This truck is looking damn good, as if that wasn't to be expected from your work, grats man! Can't wait to see her all done! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

Who'd ya sell 'ol Blue to? Ya get what ya wanted?

Icu_Runnin bought it, didn't get what I wanted really, but at least it is with someone that will take care of it and didn't end up in the North to Rust out...

Got some stuff done. Raised the tank, tore out the rear axle and springs. poped out the rear glass and started cutting for the top chop. Looks like I may end up going with coils up front cause I don't want it to sit much higher than these pics. I don't think I can do that with leaves.

Cut some more of my top today. I'm pretty close to putting it back together. It should be interesting.


Some how I will need to make some bed rail caps to hide this crap.

I staggerd the top cap to retain the bevel of the roof ribs. It would look like ***** if I just cut it straight.

To keep a little intergrity I cut above the drip rail for the roof section and only went a little forward of the inner support







Cutris, I'll be calling you soon <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Sweet man, looks great. I've got a question for you though, how hard was it to remove the rear side windows??
I've got some rust under the seal I have to repair on mine.

Was really easy. I just used two screw drivers and started on the inside working the seal loose and applied a little pressure. Once it starts moving you can almost just push it out by hand.

The Chop Top is looking good. That's how I wish I'd cut mine after I did it. The rear cap is a lot easier to splice in with a flanging tool when it's cut like that.

I hope you left the lower window lip in place. I can't tell. Take a body hammer and dolly and fold the lip over flat. Then spot weld it down flat. It will give you more stength that way. Then you can make a cap to weld over it or Bondo over it. I suggest a steel cap. ( I don't like Bondo) You would not believe the stess the body has there while flexing. Air Toopers lip was ground off and butt welded and it has cracks all over it. I folded my white Troopers body lip and so far it's still stong.
I PM'd you my Cell # last night so we could hash this out if you needed to. But, it looks like you figured it out without me.

Now fold some angles and weld to the top of the bed for the rear cap to weld to that bottom rim. Then flange both verticle edges and make a panel to fill the gap. Punch some holes in the fill panel and spot weld through it to the original body. It will be easier to clamp that way and weld up. Then do the same to the inside panel. If your new panel overlaps the seatbelt hole (with a hole for the seat belt bolt of course) it will restore the strentgh to that cap for the seat belt.
Clear as mud? I told you there was too much to type.

Wanna come down when I splice the 4 door and 2 door Trooper bodys together? The jig is going to be enormous. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />
Gonna be a bodymans nightmare. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />


Curtis

Well I did cut the lip off so I'll reiforce it some way. I am also planning to put some angle under the bottom lip to spot weld to. Instead of using a flanging tool (which I would think would be hard with the corrigation of the roof), I am going to cut a 2" strip off of the roof section I removed and use it under the butt joint, also spot welded and stich weld the entire joint. I've got some 2"x1/8" angle that I can make a top rail with and can weld the body skin to it for strength. I'm still not sure how i'm gonna make that window you gave me look right. But I think I can use the roof section I removed to make the lower front portion of the bed, (under the window).

Just use some 2 inch flat steel strips of 8 to 10 gauge and weld over the top of the bed rail for strength. That lip will fold flat real easy with a body hammer and a dolly under it for support.

I am going to use the left over top part for my lower back wall as well. Then get some flat 16 gauge to make a double panel upper section, then cut a hole in it for the window. IF you run a "U" lip with a bead roller along the edge you'll get the offset you'll need for the lip on the back where the door trim went. Then it wil all be flush on the back wall. And, have enough reinforcement to keep the oil can effect out of the cab. Heck, a little spray foam between the wall panels and it would insulate it as well.

Too bad your not closer, we could have a ball getting this thing going.

Later,
Curtis