Need Advice Floor Replacement & Top Chop

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popeye

Member
Have a 36 Coupe that needs floors and maybe the door sills replaced. Also will be chopping the top a couple of inches. Just wondering where should I start first.

Replace the sills and floors then chop the top or chop the top and fit the doors then replace the floors.
 
popeye said:
Have a 36 Coupe that needs floors and maybe the door sills replaced. Also will be chopping the top a couple of inches. Just wondering where should I start first.

Replace the sills and floors then chop the top or chop the top and fit the doors then replace the floors.
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You may get better results with your question on a hot rod forum.
 
A good example of a cool 36 not chopped.
 

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Check with Paul Bradley, he may still have some `35-36 floor pans available.

A stock `36 coupe is very desirable just the way it is. But it is your car and to each his own.

Shadetree
 
It is a 3 window. I think they look best with about 2" taken out.

Just did not think about posting on the HAMB.

I plan on making my own floors. They will not be correct replacements but should work.
 
popeye said:
It is a 3 window. I think they look best with about 2" taken out.

Just did not think about posting on the HAMB.

I plan on making my own floors. They will not be correct replacements but should work.
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Stop! Three windows are perfect as is. OK now that my opinion is out do alot of research before you ever hit that with a blade. I've seen many three windows chopped too much and easily spotted as fugly. You are messing with perfection and that's a slippery slope. A few look great and you have to ask yourself what was done to the car, I hope that's where you are headed and not the other. It is your car and have fun doing it, just practice restraint and planning.

Tim
 
You may want to think a bit before you chop that 36 3 window - they are beautiful the way they are and much rarer in stock body configuration then chopped - my 35 3 window has been comlpletly restored with a 300 hp blown flathead under the hood - remains stock bodied - just a thought.:D
 
Sills and floors need to be done first. Actually, get the doors fitting right first, then the floors and sills. There's no need to weld in misalignment. Get the rest of the rust out of the body before any chopping is done. It leaves you with the stongest and most stable body sructure.

Be careful with the top. It is an extremely difficult body to get a good looking chop. If you're asking which to do first, I'd recommend having someone experienced in top chopping around. This is a MAJOR modification that can easily sideline your car permanently.
 
Like others, I advise chop last... Try to find one you like, cause once it's done you can't go back... Take a side photo, print it large and cut up the photo... Last thing I'll say, I would leave it- combination of what Dave72dt just said, and I like the original lines... And it's a TON of work... Just my opinion... Karl
 
Long Story,
I bought a 2dr sedan a couple of years ago. Do not like the body style. Why I bought it, thought it was too cheap on ebay :eek: so I bid, woops.

I have also boought just about everything to convert it to a 3 window. I did list everything on ebay but got tired of the emails saying I was too high on my price. I did talk to one guy from Vegas and he has built several cars like this. He said the first thing to do is brace everthing up, make a cut line on the sedan quarters leaving all of the floor intack. Put the coupe body on and tack weld it together. Cut the windshield post and tack weld it up, then chop the rear about 1/2-1" more than the front. Fit the doors and finish welding the car together. Now it is time to replace the floors.

I do not think he is correct but I have never done this :confused:
 
A chopped top on a coupe makes it look like a tank turret. There are a lot of cut up cars on the market and originals are bringing more money. Some of my friends say they wish they had not butchered their car after spending a bunch of money. They usually try to sell them after a few years and they never get what they spent on them.
 
If I read all your post correctly, I am now understanding the build you want is a chopped coupe roofline on a sedan body. 2 dr or 4dr? Coupe doors? Whatever doors you plan on using need to be fit to the body first. That will ensure they will fit after you've cut pieces out. The idea of panel replacement is to keep the body as stable as possible throughout the process. Taking the top off a car with weak floors and bracing is not as stable as taking it off a car with solid floors and bracing.

You've never done this kind of work before either. Another good reason to start on the floor. It's less visible and by the time you finish it, you may decide the top is too much for your expertise and you haven't destroyed the car at this point.

Laying out cut lines is tough and you made it tougher by not starting with a coupe. An experienced hand at this will be invaluable.
 
Do the floor first and while you are going through all that pain in the A double S just think that this aint nothin compared to chopping that top and the doors and window mouldings and making it fit. As hard as it is to find a 36 3 W, I wouldnt dare stick a saw in it :eek:.Thats just my 2 cents worth, but its yours and I respect that.
 
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