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The Hard Top Chop- Part III

Unboxing A Shoebox
February, 2009
By Simon Watts
Hardtop Chop
Hardtop Chop
With the front and side pillars... 
   
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Hardtop Chop
With the front and side pillars taking shape, Jay could now turn his attention to the rear C-pillar and glass area.
Hardtop Chop
If you can't get your hands... 
   
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Hardtop Chop
If you can't get your hands on Cleco clips, use the next best thing-some self-drilling and tapping screws.
Hardtop Chop
This allowed him to push the... 
   
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Hardtop Chop
This allowed him to push the new panel down flush with the roof so it could be tack welded together flush.
Hardtop Chop
Once the top edge was done,... 
   
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Hardtop Chop
Once the top edge was done, Jay started on the bottom edge.
Hardtop Chop
He did the top edge a little... 
   
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Hardtop Chop
He did the top edge a little differently. He started at the middle and worked his way out to one side only.
Hardtop Chop
Obviously we're trying to... 
   
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Hardtop Chop
Obviously we're trying to make a flat piece of sheetmetal do the job of a panel that has compound curves, so it's not always going to come along quietly.
Hardtop Chop
Where the side of the new... 
   
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Hardtop Chop
Where the side of the new panel meets the roof, Jay used the same trick as he did along the top.
Hardtop Chop
Before Jay fired up the welder,... 
   
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Hardtop Chop
Before Jay fired up the welder, he cut a small slit in the roof along the top edge of the panel to separate the exposed roof from the part under the new sheetmetal.
Hardtop Chop
Jay test-fit the rear glass... 
   
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Hardtop Chop
Jay test-fit the rear glass so he could eyeball how everything was coming together and check whether it was all to his satisfaction-which it was.
Hardtop Chop
Another relief cut was still... 
   
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Hardtop Chop
Another relief cut was still required along the top of what was still left of the rain gutter (the rain gutter will end up being cut away and smoothed) to give that area of metal a little more freedom to move around.
Hardtop Chop
Jay then marked a relief cut... 
   
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Hardtop Chop
Jay then marked a relief cut that ran up the middle of the roof side.
Hardtop Chop
Now that Jay was happy with... 
   
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Hardtop Chop
Now that Jay was happy with the flow of the window into the roof, he could tack weld the rear of the roof panel to the body.
Hardtop Chop
Now that the existing metal... 
   
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Hardtop Chop
Now that the existing metal was pretty much where Jay wanted it, it was time for the first filler piece.
Hardtop Chop
He then trimmed the roof panel... 
   
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Hardtop Chop
He then trimmed the roof panel to fit the shape of the vertical piece of the old C-pillar coming up from the bodyline (this was the panel left over when he cut the roof away at the rain gutter).
Hardtop Chop
Another small piece went up... 
   
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Hardtop Chop
Another small piece went up into the roof relief cut.
Hardtop Chop
Here's the finished product.... 
   
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Hardtop Chop
Here's the finished product. Well almost.
Hardtop Chop
The largest filler piece was... 
   
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Hardtop Chop
The largest filler piece was cut out and trimmed to fit.
The Nostalgia Ranch
Indio
CA

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