My '30 Tudor is chopped 4" body channeled 2.5" I'm 6' and 240 lbs, I fit ok. It has a Y block and the Ford-o-matic trans. This transmission is not too fat, in fact the bell is not any larger than a 3 speed bell. What I did to get the most room inside is stretch the frame 5.5" and mount the motor low so I end up with a flat floor. I know you have a chassis built already so this may not help much.
Yes, stock seats though the Vicky and the Cabriolet have a 1-1/2" chop from the factory if you start measuring stock windshields on other models . The 30-31's have more leg room than the 28-29's. Two Roadsters are chopped but you take the top off all that low roof goes away so you can straighten back up. I've got one '29 and three 31's. I rode in a buddys chopped '30 Roadster and was the most comfortable as he dropped the seat for headroom. He leaves the top on for long drives. It had nylon webbing and foam in place of the seat springs. The webbing was just above bottoming out. I drive the cars a lot, the '29 got 14k miles on it in 2018 and the other cars got miles as well. I agree with, I think it was thirty-three and a third, remove the package tray to push the seat back. Go set in a stock one for 8 hours just to see how you feel after you get out. Still takes me awhile to get my land legs back.
I'm 6' tall and I drive a 7" chopped unchanneled sport coupe with a 39 toploader. Its all in the way you set up your seat. Keep in mind if you use an auto tranny it would actually take up more room than a manual. Sent from my SM-G960U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Here's what it looks like inside with the car being unchanelled. I ran my exhaust along the bottom of the car to help hide the stock model A frame. Sent from my SM-G960U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
351 is wider than a 302, but memory says they are the same length... Personally I would reverse the '30 firewall as I like the look of the beadwork it retains... reversing buys 3.5" to 4.5" of engine bay... depends where you cut it... AOD is a girthy fellow 14" wide... c4 is smaller than a c6... FMX is wide and cast iron, heavy... early c4s used the 157 tooth flexplate [smaller bell]… last resort put in a column shifter... my $0.01.
Im 6'4 285lbs and im building a 30 Tudor no chop but channeled. it originally had a 351w/t5 and had room with flipping fire wall. I have switch from the 351/t5 to a nail head/Muncie combo but here are some pics I snagged while I had the 351 in the frame. have more pics on my thread as well hope it helps some
Sickiie, I used a second row Caravan seat in my unchannelled 29 roadster. Fabbed up very short brackets to bolt to the floor, this allowed me to move the seat under the tulip panel. I am 6'5" 225lbs. A friend has a 30-31 coupe that is chopped and channeled, has small bucket seats mounted low. I sat in it but. . . . My head was hitting the top, my right knee was at same height as the dashboard, and I could not get the door closed because my left leg would not go under the steering wheel. Auto or not, I could not drive that car. Channeled cars are cool but we just don't fit.
It's all about the real estate, in the lower left cowl-pedal region. If you can set up your driver seat, for Comfortable throttle location, you'll have it. An automatic, w/no clutch usually offered more room.
I put it in and then found the nail head and opted to pull in favor of the nail head. Im still building it so I cant comment ,but I would think a world class t5 could hold up to a stock 351w.
Your seated position is a little tougher channeled with 3 pedals. Also, it does get a cramped at the firewall where your feet/pedals need to be. If you do a T5, swap the tail section to the one that moves the shifter position forward. My A is not channeled and I'm 6'2". My coupe has a 4" chop and mustang seats with sliders, I pulled the roof wood so I have head space when I'm bouncing around. Otherwise, I think I'd clear just fine. I purposely worked things so I had a flat floor. No package tray and my firewall is reversed. I ran hanging pedals to maximize space.
I went with no chop no channel in my '29 Tudor Sedan. I'm 6'1" 240# and I was uncomfortable as hell, not to mention it was difficult getting in and out... I helped build my buddy's Coupe which was chopped and channeled, I could barely get in and couldn't see very well! Chopped and channeled looks cool but not the least bit comfortable...
Good head clearance, does not always equal good vision. The header panel plus distance from seat to windshield usually decides that and it does not matter where the pedals are...
For what it’s worth, I’m running a T-5 behind a SBC. There is room for the pedals as the T-5 is much smaller than a AOD. A C-4 would be much smaller for an automatic choice. A couple of pics from when I was building my floor. Forget the channel if you with a T-5
I'm 5'10" and in a stock Model A coupe with a T5, it's close quarters. But the T5 doesn't make it tight, they're just small cars to begin with. I built a channeled '32 Roadster pickup with a Hemi and T5 and driving that required lots of footwork, wasn't fun. Chopped is one thing as you can always hunch over or crouch slightly as you're driving. In a channeled car, put the pedals up even with the bottom of your seat and try to bend your legs enough to fit and still clear the steering wheel and shifter it's another story. After the RPU, I will never build another channeled car.
My previous car was a model A, chopped around 6", channeled around 5", Cadillac 390 and Muncie gearbox. I'm 5'8" and it was CRAMPED in there. If you're tall, don't get too crazy with the angle grinder. I had to relocate the shifter to the center and back, otherwise it would hit the steering wheel (9 3/4"). With a T5 you won't have that problem (?). I had modified MG midget seats to get as close to the floor as possible.
Check out my A coupe build. 4" chop, 4" channel on 4" tall rails with a 4" recessed 351C and toploader. Pedals are tight but its definitely doable. My 6' tall kid drives it no problem. I wouldnt dream of putting an auto in it. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Brent is right: move the shifter forward. My toploader shifter was tight against a Caravan bench seat. I gained shifter and leg room by using small fiberglass airplane bucket seats. Use a Mustang T5 clutch cable (Brizio modified is what I use) or a hydraulic clutch. You won't have room for a Z Bar. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
To me the real question is as far as running 3 pedals , what size are your feet? I am sure you don’t want to wear cobra drivers shoes.
1930 with 3.5" chop and 4" channeled on top of a Z'ed frame from riley automotive. Ford 429 engine with 4 speed toploader with a reversed firewall. It is tight (I'm 5-8"). Yeah its hard to see traffic lights, getting in/out, 2 inch roof clearance, blah blah blah... but can't beat the cool factor and I drive it around. I chose manual tranny because with that 4 inch channel it gave me about 2" incremental on each side of the trans tunnel. Had to use hydraulic TOB as there is no space for anything but the pedals under the floor. Sent from my SM-G960U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The nice thing w/a t5 is the shifter is centered. With my Muncie, I'm going to need to modify the stick toward the center to clear my leg and give me some room.
The Jalopy Journal
