Hi, I'm after a bit of advice on if a chop is "era correct" for my build. Full fendered 1928 A Model coupe running a 3" dropped A axle, A Model torque tube and banjo rear, 24 stud flathead with Edelbrock Slingshot manifold, wheels Ford wires 7.00x17 rear 5.50x16 front. What do you think?
I see you're in Australia, better check with your local Vehicle Modification and Certification Administration and the local Constabulary before you do anything. There may be strict rules against removing a vehicle's roof, window height requirements and required welding certification. Who knows? You fellows down under have to jump through an awful lot of hoops when building a hot rod compared to us here in the US of A. As for me, I'd whack it 3 1/2 - 4" just to get it down out of the breeze a little but still be able to wear my cowboy hat.
There are era correct examples you can find from no chop to too much chop. Personally, I like a four or 5 inch chop on a fendered model A coupe. You can always start at three and take more off if you think it needs it, which in my opinion it will. good luck and don’t forget to post pictures. -Abone.
Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I suppose what I'm most interested in is if this car of mine was built back in the mid 40's what are the chances it would have got a chop?
I love chopped coups. Hard to beat these un cut examples here are some chopped examples the last one misses the mark for me
The old photos from that era show that some were chopped but then again many rodders at that time didn't have the equipment, skills or may have never seen any chopped car before. I'd agree with two things the others said, do some serous study on your regulations there concerning chopped vehicles. No doubt there are specific regulations on how it has to be done as far as joining the door posts for maximum strength. Then don't get caught in chopping it too much. That is all too common here, If 3 is great, 5 is wild they go for 7 so it is "radical" and end up with a squashed looking thing that is uncomfortable to drive any distance. Personally I would get it together to the point I could sit in it with it not being chopped and see how much room I had and how much I could comfortably give up.
I think its important to get the rest of the attitude of the car squared away first. Ride height and tire size being most important to me. Then you cut all the lame away until it looks rad. Some cars dont need to be cut and look great unchopped. Some feel like they're missing something without a haircut. Of course you can have too much of a good thing too. My long rambling point is I dont think theres an ideal number. The chop has to fit the flow of the build
If you want to see a vintage chopped Model A, just look at a stock Model A Vicky. Top is already lower than a sedan. Sent from my SM-T350 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Not sure if there was an "era correct" chop. I'm sure as with most aspects of hot rodding, a lot of it was just winging it. There are certainly pros and cons of chopping a top. Here's an excellent thread on the looks of different chops. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/model-a-coupe-showing-different-chops.869524/
If your over 5 ft 10 those cool looking cars can be hell to ride in.Some have lower seat cushions that are 3 inches of foam.Leg comfort may suffer on any longer ride.At 6ft 1 my stock cab 32 PU has me looking through the top 2 inches of windshield.I can only imagine what a 3-4 inch chop would be like.
I always thought if you could see your arm out the window and just see your eyeballs, it was perfect. LOL
On an A, a little is better than a lot, as Anthony Myrick showed. Sounds like you're going for the late '40s look, so I'd think that most coupes were uncut because of the postwar recession. And most would have lost their fenders - but not their splash aprons! - so keep that in mind as well. Of course, just as in American elections, remember that most is not all (MINA)!
Mr48chev and adam401 have it correct. First, wheels and tires to establish stance. Then get the seats in it. In your thorough description of the car, you failed to mention the driver height, a very important factor in any cabin alteration, ESPECIALLY, channeling the car. Laws in foreign countries probably won't allow a chop anyhow,
Its a hot rod. real hot rods got updated with the times. Probably that Chevy kingpin front suspension didn't get done until the '60s when those tires got done. That does not mean it was not originally done in the '50s. @RJD The hard thing on the chop is we do not know what era you are trying to hit. Hammered sedans were a sort of a post war thing. When sedans and coupes began to become acceptable on the dry lakes they began to hammer 'em for an advantage at speed. The parts that you have suggested really could have been used late into the '60s. In high school for example in '68 or so I did not build stylish cars because I used the older guys cast off parts to build with. For my own personal taste I like a sedan channeled with a mild chop. But I do enjoy one hammered hard with mail slots and would build one that way too. Either could have been seen in the 50s and 60s. If you are shooting for a pre war car I am not sure that a chop would have been common. OK I rambled, sorry. we cannot decide on your era by the parts you have chosen.
how tall are you? ... i'm 5'6" and can chop till i drop... but "you" are going to get in and get out at least once every time you head out... as you get older getting in and out will get tougher... if this A is a keeper think about you in 10 years.. . i ran this '33 five window for 19 years channeled and sectioned 11"... i would get pinched nerves when getting in on a bad back day... i pieced together a '30 coupe full hight ... did the body swap / frame shortening and mounted the A on the '33's double ZEEed chassis... much more head room but less belly room... .
Lots of food for thought so far, thanks for that. In answer to some of the question's at 5'5" I'm tall enough for any chop but my own taste and local laws mean that won't happen. I'm running cross ply tyres and in my mind shooting for a 40's build. Sort of a "one of the first AV8's built" type of thing. So I'm mostly interested to know how likely it would have been for a coupe built at that time to have been chopped and how much?
Well slightly out of your time frame as this is 1950 but assuming these cars were all built in the 40s it kinda applies. 3 chopped, 3not chopped. So I guess like now it can go either way. I feel like now alot of guys say its a 40s build when they basically have a stocker with the fenders ripped off and a split manifold on a banger. When you look at the first 12 issues of hotrod magazine 1948 the cars were cut up and advanced (not too many coupes though). If you look up Rusetta timing you'll see some cool coupes as they were a timing assoctation that allowed them. Youve got a cool pile of parts amassed for your build so you'll be ok either way. But id cut it haha
National Guidelines for the Construction and Modification of Street Rods in Australia64 Second Edition November 201310.2DRIVER’S FIELD OF VIEW At the completion of all work, including the installation of the engine, bonnet and bonnet scoops, a person sitting in the driver’s seat at its rearmost position must have: an unobstructed view of either the road 11 metres beyond their eye point on a flat, level surface, or the front edge of the original body, including when looking across the top of the bonnet scoop if fitted; and an unobstructed view above the horizontal plane. These requirements are illustrated in Figure 10. For the purposes of these requirements, the driver’s eye position is taken as being a point 730mm above and 270mm forward of the junction of the seat cushion and squab (back) with the seat in its lowest and rearmost position
The Jalopy Journal
