Roof chop wizard needed

FiSe

Have this plan with my Skoda pick-up, it sits in my head for a while now and I think, that it's time to start doing something about it, although no rush...

It goes: chop the roof, take 1inch of it and weld it all back together. Sounds easy, but I know there's a lot of work and measuring and cuting involved. I have no time and wouldn't trust my self with my limited skills...

So back to start, does anyone know anybody who did this before and who will be willing and able to do this surgery on above mentioned van?

colm_mcm

do you intend on making the doors shorter, it sounds like a pain in the arse of a job, is the pickup already modified?

also why would you do this?

AlanAhern

your messing with the chasis. deemed a write off when you touch it.

FiSe

It's still pretty standard, this chop, if it happens, should be the biggest thing done to it... honestly, thinking about suicide doors

Obviously the doors needs to be shortened as well, will need a couple of spare ones. Glass needs to be shorter as well as lots of 'unimportant' plastic covers inside.

Why would I do this, the cab is way too high, when the bed is open. It's probably only 'my' thing but as I said I have this plan in my head. Don't want to go into some details here, it's only an idea, but wider, lower, brighter is my motto on this one.

I know it's a tricky business and that's why I'm trying to find somebody who has some experience and is good in what he does, I mean good. But it can be done and it was done before on other cars before.

colm_mcm

best advice you could get is to start with the "Fun" model sold in the UK. save you a lot of hassle. they have sliding rear seats that slide out into the deck.

Standard models over here are poxy.

FiSe

colm_mcm wrote:

best advice you could get is to start with the "Fun" model sold in the UK. save you a lot of hassle. they have sliding rear seats that slide out into the deck.

Standard models over here are poxy.

Have standard '99 1.9 diesel nearly 2yrs now. Dont like Fun types anyway, they have some nice features - bodykit, but petrol engine and those rear seats are pain in the neck, if you want to keep it as a 'standard red neck truck'

colm_mcm

Have you ever considered getting an old shape Caddy pickup?

loads of modifying potential as lots of parts shared with Golf.





the skoda pickup was actually sold as the VW Caddy in some markets!

NeilB

A roof chop is a HUGE job. Think about it.... if you chop a couple of inches out of the door pillars, it is not just a case of sticking the roof panel back, you have to cut it into 4 pieces and extend it outwards to fit back on.....:eek:

FiSe

I know what's involved... And that's the reson why I am looking for someone better with MIG welding yoke than I am.
Anyway, I might got someone at this stage, but as I said before, there's no rush on it, will take a while before I get all bits and pieces together /if I decieded to go ahead/.
I am considering another option. Which will optically bring that bloody roof down.

I am not one of these cowboys, who starts something and then leave it in the shed and then go and get another car. This should be - and is - my daily drive, spiced up a bit and hopefuly looking good.

Don't want to go into details here...

colm_mcm

I still don't get why you don't start with something decent and work with it, I know the Skoda pickup is rare and unusual, and a well modified one would turn heads. but they're nasty to drive, you'd need a TDI conversion to make it driveable, along with brake and suspension upgrades. Add to that the dodgyness of chopping the roof, and it all starts to seem like a lot of effort for minimal gain.

But if you have a vision of something great, then the last thing you need is people telling you you're nuts!

FiSe

1.9 it's a big engine, don't get me wrong, bit lazy from zero speed, but flyer once over 80km/h. Easy on diesel too.

Suspension, needs some labour alright, but nothing too serious, brakes are grand, but hopefuly, will get four disc conversion as well, at some stage.
Otherwise bit unsteady in the bends, but it's a van, it drives better with two bags of cement in the bed.

Still didn't get this "...start with something decent..." bit. You mean Glanza, Civic, or some jap import? This country is awash with them already and you can't fit a chopper on one of these :rolleyes:

colm_mcm

I respect that you're trying something different, but the Skoda pickup is basically a Felicia, and in my opinion looks rotten to start with. Personally I think you're could pump money into this yoke, and at the end of it, you'll still have a slow non turbo diesel Skoda that's technically a write-off.
By start with something decent, I meant something like an old shape Caddy pickup, as pictured above, or an old style Transporter pickup, or even a Ford P100


I realise that the other cars listed here aren't exactly fast either, but I think they look a whole lot better.

FiSe

I know there's better looking truck out there, BUT...

When I was in process of shopping for a pick-up /plan in my head already/ I had to choose:
- 4x4 or not 4x4 - I hate them
- will I get a more exotic looking yoke which will need some work done to it even before I will be able to use it as my everyday transport or will I stick with not-so-exotic, but still rare van in good nick?
- I'm planning to stick with my pick up for few years to come, so, cost of spares and service and availability of these
- running costs of everyday use, reliability, etc.
- and ofcourse purchase price

Was thinking about old caddy first, but again we are living in Ireland and vans in general are having hard life here. So far, I haven't found good VW Caddy around here /stopped looking about a year ago/, this Sierra pick up - myth, import them, too hard to find too much of hassle for very uncertain future and still you can't get '99 MkII Golf, P100 or VW/?/ Transporter, have a '72 Beetle by the way... And so I know, that speed is for those who have nothing else to show

Anyway...

colm_mcm

I'd still have the older VeeDub.

There are still a few honest ones around, and if you're considering heavy mods to the Skoda, then you're prepared to spend a few quid?

Sorry, this is turning into me trying to talk you out of keeping your motor.

FiSe

No worries, I know that Skoda wouldn't be the first choice for today's modifier, but niether would be Caddy or any from above mentioned pick-ups.

The good thing about Skodas is, that spares are cheap, and some kits are available as well, for example, parts for face-lift will cost me 500 yoyos /complete brand new frond end - bumper, bonnet, wings.../ you can't beat that. Hard to find the right wheels, though...

Money will be spent as they go, spread the costs, I'm not a lotto winner and there are other projects and comitements as well.
Speaking of which, sent an email to FC Autostyling last week, just to get some rough info about arch widening, still waiting for them to come back to me...

colm_mcm

Have you considered grafting lights, grille, bumper from a completely different model, aybe Fabia onto the pickup? It would be tricky, but no less bonkers than chopping the roof off.

skibum

Just came across this Beetle roof chop pictures, and thought of this thread.

A lot of time and money went into this beetle.

vespahead

your looking at labour costs of over 5000,no lie,for something that wont repay you 5000 for the hole car when your done,im not tryin to say dont do it different courses for different horses but if u do find someone to do this who has experience which is doubtful it wont be cheap nd all 4 an inch

FiSe

Thank for replies, as I said earlier, I have someone already, who would be able to do it for me, if I decieded to go that way.
Currently looking at another options how to optically lower this high roof. Still, no matter what you try, there's plenty of work involved and as this is my daily runner I have to plan carefuly and well ahead before I start chopping and fiberglassing and panel swapping.

First thing first, so am rebuilding my workshop, getting busy with my paint messing and with many other things, so it looks like the big beggining will be next spring - at the moment :cool:

Blitzkrieger

*bump

I was considering a similar project so I thought I'd bump this thread rather than start a new one.....

I'm toying with the idea of buying a coupe and turning it into a covertible. The coupe has under-floor strengthening and pillar-less doors. Basically I'd was thinking of chopping the roof behind the windscreen, the b-pillar at the top of the door and underneath the rear window. There's a folding hard-top version of the same car so I was hoping to somehow get my hands on a roof plus all the motors and stuff. Possibly the boot too - it would have to hinge at the other side in order for the roof to fold away.

Does anybody know of a company that does customisation projects like that? I remember seeing a program on RTE years ago where some company would turn your Beetle (1960s model) into a convertible but I have no idea what they were called.

masseyno9

So you want to buy a standard coupe and make it into a hard-top convertible like one that already exists? Would you not just buy a hard-top version of it?

Maybe i've missed something, and i'm not trying to be smart about it, but at the moment, personally I just don't see the sense in it.

colm_mcm

Blitzkrieger wrote: »

*bump

I was considering a similar project so I thought I'd bump this thread rather than start a new one.....

I'm toying with the idea of buying a coupe and turning it into a covertible. The coupe has under-floor strengthening and pillar-less doors. Basically I'd was thinking of chopping the roof behind the windscreen, the b-pillar at the top of the door and underneath the rear window. There's a folding hard-top version of the same car so I was hoping to somehow get my hands on a roof plus all the motors and stuff. Possibly the boot too - it would have to hinge at the other side in order for the roof to fold away.

Does anybody know of a company that does customisation projects like that? I remember seeing a program on RTE years ago where some company would turn your Beetle (1960s model) into a convertible but I have no idea what they were called.

sounds like a complete waste of effort.

Blitzkrieger

The coupe version is available with a bigger, turbo charged engine. It's got a different gearbox, transmission, lsd, suspension and extra rigidity in the chassis. It probably would still be easier to swap the whole lot over.

FiSe

You can get kit to turn standard Betle into roofless Beetle without any problems, just check the web, if you are interested. Beetle -the real one, not Golfbeetle.

If you would try to cut roof of any other car, I'm affraid you have to design all paraphernalia yourself.
And don't forget insurance, NCT and all this stuff. It'll be virtually imposible to get such conversion back on the road.