In the last issue we dropped...
In the last issue we dropped the top on Dan Webb's '36 Chevrolet 3-3/4 inches, producing a wicked profile in the process. Now it's time to cut the doors and interior moldings.
In the last issue we followed along as Larry Shoaf lowered the lid on Dan Webb's '36 Chevrolet at the Rodcrafters shop in Welcome, North Carolina. While it was by no means a simple top chop, the alignment and metal moving operation was better than anticipated and in the end the sedan had a much more aggressive profile and looked remarkably smaller.
Of course lowering the lid is only part of the story, we still had to chop the doors and the inside garnish moldings, and that's where we'll begin this final chapter on chopping the '36 Chevrolet.
Cutting the doors will closely mimic cutting the A- and B-pillars during the chopping of the top. Shoaf cut the front of the door a bit higher than the A-pillar where the door tapers the least. The B-pillar had been moved back 2 inches during the chopping process. It was obvious the doorjamb post would have to come down 3-3/4 inches and that the top of the door would have to be cut and top rear corner moved back 2 inches. This proved to be very straight forward with a portion of the vertical cut being used to splice in the 2-inch horizontal extension.
The cut lines are laid out...
The cut lines are laid out in tape. Note the front of the door is being cut where there is the least amount of taper, making for easier alignment.
A reciprocating saw makes...
A reciprocating saw makes quick work of cutting through the multi-layered doorframe.
With the top of the door removed,...
With the top of the door removed, the lower door can now be closed. Before proceeding, check door gaps for proper alignment.
First we removed the screws for the vent window divider strip and let it drop down inside the door. After carefully considering things like screw holes for the interior garnish moldings and any rubber bumpers in the doors we marked the cut lines on the door and then made our initial cuts with a reciprocating saw.
Of course the door top still...
Of course the door top still matches the contour of the roof, but since the B-pillar was moved back during the chopping process, this piece must be lengthened too.
We used pieces of paint stirring sticks wrapped in tape to act as simulated weatherstripping shims. The doors must be spaced out of the doorjamb to allow for later installation of the factory-style rubber weatherstripping.
After cutting the top off the door, we cut the top section of the door into two pieces. Reattaching the pieces began with the upper rear corner of the door. To position this corner rearward and downward we used a piece of 1x1/4-inch flat stock about 4 inches long and slipped it into the top of the door pieces. Two clamps held this connector piece in place while Shoaf made careful adjustments to align the vertical portion of the post. Satisfied with the vertical alignment he tack-welded it to the door, then after checking for alignment again he tack-welded the piece of flat steel in the door. This left us with a gap to fill where the post had been moved rearward 2 inches
Of course the door top still...
Of course the door top still matches the contour of the roof, but since the B-pillar was moved back during the chopping process, this piece must be lengthened too.
The top of the door was cut...
The top of the door was cut in half in the area where there was minimal taper. Larry Shoaf used a band saw, but a cut-off wheel or hand-held saw will work too.
After shimming the door out...
After shimming the door out with paint sticks to simulate weatherstripping thickness, we taped the door closed.
The edge of the door will...
The edge of the door will require minimal changes to blend the body lines. One small opening with the cut-off wheel will align things.
Since the window area contains body reveals that must be matched, we used the piece we removed from the vertical portion of the door as filler material. After cutting just the outer skin free, we fit a piece in place. The body lines did not line up perfectly, but with a bit of hammer and dolly work the lines meet each other quite nicely. Using a combination of "leftover" metal from the door cut and new sheetmetal, the inside of the doorjamb was reconstructed. After finish-welding all the seams the door chopping was complete.
A successful top chop is all about proportions and when you reduce the vertical window area in a car you sometimes come up with odd-shaped windows. After standing back and viewing our work it was apparent the car had taken on a whole new-and-improved personality. However, the relationship between the door glass and the quarter glass is particularly important with two-door sedans. By lowering the lid on this sedan the door glass was larger than the quarter window. Without the vent window divider in place the door glass appeared long and frankly, odd-shaped. The trend today is to eliminate the vent window, but in this case leaving the vent window in place visually shortened the window and made the shape of the door glass look like a vintage Chevy door again.
We cut the rear of the door...
We cut the rear of the door in the same location as the B-pillar since there is very little taper to the rear door post.
A piece of 1/4x1-inch flat...
A piece of 1/4x1-inch flat stock approximately 4 inches long was slipped into the inner channels of the doorframe to hold things together.
After moving the door corner...
After moving the door corner back 2 inches, we had a void to fill. We used the piece that was cut out of the vertical post of the door to make this piece.