Roof Chop

[squidfire]

Hello,

To start I'd just like to say cheers for the info that I've got from this site over the last few months before I registered, having 'migrated' from the volkszone forum.

Anyway, I have searched as well as I could...probably not very well, but I was looking for information regarding where to cut around the windscreen pillars, I am currently chopping the roof, but below the rear screen so that I don't loose the curves. So this means that the whole roof will be moved forward to keep it lined up with the front screen pillars, but it also means that the pillar angles must change to take into account the drop. What is the best way to do this? Is there a tried and tested way, or do people just make it up when they get to it?

Thanks for your help, I hope I havn't missed a really obvious topic where the info is....

Cheers,

Chris

**Ps, Thanks for making my post into a 'name and shame the damn noobie' post. haha, Many months on and you ain't seen the back of me. lol

[Nick]

Check out my site at www.RuntRod.com (http://www.RuntRod.com), I have a few chop top articles there (runtrod.com). There's dozens of different ways to chop a bug, the standard square chop you'll need a donor roof to lengthen and widen certain parts of the roof, 'A' and 'B' pillar angles won't change. You can rake back or foward the pillars to give it the slanted look, or to get away with a chop without use (or less use) of a donor roof.

If you want a tried and tested way, check out my articles, most of them are beasically the same. But even following a step by step process you'll have to figure out some stuff on your own. It's not something I'd just jump into myself, I'd make sure that I'd be confident enought to do it as it is one of the hardest car bodies to chop properly...

[lancelot link]

Heres a picture of my chopped Beetle , hope this helps show where we did our cuts.
The red parts are from our donor roof.

[lancelot link]

We cut through the rear window area because we were changing it anyway.

from the front

http://volksrods.com/forums/uploads/post-2-1094000192.jpg

[RATRODVW]

Don't forget to get a donor square like the one lancelot got from his hood!! This is the most critical part of doing a chop! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/funny.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/funny.gif



Link- I love your car. Give it to me.

[lancelot link]

Are you in the U.K.?
If so , whereabouts?
I'm in Bournemouth.

[fattyfatty]

Nice pics... me likie... god I need a new camera!! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wacko.gif

[lancelot link]

Originally posted by RATRODVW@Sep 3 2004, 08:13 AM




Link- Give it to me.
Give it to you ?

And then afterwards maybe give you the car !!!

Seriously , thanks mate. It's always good to get praise on a car , even though you know you are doing it right , its good to hear other people's views.

We are a professional Hot Rod shop and the V-dub has received only positive comments from the Rodders who visit. Even the ones who claim to hate Beetles can't help admit they secretly quite like the Volksrods.

I think its great..it gives the Hobby a whole new angle for me and right now I'm obsessed !!

I just bought a 56 Oval rolling shell and shes gonna get the treatment !!

[RATRODVW]

Originally posted by lancelot link+Sep 3 2004, 09:20 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lancelot link @ Sep 3 2004, 09:20 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'> <!--QuoteBegin-RATRODVW@Sep 3 2004, 08:13 AM




Link- Give it to me.
Give it to you ?

And then afterwards maybe give you the car !!!

Seriously , thanks mate. It's always good to get praise on a car , even though you know you are doing it right , its good to hear other people's views.

We are a professional Hot Rod shop and the V-dub has received only positive comments from the Rodders who visit. Even the ones who claim to hate Beetles can't help admit they secretly quite like the Volksrods.

I think its great..it gives the Hobby a whole new angle for me and right now I'm obsessed !!

I just bought a 56 Oval rolling shell and shes gonna get the treatment !! [/b][/quote]
Ok, don't give me the car.




Trade for mine! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/funny.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/funny.gif

[georgiaboy]

so sweet it hurts, most excellent chop.................. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsup.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsup.gif

[PAPA_SMURF]

You have to be much more specific with your chop plans. slant chop? Walt chop? traditional? that will give us an idea, several of us have or are doing one currently. I am finishing one up now. Mine is a severe slant and I had to cut the post at the very bottom at a 45 degree angle. ( see tobias chop) its in his into. My advise to you is search all the chop threads print pictures specs and come up with your own. thats how I came up with mine. My chop is a combo of about 4 different chopped cars specs and an 80's/90's car called billabug + a little dash of my insanity helped out the creativity. Look in my intro as well. If you zoom the pics you can see the cut lines. Good luck my friend its a big job you have ahead of you....

[vwfanatic]

awesome work "super chimp"

[lancelot link]

Thanks fanatic.....

Papa , your sloping screen chop is wild !!

Got me thinking about doing my Oval Lakes style , heavy chop , laid back screen , super low , moondiscs , E&J's , scallops , I feel a plan coming together !!


Any photoshoppers help me out here ? !!

[dez]

i did mine without widening the roof in the middle, cos i dont like em done like that. i did 2 relief cuts at the top corners of the screen, through both inner and outer skins, then heated the inner skin up till it was cherry, and open each cut out about 1/8" still easy enough to MIG up that way. i also took a piecut, approx 1" wide out of each bottom corner. this was made easier by the fact the dash wasnt there!!

ile do some pics over the next day or 2 of it.

[type3rod]

Originally posted by PAPA_SMURF@Sep 3 2004, 08:55 AM
You have to be much more specific with your chop plans.Walt chop?
Just to let you know papa, its now known as the "leatherman chop". By the way link,your carr looks killer style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsup.gif !!!! And papa I love the laid back windshield style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smokin.gif !!!!!!

[PAPA_SMURF]

Id rather give credit to him by name though..... style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/bowdown.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/bowdown.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/bowdown.gif

[squidfire]

Originally posted by dez@Sep 3 2004, 01:06 PM
i did mine without widening the roof in the middle, cos i dont like em done like that. i did 2 relief cuts at the top corners of the screen, through both inner and outer skins, then heated the inner skin up till it was cherry, and open each cut out about 1/8" still easy enough to MIG up that way. i also took a piecut, approx 1" wide out of each bottom corner. this was made easier by the fact the dash wasnt there!!

ile do some pics over the next day or 2 of it.
Thanks for all the information.
I don't know the correct name for thye chop, but I don't want to widen the roof. The 2 relief cuts are what i'm most interested about, the piecut as well. If I could see some pics sometime that'd be real good, thanks. I'm confident when it comes to shaping and welding, I reckon I can get by.. I know it's a long and tedious difficult job, but I've just gotta get on with it and make my own mistakes.. I've got a spare roof sitting in the garage anyhow so if I mess it up i'll weld that one back on :D
Cheers for the info guys

[slodown]

Adding more links

cdubvdub ideas on slant chop (http://www.volksrods.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3475) and his poll (http://www.volksrods.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3373)

Ichoptop's ragtop (http://www.volksrods.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2748)

related topic windshields (http://www.volksrods.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1684), split windshield (http://www.volksrods.com/forum/showthread.php?t=199) *

another oval chop question (http://volksrods.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3921&hl=)

[walt]

You know in my opinion there are only a few ways to chop a car.
1) you can do the (Conventional chop) by widening and lenghtening the roof.
2) you can, Heat and bend or pie-cut the pillars to reconnect the roof.
3) you can use a combination of # 1and 2.
4) you can do the (Letherman chop) which narrows and shortens the car to fit the roof.
5) or you can do the (Tree fell on it chop)
6) you can also come up with your very own style of a chop and drive everybody crazy.

What ever you do JUST CHOP IT. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/funny.gif

[PAPA_SMURF]

personally I chose all of the above. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/funny.gif At least a little bit of each.