unchopping a chopped top

[Stroker]

Hello everyone, it's been a long time since I've posted. I do need your expertise on a possible project. My son is looking a customized 68 short step. The truck is solid, nicely equipped and priced right, but it is a bit more custom than his taste runs. Most of the things he's concerned about can be taken care of with a little money and sweat equity, except possibly the chopped top. The truck has about a 4" chop. I've never ventured into the roof area of these trucks but I think with a doner top it wouldn't be to bad to put back to stock dimensions. The doors would need to be either replaced or the tops reworked and all the glass would need to be replaced. I have a couple of cabs to use as reference for the dimensions. Am I overlooking anything? And how difficult is it to come by a good cab top? Thanks for taking time to read.

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

The top can be one of 2 ways.

Like you said with a new top with full legs, and new doors.

Or you could just get the front up rights, and fab the rest.

I would go with just swapping the cab, and being done with it. Chances are you could probably sell a chopped cab to recoup the expenses. Since a decent chop starts at $3500 where I live, and goes up from there.

The reason just to swap cabs is the top is narrower then the doors, and some where they may have piched in the A pillars. You'd be fairly lucky if they just widened the roof rop, and cut the glass. Usually they do a few things that are hard to see till you have a stock one right next to it. With a tape measure, and looking for it.

I am reading tons of stuff on how to fab sheetmetal because I want to have a 50's full custom. So I need to step up my game.

[kidatheart]

I am by no means an expert body man but I made a good living at it for 25 years. My first thought is that it would be much easier to unchop a top than to chop one!
If you have good doors around, that takes care of that issue. Glass wouldn’t be much of a problem. Cut the chopped top low on the windshield posts. And cut the back of the cab below where they did their work. Take lots of measurements from the donor cab and use a die grinder to make some marks for reference points that won’t rub off. Tack it together and make sure the front and back glass openings are right, fit the doors, weld it up. Myself, I wouldn’t want to mess with changing the cab because if VIN issues. I think it sounds kinda fun and interesting. Good luck and keep us posted.

[tj1970cst]

Sell the choppedcab to someone that wants it.

Get another unchopped cab and get it all fixed up (rockers or whatever), you will have to paint either way.

[Grumpy old man]

Originally Posted by tj1970cst

Sell the cab to someone that wants it. Get another cab and get it all fixed up, you will have to paint either way.

Once it's chopped it's junk . They never look right again . Your only options should be if you have another cab to replace it or use it as a parts truck . There are still enough deals out there to not have to try to save someones miss adventure .

[dmjlambert]

Can you post pictures of the chopped truck? If the chopped cab is in very good condition, you can probably trade the cab and doors with somebody who has a equal condition unchopped cab and doors and who just wants that chopped look for nearly free. Both parties would benefit and get just what they want.

[dmjlambert]

And if you do a cab swap, don't forget to swap the VIN plates. The proper rosette rivets to do that are available on ebay.

[special-K]

Opinions vary on chopped top trucks. While most will say they are a bad idea, there are always those who dig that kind of thing. Many of those will never have one because of two reasons. One is it's an expensive proposition. Two is the job can go wrong and it's hard to risk a good cab knowing the risk.

I sold a cab to a guy that had a chop top job go wrong, ruined his cab. He bought mine to try it again with another body man. So there's your proof there are those who love a chopped top.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Stroker

Hello everyone, it's been a long time since I've posted. I do need your expertise on a possible project. My son is looking a customized 68 short step. The truck is solid, nicely equipped and priced right, but it is a bit more custom than his taste runs. Most of the things he's concerned about can be taken care of with a little money and sweat equity, except possibly the chopped top. The truck has about a 4" chop. I've never ventured into the roof area of these trucks but I think with a doner top it wouldn't be to bad to put back to stock dimensions. The doors would need to be either replaced or the tops reworked and all the glass would need to be replaced. I have a couple of cabs to use as reference for the dimensions. Am I overlooking anything? And how difficult is it to come by a good cab top? Thanks for taking time to read.

To answer one of your questions I wouldn't think it would be hard to find a decent cab or just a roof in your area. There should be a salvage yard or two down there that has older trucks. Start asking around at the older body shops or see if there is a car club in the OC area, go to one of their meetings and ask. I think I would do the roof replacement if it were me.

LockDoc

[Stroker]

Thanks for all the input. I haven't seen this one in person but based on what I've heard it is a very solid truck that was restored/customized about 20 years ago somewhere in Oklahoma. Apparently someone built 3-4 of these at that time to sell. The truck has been garaged and barely driven since. I'm not really into the chopped top but if I had space I'd see if the chopped top grew on me as it sat in my garage getting all the smalls taken care of. I think that's what my son should consider if he's really wanting to get into one of these trucks. Get it, make sure it's safe and drive it for awhile. Down the road he can always do something with the cab or sell it if he doesn't fall in love with it. Not every day you find something like this. 68 Short Step, PB, PS, Factory AC and a BBC. Still doing some digging to know if this one is an was originally a BB. I know the engine is not original because the current owner installed the 427 but he still has the engine that was in it. Even if its not an original BB its still sounds like a pretty sweet rig. Thanks again.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Stroker

Thanks for all the input. I haven't seen this one in person but based on what I've heard it is a very solid truck that was restored/customized about 20 years ago somewhere in Oklahoma. Apparently someone built 3-4 of these at that time to sell. The truck has been garaged and barely driven since. I'm not really into the chopped top but if I had space I'd see if the chopped top grew on me as it sat in my garage getting all the smalls taken care of. I think that's what my son should consider if he's really wanting to get into one of these trucks. Get it, make sure it's safe and drive it for awhile. Down the road he can always do something with the cab or sell it if he doesn't fall in love with it. Not every day you find something like this. 68 Short Step, PB, PS, Factory AC and a BBC. Still doing some digging to know if this one is an was originally a BB. I know the engine is not original because the current owner installed the 427 but he still has the engine that was in it. Even if its not an original BB its still sounds like a pretty sweet rig. Thanks again.

If you get any pictures post them up. I had a chopped cab that I got with a parts deal, but it was chopped 5". Now I like chopped trucks but that was too much for me so I sold it. One thing you have to watch is, if the person that did the chop didn't know much about the '67-'72 pickups it will look funky. You have to take 3/4 to 1" more out of the front than the back or the door windows will be wider at the front than they are at the back when you look at it from the side. How much it shows up will depend on the amount of chop.

LockDoc

[LockDoc]

-
Here is a thread on chops. If you look close you can see that the door window on some of them is wider at the front than it is at the rear.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=504588

There are more threads if you type chop top into the google search box at the top of the page and click on the circle in front of 67-72chevytrucks.com. Just be sure the thread pertains to 67-72 cause it will include all years.

LockDoc

[jgr]

kidatheart is correct much easier to unchop than to chop! The only way it would be worth the work is if the rest of cap is cherry. I have chopped many tops in my day and if you can find a nice top it is very easy to put it back to stock. you will need a mig welder and a saw zaw. Keep us posed and between all of us we will walk you right through it

[CG]

Im one of the few that likes these trucks chopped, of course that depends on how well the job was done. Love to see pics even if you don't end up getting it.