 518
Likes: 0
From: indiana
tell me about it. i ordered a cardboard headliner to see if i could get
it to fit. to much hacking and how would i cover it. im in the middle of
trying to fab a metal headliner out of 18 gauge metal.and smoothing it
into the cab. not to bad so far but its one of those projects you wish
you would of never started.
it to fit. to much hacking and how would i cover it. im in the middle of
trying to fab a metal headliner out of 18 gauge metal.and smoothing it
into the cab. not to bad so far but its one of those projects you wish
you would of never started.
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies
Joe Kucinski
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make
Brett Foote
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!
Michael S. Palmer
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home
Verdad Gallardo
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?
Brett Foote
2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package First Look: 12 Things You NEED to Know!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Most Surprising 2026 Ford Truck Features!
Joe Kucinski
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,392
Likes: 2
From: Michigan
Yeah, I know a headliner is not something I'm looking forward to in my 52' that I stretched 20 inches. I've picked up a few books on auto interiors and I think my best bet will be to piece one together using chipboard (thick cereal box cardboard). Will be a lot of cutting, gluing and sanding, but I think it will be the best way to get something that looks good. From what I understand its the common way that all the custom shops go about it
