My thoughts too. A chop (fun stuff) should be the last thing you do to the car. I've seen plenty of build threads where guys are chopping cars prior to having the drivetrain done or even replacing rotted floors, rockers, quarters, etc. (all the shit work). Get it running and driving first and then do the body prep. Even though it looks straight, dont underestimate the 100's of hours you'll spend blocking out 2 bodies worth of sheetmetal on that huge car. Finally, if your arms haven't fallen off and you have $ left from all the interior and chrome work left, you can consider a chop. Though, I don't believe a chop would do anything to improve the lines of the car. It would be viewed as "shock value" only by most folks.
I agree. A hearse can be a cool thing to cruise if done correctly. Like in get or make yourself a casket round up some buddies and ita road trip time.
No chop. It has a kool factor already and the body has too much bulk to look good chopped. It would have to be sectioned as well to make it look right. More important, its such a rare car to alter like that. Built right after the war where materials were scarce this was the first year the coach builders were able to produce these cars in greater numbers. Even at that, ALL coach builders combined turned out 3,746 total production that year including hearses, ambulances and limos. Your car appears to be a A.J. Miller built one. Very few survive. Probably one of only a couple hundred built.
My buddy Gorage Guss in highschool very early 1960's had one as a daily driver,had some colored lights hooked up in side to flash to the radio and glass packs,but not much more,we did a lot running around in that thing,the hole gang fit in it.
No chop. Unless you worship abortions like this abandoned project. Proportions become more out of whack. Even if the vertical amount removed is right, you'd still have to raise the windshield into the roof line higher, pancake the roof, then lengthen considerably to avoid looking like this end result. Shortening a hearse is an interesting concept... Just leave the body alone. Those suicide doors and canted C pillars are kool enough.
Totally agree! That link to the 53 Pontiac curently on eBay is heart breaking, I love the 53 pontiac.. But I love what they're done with the 1953 (?) Cadillac above.
A lot of people chop cars to get the window to body proportions that car already has. Chopping the top will make the car unusual but not necessarily better. Making it lower and having it look "right" would take a lot more work than just a top chop.
I've had a bunch of hearses over the years -56,64,71.62 and now a wooden 1923. But, the last thing they need is a chop to clown it up. they have such cool classy lines. The suspensions can handle serious loads, you can fit tons of krap and people in them, and you have 10 feet of acrobatic ( I mean camping ) space inside !!!!
Wussie?........ It's not about being a wussie, at least not for me. I have violated much better and more expensive stuff than that hearse. I just don't see a chop making the car look better. If I was going to Ginsu the car up I would be more inclined to section it a little and take some height out of the hood.
Hey,,,,,,, I like the delivery idea. Use the C pillar for a B pillar and graft the curved upper piece of door frame from the rear doors onto the fronts. Could even suicide the doors. Plus, there'd be plenty of metal to play with if you were changing the roof.
find another project if you must chop/slant or do something to a body that's clearly not suitable to this one. .....but it is yours,so do as you please. my metal work blog www.themetalsurgeon.com
There are obviously plenty of people who can appreciate this car for what it is. If you can't, pass it on to someone that does and find something else to cut up.
Another existing '47 Miller limo style hearse. http://www.raincityhearse.org/photo_album/pages/Annabelle_Lee.htm
Why not put things in their proper order,? buy it first, then ask for advice, anything else is just daydreaming.
hell he could own it by now.. from the pictures on google.. cant find one that looks good chopped or other wise.. so i would leave the body alone.. and take the project from there.. i know one of the todo list would be def building a coffin shape beer cooler for the back.. you would be very welcome with a coffin loaded of beer where ever you decided to park. chris.
i would put a sun visor on it, i think that would clean the window line up and not give it a balding forhead look chris.
hey, Jus' some quick thoughts on buying, owning & chopping a hearse............... You're gonna have some bucks tied up in this project, pronto! Cadillac hearse mechanical (Commerical Chassis Model 75s) parts are different from standard Cadillac sedan models- far more rare than '47 Caddy parts! A hearse is a very big /heavy vehicle, don't fit in most garages or parking spaces.Go and price some flat automotive glass, 'cuz your gonna need to replace most of that ones' glass after the chop! The total number of hours to chop & paint that hearse are gonna be major. If you can't do this type of work yourself, plan on sellin the first born, and puttin moma on the street with a matress on her back. " Life ain't no Disney movie "
When you screw it up, you could always turn it into a pickup, that's what happened to a lot of them. Yes I'm being negative. I like it with no major mods.
Just do the photshopped idea. Or go for it and have another fucked up undone project ready for the metal pound. It is a big enough project just at the photoshopped level. I can't even imagine all the time on the glass and interior moldings etc. Just a bad idea at this stage. ~sololobo?~
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