chopping a 37 chevy coupe

[FROG_PONDS]

I am a beginner and I need some help chopping my 37 chevy coupe. At the present time I am thinking of chopping her 2 inches in the front and 1-1/2 inches in the back. I need some pictures showing where to make the best cuts for the rear window and side windows. The doors and the windshield are prity much stright forward. I also need help on the garnish molding cuts.Rich

[FriarTuck]

Hey Rod, welcome to MetalMeet. The first thing we will need is pictures of the project. Front, Back, and Side views. Guys here can download and mark up the pics and re-post. Be prepared for a lot of input.

Tuck

[FROG_PONDS]

I will try to have some pictures tomorrow - 3/16/06 Rich

[rookie]

Hi Rich, and welcome. I was wondering, do you have or have access to an English wheel? There's a lot of curves on the roof and sails of those years of coupes. As Tuck has already posted, Pics would be handy. Take a few of the same shots, that way you can cut them up until you get the look that you are after and use them as a basic cut guide. There are a bunch of people here who can give you much better advice than myself.

Rookie

[CCWKen]

I'm crying..... Sell the car to me. :D

My best advice for a beginner is NOT to chop the top. Have someone that's done a few do it and watch. There's a lot of critical cuts and welds that will either make the car look nice or turn it into junk or filled with bondo. (Same thing in my book.)

Get some metal forming/working under your belt before you attempt a major project like a chop. There aren't many 37 anythings left and chopping one up could send it to an early scrap pile.

[tdoty]

But, Ken, even the ones who've "done it a few times" were beginners the first time they did it :lol:


Tim D.

[seasalt]

well, its really a '38, but not much different......

[seasalt]

'37 chev coupe side view....

[FROG_PONDS]

I was unable to upload these pictures....so here's a link to them:

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f315/FROG_PONDS/Picture007a.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f315/FROG_PONDS/Picture006a.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f315/FROG_PONDS/Picture005a.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f315/FROG_PONDS/Picture004a.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f315/FROG_PONDS/Picture003a.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f315/FROG_PONDS/Picture002a.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f315/FROG_PONDS/Picture001a.jpg

[FriarTuck]

Hi Rich, after looking at the pictures, this is an incredibly tough one. If you are set on doing it yourself, be prepared to do a ton of planning, and to take a lot of time. There isn't a straight line anywhere on the car. Even the door posts are going to need finessing. Don't rush into it. I would hate to see that car become scrap, it is in beautiful shape. You will get plenty of help here, so take it all in. And if you decide not to do it yourself, that is OK too. It will be a very tough mod. Just my nickle.

Tuck

[Tisdelski]

wow alan,
that photochop was great! i like it as a hard top.

rich,
i agree with ken about learning some basics before chopping, you need to know how to do weld prep (scribing,fitting gaps), welding, basic metalfinishing (hammer or slapper and dolley techniques ,how to use a shrinking disc), and maybe basic metal shaping as the rear b pillar might need filler pieces and if you go to the slide the rear of the top forward technique you`ll be forming and adding a strip between the decklid and top.

after you have those basic skills down, you need to learn the cut lines of a chop and why. example; the cut lines should be drawn from a centerline drawn on either side of the thinnest part of the post equally. that way when you go to realign the top the body lines will be at there closest to fitting.


gary

[DYCE]

This is my first reply on Metal Meet. I found Metal Meet about a month ago and cant get enough!!! Thanks to everyone who makes it happen!!!I have never chopped a top myself, but I was lucky enough to have a very talented father who I worked with from the time I could pick up a hammer until he died. He did every one with nothing more than basic body tools and a mig welder. He was a very good body man and most important He had the paitents of a saint. I have no idea what You level of skill is at this point, but I would really be sure You are up to snuff and plan on spending a lot of time. These cars are becoming more valuable every day. Not to mention the cost of getting the car back into shape if You do get in over your head. There, that being said lets get chopping. Before You do any cutting You need to brace the body side to side, and make sure the body mounts are sound. This keeps everything lined up so your doors will fit when you are done. I would recomend finding anouther car or just the top for parts. When you lower the top, the top has to be longer for the posts to match up. You will need parts for the tops of the doors and the moldings also. You will need some quarter window sections to add in to keep the shape also. I am sure there are people out there that could make the parts I am talking about but it would be very difficult. It really depends on the style of chop You plan on doing. If You do the style chop on the 1938 pictured You dont need the extra parts. The rear window and the quarter windows gets preaty small with chops more than 3 inches. Honest, I really dont like the looks of a chopped 1937 or 1938 chevy coupe chopped for that reason. The 1938 in the pictures looks great, but it looks to modern for Me.

[seasalt]

variations on the '37,

[FROG_PONDS]

When I say I am a beginner thats just what I mean. I have never welded before or ever attempted any sheetmetal work before. Having said that let me tell everyone something about myself. When I was 16 years old I rebuilt 216 and 235 chevy engines.The first one was locked up because I had the rod bearings too tight. After that I can't. tell you how many I did. I got married at 23 and bought a house (a fixer upper) After I rebuilt the entire house including laying 17000 brick I now know how to do wiring,plumbing,plastering,brick&block work,etc.(you can see my house in some of the pictures) I have built a 41 ford coupe streetrod and a 52 chevy coupe streetrod. But not the body work. I bought an industrial sewing machine and taught myself how to sew. I upholstered my 52 myself including the headliner. I am now asked by my frends to do some upholstery work for them. I have a mig welder and I am now trying to learn how to weld. I am also going to learn how to do lead work. I will not jump into this until I a sure I can do it all. In 10 months I will be retired and every day will be a saturday. I am only 65 years old and am planning to live to be 123 and a half. I never had a moter cycle until I turned 60. I am willing to learn if you experts will show me the way. Rich

[gator 1]

I see your in pa. This would be a great chance for you to get a little experience in metal work and welding by comming to the Gator Meet the last weekend of april. This will be a fri,sat,and sun meet. You will get the chance to use the bag,hammers, tig and mig welders, Planishing hammers,sheer, brake, and most of all the flexable shape pattern and shrinking disc. This is free and you can stay for 1 day or all 3. Gator;)

[Ernie Ferrucci]

When I say I am a beginner thats just what I mean. I have never welded before or ever attempted any sheetmetal work before. Having said that let me tell everyone something about myself. When I was 16 years old I rebuilt 216 and 235 chevy engines.The first one was locked up because I had the rod bearings too tight. After that I can't. tell you how many I did. I got married at 23 and bought a house (a fixer upper) After I rebuilt the entire house including laying 17000 brick I now know how to do wiring,plumbing,plastering,brick&block work,etc.(you can see my house in some of the pictures) I have built a 41 ford coupe streetrod and a 52 chevy coupe streetrod. But not the body work. I bought an industrial sewing machine and taught myself how to sew. I upholstered my 52 myself including the headliner. I am now asked by my frends to do some upholstery work for them. I have a mig welder and I am now trying to learn how to weld. I am also going to learn how to do lead work. I will not jump into this until I a sure I can do it all. In 10 months I will be retired and every day will be a saturday. I am only 65 years old and am planning to live to be 123 and a half. I never had a moter cycle until I turned 60. I am willing to learn if you experts will show me the way. Rich
Hello Rich
I like to think you are never too old to learnhttp://www.metalmeet.com/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif. Have fun. A lot of info is already posted here and I'm sure you will be helped out when questions come up. Sounds like you have the right attitude and will to do it.

[Tisdelski]

hi rich,
your positive attitude willingness to learn something new will be a great help.
going to a metalmeet to get the basics will be an even greater help. maybe you can attend one where there will be a chop going on .(we have had two recent metalmeets with chops, both had dutch comstock doing some chopping)

alan,
i was wondering if you could photo chop the chevy as a three window? lean the rear of the door post in and fix the driprail in three window form? never seen a 3 window 37-8 chevy.


gary

[norm47]

Rich-
I know it's kind of old but if you can find a copy of Street Rodder ,the Sept 1996 edition, it has a story on how Sam and Chip Foose chopped a '39 chev at Troy Trepanier's shop. While this is still no walk in the park, it doesn't look that bad either. The problem I've always had when doing this type of work is that I was only born with 2 arms and these jobs usually reqiure a minimum of 6 arms . Four to hold the roof while you stand back a see how it looks. After you cut just TACK EVERTHING, then push the car outside to take a visual. Don't stand too close. Get way back, grab a lawn chair and a broozke, take a long hard look. If the flow lines don't look natural, nows the time to change it. Strive for minimal putty. You can do it, just think it all out(just like you have in all the other projects you have attempted).