Taking the plunge, chopping the Hudson. The "Panty Dropper" gets a haircut...

I wish that all the people on all the various chop posts who always have to comment with the same 'ol "No, please don't chop that car - it will ruin it" crap could first just reference THIS post and see that yes, in fact, a nice chop really can improve a car - even one where everyone tends to think it would not. It just matters wether it is done RIGHT - with a good eye for proportions, orig style lines and not over-done.

You've nailed it on this one and I admire anyone who goes through all the trouble to chop yet choose to go subtle.

p.s. normally I'd vote for slanted B pillars on a car like that, but the straight one (in your photoshop) keeps the door glass obviously larger than the back 1/4 glass. In the slanted version, they are too similar in size which fights the eye.

 

At first i was going to say you shouldnt but i'm glad you did cause thats f@cking killer looking!!

 

Great! You just ruined a perfect car, I hope your happy with yourself. I guess next your going to shave, nose and deck the car. You obvisously have no business chopping a car, but.........(Hahahahaha) I vote for the straight B pilar, the 1/4 window is pretty long, straight looks clean and helps with the entire visual chop/profile of the car. Good Job! hope to see more!

Ken

 

.........Rounding the door corners would be a plus!

 

I vote for a straight B pillar. Why? Because Fords/Mercs go with the slanted B pillar, and I would want the Hudson to say, "Pffftt, I'm not trying to be a Ford/Merc- I'm a Hudson, dammit!". In other words, people on the wrong side of the fence would argue that the Hudson is mimmicking a Ford/Merc by chopping it and slanting the B pillar, AKA a poor substitute. Am I making any sense?!

Thanks,
Kurt

 

I vote Hard top..just kidding, Either way you decide, I think it is an improvement for sure. If I buy you a plane ticket, Can you chop mine please? Just like you, It may take up to year 9 to chop mine.

 

dont do the slanted post. I feel it always cheapens the look of the chop.

 

I like the b-pilar either way. It's gonna boil down to what really moves you. I think Tetanus's is chopped about 4". Yours looks pretty good.
Do I wish I had a Hudson?.......Sure! But not instead of my Merc,HA HA! I've always liked Hudsons,especially after seeing Tetanus Shots! I'm curious what you're gonna do for a front windshield. Can it be cut down?

 

I think the straight B pillar would fool people into thinking it hadn't been chopped, but "somethings" different Straight

 

Hey,

Why not jus' let the window travel path into the wheelhouse?

Fab a bulkhead to seal off the inner quarter from the wheelhouse,
and mount the new window regulator to the side of this panel.

A canted B-post would be more congruent with the other lines of
the greenhouse. An upright B-post will look like a fuckin' tent pole!
If anything, a great chop is about flow, if you disrupt that flow,
you may as well have left the oem design intact.

One of the best chops to go down on the HAMB in some time!

Swankey Devils C.C.

 

Looks killer! My vote is for straight B-pillars.

Malcolm

 

That's more or less the thinking I've been doing as well. I want the front door glass to be longer than the rear glass, and when I look at both "photoshops" side by side, I think the straight B pillars look like they fit the car better. I can't think of a car with slanted B pillars from the factory off-hand... I really want the car to look like something Hudson's designers may have built...how the car was "supposed" to look.

I don't know. I'm not going for a radical custom here, I'm just hoping to clean things up a bit and make it look *right*...

Thanks for all the kind words fellas. I've still got a LONG way to go, and this is my first chop, so I'll be taking my time on it. I've never tackled something like this before, so hopefully it will turn out allright...

 

thats awesome cant wait to see it again!

 

Looks Sweet Keith, can't wait to see it in person....Billetproof?

 

Chalk me up for another one of the "don't chop it" guys who's been converted; it looks great!

But one thing worries me... this quote:

Just f***kin' with ya'; the chop looks great; hope to see the car in person someday.

-bill

 

ha ha ha! you got me on that!

 

This car looks damn nice!!


BloodyKnuckles

 

"I'm 80% sure I'll go straight" stuck in my head like a bad song!!......OLDBEET

 

its still a Hudson....
looks good.

 

Keith, it looks great! And for a first chop you planned it out right. It seems a trip up north to the Swindler's wednesday garage nite should be in the making for a few of us real soon. Keith

 

nice. chrome the moldings

 

Keith, come up any time. Every wednesday.

Scott - the garnish mouldings will be gold for now. I may chrome them at a later date...if I decide to chrome the dash.

 

Ok, I have always liked Hudsons, and the chop is very cool. I'm also a big fan of dash board swaps, but I can't believe you would have taken out that beautiful Hudson dash. The Olds is a cool dash, (I put a 56 Olds dash in my 50 Chevy truck) but the Hudson I think is one of the best. Sorry, just my opinion! I'm also surprised somebody hasn't built a HAMB dragster with a Hudson twin h-power engine! They kick ass.

 

man the car is looking great and is coming along awsome , cant hardly wait to see the car finished..

 

My Hudson's dash wasn't very beautiful...

This car was a bare shell when I got it. Besides, the Hudson dash in 48-50 looked about 10-12 years too old. Very dated for the rest of the styling in the car.

The olds dash is beauty exemplified...

As for building a slingshot with a 308...That's in the works too..(mentally at this stage)

 

Straight pillars I think fit the car better. Round the door edges and you'll be cash money

 

This is why I would say do slanted pillars.
By the way, nice work.

 

Wow, apparently those nine years were put to good use. As others have said, your restraint on the chop has paid off. Looking forward to seeing the rest of your work.

 

Boy with the roof cut off like that you'd think there would be panties dropping out of everywhere...

you sure make it look easy

 

That's the really disappointing part...I had to remove the panty collection before cutting the car. I donated them to Goodwill by the boxfull..