Ratboxs Pink EK coupe

Smooth customs · Post by **Smooth customs** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 11:13 pm

After looking at these photos, how about you build a chopped Wagon

Harko · Post by **Harko** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 2:59 pm

here here ...
I can think of a million things that would make a wagon look better , Im just scared your gonna join the restorers club

I think we know you have got ideas but wonder why your not gung ho full bore into it !

fb cruisin · Post by **fb cruisin** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 4:49 pm

The SA ek 2 door used to live not far from my hut at Maryland.
He called himself Mr Tubbs and done rear tub conversions on cars.
cheers Rob

mrs ratbox · Post by **mrs ratbox** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 7:40 pm

he didn't do the tubs on that car, unless he redid them

mrs ratbox · Post by **mrs ratbox** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 7:44 pm

there's been that chopped two doored one from QLD, the biggest thing stoppin' me from choppin'
SCREENS if they weren't such a headache

i'de be into it

Smooth customs · Post by **Smooth customs** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 7:55 pm

I have the fibreglass pattern for the front screen

Just need a body to chop, for setup. And a spare $3,500 for the furnace mould and the test screens

Mephious · Post by **Mephious** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 12:49 am

Best chopped sedan Ive seen Mick as Ive said before !!! I dont like what became of it however

Harko if you can pull off the same mate it will definetly be a standout !!!

mrs ratbox · Post by **mrs ratbox** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 12:01 pm

he will it wasn't hard at all

Post by **Blacky** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 6:42 pm

Paul, how much has been taken out of the screen mould you have and how was the car that the screen originally was made for chopped ? i.e. , was the roof widened or the pillars pulled in ? If there are a few people interested in chopping a car , and a common screen could be made available would it just then be a matter of everyone chopping their cars in a similar way and using a Smooth Customs screen ?
If you could find 5 starters who are willing to cough up $1000 each for 2 windscreens which is pretty bloody cheap then everyones a winner !

mrs ratbox · Post by **mrs ratbox** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:13 pm

HEMI wanted some build pics

when flames go bad

looks like someone else's car wonder if i'll have everybody blowing wind up my arse

Smooth customs · Post by **Smooth customs** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:04 pm

Blacky

The pattern I made was of a stock screen
A customer wanted his ute chopped 3" and a list of other work as well.

So I made the pattern, thinking I would do the basic chop as soon as the job arrived and get the custom screens under way while the rest of the work was happening

I intended to just drop the roof and adjust the screen posts. Cut down the pattern till it fitted and then send it out to have the Furnace mould made.

A few days before the job was to arrive the guy changed his mind!

After the furnace mould is made, a screen would possibly cost between three and five hundred dollars. This would cover manufacturing costs and a persentage to the furnace mould cost.

This is based on a set of screens I had made three years ago for another job. Possibly there would be a small persentage rise in that time, or maybe not.

At the moment I have no plans to take on any more work or special projects as I have two jobs that will keep me busy for the next six months.

After that I have an EJ project for myself, and then I would like to get back to an FB EK custom Scotty and I have been contemplating for possibly six or seven years.

Thommo · Post by **Thommo** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:35 pm

Gday Ratbox
I see on the chopped coupe that you didnt' make the roof wider to align the pillars,
just leaned the pillars in to suit the roof(much quicker & easier)

Question is:- how did you get a windscreen to fit?

I've always thought the wrap-around windscreen prevented the post leaning method!
Easy for early cars with flat or curved screens, but not wrap-around.

Cheers
Jeff

Smooth customs · Post by **Smooth customs** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:51 pm

Mick will have to explain what he did for the screens

A wrap around screen can be cut several ways. With tapered posts the screen needs to be cut on the lower trailing edges to remove a wedge shaped piece. This then lays the screen back and the side sections can be trimmed as well as a band across the top.

Doing it this way, the vertical cuts become tapered.
But all laminated screen cutting is a hit and miss deal.

Post by **Blacky** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 8:59 am

Just a thought Paul, there is quite a bit of talk on this forum about chopping and the biggest drama is glass - sharing the cost of the initial 10 screens may give everyone a head start.

mrs ratbox · Post by **mrs ratbox** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:01 pm

when i did that car there was a loop hole in the rego laws here that said, "IF" the vehicle is fitted with glass it has to be approved saftey glass, so i took it for engineers and rego with no glass in it which at the time was perfectly legal then after rego just put lexan in
but i think that loop hole has been closed now
last i heard i beleive it does have a glass screen in it now