TheSamba.com :: View topic - "The resurrection project" 5'' Chop top... bagged

Sun Feb 28, 2010 2:52 pm

chopn' the top on the ghia has been a blast and i thought i would share the process.... :D *J

this is what it lookd' like the day it came to the shop...

Sun Feb 28, 2010 3:26 pm

Sun Feb 28, 2010 4:04 pm

here is sneak peak out what the chop is goin' to look like.. 8) 8) 8)

its 5" using two roof sections and completely removing the rear window frame and moving it forward and laying it down.. keepn' the same shape...

i did some study of other ways it has been done and the ones a could find.. used the traditional way of chop topn' by spreading the roof and putn' in a donor roof section in the middle of the o.g roof halves... i dint see any need to do it that way... so i used our donor roof as the other half of the lid for the car and cut my welding time and fiitin' /fab in half... then again all the pics i could find put the rear window frame back in it o.g spot but just layd' down and filled in the gap at the top of the frame to the new (3 piece) roof sections... it caused the flow of the roof to peek at that point and then rise again because of the shape of the rear window... it just lookd' funky... so i moved the window back up to meet with the roof instead of the back of the car... now im sure it has been done this way many times and done very well but the few i saw had not and it just didnt seem to flow.. so i playd' with it until it lookd' to me to be natural.. then for the back of the window to the back of the car i chose to find the most natural flowing piece i could find to fill it in with.... and of course that would the section of another ghia cut long to take up the space from moving the window forward... and instead of just cuttin' out that lower strip to fill the gap and have to weld both sides.. i left the lower half of the donor ghia window frame and luggage tray attached and spliced the two frames together... for the conture of the back of the car at the pop out windows i only saw it done by relieving and bending the heck outta it until it fit then welding all the cuts... what i chose to do is just rotate the piece until it lookd' to me to flow agian..(see pic soon).... anyway.. i have gone on enuf... thanx so much for you time...
*J

Sun Feb 28, 2010 4:50 pm

the cold air was a big factor in the speed i could weld at w/o wrapn' the metal.. you can see in this pic the two roof halves becoming one and the upper part of the rear window frame being attached~

Sun Feb 28, 2010 5:07 pm

this is just a fun pic in front of my shop shown' the over all look of the ghia

note the 4x4 block holdn' up the back of the roof... :lol: :lol: :lol:

Sun Feb 28, 2010 5:58 pm

in this pic you can see the back portion of the donor ghia being attached to the o.g top half of the window frame... also you can see that im workn' on welding the corner piece between the pop out window and the rear window frame..( i was able to make this outta some of the extra sheet metal left over from the roof halves..) 8) 8) 8)

Sun Feb 28, 2010 9:26 pm

i this pic im tryin' to find the best line i can! by tiltn' the part forward until it flows again...

Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:04 pm

I think its coming along awesome. If it was me though, I would take off the Albert mirrors. I think it messes with the look of the spotlights. Just my opinion.

Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:09 pm

ferfer6 wrote: I think its coming along awesome. If it was me though, I would take off the Albert mirrors. I think it messes with the look of the spotlights. Just my opinion.
I wouldn't have noticed if you didn't mention it but...
I'd say ditch the spotlights and keep the mirrors :lol:
The mirrrors flow so nice with the sleek new roofline, the lights kind of impede on that
bah, but what do I know? Roll as you wish!

This is a sweet build... can't wait to see the end result!

Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:19 pm

you guys are both rite... hehe.. thanx for the input..

Mon Mar 01, 2010 1:06 am

Hey bro!

Like I keep telling you on Facebook, you continue to amaze me with your workmanship.....might have to get you to come 'Down Under'and help me with my Notch!

You have been truly blessed with your talents!!

Aussie Paul (your friendly internet stalker! :lol: )

Mon Mar 01, 2010 7:13 am

(phone pic)

Went to visit the Ressurrection Project Shop this weekend! Thanks "J" for lookin out onda the T3 parts bro! "SWEET" Ride Ray & it was nice to meet ya!! Ur Guys work is inspirational & always good company!! Right on Brotha'z!! :D

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Mon Mar 01, 2010 8:55 am

Love it!!!!love it!!!! of coarce any thing chopped looks good you can chop a yugo and i would love it,i just wish i had the ba??s to chop my notch, maybe one day. GREAT JOB.

Mon Mar 01, 2010 9:59 am

looks good.... where can i find yall at on facebook?

Mon Mar 01, 2010 10:12 am

Just search The Resurrection Project

Mon Mar 01, 2010 10:34 am

thanx so much to all my vdub homies out thr shown' TPR the love... show season is just around the corner... "LETZ GET READY TO RIDE" *J

In this pic you can see how very important to not chop the dub to far because at one point the body lines will no longer oppose each other and you get what i call a quinkd' look in the body lines...(as you can see in the pic i pushd' the cut to the limit just before we lose that o so sweet factory flow) now dont get me wrong.. us ratters will drop the heck outta them and just rock the quink.. and i all good with that .. but for this chop i wanted a aggresive chop but still have nice flowing body lines! *J

Mon Mar 01, 2010 10:55 am

Todd5 wrote: looks good.... where can i find yall at on facebook?
thanx so much for askn'.. when you can go to my website and you will see several tabs to take to my facebook...my space....the samba...flicker photos...and so on... thanx so much... have a great day..
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Mon Mar 01, 2010 1:22 pm

Mon Mar 01, 2010 1:46 pm

thanks man ...ill look you up.

Mon Mar 01, 2010 3:36 pm

In this pic you can see how i over-lapped the two roof sections and positioned them just rite and the set the clamps in place.. at that point i made one clean cut rite down the middle then melt the two halves together.. :lol: :lol: :lol: