I am getting ready to separate the chassis and body on my 40 it is a 4 door sedan and was wanting to do chop but was wanting to see if anyone has a 4 door that they have done so I can see what it looks like thanks
I found this one on the web, but no info. I do recall a non-chopped '40 Fordor (radical nose, no hood) from the 60's magazines that was sectioned, and looked well proportioned. Here's a sectioned Tudor, for reference. (I like it!) Still, this look is hard to beat!
Definitely do the chop when it is bolted solidly to the frame. Also use LOTS of temporary cross braces inside to keep everything square and aligned. As for chopping a 40 fordor, there won't be many harder chop jobs you could try to do. I sure hope you are VERY experienced in body mods and fabrication. Otherwise you will have a big pile of scrap metal.
You won't see many chopped 40 Fords, coupe, sedan, or otherwise, because that's a tough nut to crack. I've never seen one that looks right from all angles. Because of all the flowing lines and compound curves, you are going to have to compromise somewhere, and that somewhere always sticks out like a swollen gangrenous thumb...
Rainier Hooker is dead on right. That's a tough one! What makes that so from "my" point of view is on a 40 you don't dare lay the A post back, it's just WRONG! On a 4 door you can't lay the B or C post forward. That leaves the rear quarter window the only place to push the Top ahead and if you do it will look like a Hump. So that all adds up to stating at the Bottom corner of the Deck Lid to cut a wedge to lay the rear window forward to keep the profile correct and stretching the Roof skin above the front doors. Then there's the Fact that 40's just plain look Stupid without drip rails. So, how's your metal working Skills? At least that's how I see it. Profile is everything, not just a Low Lid. Also, alchemy is right there with R,H. Don't do that with the Body off the Chassis. Your doors will never be right when you bolt things back together. Do your self a favor. Fit and finish all Door, Deck lid and fender, Hood gaps just like you would after new Black paint before you start to cut anything. If you don't you'll regret it soon. Doing a Car is just like building a House. Foundation first if you want windows and doors to be right. The Roof is last for a reason. The Wizzard
This Street Rodder Mag. shows how to chop a 40 sedan. A friend used it as a guide for chopping his 40. https://www.ebay.com/itm/STREET-ROD...685859?hash=item5900cf7763:g:kvoAAOSw2gxYnQ4d
I was just thinking the idea over it is a car my grandpa has had for years in the shop and he has now passed and he had to other cars that went to his boys so I decide I would finish building this one for him and I just thought I’d see how much I could do to it but I’m doing all the work myself and sounds like to much work to chop it for my skill levels
Call Kenny Baker, in Elmer, Missouri. He's an Alliance Vender here, and an old time metal master. Chopped the sh#t out of a few HAMB'r's rides, and many an unaffiliated hot rod, and custom nationwide. There's a thread here somewhere about a drive in, over a weekend, 3 day chop top, ready for pickup on a Sunday. He's @choprods here .... but here is a thread to read too. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/the-chopper-rod-shop.640403/ He's not a massive computer guy, so if the information changed Google Kenny Baker aka the Chopper for regular website contact. Low overhead and years of experience result in very affordable pricing. Check him out.
I agree with those that say it takes some skills to chop a '40 and make it look good. I don't have the skills to do it, but have bought someone else's chopped '40. Here's a few done right but no 4 door sedans.
A tough one to do on a 40, as there isn't much you can do to one of those that actually makes it look better. And with a two-many door you have more pillars and windows to cut. As a two-many door owner I wouldn't even consider it on mine. But it's your car, do what makes you happy and enjoy it!
About the only chopped 40 I ever liked was this 4-door that was at the 2012 GNRS. I don't remember who owned or built it, but it was pretty cool. Mick
You have to do what you think is going to look good to you. Why don't you post your picture and your request to the photoshop thread on this list to get a better idea of how it will look. I have a close friend that did an exquisite chop on a 47 Chrysler fast back, and it was a major undertaking by and he was a very experienced metalworker. The end result was well worth the effort, but an inexperienced person would have quit any number of times. I might also add, that he had to vary the cut from 1 inch in the back to 2 1/2 inches at the windshield. It took a lot of thinking and fitting. I personally like the sectioned examples pictured above, and would go further to say that a mild chop and a sectioning would preserve the balance that we like so much. Bob
The black 4 door lurker mick posted has everything wrong I mentioned at least from my point of view. Windshield is laid back making the driver door glass a wedgie and moves the top of windshield above the top of door glass. Back glass is way to large and without the drip rails the roof skin itself looks exaggerated and bulbous. Clearly some like it but to me it looks like a Cartoon drawing by a grade school kid. So that makes the tire to wheel well opening okay. I usually describe cars like this as being built in a single car garage with one dim light bulb. I guess this means I wouldn't do things that way. The Wizzard
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