Chopping the shoebox Ford: Part 1 - Box Cutter

To move the upper portion of the A-pillar outward, a pie cut was made in the opposite direction, then the pillar was pulled to close the gap. Note the overlapped upper windshield panel.

After moving the window forward and also leaning it forward the gap between the roof and the window was greatly diminished.

A very small pie cut was made with the Sawzall at the base of the A-pillar. This will allow the pillar to be pulled in. Make a small cut first; you can always make a second cut.

Here is the A-pillar with all the pieces tack-welded in place. Careful cutting and fitting will make final welding easy on this chop.

The windshield area looked a bit “heavy” with the Ford peaked roof curling over into the now dramatically smaller area. It was decided the chop would look better if the top line of the windshield was raised 1 inch.

A simple ratcheting cargo strap was used to pull the lower pillar inward. Carefully measure both sides to make sure they have both been moved in exactly the same amount. In this case the wiper motor holes make a good reference point.

With the upper windshield panel held in place with sheetmetal screws, a cut-off wheel was used to cut through both overlapped panels. Use the thinnest wheel you can find, tack weld every inch, and then connect the welds until it is finished. At Rodcrafters they prefer to TIG-weld sheetmetal.

The top of the windshield opening was cut free from the roof. Being very careful to maintain the proper centerline, the piece is lapped over the roof panel and secured with sheetmetal screws.

The side profile shows we are on the right track. Note how the top of the windshield opening now aligns with the top of the side glass opening. Next month we’ll tackle the canted B-pillar, the quarter window, and the filler panels that connect the rear of the roof to the body.