I want to lower the lid

[slammed79]

So, after some clever trading that free'd up some junk from my home garage, I picked up a body dropped 87 shorty. The body drop is rough to say the least, the back halve on the airbag set up is junk, and just generally the truck needs help. All the glass is out of it, it was a rolling shell to say the least. I'm getting it to my shop this weekend to redo the backhalf, and start the ressurection.

   Now, has anyone chopped one of these trucks? I'd like some pics or how too's if possible. I'll post some pics when I get it to the shop. The problem is that its full and I'm gonna have to do this in the Arizona summer. Good thing I want to loose some weight anyway.

D

[VileZambonie]

Search the member rides section. Choptop and loudnlow have some pix.

[choptop]

Here is mine. I didnt do the conversion tho. I know how too do it, I just am not real sure how to explain it. I know you will have to cut the roof section in half across the cab from the center of the door to the other. Then cut your heighth down the way you want it.You will have to add a peice in the middle because once you drop the top down, it will have a gap in the middle. It is recommended you have a second cab roof. Just cut the whole top off from where it starts to curve, and weld it over the entire top. That way the seam is around the outside and you can have a smooth, bondo free middle where it will crack out. One my doors, they jusst cut the frame off, and modified it so just the wing window was cut. My Windows are factory window. The biggest challenge is going to be glass. It is hard to find anyone who cuts custom glass anymore. The back is easy, because its flat, the front will be a different story. One option, is to cut the base of the a pillars, and lay the windsheild back. This will help with windsheilds in the future, and may make it possible to just put a factory roof cap on it.
I guess it depends on how far you want to go.

[slammed79]

Thanks for the pics choptop. I was already thinking about laying back the windshield, will make it a bit easier when it comes to glass. The body drop is traditional and really deep, the truck needs to be chopped to give it balance. I'm kicking around a two inch chop with a 1 inch layback on the windsheild. I've never done anything more than shave doorhandles and trim before, I'm used to frame work, the suspension will be the easiest part for me, the chop will be the tuffy... pics will be coming in a couple days. I've got almost nothing in this truck so far. I figure it being rolling for less than 4 grand, depending on wheels. Maybe a set of Coy's C5's. 22's all around with some meaty tires, I plan to drive the heck out of it. Anythoughts?

[choptop]

It sounds like you got a real good plan already. I dont know how your junk yards are, but around here you can pick up a cab for probably $100 or less. One thing to concider is getting a junk cab to do a practice chop on. Make friends with the yard owner of a yard that has a rotted cab. Tell him your plans for the experiment, and that you plan to brng it back after your through. They are just wanting the junk iron. Maybe be he'll cut you a real good deal, knowing he will get the junk back. I have a cab you could hack on all you want to as long as you DONT bring it back. Look around, you never know what you can find for little or nothing. Once you have a game plan, and some experimenting under your belt, then you can tackle your truck with some more knowledge and experience.I know it sounds far fetched, but if you ruin the cab you have, then you will have to buy another one anyway, but will have to do the body drop and everything else all over again.

[HAULIN IT]

Slammed, A couple things I'd like to add...Chop's definitely correct about the "second roof skin over the whole thing", this is the only way to go! You may want to concider flush mounting the glass while your at it, this can make a much nicer looking job than cutting & splicing the original rubber. This will be more work, but the end result should be better. The most important step in all of this is...GET THE GLASS CUT ONCE YOU HAVE THE HEIGTH SET. A guy I know chopped a '71 Ford truck years ago & because he could cut, weld, mud, paint, ect. he did all of this first. Then broke Three windshields trying to get them in. The problem was that the windshield had a different curve top to bottom & since the glass was cut off of the top, the roof metal needed more curve, since the glass didn't bend very much  ...you know what happened next. The outcome was...he put a lexan windshield in it & never could get it inspected, so he sold it to a guy out of state that didn't have inspection laws. Our trucks have little change in the bow top to bottom so this won't be as big of a factor.
 I look at it this way...you can weld, bend, bondo, ect. the roof skin & related areas...you can't the windshield, the roof needs to match the glass, not the other way around. My Two cents, Lorne   

[slammed79]

Thanks guys! I'm not haulin the thing to the shop today, I fell off the forklift yesterday and sprained my ankle... I feel like a bonehead and now I'm another weekend out... the only good thing is thats its given me time to start on the valves/plumbing. I don't know where  my camera is or I'd post pics.

        I read an article in Custom Classic Trucks a few months ago about grinding down your windsheild to have it fit a chop/layback, I wonder how many windsheilds I'd go through...