Chopping tops is always the big-ticket custom alteration. It makes a big statement and a big impact. However, it also makes for a whole range of headaches when it comes time for putting the whole thing back together and adding the finishing touches to the car.
You can step back from chopping a top and rightfully congratulate yourself on a job well done, but don't get too complacent-there's more to come. Much more. Just when you thought you were done, it's time for the window garnish moldings.
On this shoebox, the hardtop chop made for a simpler job of the garnish moldings. We ended up with only one opening on each side of the car, which simplifies things a bit. We're really only making one big window surround that has one section of it free to move with the top of the door. Another benefit was that because there were no longer any B-pillars, we had plenty of unused metal for which to make filler pieces. More often than not we found a piece that fit with little or no alteration.
