1937 Ford Coupe Build

[bgbdlinc]

When I was working out the chop numbers for the Lincoln, I realized that what we were going to do was really a reverse 'wedge' chop. This was due to the common design of these cars where the highest point of the roof is over the back seat area. Therefore, to make it aesthetically pleasing (to our eyes today) more had to be removed from the 'C' pillar than the 'A' pillar. The Lincoln was chopped 5 1/2" at the 'A' and 7 1/2" at the 'C'. The 'B' pillar falls where it may (although mine was vertical rather than slanted). It seems to me that vertical 'B' pillars preceded slanted ones in the evolution of customs. In addition, the 'B' had to be liberated from the roof and moved forward...



With laying the rear backlight forward and moving the 'b' pillar, we did not have to slant the 'A' pillars back at all (more complicated).....



Hope this helps and I've got more pics of the original chop if you need any clarification.....

 

[hooligan]

I was lucky enough to get another guy from the HAMB to try and replicate my original idea for the chop. This was the way I have planned from the start, which was to move the roof forward and down, relocate the B-pillar back but straight, extend the quarter windows to follow the drip rail and add the difference to the trunk area making it longer.

I now can see that to me, it is the way I was hoping it would look, and yes, he was kind enough to put it in the final color I am planning on painting it! I am confident now that I will continue with my original plan as I think this mimics a stock profile much more than the slanted rear.

Time to start taping her off I think.

 

[hooligan]

Thanks Brian, it does look nice stock, but for me, it is a little too tall in the roof when it is slammed they way I have built it so far. I'm wanting a mild chop and also looking to challenge myself as I have really only chopped a few Model A's and a couple of late 40's and early 50's trucks but never a turret top. Hopefully it goes as planned! LOL

 

[hooligan]

With laying the rear backlight forward and moving the 'b' pillar, we did not have to slant the 'A' pillars back at all (more complicated).....

Love this picture! No turning back at that point!!

Thanks for the pics and the insight! It seems common when laying the rear window area that most guys take more from the back than the front, yours turned out great!
I think I have found my way and am sticking to my original plan of moving the roof forward and down and relocating the b pillar and adding to the trunk area.

 

[rboyd73]

I was lucky enough to get another guy from the HAMB to try and replicate my original idea for the chop. This was the way I have planned from the start, which was to move the roof forward and down, relocate the B-pillar back but straight, extend the quarter windows to follow the drip rail and add the difference to the trunk area making it longer.

I now can see that to me, it is the way I was hoping it would look, and yes, he was kind enough to put it in the final color I am planning on painting it! I am confident now that I will continue with my original plan as I think this mimics a stock profile much more than the slanted rear.

Time to start taping her off I think.

I think that this one just looks right to my eyes

 

[hooligan]

Figured I'd remove the driver's door as it was pretty rough and put on the other one I have which is mint. Took a few hours to bang the old hinge pins out but it fits pretty nice. Unfortunately I realized that who ever had the car before me cut out the original latches and welded some other crap in so the door doesn't close fully just yet. A quick fix though. Thinking I might suicide the doors anyways.

Got most of the taping done as the plan looks like the roof will be coming off this weekend, got a friend willing to come by and lend an extra set of hands.

Tomorrow I'll get the rest of the steel I need to re-enforce the body before the roof comes off and get that all welded in.

Also my dad found me a really excellent set of rear steel fenders and some other goods I'm looking for through a guy that has an exceptional stash of 37 Ford cars and parts!! Waiting to hear on prices but I know those fenders won't be cheap if they are as good as they sound......now I have most everything, all original, and from 9 different 37 ford cars! The joys of the hunt.

 

[ratrig]

awesome build. I'm glad you posted the update or I wouldn't have seen it. I'm definitely subscribed.

 

[Midlife C]

Very cool...to bad I don't live closer, I would be more than happy to help. Also it would get me away from my deck project.

 

[hooligan]

awesome build. I'm glad you posted the update or I wouldn't have seen it. I'm definitely subscribed.

Very cool...to bad I don't live closer, I would be more than happy to help. Also it would get me away from my deck project.

Thanks guys.

 

[hooligan]

Re-taped the car after I put the new door on. They say drugs kill braincells but I think planning a chop on a curvy car like this kills more, lol.

Pretty sure I've got it figured out and it's ready for the saw hopefully tomorrow if the weather holds up, though it's not looking good. Wish I had a bigger garage so I wouldn't always have to move the coupe in and out to work.

A few pics of what lays ahead:

 

[bgbdlinc]

....soooo, from what I can see the 'A' pillar chop will move the roof about an inch forward, the 'B' pillar (both door and body) will slant to compensate for the roof forward movement, the 'C' pillar appears to be chopped a bit more than the 'A' pillar (maybe it's the camera angle) in order to 'level' the resulting roofline so the high point of the roof is not above the rear seat. Finally, the rear roof/front deck will move forward almost two inches in front of the tape line, and then the gap will be filled in to compensate. Am I close?

Totally an elegant solution to a difficult chop. Why? Because there is an absolute minimum of precision cuts going on which will help immeasurably with the reassembly and welding of the top apart from a few relief cuts and maybe some magic with the rain gutters.

Take up thy cutting wheel.....

 

[hooligan]

....soooo, from what I can see the 'A' pillar chop will move the roof about an inch forward, the 'B' pillar (both door and body) will slant to compensate for the roof forward movement, the 'C' pillar appears to be chopped a bit more than the 'A' pillar (maybe it's the camera angle) in order to 'level' the resulting roofline so the high point of the roof is not above the rear seat. Finally, the rear roof/front deck will move forward almost two inches in front of the tape line, and then the gap will be filled in to compensate. Am I close?

Totally an elegant solution to a difficult chop. Why? Because there is an absolute minimum of precision cuts going on which will help immeasurably with the reassembly and welding of the top apart from a few relief cuts and maybe some magic with the rain gutters.

Take up thy cutting wheel.....

Dave you are very close, I won't be slanting the 'b' pillar, I'll re-locate it from the top of the roof and keep it vertical. The back of the car at the sail panel will likely be a bit more of a cut than I've laid out for. My plan is to cut the roof off, trim the A pillars the 3" and then mock the roof line by placing it on and eye ball what "looks" right to me with regards to the rear height. I'm thinking it will likely be about 1/2-3/4" more than what is taped at the back on the 'c' pillar. I'm thinking I'm safer to mark it 3" vertical all around vs. "guessing" what the actual cut will be in the back and then realizing I did too much. Less is more in this case as I can always trim more once I find the height that pleases my eyes.
I've staggered the cut lines in the back to utilize the spots on the 'c' pillar and the rear window that are flattest and closest in width and shape to each other when I re-align it. I figure the trunk area will grow in length by 3-4". Once the top is cut and on and the trunk, c pillar area moved forward is when I'll lengthen the door tops and stretch the quarter windows.

 

[dumprat]

Are you going to move the roof forward or lengthen the sail panel to make to roof longer and match with the trunk area?

 

[jvo]

Please post lots of progress pics. I really like the direction you are headed with this. A little more work maybe than a traditional chop, but it should look a lot better than some. To move the whole back of the roof forward should look killer, and will keep most of the original designer's look.
Can't wait to see it done. (And half done)

 

[hooligan]

Are you going to move the roof forward or lengthen the sail panel to make to roof longer and match with the trunk area?

The roof will go forward and the trunk area will get the filler piece. I think the longer trunk will look almost zephyr like. I won't be extending the roof as I think they get flat when guys do that and I want to try and keep it as close to the original design as possible. The roof, though it will be shorter I think by dropping the back down, extending the quarter windows and lengthening the door tops will appear that it is longer than it actually is, like in the maroon photoshop rendering I posted

Please post lots of progress pics. I really like the direction you are headed with this. A little more work maybe than a traditional chop, but it should look a lot better than some. To move the whole back of the roof forward should look killer, and will keep most of the original designer's look.
Can't wait to see it done. (And half done)

I'll post all of the pics as I remember to take them, waiting for the rain to stop today, otherwise, I'll start tomorrow.

Not sure if it is more work doing it this way or less but I do know that most everyone chops a 35-40 Ford coupe by slanting the rear glass, I really want to try and keep it as close to possible to the original design, as I really think the lines on the car are beautiful, for me, it's just a bit too tall in the roof. I've really spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to do this and maintain the profile, hopefully it will work out! I think the extra length in the trunk will look great and I've got an idea if the trunk lid looks "out of whack" but I will decide on that when the time comes.

 

[bgbdlinc]

....no doubt, billions of brain cells have been sacrificed in the 'thinking through' process (which is as it should be). As a back up, your best friend will be your eyes as final arbiter of good taste/design and hot rod aesthetics during the noble task at hand........sooooo, enough of the blah/blah/blah......on with the show! hahaha

 

[hooligan]

Got a start on the chop today, a lot of work by myself but my wife helped me take the roof on and off 3 or 4 times as I played with the back height.

Point of no return now, I would anticipate a good couple of weeks at least to do this while time permits.

A few pics:

Cut the top:

Removed the trunk area:

After I trimmed the pillars and before I cut the trunk area, I rested the roof on to see roughly how much the trunk area needs to come forward, it works out to be 4"

Mocking the roof height, I think the profile at the back looks right:

I had the rear trunk area clamped on with some butt welding clamps and it lined up fairly well, needs a little touch here and there with the flapper wheel and have to take a wee bit more out of it to compensate for the lower rear area at the back.

Hoping to spend some more time with it tomorrow if time permits.

 

[bgbdlinc]

....too cool and it looks like the egg shape has been eliminated from the top roof line. I wanna believe....I wanna believe...but the quarter window gives me the heebie-jeebies... but I'm sure you can handle it.

 

[hooligan]

....too cool and it looks like the egg shape has been eliminated from the top roof line. I wanna believe....I wanna believe...but the quarter window gives me the heebie-jeebies... but I'm sure you can handle it.

Haha,the quarter window will get stretched after I get the b pillar and trunk lined up. When I was measuring, the quarter window can probably go back 1 1/2" at the lower radius and follow the drip rail line. I'll have to tape it out to get a visual when I get to that point.

 

[rboyd73]

Wow!! it's amazing how much metal has to be moved to lower the roof line. Your a brave man to make that first cut to get the roof off.