52 Chevy, mild custom

I've had this car for years. When I had it out at the barn that a few of us turned into a garage I use to play with it when I didn't have anything else to do. It's been sitting around a long time but every once in a while I do something to it.
I got this on 8-2-2006. I Found it on ebay. Ronnie and I drove down and hauled her back up her. Why a 4 door? They are easy to find, cheap 2. I got this one for $550.oo . Engine is good and it has had the seats redone and new carpet put in it. I know it looks like a pile of crap but I got a hammer and a welder.Give me some time and will be beating around town (I hope).


The plans when I picked it up were, all the door handles, trim ,locks ect.will be shaved. Slammed with skirts(bagged maybe). 5" front 6" rear chop top. Rework the headlights,fins and taillights a little. I wanted to rework the bumpers but it matters what I could find. Black primer with some (gulp) traditional style pinstripes. Maybe rub the primer down for and older look and let time do the rest. Driveline will be ?350/350 with a 308 gear in the rear with after market A.C. Something cheap on gas.

When I got it to the barn and strated to play with it I seen that the rear door skins where rough. year of dirt behind the chrome did a number on the otherwise decent car. I alway liked the Buick trim but didn't have the cash for it even if I could have found it. With the door skins shot it didn't bother me to cut into the 1/4's and start to make new body lines. this gave me the buick trim look I liked and also took car of the rott on the doors. I figured this thing would never get past primer anyway and was going to be a bomber or jalopy of sorts so the back doors could be welded up.


Round stock was used for the frame work.

Depending on which way the car was sitting showed how I had room to work. My garage is not big enough!

I took some flat stock and bent it to the roundess of the top of the fender and then welded it on. Also a french headlight job was in order. The buckets were moved to the back of the fender and the bezels were welded onto the fender.

A little mud work and they were done on one side. I also rounded the hood corner.

I went out to the other house and picked up the 52. I towed it down to Johnny's house a day or two before the chop top session. The day before the chop Corey and I took some time to pull most of the trim and the side windows.

The day of the chop some of the guys showed up early and ripped out the seats and carpet

We pulled the 52 off the dolly and shoved the gasser on the dolly. The 52 ended up in the garage and before long everyone was working.
Front glass had to come out.

The rear window was marked where it needed to be cut. Cole and I taped up the glass to keep welding and grinding sparks off of it.


Bill Ryan did most of the cutting on the car. I got a kick out of him. He wasn't afraid to jump right in and start cutting. I like that! lol

Back glass is out and off came the door posts.

Me putting in a saw blade and wondering if I should mark the measurements and inch lower than what I had already.

On to the A pillars!
5 3/4 of and inch was chopped out.

Don't throw anything away was said a few times lol

The sail panels were next!
6 3/4 of an inch was taken out of the back.



How many guys does it take to saw one cut? plenty if the thing keeps hanging up. lol

Break time.


trimming some interior braces sometimes along the way.

Next came the B pillars. I should have taken a few pics of this because this is what most questioned. What we are doing is dropping the lid and pulling it forward. so the B pillar that is part of the roof will have to be cut and moved back to meet up with the B pillar that is on the lower part of the body.

The roof is free and moved back to finish up the cuts

After eating and goofing off we went back to the garage. We shoved a couple of guids in the a pillar and slid the now lower roof over it's new post. We trimmed up some more of the rear of the roof so the rear glass would look and flow right.

The back glass was tossed on the car so everyone could understand the roofline and how it flows back now and doesn't just look like a big bubble on top on the body.

Small details is what makes a good lookin' chop. Like saving the rounded parts of the windows so everything flows good. A little trimming and they are welded back on.


Here is a better look at the B pillar I was talking about. The bigger piece is cut then moved to line up with the bottom of the b pillar. You cut the roof just enough to line it up. Take the part you had to cut and move it forward to fill in the gap. Easy!

The rear side window frame is all tacked in

Riggs IM'ed me to let me know he didn't want his butt showing on the forum so I fixed it for him.

much better thank u very much. i about pissed myself when i seen the new picture that is 2 funny.

the thin sheetmetal that devided the front and rear door was heated and hammered back flush with the rear door and then weld to it.

The door post were welded back together. Most of the time you can use the side pieces you cut off the post to add what you need to make it longer. This time the piece was to short so I used a piece from the rear post. It was a little tall and had to be worked to get a good fit but she's in there.

The shears we used leaves little rolls about 80 thousands of an inch wide. Just right to fill the rear door. Unroll it and start tacking.

The back used a few pieces to get the roof to roll to the back glass. Again I used the english wheel from Harbor Frieght that everyone on HAMB was knocking. If you get use to which way the roll is and how you want the metal to bend , it works GREAT!

Are you ready to turn this thing around and do the other side yet ?

big dogs 42 wrote:Are you ready to turn this thing around and do the other side yet ?

Getting close. lol

I don't like sharp edges so I want everything rounded.






Take the piece you cut off the door and weld it to the body. I also had to bend and weld in a filler to close the inside of the now new door opening.

I still have the B pillar on the other side to weld in but Amy was driving me nuts wanting to see some mud work.

WOW! You are really making some progress. Wish I could get you to come down and work on mine.

silveradolady wrote:WOW! You are really making some progress. Wish I could get you to come down and work on mine.

find another roof off a nova or something for a donor and we will chop your Pontiac. I could get a few guys to come down and you get some of the CCC crew and we will make a weekend chop. I've only seen one body style like yours chopped and it was on tv. looked pretty wild though

I like rounded corners this thing looks like it could come out pretty cool if you need help just screem i can be a plastic magacian at least thats what i have been told but they could be lieing to me!!

ITS LOOKIN KILLER!.....JUST WISHED I COULD HAVE BEEN THEIR TO HELP OUT ON THE CHOP. I LIKE CUTTIN STUFF UP