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Customs Has anyone 3 window swapped a 40 ford coupe. Not just filled quarter windows.

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Hitchhiker, Oct 9, 2022.

  1. A Boner
    Joined: Dec 25, 2004
    Posts: 7,419

    A Boner
    Member

    Just because you can do it…doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to do it!
    Better to just by a 36 3W.
     
    Last edited: Oct 15, 2022
  2. BILL LUPIANO
    Joined: Dec 19, 2015
    Posts: 288

    BILL LUPIANO
    BANNED
    from Canada

    Man that's nice....looks factory!
     
  3. flat 39
    Joined: Dec 31, 2007
    Posts: 267

    flat 39
    Member

    I believe the trick to make a 5 window into a 3 window is to use the longer 2 door sedan doors.
     
  4. lucas doolin
    Joined: Feb 7, 2013
    Posts: 540

    lucas doolin
    Member

    Saw an ad for a 3 window 40 coupe built by Fatman's maybe a month or two ago. Very nice car and ready to go. Around 50K if memory serves. Was on eBay maybe?
     
  5. Bjorn Wilsson
    Joined: Jul 20, 2020
    Posts: 46

    Bjorn Wilsson

    Here is one from Sweden. OK not a 40 but one hell of a good job done 001.jpg 002.jpg 003.jpg
     
  6. My friend built that 37. It was a Kit Car(sort of). OZ made them and another company. Came as a roller. I always wanted to build a 39 3w, like a Matranga style. I think Mike Bello built a 38 for a customer. Check out Bello Customs....
     
  7. 19Fordy
    Joined: May 17, 2003
    Posts: 8,025

    19Fordy
    Member

    Bob Gregorie's original design cannot be beat.
     
    i.rant likes this.
  8. The real beauty of a 40 ford coupe is the roof line. I did see one chopped once that Sam Barris did that was pretty sweet though.

    I have not done one but I have seen them 3 windowed, we used to call that hard topped. It was only a 3 window when the glass was rolled down. The rest of the time it looked like a 2 door hard top (think Tri Five chevy here). I have not done one so I cannot tell you what parts to source.
     
  9. 19Fordy
    Joined: May 17, 2003
    Posts: 8,025

    19Fordy
    Member

    Bob Gregorie's original design of the 40 Ford cannot be beat.
    Here's a great read on his design history portfolio with a list of great books documenting the design of the American automobile from the early day's forward.
    http://www.coachbuilt.com/des/g/gregorie/gregorie.htm
     
  10. theHIGHLANDER
    Joined: Jun 3, 2005
    Posts: 10,244

    theHIGHLANDER
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    A 40 3W reminds me of an odd orphan car like Hupp or Graham. I think after 38-9 it doesn't work, and 37 is probably the real limit year. Closest to the the 36. My opinion of course.
     
  11. blowby
    Joined: Dec 27, 2012
    Posts: 8,661

    blowby
    Member
    from Nicasio Ca

    How about the post war Dodge 3W?
     
  12. theHIGHLANDER
    Joined: Jun 3, 2005
    Posts: 10,244

    theHIGHLANDER
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    ^^^ Definately in the orphan catagory too. However the 40 or 41 Dodge biz coupe pulls it off. 41 Lux Liner biz cpe is just right.
     
    anthony myrick likes this.
  13. hotdamn
    Joined: Aug 25, 2006
    Posts: 2,383

    hotdamn
    Member

    when I worked at Fatmans some years ago there was one that was built there. The flow and look of the body was great, unfortunately the car was done a little too street rod for my taste. nice car though.
     
    Hamtown Al likes this.
  14. moparboy440
    Joined: Sep 30, 2011
    Posts: 1,087

    moparboy440
    Member
    from Finland

  15. ^ That looks good because it's a Rik Hoving photoshop!
     
    badshifter, Tim, Sancho and 1 other person like this.
  16. 0NE BAD 51 MERC
    Joined: Nov 12, 2010
    Posts: 1,782

    0NE BAD 51 MERC
    Member

    I saw one at back to the 50's 4 or 5 years ago. He used the two door sedan doors and recontoured the rear window frame to mimic the lines of the 41 willys,36 three window coupes but did it in a way that the flowed with the original roof line which also involved using part of a 41-business coupe roof section and rear window. Looked absolutely stock. Plus, you could access the back of the seat area, which I always found to be a pain on the 40 I had in the late 90's. lol
     
  17. woodiewagon46
    Joined: Mar 14, 2013
    Posts: 2,269

    woodiewagon46
    Member
    from New York

    Many people, including myself, think that the 1940 Ford was the most beautiful car Ford designed and produced. Leave it alone, don't chop it and don't fill in the quarter windows.
     
    irishsteve likes this.
  18. rusty rocket
    Joined: Oct 30, 2011
    Posts: 5,053

    rusty rocket
    Member

    Forty Fords are a car that you don’t have to mess with. Don’t shave, deck,French, chop them they are perfect from the factory. Just my two cents.
    I’m on board with the three window thing though. My first hotrod I built at 21 years old was a 47 long door coupe. After owning it for 25 year plus I lost interest in it and often thought about turning it into a three window. My thought was to use the back half of a business coupe roof mated to the long door front. I saw one in Pleasanton years ago and it was spot on.
     
    Last edited: Oct 15, 2022
  19. moparboy440
    Joined: Sep 30, 2011
    Posts: 1,087

    moparboy440
    Member
    from Finland

    Aww :(
     
  20. topher5150
    Joined: Feb 10, 2017
    Posts: 3,338

    topher5150
    Member

    I saw a guy at the Northern Nats this year who put a 40 clip on a 36 3 window body IMG_20220917_130122967_HDR.jpg
     
  21. theHIGHLANDER
    Joined: Jun 3, 2005
    Posts: 10,244

    theHIGHLANDER
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Animal House; when Belushi (Bluto) reacts to the pic of "Flounder" is exactly my reaction to the blue one above...:eek:
     
    williebill, Adriatic Machine and Tim like this.
  22. 1pickup
    Joined: Feb 20, 2011
    Posts: 1,435

    1pickup
    Member

    The one from Sweden, isn't really a 3 window. It's been hardtopped. And, if you were married to one of the most beautiful women in the world, would you ask her to get plastic surgery? Don't mess with perfection. It's one of the few body styles that need NOTHING done to them.
     
    X38 likes this.
  23. My old boss used a zephyr roof on a 37 to get a 3w
     
  24. Atwater Mike
    Joined: May 31, 2002
    Posts: 11,625

    Atwater Mike
    Member

    My beautiful black '40 Coupe was Buick powered, very nice work that I finished into a beauty... Er, um All except for the '46 back window (!!) some dufas grafted into the formerly beautiful top!
    Gave the car a 'fat & skinny' look... I hated it, but was too busy with the drags to change it back
     
  25. I guess I’m odd. The 39 looks much better
     
    tippa77 and theHIGHLANDER like this.
  26. theHIGHLANDER
    Joined: Jun 3, 2005
    Posts: 10,244

    theHIGHLANDER
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

     
    anthony myrick likes this.
  27. Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Joined: Apr 20, 2008
    Posts: 4,670

    Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Member

    Agreed. IMHO after 36 it just doesn't work as the cars increased in size and a 3 window roofline simply doesn't fit the body. Probably why the designers phased out the 3 window body style. You can't improve on the factory roof.
    Sort of like how smaller size people (such as a petite woman) can rock certain styles of clothing whereas it looks out of place on a more typical sized person.
    Not a fan of hard topped rooflines made from post tops either ( other than a 40 Merc,), especially chopped 49-51 Mercs. Seems like a take away from the Merc lines.
     
    34 5W Paul likes this.
  28. birdman1
    Joined: Dec 6, 2012
    Posts: 1,591

    birdman1
    Member

    stanlow69 likes this.
  29. Best Method, sell the 40 and buy a 36 3 window.
     
    X38 and A Boner like this.
  30. stanlow69
    Joined: Feb 21, 2010
    Posts: 7,348

    stanlow69
    Member Emeritus

    The guy lives south of Fort Dodge. He is the guy who also built the 59 Cadillac El Camino.
     

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