Model A top chop

Old guy, new to posting. I have a 31 coupe that is almost to a rolling chassis stage and am not sure about the sequence of procedures ( this is my first hot rod build ). Which should be done first, chop the top or fill the roof with the top from another car? Retired 5 years ago and been playing in the shop every chance I get, 24/7 wouldn't be bad but we know how that goes. I do end up spending a lot of time on the internet and have probably read the answer but things go in slow and out fast. Thanks in advance.
Bob

Welcome to CHR, BBB. Glad to have you here and hope you choose to stick around. I'll let someone else answer your question, as all I can add is what's shown on the dozen or so You Tube videos showing a Model A Coupe Top Chop.

Why do you have to chop the top at all? How about being different and leaving it stock?

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Think carefully before attempting a chop. What type of welding gear do you have? Can you weld sheet metal effectively? Do you have decent sheet metal working experience? The reason I ask is that I chopped the top on a '30 A-bone sedan, and all three of those questions came into play. I got it done, but at least a hundred times I wished I'd never started. I also had some help from a good friend who ran a body shop. It takes a lot of planning and quite a bit of skill, and is too complex to describe here. I suggest you look at as many YouTube videos as you can, and buy THIS BOOK. Tex Smith's BOOK is available, but it is quite a bit more expensive. However, the expense of those books is nothing compared to the expense of fixing a messed-up top chop. I'm not trying to discourage you - just passing on my experience.

THIS VIDEO shows a part of the job, but certainly not all.

Hi tech,
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I've seen some very pretty ladies that when put in a different light were actually not that pretty. I'm not saying the Model A is ugly, quite the opposite, I believe Ford did a great job progressing from the Model T in design for the next few decades. Looking at Carnut's site at both chopped and unchopped ( a lot of examples of both ) I think a hot rod with a little rubber rake looks better with a little less of a top.
Bob

i hope your young and short :) while it looks cool a chop top is not for everyone. blowing down the hwy looking out a 6 in windshield aint all it's made out to be . if possible find someone to ride with before you start cutting .

First welcome to the site. It's good having you here.

Second, I'll echo what Shine says. take a ride in a car with a chop top... if you're close you can try mine.. it leaves a certain something to be desired. If that look is what you want/like.?.?

Go for it! Just keep in mind that lowering the lid a lot makes stop lights hard to see. And some stop signs, sometimes pedestrians..

everybody should run 400 miles in a top chop prostreet coupe. :)

Hi Henry,
Thanks for the precautionary words. I have a 120v Miller that I have had for 17 years. That does not mean I have been a welder for 17 years but in the last few my ability has increased a lot; that means I don't have to grind all my welds any more so as not to embarrass myself. I also have Miller Syncrowave 250 and am in my beginning learning curve but not confident enough to do the chop or insert with 18 gauge. Gas welding ability is poor. I have Tex's book and a few others ( very sad about his passing, he left a hole that I don't think can be filled ) I actually started this 18 years ago but had to retire it after the first year to devote more time to prepare for retirement. I finally dragged it out of the rafters about a year ago and been having a lot of fun and frustrations. I like tinkering, learning and staying busy so we will see where it goes
Bob

If you are set on chopping your coupe, I would chop the top first and then fill the roof. May not make too much difference in a model A, as its mostly straight pillars etc. but if by chance you did have to lengthen the top it would be very difficult with a filled roof. I think all highboys should be chopped, but that's just me, however I'm not thrilled with the looks of filled roofs.

Good luck

Mick

Hi,
Well at 5'8" i qualify for short but 67 does not make young. I have ridden ( not driven ) in a chopped A and was not really put off. A little rubber rake is a whole lot different than pro street. I have an independent rear and not sparing any weight to help a little with ride quality since 103" is not a great start for a smooth ride.
Bob

I kinda liked this guy's description of the process, and his pictures along the way - Chop the Top

Several more here - https://www.google.com/search?q=mode..._sm=0&ie=UTF-8

That guys depiction makes it look pretty easy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BBB

Hi,
Well at 5'8" i qualify for short but 67 does not make young. I have ridden ( not driven ) in a chopped A and was not really put off. A little rubber rake is a whole lot different than pro street. I have an independent rear and not sparing any weight to help a little with ride quality since 103" is not a great start for a smooth ride.
Bob

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I'm in the upper age bracket also and my 36 sedan is chopped, personally I absolutely love it.

One thing I didn't see in the video I linked was cross-bracing of the body before cutting the top. The top is part of the structure of the car, and without bracing, you can end up with a mess.

at 6'6 250 there is not much i fit in anymore . thats why i was building a truck . when younger at 180 or so it was no big deal .

Welcome from another old retired guy! After chopping mine I would change the
order that I did things. Since your to the rolling chassis stage I would mount the
body on the frame. Replace the hinge pins, and line up all body lines, shim frame
as needed (and or) bend hinges as needed. Install bracing in cab to stop any
movement after top removed. I cut mine down near the body line to help prevent
warping. I stayed 2" above belt line since there is lead in that area.
[IMG]http://i1078.photobucket.com/albums/...l/4403201e.jpg[/IMG]
Hey, I saw it on TV! Well I think it works very well. I use mostly a small air saw
to make the cuts, which keeps the heat of cutoff wheels away. The top metal
is 19 gauge, and easy to blow thru. Any problems use copper or brass to put
behind the weld while tacking. Look thru the top chop articles to see how to
deal with the door posts, and windows to blend them together. I lost most of
the chop pics, but there are some in my build log. I would leave the top insert to
last if it were me. I only chopped mine 2", I'm 6' 1", and inside clearance is fine.
A little lower seat, and 3"-4" would work.
Build it the way you want!
Have fun, Rich

Hi Rich,
Thanks for taking the time to respond so thoroughly. Staying close to the belt line seems like a good idea. I was not going to do that but sure makes sense. You do some nice clean work; do you have a site that has more pictures of your build? I've been going around and around with pros and cons of the sequence and could not come up with a clear answer so thanks for your opinion. I'm almost done getting the subframe and body secured to the frame and then body lines and door gaps are next.
Thanks again,
Bob

Bob:
Click on the link at the bottom of my post here for my build thread.
I got in a hurry on mine, and did the chop before really getting the rest of the body repaired.
Without the body in final position on the frame the top may have a slight twist, and door fit will be poor.
Are you going to run fenders, or are you going hi boy? Lots of great fabricators here, look thru the
build logs when you have time.
Take care, Rich

Bob, I assume you have your frame solidly held and level?

Rich, thanks for the site info. The last day or so I've run into some have to dos and should dos and have not finished your thread but you are very thorough and made a very STRONG car. I will get some good info there.
Bob

Henry, your assume is correct.

Sorry, I guess I'm not very thorough; I'm running fenders.
Bob