48 chevy section and chop

[mknittle]

I thought about chopping one. but never got around to it. I don't like the idea of leaning the windshield posts back though. I figure the top of the cab would need to be cut into 5 pieces to get around that. maybe someday....

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by mknittle

I thought about chopping one. but never got around to it. I don't like the idea of leaning the windshield posts back though. I figure the top of the cab would need to be cut into 5 pieces to get around that. maybe someday....

The top does't need to be cut in five sections to do a nice job. Width wise it is only off a quarter inch or so when you come down 4 inches, it just isn't off enough to split the roof. On lengthening it, I am with you, it just doesn't look right with the windshield leaning back so much. There isn't a line on the truck leaning back like that and it just doesn't work in my opinion. But this also depends on the build, on the "theme" of the build if you will. I have seen some where it looks great, but it depends on the rest of the trucks mods.

On mine, my theme is that I want it to look like the GM styling studio would have done it, and raking the posts back wouldn't be the way they would have done it. And lengthening the top all the way wouldn't have been either. When the top is lengthened it creates an illusion that almost looks like the windshield has been pushed forward at the top making less of a rake on it!

So on my truck I will be lengthening the top half the way and raking the posts the rest of the way.

Brian

[mknittle]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

The top does't need to be cut in five sections to do a nice job. Width wise it is only off a quarter inch or so when you come down 4 inches, it just isn't off enough to split the roof. On lengthening it, I am with you, it just doesn't look right with the windshield leaning back so much. There isn't a line on the truck leaning back like that and it just doesn't work in my opinion. But this also depends on the build, on the "theme" of the build if you will. I have seen some where it looks great, but it depends on the rest of the trucks mods.

On mine, my theme is that I want it to look like the GM styling studio would have done it, and raking the posts back wouldn't be the way they would have done it. And lengthening the top all the way wouldn't have been either. When the top is lengthened it creates an illusion that almost looks like the windshield has been pushed forward at the top making less of a rake on it!

So on my truck I will be lengthening the top half the way and raking the posts the rest of the way.

Brian

Should look good. keep us posted.

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

The top does't need to be cut in five sections to do a nice job. Width wise it is only off a quarter inch or so when you come down 4 inches, it just isn't off enough to split the roof. On lengthening it, I am with you, it just doesn't look right with the windshield leaning back so much. There isn't a line on the truck leaning back like that and it just doesn't work in my opinion. But this also depends on the build, on the "theme" of the build if you will. I have seen some where it looks great, but it depends on the rest of the trucks mods.

On mine, my theme is that I want it to look like the GM styling studio would have done it, and raking the posts back wouldn't be the way they would have done it. And lengthening the top all the way wouldn't have been either. When the top is lengthened it creates an illusion that almost looks like the windshield has been pushed forward at the top making less of a rake on it!

So on my truck I will be lengthening the top half the way and raking the posts the rest of the way.

Brian

That is a trick that I hadn't thought about. My windshield is raked on my truck with no stretch or widening in the cab. Gene Winfield explained how to get the door glass to work right by moving the bottom mounting points of the glass channel guides out to keep things straight when you push the tops of the doors in slightly to get them in place.

I'm stretching my cab 9-1/4 inches through the doors to set it on a long bed frame running the stock length shortbed box. I'm using a GMC 1/2 ton long bed fram rather than a Chevy 3/4 ton as the GMC frame spreads out in the back the same as the Chevy shortbed half ton frame.

I finally did pick up a pair of decent looking long bed running boards for that.

I chopped mine 4 inches before but may cut that down a bit to be able to run the full size rear window and drop it down to just above the belt line at the back of the cab like Cole Foster did on the truck he drove for years before selling or trading it to Jesse James.

[MARTINSR]

The frames were different GMC to Chevy? I didn't know that.


Enlarging the rear window was against every bone in my body at one time. Chopping the top and then enlarging the window, HUH? But now I "get it" and I plan on doing the same on my truck. The Rod & Custom truck had it widened as well.



Cole Fosters truck? OMG that is a beauty. I was a paint rep with Salinas a part of my territory and he was driving it everyday, it floored me the first time I saw it. He later repainted it and I gave him the paint for it. It was shot in basecoat with no clear, probably failed in a year.

But that Cole, he is an artist, everything he touches is special.



This isn't my photo but I could have taken it as I have a couple I took just like this with the truck parked in front of his shop.

Brian

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

The frames were different GMC to Chevy? I didn't know that.

I'm not positive I ever saw a 1/2 ton Chevy long bed truck as most long bed Chevy's I have seen were 3/4 ton with the straight rail frames. The GMC 1/2 ton longbed frame has the rails taper out like the short bed frame and has and extra crosmember at the back of the cab. I can't get into my mr48chev photobucket to pull up any photos right now.