CHOPPING
“Chopping the top” goes back to the early days of hot rodding and is an attempt to reduce the frontal profile of a car and increase its speed potential. To chop a roof, the pillars and windows are cut down, lowering the overall roofline. Some racers on the dry lakes chopped the tops of their cars so severely the windows were only a few inches tall. These were sometimes referred to as “mail slot” windows. This sort of bodywork is also popular on custom cars, kustoms, and leadsleds. Roof chopping also quickly became very popular with drag racers for much the same reasons as it did for lakes racers.
CHANNELLING
To channel a car the body is lowered over the frame by removing the floor and refastening it higher inside the body, causing the body to rest closer to the ground without altering the suspension. The overall effect is to give the car’s body a more massive appearance. Each automobile would have its own engineering challenges as far as modifying the various components of the chassis. Local laws may prevent making the modifications too extreme, and safety would dictate some restraint. Channeling is also popular amongst hot rod, leadsled and minitruck enthusiasts, though the latter refer to it as a “body drop”.
SECTIONING
Sectioning removes a horizontal section from the body of a car, lowering the top half onto the bottom half, and welding the result back together. The purpose is to reduce the overall height of the bodywork of the car. Like a roof chop, it also has the advantage of reducing a car’s frontal area and reducing wind resistance. This sort of bodywork is popular on minitrucks, race cars, kustoms, and leadsleds.
CONSULTING
Before the first spark of a welder, customers meet with Ron Cambra and discuss visions for the project. Pictures, magazines, books or even a drawing on a napkin is enough to get started. Once we understand the style of car you want, one of our professionals will put your ideas on paper
PAINTING
At Cambra Speed Shop, we leave the paintwork to those who are true artists with a spray gun. We can make the arrangements with many of the painters that we work with or if you have a paint shop you have worked with in the past, we can use them too.
ASSEMBLY/CHASSIS
After paint, the car comes back to Cambra Speed Shop for wiring, final chassis work and assembly before going off for upholstery.
UPHOLSTERY
Again, we use a variety of upholstery shops. It depends on style or the interior or the customer’s preference.
FINAL DETAIL
After upholstery the car comes back to Cambra Speed Shop for final assembly and detailing. Every nut and bolt is checked and double-checked to ensure that it’s as perfect as can be. Once the car is road tested and certified as another Cambra creation, it’s off to the show!
LIGHT FABRICATION/MECHANICAL
Mechanical work, chassis work, light fabrication, blasting, grinding and polishing take place in the light fab shop area. This shop also serves as the first stop for a car that is about to undergo a Cambra Speed Shop makeover. Some of the equipment in this area includes a hydraulic shear, brake, mill, lathe, bead blaster and polisher
HEAVY FABRICATION
This is where the hardcore cutting, chopping and grinding take place. Tops are chopped, floors are made, doors are gapped and fitted, engines are set and transmission tunnels are cut. Some of our heavy metal working equipment includes a metal former, power hammer, shear, shrinker/stretcher, disc grinder, bandsaw and a louver press
ASSEMBLY
After all the hard work is done and the car returns from the paint shop, it’s unloaded into the assembly room to steer clear of metal shavings and grinding dust which could harm fresh, shiny paint. The assembly room is equipped with a toolbox filled with wiring supplies, shelves filled with shiny chrome and polished parts and a large supply of chrome nuts, bolts, and washers to secure everything on the car.
INTERIOR/EXTERIOR DETAILS
Our services include: replacing convertible tops for all makes and models, re-upholster seats, door panels, dashes, etc., new carpet installs, leather and vinyl restoration, and much, much more! Give us a call today and we can assist you with any of your needs.