51 F1: The time has come to chop the top. I've done lots of body work but never chopped a top. So far I've shortened the frame 10", put disc brakes on all 4 corners. (Power brakes) I decided to keep the straight front axle. Will finish up installing the drive train hopefully this weekend. Keeping the drive train simply for now. 1970-302 out of a Mustang, auto trans (tired of shifting) Need to decide on steering yet. But after this weekend the body parts start to go back on. The pickup bed I shortened 10" just in front of the fender. What I need to know is on a scale of 1 to 10 how hard is chopping a top. I do have an extra cab to use in doing the chop. I was looking at about a 2" chop, I don't what anything radical. So what do you guys think? Any good sources out there for chopping tops?

Thanks,
whistler

 

If you MUST chop, and do not see the reasoning to hire the job to a pro that understands geometry, then by all means buy an ugly junker to do a practice chop job to cut your teeth on so to speak. The need for a 2nd cab is only required when you cant shape the filler strips, have no english wheel, or the chop needs door parts that are diff to replicate/form. Most first timers claim to use a 2nd cab, but it was to replace the one ruined due to lack of plan or skill. I have owned a number of this body style and I think they look perfect as is ( IMO ) PS: how tall are you?????????

 

I'm chopping a '48 F1 right now.
I got the body, but no frame, electrical, suspension, engine, trans, interior, glass - just the sheetmetal. My dad started the project 20 years ago when he was into streetrods and got sidetracked with other projects. It sat in his shop until I talked him out of it.

He chopped it 4" through the windows, sectioned it 2" above the drip rails, added 4" to the length of the cab (behind the doors), and sectioned the hood 5".

He got a few parts tacked together, but didn't do any of the chop (except the cutting). I have to admit that it's one of the hardest things I've ever tried to do (I've chopped another car, I stayed in school long enough to get a master's degree and taught middle school ) - and this is harder than all of those. There's a lot of compound curves, made worse by the lengthening of the cab.

However, it's very rewarding and I'm going to be very very happy to be driving it in another 6? 12? 18? months. I can't wait to drive it to his house.
Here's a few progress pictures: http://liberalredneck.org/gallery/48Ford

Find some local guys, help them with their cars, help them chop a few to learn, then do yours (while making friends). In the mean time, put it together stock and drive it.

My $0.02

Tackett

 

Whistler,

never done one but researched it seriously on my '53. There is a book on the market.. "How to chop a top" by Tex Smith thru Motorbooks... offered on Amazon.com. a google brought back about 20 hits on various models

I read the book several times and decided I liked the high dome... since mid 50 f-100s have compound curved roofs, the chop is more difficult than say a 30's model rod... as you lower the roof it gets wider and deeper so you have to quarter the roof section and add patch panels across side to side and front to back..

the chop is easy... the building of a new roof is the hard part. You need some serious body working skills to do it right and then it's hard. Then you can always take too much and ruin the proportions of the truck totally... the radical chops (to me) look strange... and if you're over 6' very impractical unless you're sitting on the floorboards. The best ones (again, to me) are subtle with 1½" or out of the rear and maybe 2" in the front.

'course you know what that does to all your glass and chopping the windshield is much harder than the top... the best way is to sandblast or grind it off and it's a chore... some glass shops will attempt it at your liability... it breaks ?? you buy another. I've got a friend out west that went thru 5 windshields at 200 a pop before they got one in one piece..

side and rear glass aren't that bad cause they are flat...the door frames also have to stretch on the slant cabs so you need some donor parts... it's an expensive mod... but done right it's cool.. I like my headroom and considering the cost and work I decided against it...

just some thoughts to ponder before you put a new blade in the sawsall..

later

john

 

I don't know what John's friend was making windshields for, but the '51 is flat safety sheet glass. I took my '48 to a local glass shop and they made one for me. The owner was happy to have my project so he could train his guys in the difficult inside curve on the bottom. Only cost me for one. If they made mistakes they ate 'em. They told me the top outside radius is easy - I'd shorten one there for a chop.

2" chop sounds reasonable. Just keep the windshield area flat.

 

Hey, Whistler - I understand your trepidation here. I am moderately skilled at and love sheet metal work. And, like you, I really love the look of a mild chop. However, I would never attempt it without serious skilled and experienced help.
I have friends who have that experience and an expert glass man who has done glass for hundreds of chop jobs, so I would probably be successful with it, given enough time and money.
My 56 is a lot easier to chop than an earlier Effie because the posts are nearly vertical. Some lean to the posts could eliminate the need for patch panels. Your F1 has flat glass all around, so that's simpler as well.
Basically, I won't consider it this go around. Maybe later. It just takes more guts than I got.
Hey "Chopped48" - that is a great looking ride. I would be eager to drive it too. Please keep the gallery updated.

 

mt,

I totally missed the point of a F-1... I was thinking of a '53 like mine with curved glass... duh ???? I need to read more

john

 

Thanks!
I have lusted after that truck for over 20 years. It has a long, long way to go, and I've been recently distracted by a motorcycle project and a new job. I'll keep posting updates as they happen.

 

I saw an article somewhere about using 2 cabs for a chop. You use opposite corners from each and cut them past the centerline on the cab. Use the driver/front and pass./rear from 1 cab cut past the center line from side to side.(cut enough extra to fill the gap caused by the chop) Use the pass./front and driver/rear from the other cab cut past center from front to back. When it's all put together there should only be a small square whole in the middle to fill. I can't remember where I saw how to do this but it seems like a very workable solution.

 

Hey Whistler, I chopped a freinds Model A sedan 2" my '34 ford 5 window coupe so the windshield is layed back and barely Pennsylvania legal at 6 3/4" (7" is legal). Both have flat glass. I'm not to familiar with these trucks yet. I'm goin' to Wheels Of Time show in Mucungie, PA Sat. I'll check out the trucks. For starters I would suggest hangin' a tarp or something for a solid backround and takin' some straight on pictures of your truck from sides and back. Put 2" of tape on the posts and put a clearly marked measuring stick on the truck somewhere before takin' pics. Use the measuring stick from pics as a reference like a scale like on a road map. Cut the pics at the bottom of tape and slide top part of pics behind its self. You can do a fair amount of plannin' with those pics and it helps to get your head into the project. TAKE YOUR TIME AND PLAN IT OUT. If You cut the top weld a lot of supports in the cab so it doesn't flex when cut. I'm a couple hours southwest of the Poconos. Email me at Yekoms@comcast.net There are a lot of little helpful things that I learned from other folks that are hard for me to expain by typin'. maybe we could get on the phone. Smokey

 

Hey Whistler, I looked at a few '51s today. That chop doesnt look to bad to do. I have no experience with choppin' wing windows or rain gutters though. The pieces needed to stretch the horizontal door tops would come from the vertical chop or from donor doors to eliminate one weld seam. If I were to chop a '51 for my taste I think that I would go 1" or 2'' maximum. Just to clean up the oringinal look. The big bubbley roof top is cool I wouldn't flattin' it out. I'd keep the back window stock size and do the cuttin' below it to reduce that BIG area of metal in the cab above the bed front. I'd take some pics of the back of the cab/window and look at maybe makin' the back window even bigger. It's flat and the rubber would be easy.
My screen name is yekoms'at'comcast.net if you want to contact me. Replace the 'at' with the @ thing. We are both new to this site so we can't switch email names yet but, that should get us around that. I'm not a "know it all" but, I'm willin' to pass on the stuff that I learned and was showed by others. The acomplishment of cuttin' a top is way FUN. Are you sellin' your old front drum brake parts? I may be interested in them.
Have fun, Smokey backwards "Yekoms"

 

Hey Whistler, Opps, I forgot. The guy that I was talkin' to alot 'bout F series trucks had a Toyota power steering set up in his '55 ford truck with the stock straight axle. He said that the Toyota deal was pretty common now but when they built his he had a hard time with the lines and the pitman arm bein' metric and American on the opposite ends. I didn't get his name (Duh!) He is a helpful,nice guy from York,PA. Has a torquise '55 with a visor and a chrome '56 grille.
Take care,Smokey

 

I did a 46, It was hell to make that first cut. I chopped 3". I had two cabs, used the front of the roof from one cab and the rear from the other. I cut the front 1 and 5/16 longer due to the slant of the windshield posts. Did the same with the door window frames. It came out great. Difficulty on 1 to 10, maybe a five if you know how to weld, etc.