Register now to get rid of these ads!

What is the best chop for a Model A Ford coupe?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 30FordNerd, Oct 8, 2012.

  1. 30FordNerd
    Joined: Oct 5, 2012
    Posts: 274

    30FordNerd
    Member

    There are a lot of Model A Fords out there with good chop tops on them. I like them when you need to stand in front of one for a while and say to your self ''is it chopped or not?''. So my question to you guys is, what is the best chop for a Model A Ford coupe?

    Here are three great examples of a Model A chop top below.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Oct 9, 2012
  2. 3quarter32
    Joined: Dec 10, 2010
    Posts: 498

    3quarter32
    Member

    I really like the 1st car in the second picture best, but car #2 is probably the most reasonable. I never was very reasonable when it came to chopping.
     
  3. Unchopped to too cool. But your 1st car pictured to pure hot rod with the chop. Less is more IMHO.
     
  4. theHIGHLANDER
    Joined: Jun 3, 2005
    Posts: 10,244

    theHIGHLANDER
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    3" is just about perfect. Your 1st pic is a 4" and clearly the max for any Model A cpe chop IMO. The quarter window needs the flat vertical rear line to look right. The car on the left in your 2nd pic looks like it fell on it's roof. Too much for anything but a full comp car, but again, this is my personal opinion. Your results may vary, tax and title extra, no purchase necessary, see your retailer for details, void where prohibited...
     

  5. Don't know about the cars in question but I like an A chopped 4" as a rule. I have seen some that are really hammered that I liked but 4" does it for me for my own personal type of a car.
     
  6. gasheat
    Joined: Nov 7, 2005
    Posts: 714

    gasheat
    Member
    from Dallas

    I think the best thing for you to do is take a ride in a chopped car. Cartoonish chops look great standing out of the car. Sitting in the car is a different. Hope you are not too tall for the chop you want.
     
  7. If I had one wish , it would be to state a chop by what's left instead of what's been removed.

    The two cars together have a lot more work done than just a chop..
    The green grenade has a wedge section added thru the doors making them taller (added at the bottom). The other is a Bass built car and the entire windshield area was reworked and a lot of other things changed. Comparing those two against a chop only will not make you happy.
     
  8. So let me see if I understand. The 1.6 is below the belt line and the 1.0 is above the beltline correct? The car in the pic looked OK but where does this ratio come from? Not picking just curious.
     
  9. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio
    Been around for a while (couple thousand years or so)

    Everybody is different and likes different stuff, that's just visually appealing to most and mathematical duplicate every time.
     
  10. Speed~On
    Joined: Apr 28, 2011
    Posts: 1,607

    Speed~On
    Member

    If you want to stand infront of a Model A Coupe and ask, "is this chopped?" Then chop it 3".

    Mine is chopped 3 3/4" and I really like it. IMHO the car has good proportions.

    4" chop is very common and looks great as well, but you will know right away that it's been chopped.

    Anything past 4" and you will need to make pie cuts. (no big deal just keep that in mind).

    Also, once you start chopping it, the center of the windshield start to disasapear in a hurry because they have an arch to em'. As stated above, ride in a few that have been chopped to different lenghts. Chopped Model A's look sweet!
     
  11. scrap metal 48
    Joined: Sep 6, 2009
    Posts: 6,079

    scrap metal 48
    Member

    Remember that the front and rear windows are the same height on 28-31's but 28/29 side windows are an inch taller than 30/31's.. A 4" chop looks different from the sides between 28/29 and a 30/31.. So take that into account when doing your chop.....
     
  12. Dave50
    Joined: Mar 7, 2010
    Posts: 1,751

    Dave50
    Member

    If you like a mean chop this isnt to bad :)
     

    Attached Files:

  13. I guess the search function isn't working I was looking for a pic of kevinlee's coupe, if you like a radical chop than his coupe is one to lust after.

    OK foubnd it. I guess it throws the ratio in the dirt and kicks it around a bit but if you can't dig this there is jusy something wrong with you. ;)
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Oct 8, 2012
  14. 117harv
    Joined: Nov 12, 2009
    Posts: 6,589

    117harv
    Member

    Here it is P&B.
     

    Attached Files:

    • chop.jpg
      chop.jpg
      File size:
      67.6 KB
      Views:
      1,046
  15. Yep found it look at my edit. Gawd I love that car.
     
  16. 117harv
    Joined: Nov 12, 2009
    Posts: 6,589

    117harv
    Member

    I like heavy chops, but the 1/4 window needs to be shaped right to pull it off. As someone on here once said "how long is a piece of rope"? Perfect chop? it all depends on who owns the car.
     
  17. I would think it has a lot to do with your height,,in my case I'm 6'4" and have had a chopped coupe and a chopped 39 Ford Convertible,,

    There was plenty of head room in the 39 and not so much in the coupe,,if you are height challenged I say go for the max,,6" but if your tall I suggest a minimal chop if any.JMHO,, HRP
     
  18. Bluedot
    Joined: Oct 26, 2011
    Posts: 331

    Bluedot
    Member

    I bought a '30 body already chopped 4", because I've always liked the look. But...I'd never sat in one before. Now that my project is 80% together and I can sit in it, I'm concerned about driving visibility. I'm short (5'6"), so headroom isn't a problem. But seeing other traffic in my immediate vicinity might be a little limited. Maybe it just takes some getting used to.
    POINT: Be sure to sit in an A with a chop close to what you're considering before you begin cutting. Might change your mind.
     

  19. Bluedot you and HRP both raise good points. It is hard to see out of a chopepd vehicle and if you are tall a chopped vehicle can pose a problem as well. I am not really tall myself (5'10 maybe) but I am pretty long waisted like in I gte my sht-irts from the big and tall shop long waised so sitting in a seriously chopped vehicle for me like HRP involves sitting on the floor. That becomes more of a problem with age, truct me. Maybe that is where the term Gentleman's Chop comes from, as in older gentleman. ;)

    Looks wise I still like 4" off the top on an A coupe. I don't know why I have looked at lots of them and 4" just seems to do it for me.
     
  20. slowmotion
    Joined: Nov 21, 2011
    Posts: 3,330

    slowmotion
    Member

    I also think the 4" just works. Not too knarly, not too mild. A harder chop on a 'lakes' style build, I could get onboard with, though. Hell, I'd be estatic just to have an A coupe of any configuration!
     
  21. Kevin Lee
    Joined: Nov 12, 2001
    Posts: 7,582

    Kevin Lee
    Super Moderator
    Staff Member


    Oh, you mean THIS car? Yeah, that Golden Ratio stuff is just a bunch of hokum. :)

    [​IMG]

    BTW, it's back out of storage and waiting in line behind my truck to get finished.
     
  22. Hey I just noticed no spark plugs and a gimmy blower is that a diesel engine? :D
     
  23. MATACONCEPTS
    Joined: Aug 7, 2009
    Posts: 2,069

    MATACONCEPTS
    BANNED

    This super chopped "Green Grenade One" Looks super BAD ASS!! The couple who own it now live near me so I've seen it live & it is BAD ASS!!! 5"-6" to be BAD ASS!!!

    Fuction???? Comfort??? I've never driven a chopped closed car. I know stock is tight, but Im 6'0". Growing up I've said "super chopped". Now Im doning it, I'v grown to like stock.
     

    Attached Files:

  24. MATACONCEPTS
    Joined: Aug 7, 2009
    Posts: 2,069

    MATACONCEPTS
    BANNED

    32-34 Window Header being done now looks great from a racing aerodynamic perspective as opposed to the Model A visor.

    I like both.
     
    panhead_pete likes this.
  25. Craig Owens
    Joined: Jun 28, 2006
    Posts: 464

    Craig Owens
    Member

    This is a 4" chop on mine. I'm short (5' 6"), so it fits me fine, but taller friends (6' 4") have to sorta duck down to see out from under the visor. Chopped AND channeled is a good look, too, but it really cuts down on the comfort level. OK for a younger guy probably, but the older you get, the harder it is to deal with that.
     

    Attached Files:

    -Brent- likes this.
  26. Speed~On
    Joined: Apr 28, 2011
    Posts: 1,607

    Speed~On
    Member


    That is wickedly cool! I have to say on this one a huge chop looks right.
     
  27. Well reshaping the front glass and canting the A pillars help it a ton. This car is B-Ville inspired and it is proof positive that there is way more to chopping one than just lowering the lid.

    How much an A or any car for that matter is dependent on styling. I threw out 4" because of the style of model A coupe I like and that particular style of coupe looks good @ 4". Ryans A bone looks good @ about 3.5 because of the style of car that it is and Kevins car obviously looks good that way this is is because of thre style of car that it is.

    Here is the deal when you ask a question like this one automatically whomever looks at the question and has an opinion gets a picture of their ideal car in there head. Then they say OK this is the ideal chop because of what it is that they are seeing in their head. It is human nature, ideal to each one of us is based on what we like.
     
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2012
  28. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I've never understood the theory of 3 inches looks perfect so I'll chop it 5 so everyone knows it's really chopped. It's about making the car look perfect in your eye, not impressing the moutbreathers with the the "oh shit look at that hard hammered coupe" thing. Unless nothing but a hard hammered coupe will do for you.

    The coupe that Kevin Lee has looks and will look fantastic but damn I'd hate to have to drive that thing from Toppenish to Austin and be expected to not have a stiff and sore neck and back when I got there. the 4 inch chop on my 48 tends to get a bit hard on the neck after driving a ways at a shot. It's great fun to drive 20 or 50 miles one way but when you make 600+ miles a day on a road trip to Texas to see the inlaws you start wondering if it was such a great idea to chop it about the 500 mile point.

    The best suggestion anyone has made in the thread is to actually sit in a few chopped coupes of the same model before you get out the saw. Find out what works for you along with how it looks before doing any cutting.
     
  29. 117harv
    Joined: Nov 12, 2009
    Posts: 6,589

    117harv
    Member

    While sitting in some chopped coupes to check out different heights is a good idea, there are other variables. How tall is the seat/cushion, how far back or foreward is the seat and how much layback, all need to be taken into consideration.
     

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.