I've got a 36 chevy master sedan which is screaming for some rad metal work, after all, it is practically channeled by ol mother nature already!

Anyway.. found two articles in my Rod n Custom mags which detail a top chop. One guy builds a cage inside the car first, which holds everything together during the process. The vertial rises telescope, so they collapse down, keeping the top perfectly positioned. The cage is removed when the job is done.

Another article shows the guy just choppin' and droppin, no internal cage. It doesn't show, but seems to me it would be a VERY good idea to have the center of the car supported during the process, to prevent any body sag.

A third article is also of intrest to ya... throw the top away, and build a new 'soft top' out of metal conduit, cover it with chicken wire, burlap, canvas, cotton cloth, and top it with your choice of material.