I have a friend with a 37 plymouth. Our club has been discussing which direction to take the car as the owners wants a early custom look (skirts, chop, as if it was built in the 40's or may early 50's). He knows he wants to chop it and reduce the crown in the roof, maybe stretch the rear of the roof out to get more slope. what is unknown and the reason for this post is, does he go 2 dr hardtop similar to some 40 Mercs (small removable slide in qtr window with curved edge) or maybe a lengthen the doors a few inches and do as a 3 window to remove some of the extra mass in the rear qtr section of the roof. he fears with the chop the stock qtr window will be to small and look out of proportion, hence a 3 window or hardtop. Does anyone have any pictures of 37-39 plymouth, buick or chevys done as an early customers in either a hardtop or 3 window or well proportioned chopped 5 window.
My suggestion is that you work it out with photoshop. I like to use photoshop to sell my ideas to my customers. Here is a design that I have been working on and will be building it soon. 33 Plymouth. You need a good profile shot. stock 3 window channeled 3 window 5 window 3 window stock stretched door
I dont have a photo of a 37-39 Plymouth custom with a chopped top... and it really makes me wonder why. Those are really wonderful bodies that can make very nice custom cars. Especially with a nice chop. I would go for the hardtop with a nice tear drop shaped top. Dont try to make it as teardrop shaped as a 1940 Mercury, since that most likely will not look good on the rest of the body. But it sure can have a nice flow to the rear of the top. Personally I would not go with extended doors. The doors on these are already pretty long, and the rear quarter panels would be to short to look good if you did. Here is a 1936 Ford 5 window coupe I Photoshopped into a Hard top some time ago. I know its not the same as the Plymouth.. but I think it shows that it will look good.
Rikster thanks for sharing some pictures. especially of the hardtopped version it is exactly what I had in mind for the roof if it was done as a hardtop..
leadsledmerc's 37 Chevy looks really nice as the same style custom you are thinking about and he kept it 5 window, chopped top. I am pretty sure it was leadsledmerc if my memory is right.......... The 37 Chevy has the leaned forward B-pillar similar to the Plymouth.
Thanks, Boones and fellow HAMBers for the thread thats what I need to see to try and get my project right. Spencer,
Rikster, Is there any early photos of a 5 window made in to a hard top? I went throught some of your Fotki library and had no luck. Thanks Spencer