Chop top, Anyone extend the floor for leg room?

[Rude Ron]

I have a big Chop on my top and now that my seat bottom is sitting on the floor I have very little leg room, anyone extend out the lower firewall to get some leg room? thx Ron

[Fatherof3]

I have never noticed the foot wells being extended but I have seen some very thin seat backs mounted right to the back of the cab. That big of a chop is probably best for big old 49-51 Merc's and the like.

[Rude Ron]

It's already chopped hard,,,, have to make it work

[Fatherof3]

Has that built for a land speed record look

[DBaker]

That truck looks bad a$$ more pictures please.

As foor extending the floor i dont see any major issues you couldnt work arounddepending on the engine and headers etc...

[cool68]

take a look on sites that have older chopped Hot Rods, like the H.A.M.B. by Jalopy Journal, to see the seats that they use. one thing to consider is to add material/foam along front lower edge of seats that will help raise and support your legs.

[stomper]

I've seen some trucks with cabs that were lengthened (stretched). Not extended cab but longer doors. I'll look for pix.

[909]

We chopped my seat frame a bit so that the seat is tilted back and I can't say for sure how much of a difference that'll make in your case but it made a huge difference in how comfortable it was. Those louvers look awesome, I'd like to know how to do that. I second the more pictures too, looks cool from what we can see.

[Rude Ron]

Originally Posted by DBaker

That truck looks bad a$$ more pictures please.

As foor extending the floor i dont see any major issues you couldnt work arounddepending on the engine and headers etc...

ya I was looking at it seems like I can just shorten up the inner fender wells a bit? and maybe get a good 5" more of leg room which would be a huge help

[Rude Ron]

Originally Posted by cool68

take a look on sites that have older chopped Hot Rods, like the H.A.M.B. by Jalopy Journal, to see the seats that they use. one thing to consider is to add material/foam along front lower edge of seats that will help raise and support your legs.

ya that's a good idea but not going to be enough, I need to do that and a firewall mod....

[69chevy lwb]

A big upgrade is to remove the gas tank from the cab if it's still there then cut the top of the seat to sit where the tank used to it makes the chop tops much more roomy even more so than a factory truck.

[Rude Ron]

Originally Posted by 909

We chopped my seat frame a bit so that the seat is tilted back and I can't say for sure how much of a difference that'll make in your case but it made a huge difference in how comfortable it was. Those louvers look awesome, I'd like to know how to do that. I second the more pictures too, looks cool from what we can see.

my lower seat in basically a pillow on the floor, it looks stock upolstery wise but is actually on a piece of plywood, no more seat "frame" when you have a 10" windshield you have to go all the way to the floor with your seat cushion....

[Rude Ron]

Originally Posted by 69chevy lwb

A big upgrade is to remove the gas tank from the cab if it's still there then cut the top of the seat to sit where the tank used to it makes the chop tops much more roomy even more so than a factory truck.

Now that's something I never thought of.... I am going to seriously think about doing that cuz my tank is still behind the seat

[DBaker]

I would do the tank first if it was me.

[69chevy lwb]

My buddy has a truck with a 8/10 chop and it has more room than my 69 stock cab all he did was cut the center of the lower portion of the seat to clear the drive shaft tunnel since it bolts right to the floor then the top portion of the seat is cut down just enough to tuck in where the tank used to be and it's very comfy with room and a stock seat feeling

[Rude Ron]

Originally Posted by DBaker

I would do the tank first if it was me.

Oh ya,,,, for sure, I'm going to start tomorrow getting the tank out of the cab, and doing the seat mods to fit the seat where the tank was, I always thought "why take the tank out when you seat is still as far back as it can go?" well duh.... cut the seat down and put it in the tanks place.... sometimes I need a good shake to make my brain work....lol

[Rude Ron]

Originally Posted by 69chevy lwb

My buddy has a truck with a 8/10 chop and it has more room than my 69 stock cab all he did was cut the center of the lower portion of the seat to clear the drive shaft tunnel since it bolts right to the floor then the top portion of the seat is cut down just enough to tuck in where the tank used to be and it's very comfy with room and a stock seat feeling

thanks man,,,, you really helped me out here with your buddies idea... it's going to be way easier than messin with the firewall, and if it gives me at least stock leg room I will be really happy....

[special-K]

Isn't your seat back already down where it's low enough to go back (once tank's out) w/o cutting seat down? I first thought to suggest cutting the inner layer under the window/over the tank rather than altering the seat back,then realized your seat is dropped so probably already below that line.

[cool68]

on such a radical truck thought that tank would have already been moved to bed.

[Rude Ron]

Originally Posted by cool68

on such a radical truck thought that tank would have already been moved to bed.

it was built in the 80's old school total custom in everyway, Chopped, Raked, Suicided, 73 up Dash, Shaved everything Doors, Bed, Cowl, etc. over 300 Louvers, Heart shaped front end, Mini tubbed, Narrowed tailgate (very trick), I pulled the under the hood blown SBC / muncie and am building a Blown 14-71 1,500 hp 640 cubic inch monster motor for it with a Hughes 4L80E tranny, I want to keep it a stick but none of the manuels can handle the 640's torque, when I'm done with it, maybe when I'm 90 years old lol, the carb air scoop will be about 2 to 3 feet above the roof, I'm in Modesto, you should check it out sometime ph 209-996-9200

[Rude Ron]

Originally Posted by special-K

Isn't your seat back already down where it's low enough to go back (once tank's out) w/o cutting seat down? I first thought to suggest cutting the inner layer under the window/over the tank rather than altering the seat back,then realized your seat is dropped so probably already below that line.

Ok I'll check that out... I'm going to pull the tank this weekend, and see how close the seat back is to going under the under the window bulge? my seat backs lower hinge post are bolted to small tabs directly welded on the floor, so it still hinges forward like stock, the seat bottom looks original but is half as thick and actually is just made on a piece of plywood so it sits flat on the floor, when you go with this drastic of a chop, you have to get drastic all the way LOL I'm 5'-11" tall and it being a stick wades me up pretty badly, I've been hospitalized for a couple of serious blood clots in my leg's (genetic hereditary problem with thick blood) even though I'm on Pradaxa now, a new designer drug that seems to have fixed the problem I am still concerned when I have to leave my legs bent for too long, dude those clots are brutal, makes you gun shy so I'm excited about Moving the seat back into the fuel tank cubby, I'll let you know if I can get away without shortening the seat back, hope I can cuz I like the old comfy 80's upolstery job, but if I have to redo the fabric oh well right? the leg room is got to get better at any cost

[Rude Ron]

Originally Posted by 909

We chopped my seat frame a bit so that the seat is tilted back and I can't say for sure how much of a difference that'll make in your case but it made a huge difference in how comfortable it was. Those louvers look awesome, I'd like to know how to do that. I second the more pictures too, looks cool from what we can see.

ya I removed my behind the seat tank. and the seat back will fit in it's place huge improvement easy fix to a leg room problem....

[special-K]

That ain't store bought!

[Rude Ron]

Originally Posted by special-K

That ain't store bought!

ya for sure... here's how it goes down the road (tow truck) LOL, thanks it's a never ending project that looks cool sitting there cuz it don't run.... but I keep plugging away at it in slow mo