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Ford Shoebox - A Little Off the Top: Part OneHow to Chop a Shoebox Ford the Right Way From the February, 2009 issue of Rod & Custom By Dan Kahn
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When the Pierson Brothers coupe roared down the salt half a century ago, it set the rodding world on its ear as an early experiment in aerodynamics that put the roofline so low, even midgets (oops, we mean "vertically challenged people") could see over the car. Since then, taking a few inches off the top has become standard fare in this hobby of ours, and when it comes to building a traditional custom, slimming down the roofline is practically a requirement. Think of the Hirohata Merc, The Rose, Cadzilla, or even the Pharaoh's Sled in American Graffiti. Unfortunately, time marches on and the led slingers who made names for themselves in decades past building killer kemps are starting to take their leave of us, and the time-tested ritual of hacking the roof off a perfectly good automobile has become something of a lost art. That's why we decided to show you how to lower your own lid with help from veteran metalman Scott Guildner of Guildner's Kustoms in Van Nuys, California. Scott has removed a lot of roof tin in the last few years and has made quite a name for himself in Southern California's traditional hot rod scene, a fact attributable to his excellent craftsmanship and eye towards period-correct detail. In fact, the shoebox Ford project we followed along for this story was but one of three different customs receiving a squashed roof at the shop, including an owner-built miscarriage that Scott had to cut and re-weld after someone else's misguided first attempt. Which brings us to a warning: The project we are going to show you here requires patience, planning, and some welding skills to boot. Don't run out to the garage with your Sawzall in hand, thinking you can have your roof lowered by the weekend. Take some pictures of your ride first, and do some experimenting to see how low you want to go. To get a better visual use your computer and the Photoshop tips we outlined in the December '01 issue, or for the less computer-inclined crowd simply cut up a few side-profile snapshots and paste them together on paper with less roofline...it will get the job done. Once a plan has been made, it's time to take action, which means lots of masking, measuring, and cutting. Scott always takes as little off the roof as possible and does most of his trimming on the car, as it is a more stable platform on which to cut. He also recommends taking off a little at a time and being conservative with your cuts. Remember, it's a lot easier to take a little more metal off than it is to add some back on. Okay, enough with the preamble already, time for the fun stuff. Follow along as we take our measurements, cut off the lid, and remove about 5 inches of extra meat from an otherwise perfectly straight old shoebox. Then, some cutting, tweaking, and welding are required to get the roof to fit back on the car properly, but the looks will already be improved. Next month, we'll fit and weld the back window, finish-weld the whole roof, and begin the process of filling and smoothing. Stay tuned...same sled time, same sled channel.  These are the tools of the...  These are the tools of the trade: masking tape, a Sawzall, a straightedge, two Dremels, a pneumatic nibbler, and a tape measure. It's important to have several different types of cutting implements handy, because strange angles and double-wall steel panels are common in a project like this.  Scott recommends masking off...  Scott recommends masking off every cut before it is made, so you can get a general idea of what needs to be done. Mark off the sections of the A- and B-pillars you want removed. The doorframe is typically cut higher up and then shortened separately after the correct roofline is achieved. Of course, it goes without saying that all the glass should be removed from the car, as well as all trim, brightwork, and flammable or valuable interior items you want to save.  Since a windshield can be...  Since a windshield can be cut down and back windows cannot, the best way to tackle the problem is by cutting the entire roof below the window, then removing the window entirely. After the top is chopped and shortened, the rear window will be laid back for a smooth look.  Cut the top lines first and...  Cut the top lines first and leave as much material as possible on the car, as it is easier to take material off a relatively solid car than it will be to cut the flexible roof once it's lying on the ground.  Scott uses a Sawzall for most...  Scott uses a Sawzall for most of his cuts because a torch would warp the metal and plasma cutters have a tendency to spray back in your face when cutting double-wall metal.  Once the A- and B-pillars...  Once the A- and B-pillars have been cut, remove most of the window frame, leaving about 4 to 5 inches of metal on either side. Because the top narrows as it gets closer to the roof, the doors won't line back up and won't close if they are left uncut. Hence, it's easier to take metal off now and shorten it to fit once the rest of the roof is finished.  The package tray behind the...  The package tray behind the back seat needs to be cut out for better access to the back window. This can be welded or riveted back in once the top is back on the car and the rear window is in place.  Once the package tray has...  Once the package tray has been removed, the vertical cuts below the quarter-windows can be made, but don't take the big slice that will remove the roof from the car quite yet. It needs to stay stable so the window can come out smoothly.  Start your first cut with...  Start your first cut with a Dremel fitted with a cutoff wheel, then take over with the Sawzall for cleaner cuts. Work smoothly and slowly, keeping in mind that the window needs to fit back in the frame once all this insanity is over.  Once the back window is out,...  Once the back window is out, set it aside where it won't get damaged. It won't be needed again for several steps.  The last pieces of metal keeping...  The last pieces of metal keeping the roof on the car are the C-pillars, which Scott takes care of in a few quick slices with the Sawzall. If all goes well, the top won't budge even with all of its mount points cut.  Devoid of glass, headliner,...  Devoid of glass, headliner, and trim, the roof is surprisingly light. Put it safely aside for a bit until the proper amount of steel has been removed from the posts and it can be set back on the car again.  Instant convertible! With...  Instant convertible! With the top off and your masking tape still in place, the next step-chopping-won't be difficult.  Cut the windshield posts first,...  Cut the windshield posts first, but be careful not to hack up the window frames in the process. Always cut at the edge of the masking tape, which will ensure straight cuts that all match up with each other.  We took 5 inches off the front...  We took 5 inches off the front posts, and the B- and C-pillars will be trimmed once the roof is back on the car.  Scott lines the posts back...  Scott lines the posts back up and sets the roof in place to see if the front is low enough. Keep in mind that everything is just set into place and held by gravity; don't do any welding at this stage.  Next up, 4 inches are taken...  Next up, 4 inches are taken off the back, which will ensure a slight rake and proper lines on the newly lowered roof. Once again, use the edge of the masking tape as a guideline for straight cuts.  With 5 inches missing from...  With 5 inches missing from the bottom of the C-pillars, the roof now sits nice and low but is missing some serious structure where it meets the body. Don't panic-this will be fixed with some simple patch panels down the road.
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