There's no two ways about it, a customized classic truck with a chopped top is more than just plain badass, it's as cool as it gets. But just like a new tattoo, it's the ultimate commitment with no going back, so it's best to get it right the first time. Sure one can cut off their arm or buy another truck, but who wants to do that?
Although written in the second tense, the actual work in this story was done entirely by Carmen Porco alone as he chopped the top on his Big Window '57 Chevy. Considering this was the first top Carmen has ever chopped we have to give him props for really taking his time and discovering some really good tips that we could pass on to CCT's valued readers. There are two common ways to chop a top, one is to bend the posts to meet without stretching the roof, and the other is to stretch the roof to realign with the stock glass dimensions. Carmen learned from a professional glass guy that bending the posts is the wrong way to go about it, unless one doesn't care if they can put their windshield and windows back in. Next, armed with the knowledge that the roof must be stretched to fit properly, Carmen chose to fabricate new sheetmetal pieces to fill the gap. Back in the old days when good roofs were plentiful, guys would cut the filler pieces needed from a donor truck and then weld them in. Old or new sheetmetal, the best way is to flange the filler strips and weld them in instead of trying to butt-weld the roof back together. The next hot tip, is to take your time and don't allow a lot of heat to build up. Once the roof's metal has been overheated and warped, its takes a skilled bodyman to repair the damage. So there you have it, don't bend the posts, don't butt-weld, and never tattoo a girl's name on your arm unless you have two or three spare arms.
 |  Careful measurements were...  Careful measurements were taken at each window opening to determine the stock window openings. After the cut these measurements should be exactly 2 inches less |  A position on each post is...  A position on each post is located that has parallel sides. The 2-inch area to cut is marked. |
 Bracing the cab lower section...  Bracing the cab lower section by tack welding in struts is essential to keeping the cab from springing (moving) out of shape. |  We choose a Sawzall to do...  We choose a Sawzall to do the cutting, but a hacksaw, cutoff wheel, or plasma cutter will work just as well. The top is being held in place with a cherry picker. |  The cherry picker makes the...  The cherry picker makes the job much easier for one person. |