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Hot Rods Cool car that led to disappointment

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Zettle Bros., Oct 8, 2018.

  1. Scruffy49
    Joined: Sep 23, 2018
    Posts: 29

    Scruffy49

    And my wife wonders why I have 7 trucks, a couple motorcycles, and the car is rotting away in the barn... 6’2” 245 bone and disc sections removed at 2 lumbar levels... Full sized truck or motorcycle, no problem. Peterbuilt or Freightshaker, no problem. Anything else, she has to drive and I take my cane with. Hate trying to slide out of modern cramp mobile and falling over because my legs shut off 3 miles into the trip.
     
  2. belair
    Joined: Jul 10, 2006
    Posts: 9,013

    belair
    Member

    People were not as well-nourished as they are now. Depression-era folks could often sit 3-wide in an A, and 6 foot men were not too common. Neither were 65 year old men. The higher roof lines were in part due to men wearing hats.
     
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  3. BHRS
    Joined: Jun 20, 2009
    Posts: 17

    BHRS
    Member
    from Texas

    I was on a business trip and the owner of the business took me for a ride in his A-V8. He stopped, got out, and let me drive. It was amazing, I was comfortable and being 6'1" in a 4 inch chopped coupe I fell in love... until the traffic light. I was the first one in line and couldn't see the darn light. For the guys with unchopped A's do you have the same issue? I want to build an A-V8 with the same chop but I can't seem to get past that signal light.

    I'll include a few pics from that day. Screenshot_20181005-213124_Gallery.jpeg Screenshot_20181005-213137_Gallery.jpeg Screenshot_20181005-213133_Gallery.jpeg

    Sent from my SM-G950U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  4. Squablow
    Joined: Apr 26, 2005
    Posts: 17,388

    Squablow
    Member

    I fit in my '26 T roadster but it's super tight, not really room for a passenger, I have to get in on the passenger side and the steering wheel/column is a little awkwardly high positioned, but that's the only spot it can go where I can fit. I'm going to make a dropped pan for the floor right behind the pedals so my feet can drop down into the pan a bit, even a couple inches there would help. The bottom of the firewall is pushed forward to match the top which also gains a couple inches.

    Every inch counts in an early rod, buying a finished one is like buying someone else's suit or jacket.
     
  5. 0NE BAD 51 MERC
    Joined: Nov 12, 2010
    Posts: 1,782

    0NE BAD 51 MERC
    Member

    I love chopped tops on almost everything. But I very rarely take more than three inches. And I would never channel a car. The whole chopped, channeled and z'ed frame and slammed on the ground thing has never appealed to me. If I cannot get into one of my builds and cruise at 70 for hours at a time , I won't build it. At 63 and 6 foot 190 lbs I not a huge guy and I love 30's to 40's era cars . I've owned a 40 coupe , a 41 sedan and a 31 Vicky and love them all , but was never fully comfortable. So now I stick with cars like my Merc and 55 Chevy. Hope you find something you like . Larry
     
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  6. Atwater Mike
    Joined: May 31, 2002
    Posts: 11,625

    Atwater Mike
    Member

    There used to be an accessory 'mirror' made for cars with visors, clamped or bolted to top of dash rail, worked like a charm! The 45 degree tiny mirror simply picked up the light (green, yellow, red) in its wide angle lens, my bud Ramsay put one in his chopped & raked '30 'A' Coupe. Didn't even have to bend his neck...
    I saw some on the 'Bay...awhile back...
     
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  7. Rambling Rudy
    Joined: Apr 10, 2013
    Posts: 78

    Rambling Rudy
    Member

    Had the same thing happen. My friend had a chopped and channeled 33 ford pickup, I wanted really bad. He told me come over a drive it and see what I thought. I'm only 5'9 and it was really tight, I passed and two months later bought his coupe that I now have, still not a lot of room.
     
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  8. A Boner
    Joined: Dec 25, 2004
    Posts: 7,419

    A Boner
    Member

    Well, if your head isn't hitting, being a sedan, to get more leg room the seat can be moved back.....a lot! Coupes and roadsters are much more limited. The guy that mounted the seat in that sedan, mounted it to fit him, not you. If the seat is moved back, sometimes the steering wheel will need to be moved too. Chopped tops reduce head room.....a channel job reduces both headroom and leg room. When you chop and channel a car, the seat usually has to drop for head room.....when the seat is dropped, your legs can't hang down, they stretch out forward.....so the seat has to move back.
     
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2018
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  9. Sorry you didn't fit. I set my car up for myself when I built it. First drive was from Omaha to Joplin. At 70 years, I have to get out and stretch every few hours but gas stops provide the excuse to stop. I stayed pretty comfortable.
    Maybe try a car with a frame Z at both ends?
     
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  10. Boatmark
    Joined: Jan 15, 2012
    Posts: 384

    Boatmark
    Member

    Know what you mean. Long time ago I fell in love with that gold 29’ pickup Jake Jacobs had. Tried several times to convince myself I could build one to fit me. But at 6’2”/225, and a bad back it just didn’t seem realistic. I’m not much for going putt putt around town, I like to put miles on stuff.
    You’ve heard the line “young mind in an old body?” I think I’m a 29’ pickup mind, and a 55’ two door ass.

    HRP how did you fit in your 32’ truck? Did you find a good fit solution, or just grin and bear it as the price to pay to have such a cool truck?
     
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  11. justabeater37
    Joined: Jan 1, 2009
    Posts: 1,696

    justabeater37
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I built a 25 T roadster. That is about as small as it gets. I am 44, 6' tall, 195#, with not so great knees. I spent weeks on seating and driving position layout. I just came home from Woodstock stopping only because I needed gas. 140+ miles into a 192 mile trip. I have had someone 6'7" in the car and we would just have to modify the column. It is truly all about the ergonomics when being built. I have taken trips of 350 miles one way in that little car with no problems.
     
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  12. raven
    Joined: Aug 19, 2002
    Posts: 4,698

    raven
    Member

    I built a 27 T roadster. The engine is set back about 3-4 inches and the body is channeled the thickness of the frame (4”). I spent a lot of time setting up the seating, pedals and steering positions before welding or bolting. I can drive four hours in it without much problem. Think ahead when you build.
    r


    Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
     
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  13. primed34
    Joined: Feb 3, 2007
    Posts: 1,407

    primed34
    Member

    I wanted a chopped '32 Ford sedan for like decades. Got a chance a few years ago to trade my '34 coupe for my dream car. Got in the sedan couldn't see squat and felt really confined. Which was odd to me since I had been driving the coupe for like 20 years at that time. I'm 65 6ft. and 175 lbs. and I have decided that the doors on my coupe are shrinking.
     
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  14. Hotrodmyk
    Joined: Jan 7, 2011
    Posts: 2,302

    Hotrodmyk
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Northwest HAMBers

    I'm 6 ft, 230 (ish:D), so is my neighbor. In my '34 Pickup we look like Siamese twins.
     
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  15. Zettle Bros.
    Joined: Oct 17, 2004
    Posts: 1,358

    Zettle Bros.
    Member

    I had this for 17 yrs and had more room in it than the sedan. 21246596_332788600504878_6317730371749045656_o.jpg
     
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  16. And that was a sedan. Good thing you didn't want a coupe, or God forbid, a roadster pickup, those things were made for anorectics.
     
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  17. Zettle Bros.
    Joined: Oct 17, 2004
    Posts: 1,358

    Zettle Bros.
    Member

    My first choice has always been a coupe, but I now hear what your saying!
     
  18. Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Joined: Apr 20, 2008
    Posts: 4,670

    Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Member

     
  19. mnjeff
    Joined: Oct 17, 2006
    Posts: 103

    mnjeff
    Member

    1A62E506-4AAF-4126-9F48-FA0801B2504A.jpeg B94A91FF-B08D-45C2-A301-F3C47159B20D.jpeg 9D398FC7-24FC-4A48-8124-B7FFCBC7405F.jpeg Never quite saw five foot five, have taken tons of shit about it over the years, but grin ear to ear when I stretch out in the Willys pickup.....So does the redhead!
     
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  20. BHRS
    Joined: Jun 20, 2009
    Posts: 17

    BHRS
    Member
    from Texas

    Just what I needed to know. Thank you!

    Sent from my SM-G950U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  21. BHRS
    Joined: Jun 20, 2009
    Posts: 17

    BHRS
    Member
    from Texas

  22. topher5150
    Joined: Feb 10, 2017
    Posts: 3,338

    topher5150
    Member

    I thought everyone knew about that
     
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  23. alanp561
    Joined: Oct 1, 2017
    Posts: 4,609

    alanp561
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I don't know why not. I'm 6' and 235# and I fit in an OT Alfa Romeo roadster that is much smaller than the Jags very comfortably.
     
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  24. alanp561
    Joined: Oct 1, 2017
    Posts: 4,609

    alanp561
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I just looked and there are three for sale currently in "Parts for Sale" here.
     
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  25. My '59 Ford, the seat can go back another 2" but I'll have to alter the seat frame and people in the back seat won't be happy. People in 1930 must have been midgets....
     
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  26. HOLLYWOOD GRAHAM
    Joined: Apr 11, 2007
    Posts: 1,437

    HOLLYWOOD GRAHAM
    Member
    from Ojai,Ca

    Had a '28 Ford Sedan, chopped 5 1/2". I was about 52 when I got it, I sat on Camaro buckets with the seat all the way back. Fine for 20 years but got harder to drive for more than an hour and when I got out I was stiff as a board. I sold it. You don't stay much info on the car, does it have regular height seats, will they move farther back, how old are you? All these come into play owning a car like that. Nothing looks better than a chopped car but you got to make it accessible and drivable.
     
  27. Zettle Bros.
    Joined: Oct 17, 2004
    Posts: 1,358

    Zettle Bros.
    Member

    Bench seat that I believe was custom made. Seat went all the way back to the "Z" in the frame by the back wheels. I am 43.
     
  28. Well now, ain't that just cuter than a bug's ear! :p

    No headroom problems in that car. :rolleyes:
     
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  29. Blue One
    Joined: Feb 6, 2010
    Posts: 11,459

    Blue One
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Alberta

    I'm 5-10 and when building my 26 T RPU I added 4" into the body behind the doors.
    That way I can comfortably fit into it and drive it.
    I spent a lot of time mocking up the seating and steering wheel etc.
    I can actually sit in the car and fit.
    roadster outside ! 001 (2).jpg seats and tank 002 (2).jpg seats and tank 003 (2).jpg 1F20459B-64C6-40E0-89D6-CECD5E38363D.jpeg 08AABB9F-D3D1-4C1C-82CB-A6D98B321256.jpeg 9C09F27D-9A5E-4E66-A8C5-0EF65807BC3F.jpeg 64EDA040-50D0-4B61-A1B8-FB37BC41DA5B.jpeg
     
  30. alanp561
    Joined: Oct 1, 2017
    Posts: 4,609

    alanp561
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    How in Hell do you keep your garage floor that clean?

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     

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