This is the largest top I have chopped yet!

Well I’d have to be the first to admit that this is one top that I’ve chopped I wish I didn’t have to do. Why? Because its a truck and not this truck.

I would much rather have chopped this truck

But this is not the truck I’m referring to.

This is a project I just kept putting off until the day came I just had to start it. As with any hotrodder we all have projects to start but there is a BIG BUT here as something always appears to take priority. So again we put the project on the back burner.

This project just lingered in my yard idle for 4 years, with the wife nagging for me to get rid of it. (does that sound familiar) Well I always knew I would get to it one day and that day had come in 2010. Now this truck had made me lots of money and I have had it for years, actually it’s the one I started my business with, so I thought why not give it a birthday and put it back into use.

It all sounds good in words until you start the task and as you do you find nothing goes to plan. Now this did need a large plan or a lot of planning once I made the first few cuts and once the first cut is made there is no turning back.

So what is this truck I have made my largest chop top on?

It is my original work truck in my Bobcat days, an International Acco Twin steer and they were prone to rust severely hence the need for a top chop, notice I said need and not want. This actual top chop is a little different than the normal chop you would do on any hot rod in the sense it had too much rust.

So I thought I might as well show what has kept me busy for the last few months and away from my 1936 Ford coupe, also from posting any articles on this blog, no excuse I know but it was a large job which to this day I have to complete the painting and assembly.

So here is a few photo’s just to show you.

I’ve got to keep smiling though as my coupe is next.

Chopping a truck and no it was not a love job.

The reason I did this was due to the amount of rust within the roof. So with another donor cabin I thought it would be easier just to change the top. This was left at standard height so sorry to disappoint you but I wasn’t doing this one to be a joy ride.

As with any top chop we all need helpers. Thanks Nev and Dad

I didn't just chop the top I'm putting all new skins on too.

The reason I did this was due to the amount of rust within the roof. So with another donor cabin I thought it would be easier just to change the top. This was left at standard height so sorry to disappoint you but I wasn’t doing this one to be a joy ride.

But wait there’s more!

I did not just stop at the roof I purchased new sides and front skin for the cabin and continued to remove the dead ones. What would happen if you raised a coffin after 10 years and removed the lid, ( hope I never do this) but everything would be rotten or gone.

Well the trucks bones or frame as it is was well past its use by date too. So the can of worms has been opened and the reconstruction had to begin.

Cutting all the rust out from the frames

No rust left here now, all gone.

Once all the frames had been replaced these were all treated with fish oil spray within and where items were to be covered the metal was primed and painted.

Fitting the new donor roof

The roof is nearly done , next is the new skins.

And now for the new skins

All galvanised side skins are being fitted

The new front skin fitted

“And when this is complete I can get back to my real Hot rod”

My current hot rod project, 1936 Ford 3 window coupe.

Happy Hotrodding

Here’s a few tips to help fill your roof in:

Every time we go to a car show you will always notice any hot rod that’s had its top chopped. Now this you would believe to be done by the owner or builder of the car. Now notice I said a builder, not necessarily the owner or the person that took over the project to be completed.

Within this article I want to share with you a project that was purchased with the chop top already done, but with closer inspection the proportions were not correct, especially to the trained eye for detail. At this point the infill had not been completed so I will show the results from the previous builder and how we went about correcting it.

To add a metal roof insert first you will need a donor roof from another car which these days it is generally from the current range of cars from the wrecking yards. You will be best to remove the whole roof through the pillars where as this will keep the strength in during transportation. If you don’t, you will have the largest floppy pancake which could end up being useless if it was to buckle on you.

On the left the roof shown is from a 1948 Chev which does have more contour, whilst on the right the roof is from a mid 60’s ford station wagon which does have the flatter section. Its really your choice as to how you want it to look or maybe the donor roof came free of charge, so with these decisions it will help make the correct choice for you.

The chop top itself was done rather well though there was too much metal removed from the original roof allowing for the infill. As with most larger cars from the mid 1930’s they had more crown within the roof and it wasn’t until 1937 that the first full roof with a metal infill was stamped from the factories.

Any cars from the 60’s – 70’s should have a greater crown within its roof than the modern cars of today. You can opt to have an infill rolled from a reputable rod builder who has an English wheel, though this will be an expensive option if it is to be done well.

You may not notice this, but with the above shown chop top there has been too much metal removed from the original roof line, in particular with the rear section. This will definitely make it look too flat. One way we were able to correct this was to use an original section from a 1936 Ford parts car and graphed it back on, a lot more work but this will give better results. You can compare the two below.

This is the result from too much metal removed in the rear

Now compare the original to the chopped too far version

To chop the roof is one step but to add the metal infill is another. Either way they all have to be done right to look pleasing to the eyes, do this wrong and you will surely devalue your ride. The next photo will show you with the mid 1960’s roof we had templated up and you can see the look you would achieve if you continued this way. Once the new rear section is added this will allow you to shorten the new infill leaving the original crown to keep the factory look.

This finished would look far too flat

Have you thought how can you hold this floppy piece of tin on your roof? Well you can get the help from mates who generally charge mate rates ( a couple of beers) or there is these little helpers called weld mates.

These are great little helpers

They make welding easier.

Have you noticed in the above photo the metal tabs I have left on to help support the infill, here is another look at what I have done. These were left on the roof infill as we cut the roof to fit the hole. You can do this just to help get the exact trimming done or weld the roof in and trim them off as you go. Either way they will be of great help too.

Metal tabs to help hold the roof infill.

The finished results were completed by hammer welding and its now only requirements is a skim of body filler to fill any imperfections.

The final result

Well I hope these tips will help you make more progress on your project.

Happy Hot Rodding

Lowering your Headlights on 1935 Fords:

Here you can see the standard headlight stanchions.

In this article we will show you how Rick Field, a hot rodder from Lithgow in NSW Australia has achieved the lowering of his headlights for his 1935 Ford Tudor. This method can be used on any headlights that incorporate the stanchions from the mudguards. With questions asked to various car buddies he could not find a suitable method to which he was satisfied with.

To do this on models like the 1936 Fords the stanchions are incorporated in with the construction of the mudguard, even with the fiberglass guards these both will have a different  approach compared to the 1935 models. To do the 1936 models, you could use this method as shown in the following photos, though most people prefer to modify the headlight buckets on there own. This is done with the removal of the headlight mounting point at the base of the headlight and raising this up into the bucket itself with a large enough opening to fit the stanchion in side, then using metal formed in the shape of an oval tube or similar shape you may choose and weld that in place.  The mount now becomes  further up inside the bucket. One thing you must consider. Make sure there is no contact with the headlight itself once installed.

Either way you modify your headlights, you can only go to the maximum the mudguards will allow which is usually 30mm to 50mm unless you countersink them into the guards.

So out with his only pair of headlight stanchions, (yes they are hard to find today) I will share with you how Rick went about altering his own.

First  you will need to find some stanchions that are rust free which can even be sourced from other model cars with similar mounting points. Just check out any old cars you might find in farmers yards or paddocks.

A standard 1935 headlight stanchion

Now you can compare the lowered headlight on the left guard with the untouched version on the right guard. You will clearly see the difference it can make. It all adds up to how many custom touches you can do with your ride. Using a billet grill adds more custom features. This way you keep the theme flowing throughout the whole project.

Here we have the modified on the left guard, standard on the right.

Now to do this Rick has made this quite simple, If you want to lower them, well just cut the required amount from the stanchions. Ok

You only need to use your imagination, as this is as simple as it can get.

Here you can see the many cuts Rick has made, as he now has to bring the centre in to match the top half.

Many cuts are required.

Here you can see where your limits are. Obviously to keep the headlight bucket mount horizontal you have only a certain amount you can shorten them by. Always remember the top has to fit back on or you can even modify that.

You will be limited on the amount you can cut.

All that’s required now is to weld them all together, a quick cleanup with the emery wheel and your just completed another stage of your ride. One thing I would do before welding is to remove the inner rust either by blasting or a dipping solution.

With welding complete a quick clean up, it's all done.

Here’s another look from a different angle.

Another really nice finished result by Rick Field

On this photo there is one more item to be shortened. That is the headlight mounting bolt. You can either shorten as you can see in the next photo or tap the thread up the shaft further and cut the excess off.

Last we need to shorten the headlight bolt.

You can see in the next photo how nice and neat they look when the headlights are tucked up close to the guards.

A much cleaner look for a Hi-tech ride.

Now go back to the first photo and just compare the difference between these two.

Thanks to Rick Field for this article, it all helps to solve those little jobs on your hot rod project that can make a big result when it comes to trophy time.

Happy Hot rodding

Dave Ailey.

Can’t find old mudguards? So you want to widen what you have.

Thanks to Rick Field for this Article.

Stewart Smith shows Rick how it's done using an English Wheel.

Well all you need is an English wheel! Now that’s easy to say in just words, but what about the fact you haven’t got one? Today there is many on the market for sale in various shapes and sizes with a selection of wheels to go.

Now if you find you don’t have the room in your garage, then check out some options for mounting them on top of your bench. This alone will save you room and they are usually cheaper items. Suppose your bench is no option even the space for a floor mounted unit  makes for a tight squeeze.

Well there’s two more options you can channel your thought’s too. The first is to join up with a car club and get yourself known within the members, easy to do at each meeting and quite often you can put your thoughts across within there newsletters for any help.

Clubs can have a designated meeting point usually once a month and this can take place at a local member’s garage or workshop. These workshops can at times have these heavy pieces of machinery so it’s all in a matter of just ask the right question.

The second option is to join a local Technical school which may have night classes for panel beating. These will generally have all these types of machines and with a annual fee per term or year, it makes great sense to become enrolled and learn the skills from teachers. To have your self a coach is always a great way to start any project.

Within this article I will share the following photos of the widening of 1935 Ford rear guard’s using an English wheel. At first Stewart Smith the panel beater did the first guard, showing Rick the skills to perform this at home. Now it looks easy and it is once you have honed the initial skills on some practice panels first.

Wide rubber usually means wide guards.

Now these are the second set of wheels and tyres Rick has purchased for his 1935 Ford Tudor. Not happy with the first, on to ebay they went. Now with his new wheels above, he needed to perform improvements from the so called previous builder. I’m sure you will see why.

Yes that’s metal tubing used to strengthen the joins.

Replacing previous repairs that are just not to Ricks standards.

So out with the old:

Out with the old

And in with the new:

From flat stock, its hard to do this with out an English wheel.

By using an English wheel you can achieve results with a curve as above.

10 inch rubber will fit nicely under those guards.

As I have mentioned in previous articles, it’s all about the look:

Tack welds help make it easy.

Now you will have to widen the running boards to match, but remember its all in the look.

Nice welds make it easier to file finish.

Nice welds performed by Rick are done with the use of a Tig welder and experience I might add. These don’t throw out as much heat into the panels which in turn gives you an easier panel to complete.

No expensive tools here.

At first its easier to start the forming of tight curves with the aid of a domed mallet and a log of wood, generally cut to waist height to save the old back.  All you need is to create a concave affect in the top of the log as you can see here and start creating the curve.

Watch those thumbs!

Final shaping can be completed with the English wheel.

All that’s left is some final treatment with the hammer and dolly and final welding.

It started out as a sheet of flat metal.

Now take a look at a stock standard guard just to compare the difference with the wider look.

You can clearly see the difference.

With the use of an English wheel you can form the crease down the middle to achieve the crisp look.

Nice crease down the middle too.

Its hard to fault workmanship like this, with the amount of curves in these fat fendered rods it makes it easier with the use of an English wheel. As in a previous article I show you how it can be done by using the sections from donor guards but it all comes down to how many dollars you can afford to spend on your hot rod.

Metal finishing might take time though it sure leaves a great job.

All this fine work is the results performed by Rick Field. With plenty of practice he has now proven your can be perfect.

Beautiful workmanship in metal

Now for all those that think Rick is a metal craftsman from way back, you had better think again. This is Ricks very first Hot Rod , a 1935 Ford Tudor which he bought as an uncompleted project. A perfectionist he is and I have to admit after witnessing some of the repairs performed by the previous owner , I can understand why he gave up his time to learn and perform this fantastic metal work. It looked good from an untrained eye, but once you get them home and have a proper inspection, you can only hope you have not got your self a can of worms. The workmanship Rick has performed has all been done in his home garage, bar the stint with the use of the English wheel. So you can see the results you can achieve by learning a few skills with the guidense from a coach.

Now you don’t have to go out and spend all those big bucks on an English wheel either. This next photo will show you what friends are for. Ricks friend and buddy hot rodder made this English wheel for him. Why not he thought he was making one for himself , so why not make two. All they purchased was the hardened wheels to suit. All in the fun of this hobby we call Hot rodding.

Great job for made at home.

Your in Hot rodding:

Dave Ailey.

P.S…. Now sit back and check the operations in using an English wheel. Oh remember to count your thumbs before you start  your own project too. In case you would like to know : The English wheel was first used to make armour back in the days when the only thumpin you could here was from the horses hooves during a battle.

Do you want to fit big rubber under those rear guards?

If he had widened his rear guards the tyres would fit!

Well in the 80’s the look of air between the mudguards and tyres was accepted as Hot rod material. Today in 2010 it’s quite the opposite with air bag technology. So what can you do to fit bigger rubber under the rear guards? At first thought we just think to drop the suspension  and it will all look great.

Now that looks better. Wider guards allow this.

Now this is the exact look I’m applying to my very own 36 Roadster. Just love that profile… Sweet as.

Well there’s more to this than you think. Firstly you have to consider how will you drop the ride height, do you have a fat cheque book or a wallet full of credit cards? If so then air bag suspension is the way to go. Though if you plan on building or even modifying your current ride and dollars is a concern, most would lower the springs or use lowering blocks within their leaf springs.

But there’s something else you must consider, will your tyres fit under the guards?

Rick Field has filled his wheel wells with big rubber on his 1935 Ford Tudor. All from his home.

Will you have to put up with narrower tyres, they don’t look as good do they?, at least not on a fat fender rod. You could go the expensive method a fit a tubbed chassis underneath!

Well I want to share with you in this video that follows the method I used to widen my rear 1936 sedan guards onto the likes of a roadster or coupe. These have the rear quarter panels curve around further than sedans. Now this did not cost me anymore than $ 50.00 for a pair of shabby front guards off a totally different fat fendered car from a major  swap meet……. Notice I said front guards!

To widen the rears there was no need for any English wheel machines, just my time and some oxy welding.

So check out how I did this on this video:

P.S…If you have a slow connection on your computer, click play then hit pause and go grab a stubbie or cuppa and come back in 5 when it’s loaded, then click play.

Happy Hot rodding:

Dave Ailey.

Witness this great weekend had by all at the 13th Street Rod Nationals at Mantorp Park in Sweden.

Sit back and enjoy:

Witness the 2009 Americas Most Beautiful Roadster Show for 2009.

Discover what owner’s have applied to their hot rods for a chance to win this most prestigious award which has now been organised for over 50 years.

Sit back and let your mind wonder over these beautiful pieces of workmanship whilst creating your own ideas for your hot rod.

Witness the first land speed vehicle , the Thrust SSC to break the sound barrier.

There’s no need to add words to this video, it’s just shear engineering at its best. This great achievement was performed on the Black Rock desert Nevada.

Sit back and witness the guts and the glory of all involved: