chopping a 46 ford business coupe (short door)

I've done quite a bit of research on here as well as the web, I don't see much for business coupes being chopped. Sure 41's are out there...but little on 46's is there a reason short door's are not chopped? Alot of tech and advice on long doors though...Reason is I'm looking to score on a 46 business coupe on the first...its already stripped down and gutted...I wanted to get started with a mild chop, 4 inches in a piller and 5 in the B...any suggestions?

 

Well to start with 4" is a ton not mild. A mild chop is 2".

They are a hard body to chop and get right. I'll bet choprods has choped one in his time maybe several, he is the king of the hammered coupe, but he isn't one to blow his own horn.

Anyway maybe if you contact him he can give you some advice on what to cut and where and what to leave alone.

 

Pork...Are they hard cause there's less roof space to compesate when laying down the back window? I've also seen chops that leave a small quarter window...its doesn't really flow with the door windows...even with drastic chops with long doors...

 

Yes, the 1/4 window is the problem with chopping the business coupes. most people do not get it right and leave a goofy looking 1/4 window. That being said, I have seen
some business coups that are chopped and look great in that area.

Some people also say that the short doors with the chopped top looks funny too.
I think it is because the chop makes it look longer and the short doors conflict with that.

 

They are a lot like chopping a '39/'40 coupe. It can be done but really had to get the proportion correct.

Last one I saw chopped the windows were all good, the backlight was made a little smaller but still in proportion with the sideglass. The roof flowed well the fella that did it was an artist. But when I stepped back it reminded me of a WWII M4 Sherman. It really needed a sectioning to get the proportions back.

I am thinking that they may have taken more than 4" out of the A pillars.

 

Take a look at Koolkemp in the link below. This car is a '47 or '48. It's a long door but it gives you an idea of what he has done. There are other pictures and build threads with short door coupes, but Koolkemp has lots of detail.
I also have a '48 short door so I'd like see what you come up with. Subscribed.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=466490

 

Stormin, yes I have followed Kool's build, awesome work...I've seen some real nice chop's on 40's and 41's, But very few 46's, Un chopped they look good too...However, I just love 40's customs...and got this 46 at a great price

 

Hey 4rod,when did my '47(long door),after taking out 4",the first thing I did was lay down the back window to where it flowed with the car.take ur time looking at it,step back,....its all about the flow where customs are concerned.a "hot rod" chop is more straight forward...or,straight down.check out my build thread.good Luck,David

 

Bandit, yeah, I like the flow of your 47...that is what I'm looking for...Business coupes don't have the "hump," in the rear passenger roof portion... like long doors That's why I was thinking a short door might be easier to lay the rear window down...But taking into account short doors have less roof to work with...

 

Why not eliminate qtr windows?

 

ho, i've seen a couple of those, a three window looks good when it was intended, but in my opinion it just doesn't look right when the 1/4 is taken out...

 

Hard chop to do and get right
Phatrats '41 Ford on here is as nice of chop of this body style as you will find-sorry I don't have a pic-but someone on here will be able to add one I'm sure

 

Check out BARRIS-"Snooky" Janich 1941 Ford RESTORATION thread. Its a short door '41 and the quarter window looks right

 

I agree 100%. I have yet to see a 5 window turned 3 window that looks right.

 

There have been some very nice chopped short door coupes done. It just seems that they are harder to get a good roof line/quarter window flow.
Go to Riksters site if you haven't already and see if he has any pics or maybe he will chime in here with some.

 

Great, guys, I'll load some pics of the coupe when it gets out of blasting...I really looking forward to this build...Here's how it was sitting...

 

Thanks alot beaner. I like my 3 window. made from a short door 48. added long doors and slid the whole roof forward to line up the A pillars that were cut 6 inches.

The Green 3 window that george built looks factory to me

 

NoName...In no way was I dissing your ride, I've seen your build pics and some nice work there...I only think for this build I want to keep it a 5 window...And my opinion counts for little here on the hamb...

 

NO offence takin. I was pokin fun at Beaner

 

Hey,

Why not consider sliding the rear light back, and shortening the dutchman panel, whyle lengthening the roof? This method gives ya the flow of the long door, and given you.ve got to reshape the quarterlights anyway, not much more work! Given you've scored this one for light coin ,you could hunt 2dr. sedan doors and build yourself a coupe.

sent from a computer old enough to have a foot pedal

 

Here is a link to a nicely. Chopped 46 short door coupe originally chopped by my friend Sweats and Willie Wilde. the pictures really don't do it justice. The profile is perfect.
I have not seen many long door coupes that look good chopped. Most seem to be flat in the middle of the roof and door tops.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=326143

 

Swiss, yeap, I really like the flow of that car, and the color...

 

I looked at alot of the 46-48 Coupes chopped and unchopped. I have seen both long door and short door chops that look great as well as horrible. For the most part the short door (business coupe) has a great sloping roofline without a chop. It is very hard to get a short door coupe chop to look right. 4" is gonna be to much and to difficult to make look right. 1 of the purposes for a chopped roof is to give the car a low, long, sleek look. I had a 46 Business coupe that was chopped about 3 1/2 inches at the front. It flowed well going back. The rear window was useless as it was set to high. The rain gutters were cut off. I myself like the rain gutters to remain on if at all possible. I will attach a few pics of my 46 when I get on my computer. I have a 3/4 front pic in my pics on my profile if you want to check it out. I now have a 47 business coupe, but dont intend on chopping it.

 

Stang, Your coupe is nice...yes the coupe I'm talking about has had the gutters shaved off as well, I'd sure like to put some back on...

 

Here a couple from other threads, I think short doors look great! I like the long doors to, depends how the work is done.

Short,,












Long,,

 

Flatred, Those are some great pictures, I have several of them as well I've been saving...I to think short door's look great...the coupe down to bare steel, is what I'm looking to accomplish...Maybe 3 or 3.5 out of the A pillar...then again I think close to 4 inches...slanting the b pillar as done in shoebox chops, gives the car a completely different vibe...Its pretty cool to

 

Here you go

 

Dean, How much was taken out of yours?...Flows sooo nice...are you running 16's in wheels as well

 

I've chopped a few roofs in my day and you need to study the lines and how they react once chopped. I usually take side profile, and 3/4 shots print out on paper and do the 7th grade art class deal cut the top off with razer blade, relief cut the post and move around slipping under the paper tack tape and just play around with the look. If you can make it look good in paper you can do it in metal. Here are some pictures of a 47 I-H truck I just hosted a weekend workshop on, just an ugly old scrap truck that looks like all the other I-H out there to tall and short, so in short order we had the top lowered by cutting 4 inches out of the back of the cab sliced, sectioning the roof skin sides, split the cab, pushed it back 2 inches, all in one movement. Lengthened the doors 2inches. This gave us a quick sleek more streamlined look with very minimal fitting filling welding etc. Kinda like liposuction, or a face lift just removed unwanted material and put it elsewhere and placed the lines where they improved the look without looking overdone! Styling is the key it has to look right every thing else can be over come with patience and good metal work.

if you were closer you could sign up for my next workshop in Feb. here are some pictures from the I-H class and a VW Bug workshop as well, I know it's a Bug but lots of similarities, I have it all on DVDS if that might help get some Ideas of procedures, I'm not a big fan of cutting into the roof skins and making them flattened out, I work with pillars and angels, gotta cut low and pie cuts. Most here know what that's all about.

 

Wow Doug, What a neat opportunity you have there...Maybe there is something like that around here in the northwest, i'm sure fellow hambers would dig putting something like this together...