started the chop today

[chopper tom]

finnally got to start on my chop today! 8 1/2'' front ,6 1/2'' rear!

[nuke1]

wow, i am doin one something similar to that for a guy right now also. very cool.

[vintagesteel]

where are you getting glass?

[Mr79C10]

WHOAAAAaa,,
Sweet mod man. PLEASE keep us all posted on this. And yes Were ya getting the glass?
Lookin good so far!!
more pics,,,, more pics!!!

[rod86]

man thats gonna look mean... well done!!

[chopper tom]

wow thats differant !
Last time i talked abot my chop in my 78 everyone come down on me for it .
this is my second time around with one of these trucks [i built one back in high school too]i'm 35 now and finnally getting to build another one!!!!
I will be useing tinted lexan for the sides and mabie the back too.On the front i'll have to have it cut down ,thers a few local guys that i can get to try it for me ,these windshields are a 50/50 deal -might break might not .[caint be too anle about it ,just have to do it and get it over with.]
you guys that are building similer trucks i would love to see them !!post some pics? heres a pic of the other one i had [it was chopped 6'' ]

[rod86]

im not a big fan of chop tops, but some cars do look hot with a low roof.
what front you putting on it? it would look nice with the chop and a 80`s nose clip with a big flat full width billet grille on it, even a hood with reverse scoop on it... although seeing out of it could be difficult...
nice work..

[knightlife]

damn that is low! looks hella hawt tho. you gonna put a sun roof in to? while you are at it?

[GMBowtie79]

from the looks of it you've had a bit of practice doing top chops ( i like the back window on that 30'ish body in the background.) I wonder what a suburban would look like with a 6-8" chop?

[shortchev]

Nice job , I was thiking about doing that myself , I have a few old cabs around to practice on . I would love to see the pics middle section when you weld it in . I have had a few opinions on how to chop it but I always come back to the way you have done it . My friend owns a custom shop , he says he would do it with 4 cab tops and chop them up to make less welding , I think you have 12 welds now on the top ( not including the doors ) he says if I had 4 cabs I could do it with 4 welds . Seems like alot of tops I know but ifs usually the bottoms rusty where I live , so tops are easy to find . I cant wait to see your truck finished . keep up the good work .

[chopper tom]

Originally Posted by GMBowtie79

from the looks of it you've had a bit of practice doing top chops ( i like the back window on that 30'ish body in the background.) I wonder what a suburban would look like with a 6-8" chop?

done about 8 so fare [my favorite thing in the whole world is choppin tops ]
A suburban would look great chopped ,but one heck of a lot a work and needs to be good and low to look right!
But then again ,eveything looks good chopped 6-8''!!

[chopper tom]

Originally Posted by knightlife

damn that is low! looks hella hawt tho. you gonna put a sun roof in to? while you are at it?

I thought about a sun roof ,but probably wont .

[chopper tom]

Originally Posted by rod86

im not a big fan of chop tops, but some cars do look hot with a low roof.
what front you putting on it? it would look nice with the chop and a 80`s nose clip with a big flat full width billet grille on it, even a hood with reverse scoop on it... although seeing out of it could be difficult...
nice work..

i'm going with a 78 gmc font , i want it to look like the one in the picture.
I like scoops too ,but not on this one .

[C&C Chevy]

Not my cup of tea, but I can appreciate your hard work!

[chopper tom]

Originally Posted by shortchev

Nice job , I was thiking about doing that myself , I have a few old cabs around to practice on . I would love to see the pics middle section when you weld it in . I have had a few opinions on how to chop it but I always come back to the way you have done it . My friend owns a custom shop , he says he would do it with 4 cab tops and chop them up to make less welding , I think you have 12 welds now on the top ( not including the doors ) he says if I had 4 cabs I could do it with 4 welds . Seems like alot of tops I know but ifs usually the bottoms rusty where I live , so tops are easy to find . I cant wait to see your truck finished . keep up the good work .

I dont really see why you wanna use 4 tops just to save some welding ,i wouldnt have had to use any extra tops if i didnt allready have some laying around [saved them from being hauled off for scrap] i made the ones over the doors from scratch on the metal brake,i only used the extra top just to save time on the rest . i can understand about the less worping with less welds but if your not gonna cape the roof,then your gonna have heck fixing all the worping on the 4 halves to get them level for bodywork.
Either way there will be plenty of body work to do even if the metal work is really close to perfect.
now please dont take this the wrong way[i'm not trying to tell you what to do ]i know there are plenty of ways to skin a cat ,but keep it simple and you will injoy doing it more.i guess anyway?
I can never just practice for some reason [cost to much to just practice or i'm just too durn lazzy one ],i just have to do it or not .
If your serious about cutting your top then try to find the tex smith book on how to chop tops [it has a section on these in there]and lots of info too!
post pics if you do i would love to see them !!

[chevyrestoguy]

As a fellow Kentucky native, you are doing us proud with your chop! Chopped tops and slammed vehicles have been the norm in Kentucky since the '50s. I was born and raised in Louisville, and my best friend had an '80 with a 6.5 front/4.5 rear chop, and it got stares like no other vehicle. If you need any help on getting the glass cut, contact Mike Kapfhammer or Pat Keating in the Louisville area. They should be able to get you pointed in the right direction. Good luck, and keep posting pictures!

[chopper tom]

Originally Posted by chevyrestoguy

As a fellow Kentucky native, you are doing us proud with your chop! Chopped tops and slammed vehicles have been the norm in Kentucky since the '50s. I was born and raised in Louisville, and my best friend had an '80 with a 6.5 front/4.5 rear chop, and it got stares like no other vehicle. If you need any help on getting the glass cut, contact Mike Kapfhammer or Pat Keating in the Louisville area. They should be able to get you pointed in the right direction. Good luck, and keep posting pictures!

Thanks man,ive been doing this stuff off and on for about 20 years and the general public in this area really dont seem to get it.
Ive cault a lot of flak over the years for chopping and lowwering trucks ,people around hear are more into original and musle cars than understanding customs.
I have read about kapfhammer and seen some of his work in books [tex smiths 'how to chop tops '']Its cool that you live so close to him!

[tds]

looks great but just wondering. how tall are you?

[69BBsuburban]

Got a side view of it????
The problem when chopping these trucks is the side view.....like the blue one. The side windows and roof slope downward towards the rear....guys don't measure the A pillars correctly (don't measure true vertical) and end up taking not quite enough material out.

The red one looks about right....pretty cool. Not many people have the guts to chop anymore.....good for you!
Gotta SLAM it though, otherwise a chopped truck looks goofy (too tall).....well, moreso even....

[chopper tom]

Got the doors welded up today,and ready to weld the roof skin on too
So fare eveything is going well but i do dread welding that roof skin in !
Sure brings back some good old memoies!!!

[84 400]

Looking good there! There is a guy that used goes to shows in danvers mass that has a chopped 70's
here is a pic

[72BlckButy]

Lookin' good!

[bigblock73]

If I had the skills, time, and truck to do it on...I'd chop the top on one of these...but instead of just cutting out 4" (or whatever), I'd move the rear window down to be flush with the top of the bed rails...same for the side glass/doors. I think that might look cool. Anyone want to photoshop one of those for me?


Progress on the chop looks good by the way!

[chopper tom]

Originally Posted by 84 400

Looking good there! There is a guy that used goes to shows in danvers mass that has a chopped 70's
here is a pic

cool truck!

[chopper tom]

welp i got some more work done on it today .
Welded up the top skin and roughed in the fiberglass work,welded in the new tranny tunnle ,welded up the fire wall and ready for body work ,and had the wind shield cut and triel fit it[got two cracks in it when he cut it, will try another latter ,will use this one for mock up]
Got lots and lots of body work to do!!!