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Mon Mar 15, 2004 10:40 am

Just wonderin if anybody has chopped a ghia top and would like to share the expierance. I think it clean up the look incredible. Some of the chopped beetles i've seen are just wicked :twisted: and i would like to incorperate some of that wickedness into the ghia im working on. Theres not enough Rat, volksrod ghias so its kinda hard to find this kinda info on ghias.

Mon Mar 15, 2004 11:22 am

You are a sick man. I'm sure someone's done it before, but getting glass to fit would be a problem, since it is curved. I don't actually think the ghias need any "cleaning" as far as their looks and lines, but to each his own.

Mon Mar 15, 2004 11:32 am

Did you originally post this question in 1987 and it just came up now? I wouldn't do it, but its your car! Are you going to shave the dash too?

Mon Mar 15, 2004 11:38 am

Make sure to get some nerf bars and a stinger too.

Why must you ruin a Ghia? Go chop your Pinto instead.......... :roll:

Mon Mar 15, 2004 4:54 pm

my bad. forgot i was in the "old guy nostalgic stock car" forum. Better head on over to the volksrod forum were people still have some creative energy left in them.

Mon Mar 15, 2004 4:59 pm

my bad. forgot i was in the "old guy nostalgic stock car" forum. Better head on over to the volksrod forum were people still have some creative energy left in them.

Mon Mar 15, 2004 5:19 pm

TBone, don't listen to these purists snobs. It's your car. Unless they buy it from you, hack away!

Anyway, there was a fellow here in OKC who had a chopped 1965 Ghia. He said the windshield from a mid-60s Chevy truck would cut down perfect to fit the opening. I think he cut it with a 3" drop to the front.

Remember, it's your car.

Mon Mar 15, 2004 10:55 pm

Hell yah weener man! and by the way, my uncle swares by your signature (the red green bit).

Tue Mar 16, 2004 12:58 pm

Chopping any top is a ton of work. I've done lots of Ghia customizing but never a chop. The reason being that in my opinion the roof is a work of art as it sits. That's not to say a chopped Ghia would not look great. I've seen several that were very nice. I widen Ghias by welding in flares for a slightly more "what if they raced at Lemans" look which I think is still in proportion with the rest of the car. I've had many people ask if the roof were chopped when the car is just wider.

No matter what anyone says, there are a lot of Ghias still out there so don't let that disuade you if you are set on chopping the top. You should learn gas-welding as it is the best way to get a high quality job of metal-finishing. You will need to be very creative with drawing out how you plan to do it. You will need to learn something about metal-shaping. And you might search for a book about chopping...can't remember the name of it. Check out: www.runtrod.com for chop articles. You should use a flow strip as pictured in my album to help with the flow between the different sections of the roof:

http://allshops.org/cgi-bin/community/communityalbums.cgi?action=openalbum&albumid=9980138836765

Check out "other albums by John Kelly" at the top of the page while you are there more custom work.

In my opinion, a very subtle 2" chop would look very nice. I've seen a super radical chop on a Ghia race car (about 10") but this is unrealistic for the street, and would be tiresome after a while.

John www.ghiaspecialties.com

Wed Mar 17, 2004 10:57 am

Thanks John. I have seen your work in the past and your a very talented metal shaper. I need to get some books on metal shaping and learn how to gas weld (shout, i need practice migging) , and i totally agree with your views on choppin.

Wed Mar 17, 2004 11:11 am

Have a convertible so don't need to chop the roof :D but know a man who is about to chop :twisted: I have just sold him a roof 8) will ask him to send pictures. If roof chops turn you on, go for it!!!

Wed Mar 17, 2004 1:37 pm

I've not done this but my boss did when he was young. The trick is getting the pillars to line up again. Say you chop 3 inches out of the four corner pillars. If you simply drop the top down the ends will not line up. You have to section the top by cutting it into four pieces. A cut down the middle north-south and another cut east-west. Now when you put the top back down and line up the pillars you should get a gap, say 1 inch, at all the cuts. Hope this helps.

The slick part is filling in the gaps so no one can tell. Metal working at it best me thinks. Glass is then your next challenge. Its only money, right.

Good luck,

Ed S
Tucson

Sat Mar 20, 2004 2:20 am

An iteresting idea popped into my head. Chopped Ghia Fast Back. It would be hard to get all the curves and shapes to match the rest of the car, but it would make for a unique body style. I've driven a ghia and this roof chopping leaves me with only one question: if you were to chop the top, where would your head go? I'm barely over 6 feet, but there is no way i could sit comfterbly in a ghia if the roof was say 10 cm lower. I hope it turns out good... don't forget to post pictures on here of the process.