Well said 32ford5, I'm in the same boat as you and I can really appreciate the careful planning you're doing before the sawzall comes out. I'm going 3 1/2 on mine with the help of the best metal man I know and another "seasoned" hotrodder who's chopped several cars previously.
That's interesting and good to know! Thanks for sharing that. I wonder what the history is of the deeper chops? 4+". Were they only for race cars (streamlining) or did many guys in the 40 and 50s chop heavily? I must admit a heavily chopped coupe looks just right to me. I'm definitely leaning towards a 4" lowering. My car will probably run bobbed fenders at the rear and cycle guards at the front with an exposed dual quad Nailhead and Firestone Dragsters on the rear. "Hot Street Coupe" is what I'm going for so either I chop mine or someone swaps me their chopped body for my unchopped body but either way my car will be chopped. I love the frame shape too much to channel it plus I'm 6" so there's a limit. I used to drive a 4" chopped 34 coupe and there was heaps of room in that. Now, I know that 33/34 cars are MUCH roomier but I will be doing a lot of measuring and will only chop the air above my head. I keep very short hair which also helps...lol
I'll put a lot of thought into it (it's way too cool a process to rush through anyway) and will set up everything first, bodywork, stance, seat, engine...the lot. I'm not going to drive crouching over but I would like to lower the lid as far as possible without sacrificing too much comfort. Also, I may have been a bit harsh on the "no-chop" brigade. I know this is a very emotional issue for some but if anyone has a real problem with my chopping the car I'd gladly swap for your chopped body if you want my unchopped. I'm not into chopping a car so much as owning one. If we can "save" my car (I'll be keeping all the unchop pieces - I already have a set to unchop a 3 window) I'm all for it but given the silence of offers I guess I'll proceed with this one. It'll be a while though so there's plenty of time left if you still want to try and change my mind. Speaking of which, I have a whole folder devoted to unchopped 5 windows and though the 5 looks way better than the 3 (unchopped) it still looks too tall for me. Obviously I have been fed a steady diet of chopped coupes all my life (in magazines, on TV and such) that it could be that an unchopped car actually looks like it's been "lifted a few inches" which makes them look weird. It's a shame we weren't all there when it all went down to get that valuable "historical perspective" but us new guys are here to make sure hot rodding never dies. I listen, read, search and re-search but in this house everything shuts up when the "older guys" speak so even though this is not a "should I chop my coupe?" thread...I guess they all turn into one eventually. Chopping is an emotive issue.
The duece customs are a 4" chop, there will be a few in SA to look at and that looks about right in my book and is pretty much the max that will get licenced here in WA as we have to have 8" in the windscreen. Just be careful Bill, would hate to see a cool heavy chop, that you cant get on the road.
Good to know. SA is going with the National guidelines...as a guide . But just to be sure I just picked up the phone and rang my local ASRF TAC delegate and we just had a chat about it. There is no limit to the amount you can chop your roof but there is a visibility requirement. The 11 metre rule: - Draw a solid line the width of your car across the front most part of the body. - Reverse your car exactly 11 metres. - Slide your seat right back and sit in it. You must be able to see the entire line without interruption. I asked him for anecdotal examples and he said...
A lot of the heavy handed chops may have been in a different part of the country. I did most of my growing up in N. Cal to the Great NW. Rodding is and always has been regional. I think at one time for instance a mega channel and no chop was considered to be an east coast thing. The leanewd back windshield and mega chop on a model 40 was considered to be a SoCal/dry lakes thing. BTW I like the concept of have several green house shots at different heights to check and see where your new project sits. Now if we could get everyone with a stocker of some sort to do that we could compile a big little electronic book. A sort of a baseline as to where one is starting.
Dont get to crazy with the chop. if it's an uncomfortable ride it will look badass power parked, but seeing one fly by me on the highway or blasting across an intersection... that guy is enjoying his ride to the fullest, and you can tell. Good luck!
Here's my experience. My first 5W was chopped 2" in my garage with the help of some friends in '91. I always liked it, but for the work involved, wished I had chopped it more. After regretting selling it, [where have you heard that before?] I decided to build another, and found a body in N.J. that had been chopped 3" poorly in the '50's. I decided to re-chop it another 1 1/2", and sent it to Randy Bianchi in N.J. Once you go past 3 1/2", it becomes a whole different ball game, as the upper hinge area has to be relocated if you want the door to open properly. I wanted the posts laid back, and it was a huge job. I love the way it looks now, and am glad I decided to re-cut it. I'm 6'2", and have a lot of room in the interior. My vote would be to cut it as much as possible, you only go around once.
That's good to know. Thanks. I want to slam this down as hard as I can without breaking any (stupid) laws or making me too uncomfortable. I think I can achieve both those goals but this feedback is priceless. Thanks.
Cool. Looks like with fenders a mild chop works best (or none at all) but the highboys need slamming.
i think mines around a 3" chop, but i wish i had taken an extra 1/4 out of the A pillar, if you look at it the door top looks a bit level, its always bothered me a bit, but im not ever gonna do anything about it. so with that, id say go 3-1/2 in the rear and 3-3/4 in the front, its only a 1/4 of an inch but it makes a difference! and i like em chopped and unchopped, so i got one of each!
Not to interrupt, but this car just looks so right....4.5" chop, and you still have room being 6'2"? Music to my ears... Sam
If you decide to go that route, pm me and I can send you a ton of progress pics. As I said, it was worth it in the end.
X38 suggested I look for this article showcasing the 5 inch chop(!) performed by (of course - as you all know) the Rolling Bones Hot Rod Shop... http://www.streetrodderweb.com/tech/0711sr_chopping_the_top/index.html
Believe me, I'd love to. I don't think it's a matter of fit. There seems to be enough room. The problem is restriction of vision. We know it's cool but local Authorities see it differently. They actually sit in your car and see if they can see a black line 12 yards away. If they can't...the car fails. However I reckon with thought and good planning everyone can be happy.
I just bought a 32 5W project out of Mesa AZ that is stock- plan to leave alone and go full fendered They still look good and will fit me better !!
4 seems to be the best "hard chop". Also, I've noticed that a 'hard' chop looks better from the rear 3/4 angle than it does from the side. I don't want it to look squished. I read somewhere that the way the rear window looks is the best way to determine the amount of chop. Does anyone know what could be meant by that? What shape are we looking for? What about in the rear quarter windows? I think that shape is also important. I was studying that Rolling Bones chop for hours last night. Bought a new mig welder and will buy a gas welding kit today. Mentally I'm ready to start thinking about doing this chop but when it comes to it I'll start a new thread. This thread is (was) about the different shaped windows and to see all the different chops lined up next to each other. It's been useful for me and I hope others too.
The Jalopy Journal
