Hot Rods Three window garnish molding dilemma. Too nice to cut

I bought another three window body from a fellow hamber over the weekend and now I plan to build the chopped fenderless coupe that I've always wanted but didn't have the heart to chop the coupe I have. I already had a spare set of mint original three window garnish moldings for it but I don't know if I can make myself cut up a set of moldings this nice. I'd love to trade them for a set of old chromed chopped moldings and then chop my new body to match, but I probably wont be lucky enough to find a set of those.
I've got an original 32 frame ready to go with some old chrome split 32 bones, a 5 inch drop 32 heavy axle from Okie Joe and some old chrome backing plated trimmed for disc brakes. I'll run a nasty big block chevy with an efi so the wife can race it on the weekends.
Below is my new coupe, then my good garnish moldings, then my current coupe when it had fenders and how it looks now. I'll put the fenders back on the winter.

 

Cut em up, the last thing I'd do is cut a top to fit the moldings.

 

If they aren't already chromed, why worry?

 

I wouldn't hurt to advertise them, you might be able to trade or why not cut them to your specifications. HRP

 

I’ve posted an ad in the H.A.M.B. classifieds so time will tell if I come up with some old chrome chopped ones I can work a trade on. Since I haven’t chopped the top yet I have some flexibility of how much chop I go with to match moldings I might find.


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What I'd do and have done before is see if anyone was restoring one like mine and had the same pieces but in not as good shape and traded them parts.

If I'm on no time limit and the parts are going to set for awhile anyway I'd rather see the parts used to their fullest and save somebody a bunch of time while putting a smile on their face AND hopefully tge same might be there for me should i need it.

 

Nothing is to nice to cut. Why make a job harder than it needs to be? Why chop your car to fit someone elses number? I say always start with the best parts you can find and keep moving forward. You'll never regret it once it's done.

 

My hesitancy to waste good parts is probably part of why I have a good sized stash of cool parts to build from. When I need a 32 dash for instance, I go to my dashes with 6 or 7 to choose from and I pick the worst one and take some time to fix it. It's just as good in the end and I end up with the best ones saved for later. Someday I might not feel up to fixing them and want to have the best to work with or my grandson might not have the patience my father taught me. He was the same way.

 

I like your way of thinking , nice start.

 

cut cut cut

 

If you chop those correctly, you can chrome them without too much work. Chroming them would be the best way to honor their history.

-Abone.

 

Give yourself a birthday present and use your good parts. Don't you deserve it ?

 

If it was me, and I knew it was going to haunt me to cut the originals ; I would buy some Brookvilles to chop.

 

I agree with Bowie. If it bothers you to cut the nice ones, just get some repros and chop/chrome them.
Then you can save the good ones for your NEXT 3W.

 

Buy the Brookvilles.

 

Nice problems to be struggling with! A new set from Brookville is about 2G's. You need to get enough from yours to cover the cost of plating. But beware he might just cut them up!

 

Man, If you got it use it. Why have it if you wont use it.

 

Cut them, save the pieces, move on. Bob

 

Friend of mine built a '32 about 20 years ago. He had a real nice original grille shell and insert--it was too nice to use! So 20 years later it is still hanging on the garage wall! WTF.

 

Wait wait wait How many three windows do you have?!?! There’s laws about these things!! How about you give me the one you like the least along with the parts you like the least and then everyone is happy I’m with you I would have a hard time cutting nice original stuff if it’s mint. Hurt me to cut my perfect firewall on my coupe to clear the 409! Why not reach out to a couple shops like Hilton’s out of Ohio or even Brian Bass and see if they have a bead on some cut up moldings couldn’t hurt



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This reminds me of conversations I've had with many Customers over the years. Some would bring me "Stuff" that used to be parts but were really just renderings of there former self. I would refuse to do the job for them. They couldn't understand why saying "But you charge by the Hour" what's the problem? Time is the one thing we can't buy more of and none of us know how much we have left. I won't take time to salvage Scrap Iron, not that I can't do it. I just don't need prove it anymore. Plus nobody wants to pay 10 hours labor for a 2 hour job. Isn't the goal here to get done and go have fun? What's better than the Best you can do? If you really want a 3" chop would you settle for a 4" just because you find Old Chrome ones that are?

 

Love your cars.

 

Its a lot easier to cut nice parts then it is to fix rusty crappy parts.

Personally, I would chop the top and build the car as you look for the garnish moldings, saving their instaltion for last. If you find a set that have been cut too long, you can always cut them again. If you get to where the moldings are the only thing left and haven't found what your looking for, cut what you have. Gene

 

I'm with brady and your 3 window looks great with or without fenders.
I had same situation as you with my 5 window build, had 2 good firewalls but bought a repro one (for $700) and cut it to suit the Nailhead. Then there's the radiator support rods, had 3 good originals all nicely painted but son would not let me cut them and I had to buy st. st. repros and cut them to suit the radiator.