Archie's chop's/Mikes windows results. (Page 9/31)
troyboy AUG 24, 07:40 PM

quote
Originally posted by joshua riedl:

The pictures are on the first page and you guys are still arguing. They can be made to fit just like I made them fit but they will require a lot of adjustment. As far as the crooked roofs go, I tend to believe it has more to do with the hard top vs sunroof, they aren't perfect from the factory and don't even match the rear clip on a stock hard top fiero. There is a huge bubble in the middle and curves down to the rear where it meets the rear hoop and levels out. Believe me I've fought the battle and have looked at a lot a cars. Now stop acting like babys, if you want pictures to show what needs to be cut to make them fit let me know.



I agree it's time to stop arguing, I'm no closer to glass now than before. What I need is if someone knows of a place that can make the glass fit or close to it ( not 355 glass, I don't like the cut) please just pm me.
troyboy AUG 24, 07:43 PM

quote
Originally posted by jmbishop:
Troy thats 3 now that I know of that claim they have seen the crooked roof.



PM sent
joshua riedl AUG 24, 07:49 PM
http://www.curvedglass.com/ Here you go. I know it's not safety but it's also not tempered. Order a piece. Take it somewhere local and have them cut out the shape you want, drill a couple holes and send it in to be tempered. Just tell them it's for a china cabinet. If you want something with a DOT sticker then just go through the same company Mike did. Maybe the curves won't be perfect but you can get the shape perfect. It isn't nearly as complicated as you guys make it out to be.
DL10 AUG 24, 08:14 PM

quote
Originally posted by joshua riedl:

They can be made to fit just like I made them fit but they will require a lot of adjustment. .



I thought you had to buy another roof section and rechop your car to get them to look right.

joshua riedl AUG 24, 08:22 PM
I did on my first chop yes. If you give you your email address you will see where I need to move the seal to center it on the glass on this chop. I also need to trim the door a little more because the plastic window mount rubs. Once I center the glass the gap will be hidden by the 1/4 window and nobody will know. edit because I actualy bought 3 roof sections trying to fight the bulge in the center of the roof I was talking about before. Still to this day it's not as good as I wanted it. This car I got perfect though.

[This message has been edited by joshua riedl (edited 08-24-2008).]

MstangsBware AUG 24, 09:40 PM

quote
Originally posted by jscott1:

Can Mike's windows be installed...obviously anything's possible. Would be be perfect? Obviously not. Good enough? Hard to say.




There is only one way to find out---Have Mike install the windows you have from him in your car and see. The offer is out there, its just waiting on you to accept.


MstangsBware AUG 24, 09:44 PM

quote
Originally posted by troyboy:


Being that you have critiqued so many of Archies chops, I'm sure you have pic's to show these imperfections, right?

I'm still looking for the post that Archie even mentioned NTFC unless your saying that all Texans that drive a Fiero belong to NTFC.




Why would she have any reason to make all this up? Her opinion in probally one of the most unbiased ones you will find on this topic.

When you mention Texas Fiero Clubs there is only one that comes to everyones mind and that is NTFC. We are the only active Fiero club that is in the whole state of Texas.

And when you get your car back from the shop, guess what? Your car will have the same flaws in it as the others do.
madcurl AUG 24, 09:54 PM

quote
Originally posted by MstangsBware:


There is only one way to find out---Have Mike install the windows you have from him in your car and see. The offer is out there, its just waiting on you to accept.




Isn't that venture redundent, for all of Archie's choptops are the same. The sample that was sent to the glass shop was test fitted on several choptops in house (#020, #21, #022). Granted, a few items have improved over the years (interior pieces made of fiberglass, roof dip-corrections, speaker re-location ex...) and now sun roof correction. If the sample used cannot be 100% made to perfection, I'd be happy with a bit more curvature and a better fit vs. F355's glass. Will it involve some "tweaking"? No doubt yes, but it would be less if the curvature is increased and a true fit around the upper B-pillar corner. As for F355's glass, IMO it's a good start, but like anything else one can improve upon a original idea, especially since all 25 V8 Archie choptops are created equal and are not compatable with homebrew choptops.

Archie is currently on a delivery vacation, so will let is own words speak for themselves.




quote
Originally posted by Archie:


The planning & design work we did before building our 1st chop top was very extensive. That planning worked out to be pretty good considering that we've now built 20+ of them that are exactly the same as the 1st one. We spent more time planning the method of our chop top than most couples spend deciding to have children. In the end, that planning has been proven by the test of time & function.

As far as putting down homebrew chops, you've never seen me do that. I'm a lot like Curley, I love them all. However, a chop that widens the roof or uses a different windshield, is not for me. Bless the people doing it, but it's not for me. I have to admit that I've had some phone conversations where the caller & I have discussed why some people chop their tops in a certain way. It's almost like some don't even think their way thru something before they start cutting. They don't ask themselves "is this the best way to do it?".

You might have said that I charge too much for chop tops. To build a chop top that is a complete product that I can be proud of with well finished interior & the welding & body work done just right is a looser at the $3995 that I have been charging. Will Martin built his own chop & he was the 1st to tell you that he'd not do another one for that price. As we approach #25 I can tell you that the price is going to go up a bit to reflect what it really costs to build a finished product & pay the bills while doing it.

Archie





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"Friends don't let friends drive stock"

[This message has been edited by madcurl (edited 08-24-2008).]

jscott1 AUG 24, 09:55 PM

quote
Originally posted by joshua riedl:

http://www.curvedglass.com/ Here you go. I know it's not safety but it's also not tempered. Order a piece. Take it somewhere local and have them cut out the shape you want, drill a couple holes and send it in to be tempered.



You honestly expect someone to have a china cabinet glass making company cut curved glass to fit a chop top?? And then somehow cut holes in it and temper it? And that's easy? I'd like to see that process demonstrated before I throw my hard earned money at it. I think it's every bit as hard as we are making it.

The reason I bumped this thread was to talk about making new glass. I appreciate the suggestion, but it doesn't sound too practical.

Right now I'm just trying to make my car reliable enough to drive, not interested in taking it apart and cutting on it. But that day may eventually get here.

As for the bickering, name calling and insults, I would prefer you guys take that somewhere else. It's not helping the chop top owners to get glass.
joshua riedl AUG 24, 10:07 PM
yes, glass can be cut and sent in for tempering, I've done it twice and it's not that dramatic. I dont' think it's a good idea to install cabinet glass but you are being unreasonable. You can't have it cheap any other way. You can have it DOT approved but you will have to pay. i dont' have anymore advise for you other than the answer to your problems is staring at you every time you open your closet door.