Projects Truck into a coupe- My next pet project

Looks good!

 

W O W. Soooo bad ass..........phenomenal eye. Looks like a "pull off" to me.....your finish line is coming......quickly. Dive !

 

Hey. 31V;
Thanks for the side views. Helps a lot.
Looks good. I think the yellow paint on the roof corners gives an optical illusion. I also noticed


---(we're getting down to picking nits off of elephants here, but... )---


the door window frame openings seem slightly trapezoidal in shape, w/the higher part near the rear of the door. Planned? I've always preferred the side window openings (in doors) to be parallel, or at least same height at the front & rear of the side window opening. Just me, as I hate angle chops. Even on 32 ford 3w, 5w, etc. Of course, most 35->47 ford n chev pu had severe angled roofs & side windows.

I'd also like to see just a little bit higher top right over the 1/4 window area. Not like the 40 ford coupe - which was a miserable hiccup, as far as I am concerned, also not enough to give an angled-chop-look. It kinda looks like just a little-too-much roof-pancaking happened. Not much, just a little bit too much. Maybe that too, is an optical illusion due to the roof not yet filled?

Also think that w/the length of the turret, the nose (& front wheels) could come out a bit, like ~ 8"? Or more? One of my dislikes of Studebakers in the late 20's -> late 30's (actually, even into the late 40's) was the hood length difference between the Dictator & the President, or even Commander (Bodies for the most part were the same from the firewall back). Dictator always looked short-changed (no pun intended), & stubby-nosed. Not at all bad, until you see the same car in Commander & then President. Cough!, such a little bit makes such a big difference. 'Course this would mean that you can't use the last thing that has red paint on it from the original car = the hood. . I think this might look really good, esp w/the very short rear qtr area. Like the big classic late 20's-> early 30's styling cues. Or maybe the grille pushed forward 4-6", & the front wheels pushed 8-12", ending up w/styling/visual clues like the '34 554 Fuel cpe. Although I'm guessing you aren't after that.

I'm still thinking that the w/s posts need to be leaned back. . I'm thinking that the near-vertical w/s angle is what is giving the optical illusion of the A pillar being higher than the C pillar, a reverse wedge-cut, if you will.

Wish someone could photo-chop this, as it's hard to describe. Hope this doesn't come off poorly. I'm not disparaging your work. Could you take a side pic, eyelevel at about mid-way 'twixt the beltline & driprail on the rear door edge? I suspect the visual contours will change appearance.

One other thing... (this is surely a FINE situation: F___, It Never Ends... ), but I just noticed the lower line of the cowl. It sweeps up very fast, as do front of the door bottoms, but I think that also is giving visual headaches. Maybe if the front of the line were lowered to the top of the frame? Kinda seems to be giving the trapezoidal effect to the door edge seams. (wider at top). IDK... .

I still like it.
FWIW... .
Marcus...

 

Holy cow NRG !
4-6 inches longer rear quarters
4-6 inches between roof and deck lid
4-6 inches push on the grill
8-12 on the wheel base

Where the hell are you going to put all that ?

 

I think that the top front door window frame corner is the narrowest part, and is giving the illusion that the top of the door window is flowing uphill.

 

Maybe

But I do need to bring the grill down a little

 

Awesome job! ... But to my eye I would wack about 1/4-1/2" more out of that A pillar ... A lot of cars have this problem if you measure it out its correct , but visually the roof looks taller in front ... Just my opinion .... It will add an even more aggressive appearance

 

Sometimes opinions are good........other times just hit mute......and keep on nodding your head.

 

Thanks!
Now Don't think I haven't been thinking about this situation all day.

To pull it off I'd have to really watch that it doesn't get a high forehead over the windshield. When the A pillars get leaned back, the roof portion gets rolled forward fill in the little triangle in the roof corner and here goes the high forehead.

Just a little

A whole bunch more.



That's something I want avoid like the plague. So how can the windshield frame opening reman the same, while the roof gets lower and tipped forward? Not without a whole bunch of fucking around with the structure above the header on the inside. Cutting the cowl and doors isn't that big of a deal compared to that piece in the header.

Ok so maybe don't lean pillars back.
That means a wedge cut 1-1/2 to 0 and pivot everything from this corner

down and then slide it forward. To match the A pillar. That doesn't seem like much fun since that means redoing 70%of what I have deemed to be finished.

I'm gonna sleep on it.
Today was the first time I got to stand back and take it all in for just about a year and I'm really liking it. A Lot !!!

 

I didn't want to say anything because you were so far along ... But you brought it up ;-) I don't think a 1/2 " will cause that much grief in fitment... Your pretty far along and it will suck.. But... Your not committed yet.. And your second guessing yourself...

I cut an extra half out the front on this truck and the window looks square ( never mind the rest of the truck)

 

Oh I misread it at 1-1/2 I can fudge it 1/2" without much trouble

 

IMHO, your opinion is the only one that matters, if you like it a lot, why even worry what some other people, that have no skin in this, think?

 

Ultimately it is only mine that counts, you are correct and I know this. I really don't see much problem with anything other that the fitting and flow of reverse curve panel in the rear. That's really my issue & to make that fit better I'd need to move it forward. To move it forward I'd need to shorten the 1/4 windows.

I though I was clear on why I'd ask for opinions from those without any skin in it. The conflicting opinions on shortening the 1/4 windows to get the reverse curve to fit better , well I know what's motivating their opinions and I do trust these people very much.

The issue with the door's windows, I have seen it but only from certain angles & only sometimes. I might not see it tomorrow like I didnt see it last Friday but did on Wednesday. It's there but not like a sore thumb.

Now, if I do cut the rear 1/4 windows then I might as well do something so I never see it. Maybe?

 

I think the chop is really nice and functional. The thing that focuses my attention on the rear qtr windows is the rounded door tops. I feel like a lot of what you are seeing will disappear when you coat it with paint. FOR sure the hood and grill is at the perfect height. I like it, but as others have said, it doesn't matter what I think.

 

I think a 1/2" is all it needs , that being said, things can often look great to the naked eye, but look really messed up in certain pictures due to distortion/camera angle ect. In the end if it looks great in person thats all that really matters. In the latest pictures of it outside it definitely isnt as noticeable. The missing piece of metal in the door top, and the holes in the glass template may also be distracting the eye.

 

i touched up the holes, with the distractions removed it looks a lot better, maybe the A pillars only need a 1/4" taken out if that? 2nd picture i moved the rear roof ahead and shortened up the 1/4 window. I think it looks great either way.

 

I'm digging the build and really admire your eye for flow and metalworking skills.

Couple of thoughts;

Window openings; What color do you plan for the car? A lot of it will get "lost" in a general view if you plan on painting it a dark color. Paint it white or yellow with tinted glass and the first look will have the car saying "look at the shape of these side windows".

Windshield opening/frame; Since you're going for a 34 5/w coupe look, I'd be all in if you decided to go with a 34 passenger car style windshield frame by squaring up those rounded lower windshield corners and losing the oval truck windshield opening.

 

Thank you 66gmc.
That helps me greatly and was nice to see this morning after sleeping on it.
Awesome !

 

I like both roof lines on post 438. As far as the roof running uphill, I'm not seeing it.
One pic is where you are at, the other is where you could take it. If it was me, I think I would be tipping the welding helmet down and stitching it together. Sometimes shortening of the quarter window starts to make it look like a triangle, one has to be careful there.
Just my 2 cents.

 

LOL the first time I read that accidentally I read as 1~4-1/2" or 1 to 4 1/2 inches!
I was wondering how you could drive with a 3" tall windshield. ;D

BTW, in GMC66's pics I really prefer the longer top. It's not so "cute" as the short top, but IMO if the top stops forward of the rear wheel it makes the rear end look 'tacked on" and less integrated to the design.

But then I've never built (and only painted one) 30's car, so my perceptions may not mean much.

As for dropping the header I'd avoid that. It looks plenty low already, the roof leans forward quite enough, and the "trapezoid" effect of the windows is so minor I don't think it will be noticed. The quartering down shot you took of the a-post has some inherent fish-eye effect that exaggerates the normal perspective.

IMO, The door bottom sweep issue will pretty much vanish once the header pipes are on. I wish I could see this car in person, in the present state. I'm sure I'd learn a lot.

What a fun project! Putting all these unrelated bits together to make something attractive and functional is a design and fab challenge to be proud of indeed.

 

Thanks moose !

For breast cancer awareness month

 

I take back what I said about the door tops. With the color added, It all flows very well. Very nice job.

 

Thank you !

Finish line in sight

I think 66gmc's clean up of distraction and themoose's paint job from the photo shop thread left those problems behind.

Thanks man !
I don't think it needs it but, the fat lady hasn't sung yet.

Lmao !

I see the way the roof line looks at the windows.

Thanks, and as you see the paint job blends it in nice.

Thanks, appreciate that.
I'm not contemplating a light body color so the door windows will be ok.

There's only one hard corner on the entire body shape, not sure adding one at the windshield corners will go with the theme, but ill keep that in mind incase I need that idea.

Yes, ineed to start welding

Doing this has been an enormous amount of fun, until I think about how got into it. That's a bitter pill. Challenge makes you grow and mostly its been a great experience.
Thankyou

Thanks !

 

Thank you, my eye make me 1/2 nuts sometimes lol

Thanks
Axtec's need love too, not for everyone

Thanks man!

Thank you and thanks for your efforts here!

 

I really don't like the red, however the look of the car is right on IMO.
I'd like to see it photo shopped in a dark midnight blue, or even SS Washington blue.

 

Thanks Larry !
Maybe they can do a darker color, but its Sunday and I didnt want to push those guys on the photo shop thread today. Those guys are a talented bunch .

Generally I don't like red, but thatparticular shade in person has an orange tinge that I do really like.
Anniversary gold is another I'd like to see also.

 

I hesitate to mention this because I am so impressed with what you have done here to bring this back from the dead and your ingenuity an patience, but I have just worked out why it looks slightly 'off' to me.

I think the front edge of the door is conflicting with the shape of the cowl, e.g.with the 34 grille and the the leading edge of the cowl both leaning back, our eye is expecting the front edge of the door to follow suit , but it doesn't. This tricks the eye into thinking that the front of the door is actually leaning the opposite way and is shorter at the bottom than it is at the belt-line.

Maybe it will be better with a darker color so the panel gaps blend into the body more?

 

Hey thanks man!
How awesome is it that the bone stock factory stuff looks ODD


That cowl to door relationship was discussed early on. Somewhere I have pics with it taped out that way too. Now the idea is come out of the shop with something cool, that nobody has seen before, looks believable but not identifiable yet familiar all the while hold dearly to tradition and put together with care. Seems like a lot, right? Especially because everything that can be done has been already. So the idea is not to copy a 33/34 ford 5 window, it's not to cut and reshape into something everyone knows. Like the 33/34 4 drs into 5 windows, not to discount that feat in anyway at all but this isn't that.

In order to reshape the door, it would need to be suicide style. The cowl completely re configured, the inner door frame completely different, the door jambs fitted with suicide hinges and all of that to change a factory "ford to ford" attribute. I mean that's not a year to year variance, it's not a ford to chevy blend, it's not a "HOW the hell does this work now since this is 2 inches bigger.

I decided to not do that to the door and let it stand. I feel it adds to some of the wonderment. Maybe that's just a justification to not do all that work but that's my story and I'm sticking to it

 

I don't know what impresses me more, the skill and ability you have shown saving the car, or the tact you have shown in handling a deal that others would have ended up in jail over! Fantastic job!

 

Hey, 31V;
Sorry for thinking so much, & then posting. I never said I was good at knowing how to get there from here, proportions-wise. The numbers I was guessing at, weren't additive, as I said, too bad I can't do photochop. Couple of words+ 1 pic = better than 10,000 words attempted explanation. Fwiw, 66gmc's 2nd pic effectively visually lengthened both the rear qtrs, & the front end, w/better proportions, at least as I see it. Wtf do I know?. I like it. But this is why you are doing this, & not me... .
Paint helps. Set it on kill, you're almost there.
Marcus...