chop top advice

[Garrick Clark]

Hi guys i'm after some advice on taking a few inches from my roof.I'm building a street/strip car from a 71 bug ,all the welding is done.i've skinned the rear quarters also.I have been looking at the Deep Passion Oval in the Indawerks section.From what i have seen and read the fire wall is dropped 5cm with the rear of the roof still attached to the fire wall.If i then cut a section out of the B post and lower the roof down to its new position it looks like the the section of the B post that is still attached to the roof is now narrower than the rest of the B post that is attached to the bug.So do i need to pie cut the roof skin and spread out the tops of the B post to meet the lower portion of the B post.
I'm planning to keep the rear window the standard size,lower the B post and lower the front screen.
Just trying to get the procedure right before i do the cutting.
Cheers for any advice.

[TexasTom]

CALLING Rick Mortensen!
Rick Mortensen to the GOLD PHONE!
You're needed in the Lounge ... LOL

TxT

[Fast Eddie]

massive job but worth it if its done right. the only thing i recommend is chop the rear screen as well. i did a chop on my first bug in 1997, and left the rear screen full size. in my opinion it wouldve looked better chopped, so i was never totally happy with it even though the rest of the car looked good.
i used 2 roofs cut and shut to widen and lengthen it.

[Neil Davies]

If I'm reading your post right, you've looking at taking the roof off through the A and B pillars, then cutting the C pillars and across the firewall to keep the rear screen and vents, and even the decklid hinge mounts all together. I've seen it done this way a few times - Ken Blomer's Automanics chop tops were done this way. Problem is that as you drop the roof down, you have to move it forwards to keep the windscreen angle right, then sort the B pillars out (they are sometimes slanted, sometimes cut away from the roof and moved back into the rear quarter window). Finally you get to fix the back of the roof down, but this is where the problems start. The top of the firewall has moved forwards, so that needs to be chopped out and the engine bay needs to be panelled in with aluminium. No biggie really. Next, the joins where the C-pillar meets the rear quarter get really messy - the swage line above the chrome trim can almost disappear, and the engine bay top corners are further forwards - easiest way to cover that is by raising the rear fenders. Then the decklid doesn't fit any more as the hinge mounts are further forward and lower down, so a rear wing and airbox are made to cover the gaps, and this also means that the tinwear won't fit in the engine bay either! For a full-on race car with the airbox, raised fenders and big wing then it car be a nice way to do it, especially if you're getting rid of the inner arches and panelling it all out inside.

If I was doing the chop, I'd follow the Volksworld articles from the late '90's when KS built Flashback. Nicely proportioned, straightforward build process with just a single weld over the main roof skin. You can make the side windows rear corners quite a tight radius like Tar Babe or a big open curve like the Keith Goss chop - this make a huge difference to the look of the car. You do need a second roof though!

Mine was chopped with a slight wedge chop, which very rarely looks right, but removing the gutters hid the wedge nicely! Only 3.75" out of the front, and 2.5 out of the middle.


Final thing to remember is that for any altered roof vehicle, you'd have to be a complete moron to even consider racing it without a cage. Not just a roll bar, but a complete six point (minimum) cage.

[Garrick Clark]

Thanks for the replies guys.Good advice there Neil.
I've read all the different ways of doing chops and have chosen to do a slant look of sorts.
I have started it and its looking good.so what i have done is to cut 2 inch from the B post.From the top of the B post i meassured 11cm of drip rail.This is the straightest point of the drip rail, after 11 cm it starts to curve.from this 11 cm point i cut over the roof.mines got a webasto sun roof so this cut just went into the sun roof hole.Next the C piller was cut once from the end of the drip rail to the middle of the side window curve.the rear of the roof now leans forward.To get the drip rail to flow properly on the A post i had to remove small sections of the A piller  untill the drip rail curve  looked right.i've took a measurement and the front screen area is 3.5 inch lower.Were i made the 11cm cut i need to add a small piece of roof section from a donor vehicle as the roof is now longer.I've got the B post to cut off and relocate in a verticle positiion as its slightly slanted forward and prefer it standard looking.This is as far as i've got.Al try put some pics up.
Cheers.

[Garrick Clark]

Hi dubbers.I've been chopping, cutting,grinding my choptop bug i'm doing for ages now,  and have come across a bit of a prob with it.the chop is going well,the a,b and c post look equall and after measuring are the same.the roof skin has a large square cut into it.The problem is the roof at the rear on the driverside has a hump on it and is'nt equall in shape to the passenger side and seems to be under a bit of tension.anyone had this before,should i just piecut it at the tension spot on the roof to see if goes back into shape.
Cheers for any replies.

[nightmair nick]

one nice how-to-do-it-corretly...not mine but seen on a french forum..it may help..
http://www.old-droppers.com/index.php?showtopic=35808

[Garrick Clark]

Nice 1 nick.not seen it done like that before.Did some relief cuts today removing some steel tension and all is now good,now wondering how to have the roof skin.either standard looking or flat like the SUMFUN Drag Racer,Am swaying towards the flat top version or perhaps fitting a lexan sheet to it, but still flat style.

[rick m]

Having worked through many different chops over my VW lifetime....the French version is the way that gets the best roof angles and nicest finished roof contours.  I like using a full skin on the top as well, as it keeps the stock appearing roofline.  They did a very nice job on the roof and pillar sectioning.  Very close to how I like doing one, except I do not cut off the drip rails.  I use the rails to help align my roof sections and pieces as it goes back together. Pictured is me in 1972 with a 67 chop top body I was working on.

Rick Mortensen

[Garrick Clark]

A late reply,bin busy on other folks dubs.Thanks for that rick.Just got hold of a doner roof off a 65 so has the smaller rear window.would ya say that the large window needs to be made smaller to get the proportions right or leave it as it is.Am still torn between a large 1 off sun roof,1 that pops on to the outer edge of the roof, problem with that i'm seeing is when driving in rain,how to keep the rain out,i'd have to weld in some sort of lip to the outer edge,might work,might not.Flat tops,standard look,decisions,decisions,the full skin welded up tight into the edge were the gutter is would be the easiest way.

[dragvw2180]

Chop tops look real cool but if you are 6'1"  like me it's a little hard to see upwards out the windshield. My new car is going to have stock winshield instead.
 Mike McCarthy

[Garrick Clark]

Thats a good looking bug you have there.Looks like a standard C pillar and a pull down on the A and B post