This body is all steel, I'm assuming this is a Hot Rods and Horsepower reproduction steel body, being it is a 3 window? Car was built in CT, that is where Hot Rods and Horsepower was located. What is best guess for body manufacturer? Thoughts on Body?
Absolutely a H&H body. First tell is the shape of the rear of the top. It's to vertical. There are things to look for like inner door panels, the body was pieced together from several pieces. They took a totally different approach from Brookville and it didn't work out so well. The shop that assembled several of the bodies is located not far from me. He put a lot of effort into the project but to no avail.
I read what was available on the HAMB and it appears the body was not well received, mildly put. Is this an avoid at all costs car, or what value might it be worth to spark interest? 327 5-speed.
Maybe an optical illusion, but the doors' lines & window area looks really off & misshapen. Among other things. Reminds me of the rather poor snap-together-model kits(switchers?), or the glass ~34 ford kits that barely resembled a steel 34 @ 100+ feet away. Marcus...
It's not Street Beast bad, but it isn't great. Any time someone says their product will fit a stock original body, look at a stock original part and see if you can spot any differences, like hinges and handle!
Yes the doors are H&H. The guys involved put a lot of money and effort into the project but didn't have a clue what they were doing. They drug along a few shops with promises of big payoffs that didn't happen.The inside of the body looks like Frankenstein. I've seen piles of parts at a shop years ago that was assembling them. I have also seen a couple that were reconfigured by a shop that reworked the top and did some other tuneups that helped but nothing beats the real thing with a Brookville coming a close second. Nice try.
I don’t own a nice early ‘30s coupe, but this roofline is just not working for me. Maybe a chop and reshaping of the doors, but after all that, probably should have gotten another body…
Thanks. I wish I could find a pair of originals with a less than stratospheric price tag, and from what I hear Brookville is having trouble getting doors at the moment too. I guess I build 2 of these bodies with Henry stuff and carry on the search. Sorry about hijacking the thread to be about doors.
While there have been very successful people that have chopped the doors first, then chopped the body to suit, I'd be leery of taking cheap aftermarket chopped doors and cutting an original body to fit to them. I was just pointing out that the phrase 'fits original' does not pass the barest scrutiny. Your money, your time, but my thoughts that you asked for is "not great". There are people here that can do amazing stuff with rusty field finds. I haven't gone back through your posts and checked if this applies to you. Maybe you just want a down 'n dirty rod. That's fine, too. I'd also ask about window, latch and garnish, since the inner is not close to stock. Maybe there are common, cheap parts that work. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1932-ford-3-window-coupe-doors.1311307/ Since they are half way across the country, ask about returns and shipping if not fitted/modified. It's a shame they are not close so you could see before you buy.
I have heard what I need to know. It is all just a reiteration of my thoughts. That being the case, the initial thought of cheap isn't always good seems to hold true. All things can be "made to fit", but not worth the effort if it doesn't even come close to right in the end. I would rather have spare parts waiting for doors than a partial good, partial bad body that isn't worth half of what you have in it. I bought this load of parts knowing I could build 3 bodies, maybe 4, and I will be happy to build three and wait on the fourth.
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