I'm going to chopup my 40 coupe, where do I start?

here ya go;Doug Rice's masterpiece

 

Keep the gutters.

 

Normally I agree,40s look much better uncut..except for this one...feature car as the Bonneville Bomber in the little books of the 50s,and in Rod Action years ago after it was restored....drop dead gorgeous car,beautiful lines IMHO...if I'm not mistaken,the original builder shortened the car behind the doors...guess that's why this one works so much better than most

 

I LOOOOVE stock '40s. I would slam that thing to the ground and leave the top stock. Just my $.02

 

were?

 

I'd have to say if you do chop it, 2"-2 1/2" is enough, personally I like the stock lines... and I love the gutters, maybe because I end up riding in the rain...

 

I really like stock bodied 40s....I'd kill for one......

 

Ding, ding, ding....you win! Spot on. Lots of little subtle touches that lots of folks miss. Roadstar on the HAMB built it a few years ago. GG Gary Meadors owns it now.

 

What about the car from Hollywood Knights? A bitchin mobile indeed.

 

Nothing wrong with a chopped 40, but then I like almost anything chopped if its not to hard of a chop. Just chopping to see how low you can go is just plan dumb.

 

The '40 Ford Coupe has been referred to as "Henrys finest work". There's a reason for that and nobody has shown me anything improved yet.

To me, in a '40, stance is everything. Get that right, fill the wheel wells, and stand back and enjoy....and leave the door handles and rain gutters alone. Henry put 'em on there for a reason, so ya could get in the car, and to keep the rain out.

All that being said, it's YOUR car, make yourself happy.

On my '40 Standard Coupe, which should hit the pavement by spring, I used a '39 Deluxe grille........cuz that made me happy.

Johnnie.

PS; Denise, that black Coupe is amazing !

 

I don't like that car at all,the way it looks! As a Hotrod,40's shouldn't be chopped! As a custom,sure. That thing looks stupid with those bumpers,tank on the front,wheels and radials. It needs to be SLAMMED!!! Might as well put some skulls on it!

 

That's what I'm talking about!!!

 

the internet sucks.

 

This looks great, Verne Hammond Coupe:
http://public.fotki.com/Rikster/11_...ustom_cars/40_ford_custom_cars/40_ford_coupe/
Hosted on Fotki

 

The Rice has it right. Way custom. Looks good if you never saw a stock 40. Still looks custom and right... Especially the rear with the fender over wheel cover... Anything to keep your eyes away from the roof line. The fender skirt would look lame on a stock roof line. But I know what the 40 body line looks like... So, who is right? Sorry, another one bites the dust, IMO. I do not hate someone butchering something up. I do it all the time and mine looks much worse. Who am I to criticize someone's beautiful creation. Suck it up like I do. It's the internet.

 

I like that black one,
maybe more if the windshield was an inch shorter.

Jerry finished his coupe more like a race-car,
not a custom.
He had a cool story how they went to bonneville and snuck some fuel in it.
I think he made about 140 or thereabouts.
This is with a flathead.
There is a rule though that the sides under the window cannot be sectioned,
so it couldn't be scta legal, even though it had a cage in it at the time.

I have thought many hours on chopping this one.
It wouldn't be a radical slope back chop,
but the subtle 1-2 inch, just to lower that Hi-brow.
The original "helmet" curves could be saved,
kinda like in Choprods pics but different.
The body is so straight and clean it'd be a shame to mess it up.

It would be more my style to radically chop one that was more beat.
I imagine selling this one and finding another prospect,
but it would kill me to see someone else mess mine up!

So now it sits in the safety of Neals ranchito!

TP

 

Please step away from the Sawzall.

 

if the car in question is the one on the right..I woulda change it at all..its perfect...but thenagain it IS your car....my 2 cents..and if you are gonna cut it, then be sure to brace the shit out of it first

 

Verne Hammond's coupe...that's the shit right there! Even with the black primer and red steelies.

 

yep....

it's your car but you asked...

chopped 39/40's usually (99% of the time) SUCK!

i went back up and, man, your coupe is killer the way it is....i wouldn't change anything!!!

 

Man if you have to slice a 40 get the best you can find to do it, its kinda sacrilege really.
The only way a chop on one looks Ok is if the turret line closely matches the lines of the trunk otherwise it has an ugly LUMP, the chop needs subtlety. You also need to leave the rear windows stock height and lay them down with the chop.
Whatever you do and this should be a Federal or UN law at least punishable with death, DO NOT SECTION!!
I know this is a model but the idea is in there.




Doc.

 

This is my old (sold) 40 that Joe and Josh Bailey from Knoxville restored a few years ago. I loved that damn car, but went on to other projects.

As much as I loved the old 40, I must agree with those who say "keep it as it." Henry DID do this car right.

I now own a 40 Tudor and in my opinion, it is one of the coolest designs of all time...and I can see out of the damn thing.

Drive 'em!
Ebert

 

was that the one that had a ton of mag coverage 6/7 years ago?
maybe like the original American Rodder.
did you have it then or before?
I always liked that car,
even though it looks kinda like hunchback.
I remember reading that whoever got it running found it chopped already.
TP

 

Zibo,
It IS that car. Josh and Joe Bailey were storing it (in unrestored condition) for another guy in the Knoxville area and it WAS previously a chopped hot rod/gasser from 50's or 60's is what I was told. Josh and Joe eventually talked the guy into selling it to them and the rest is history. The car was featured in a ton of mags and Rod & Custom named it one if the Top Ten Cars of either 2000 or 2001. And yes, it was in American Rodder.
I was actually looking to build a primered 50's-style Tudor JUST LIKE THIS (no chop) at the time when my buddy Mike O'Gara from Ganassi Racing scanned one of the feature articles of the car and told me that this is the car/style I should build. I picked up the phone and called information, found Josh & Joe and asked them details about the car, motor, etc. I told them of my plans for a build and asked them to let me know if they were ever going to sell it. Josh told me that they were thinking about selling it to support a new build and I went to Knoxville the next day and bought it. The Bailey's are SUPER people and they both work for Bobby Alloway in Knoxville in addition to doing their own thing in their barn outside of Knoxville. Two VERY talented guys. I actually bought the car right as those features were happening. The only thing I changed was to put on some actual Zues'd Moon discs and loved every mile I put on it. The thing SCREAMS and has a cam that makes it sounds like a CUP car. Sold it to a great guy in Dallas who has brought it to a few Goodguys events and who is DRIVING it like it should be... a lot!!!
You have a GREAT memory. Again, I do not usually like chopped 40 coupes, but whoever did this one, made it work. Thanks! Ebert

 

yeah skulls...This was published in 1997.

jerry's not a "kustom kulture guy",
both of them were wearing Bonneville shirts older than the HAMB!

TP

 

In my opinion the best chopped 40 ever.The hardest thing is the windshield.

 

I usually start off with a 6 pack

 

Vern's car is a great argument for chopping it. but his car is definitely an exception to the rule!
For the most part, I'd have to agree that 40's look right just the way Henry made em, most all of the chopped 40's I've seen look stupid. the one sitting to the left of your car in the photo is a great argument for NOT chopping your car, it does look like a big gocart and it looks stupid even in Perry's book!
You did ask! I think you have a very nice car!
I hope you don't ruin it!

 

Considering the El Matador Had a NASH windshield & was sectioned

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