Skilled body workers - is this possible?

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Feb 28, 2011
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Chattanooga, TN
My Car
72 Mach 1 H-Code (Concourse)
67 GT S-Code 4sp
A friend and I were talking over a couple of beers during the Super Bowl and the discussion moved towards cars (like they usually do). We started talking about some of the old school rods and customs. The question then came to, COULD YOU CHOP THE TOP ON A 71-73 MUSTANG FASTBACK? I know my limits and body work is at or near the top of the list. I think the A posts would be doable, the question then comes to the quarters and rear glass. We went out into the garage a visualized some possible cut lines to lower the rear roofline, but did not have any aha moments. I thought I would throw this out to the 7173 community and see if someone had any ideas. I am going to go back and look over the Pegasus project to see if that was completed on that car. Bessemer, AL is not to far from Memphis. I have a thousand ideas spinning around in my head for the next 71-73 car. Now to get the current one done and see what the future holds.

 
Yeesh - why would someone want to do that? Chopping the top would lay the back glass down even flatter.

It's possible (anything's possible) - and it's an interesting idea. I think there would be SO much more work involved (in the way of fabrication from scratch), since most vehicles that get chopped have more well-defined A, B, & C pillars (and less sheet metal on each).

Just my $.02 - not as a professional, by any means, but rather someone who's been inside of the quarter panels and thought "I am SO glad I would never want to chop the roof on this car." (OK - that last part was added for effect...) ;)

 
I am not talking a drastic chop, possibly 1-2 inches at most. Our opinion from this weekends discussion is that it would visually stretch the car out giving it a arrow 'like" look. I do agree anything is possible for the right price and paying someone with the right skills. It does not look like Goolsby Customs tackled that on the Pegasus project. I emailed them just to inquire what their feedback was on the possibility of it. I am tending to lean towards a blown pro-street design for the next 71-73. I am also conteplating the sale of the 67' for the seed money. My dad wants me to hold onto the 67 GT. I am really torn on that thought.

 
I've seen it done on Fieros before, that's a pretty low car and honestly, you don't typically notice it unless you see one chopped, but if you see pics of it at stock height and chopped you then wonder how you never noticed how much too tall the stock roof line looks.

The lines on these cars short of bridge the gap between muscle cars and supercars, they have hints of both in their body shape, it's not hard to see where something like a 71-73 mustang fastback could morf into something like a Pantera. I bet that chopping the top would push it further in that direction (I might try photochopping it some time if I ever find any spare time).

That said, how to do it: I've never seen a fiero in process but I know that unlike an old school chop, they do not mess with the windshield, they cut the pillars and set them back something like 11*, keep the windshield the same size. That said I would probably take the same approach on the mustang. I'd section the roof, one cut right behind the windshield, one right in front of the back window, cut the A-pillar so you can set it back, cut the c-pillar area near the top so you have a piece shaped like the a-pillar and then start laying things down and trimming and bending. _I think_ you could kind of fudge the body lines a little to keep the rear window look like it's an extension of the same plane like the trunklid, but I'm not positive (you should be able to see it in the photoshops before cutting real sheet metal) if not then you still have 3 approaches:

- cut down the rear glass and just shrink that opening, that will maintain the body lines but might make the roof look too long (again, a photochop can tell you that), the fact that you're laying back the front windshield might compensate, or you might be able to fix it by chopping the back a little more than the front and sloping the roofline back

- try a gently curved rear glass- this will take a ton of bodywork and I don't feel the results will be worth it

- an inset piece of glass, vertical, or nearly vertical, sort of a notchback or like what some of the lambos have. the first two could be done so it just looks like it has a killer stance, so someone just looking at it isn't quite sure what you did to change it, this one will be noticeable, it will change the body lines. Depending on how you do it starting with a Grande might be easier/cheaper.

As far as the headroom, you can lower the seat mounts something like an inch or 2 that would cover most people, you can also go for a lower profile seat that mounts closer to the floor (like the typical fiero seat) but that might make the car difficult to drive for short drivers.

 
I'm just trying to visualize the job. I would think the chop would have to start at the taillight panel and wedge forward. That would be a ton of work on the B pillar. Due to the roofline the trunklid would need to move along with the roof.

 
I'm just trying to visualize the job. I would think the chop would have to start at the taillight panel and wedge forward. That would be a ton of work on the B pillar. Due to the roofline the trunklid would need to move along with the roof.
Since the Sportsroof's beltline at the rear quarters is about 2" taller than on the coupe or convertible, would it be more efficient to graft a Sportsroof section onto one of these? I chopped this photo from a convertible (grafting a Sportsroof to it from another picture):

15i9pv6.jpg


Granted, getting the front windshield right on this thing may be suicide, but it might work.

Something about the quarter window doesn't sit right with me though - too small. The kickup doesn't suit the lower design, though I'm not sure about the following alternate either:

dp72ap.jpg


A steeper front windshield with the original quarter does the trick though. Good luck trying to find a window to graft in there that doesn't look it. I also brought the rear axle forward by 2" - I think it balances the wheelbase and rear end out better than stock (goes for a non-chopped '71-73 too).

xg3gh.jpg


Still not an improvement on a design that was pretty much perfect to start with. It sure looks as if it can make mincemeat out of some 1970's Italian supercars though.

Now...can we turn it into a mid-engined monster? :D

-Kurt

 
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This is good discussion guys. CudaK888 like the photoshop ability to see what it could look like. I would tend to go with your first rendering incorporating the upsweep in the quarter window. OK day dreaming is over, time to get back to work on the current project.

 
Those Fieros look sick (I had actually considered getting a Fiero when I first joined the Air Force in '86 - so I'm a little biased).

I can't see the Kurt's pics from here at work, but I'm now kinda anxious to see a chopped '71-'73 fastback now.

Good stuff!

 
Those Fieros look sick (I had actually considered getting a Fiero when I first joined the Air Force in '86 - so I'm a little biased).

I can't see the Kurt's pics from here at work, but I'm now kinda anxious to see a chopped '71-'73 fastback now.

Good stuff!
Yeah I heare they are really hot cars:s

G.M. Plans Recall Of 244,000 Fieros, Citing Fire Hazard

AP

Published: January 24, 1990

The General Motors Corporation will recall 244,000 four-cylinder Pontiac Fieros -every one ever made - because of a nagging engine-fire problem that contributed to the company's decision to stop making the two-seater.

The Fiero was an immediate sales success when it was introduced in September 1983, but it was discontinued five years later, partly because the consumer advocate Ralph Nader had charged that engine problems were leading to fires.

General Motors has not decided when the recall will take effect or what kind of repair work will be performed, Tom Pyden, a spokesman for the company, said Monday. But he said General Motors had notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that the company would conduct a recall.

General Motors is working on the procedure for a recall, he said, adding, ''Until that point, it is premature to come out and notify owners and dealers.''

Second Recall for Fiero

Tim Hurd, a spokesman for the highway safety agency, said the agency received a letter dated Dec. 28, 1989, from General Motors saying the company would recall the cars

 
CudaK888 like the photoshop ability to see what it could look like. I would tend to go with your first rendering incorporating the upsweep in the quarter window.
I agree! I'd love to see a rendering that shows the curved rear fender well, then the fastback top having more of a "boat tail" look... kind like the old Rivieras. That would be a pretty cool look.

 
Those Fieros look sick (I had actually considered getting a Fiero when I first joined the Air Force in '86 - so I'm a little biased).

I can't see the Kurt's pics from here at work, but I'm now kinda anxious to see a chopped '71-'73 fastback now.

Good stuff!
Yeah I heare they are really hot cars:s

G.M. Plans Recall Of 244,000 Fieros, Citing Fire Hazard

AP

Published: January 24, 1990

The General Motors Corporation will recall 244,000 four-cylinder Pontiac Fieros -every one ever made - because of a nagging engine-fire problem that contributed to the company's decision to stop making the two-seater.

The Fiero was an immediate sales success when it was introduced in September 1983, but it was discontinued five years later, partly because the consumer advocate Ralph Nader had charged that engine problems were leading to fires.

General Motors has not decided when the recall will take effect or what kind of repair work will be performed, Tom Pyden, a spokesman for the company, said Monday. But he said General Motors had notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that the company would conduct a recall.

General Motors is working on the procedure for a recall, he said, adding, ''Until that point, it is premature to come out and notify owners and dealers.''

Second Recall for Fiero

Tim Hurd, a spokesman for the highway safety agency, said the agency received a letter dated Dec. 28, 1989, from General Motors saying the company would recall the cars
Yeah - Ralph Nader. The same guy who killed the Corvair. I had a hard time taking him seriously when that was all going on - just seemed like he had a hardon for rear-engine GM products to me ('any' 4-8 yr-old car will catch on fire from engine problems if not properly maintained :rolleyes: ).

Besides, once I had a chance to actually sit in an '84 Fiero 2M4, I was pretty much over it - not to mention, I had already purchased my '82 Mustang as well.

 
Kurt, Can you leave more of the curved fender well on the car?
I'll have to dig up the original photo again. Unfortunately, not much of the original Sportstoof kickup is visible in the modified shots, even though it is there.

-Kurt

 
0724fire.jpgYeah - Ralph Nader. The same guy who killed the Corvair. I had a hard time taking him seriously when that was all going on - just seemed like he had a hardon for rear-engine GM products to me ('any' 4-8 yr-old car will catch on fire from engine problems if not properly maintained :rolleyes: ).

Besides, once I had a chance to actually sit in an '84 Fiero 2M4, I was pretty much over it - not to mention, I had already purchased my '82 Mustang as well.

0724fire.jpg

 
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