Customs De-crowning '46 Ford Coupe

Evening!
Wanting so badly to get over to a Business Coupe from my '46 2-door coupe. Will happen someday!
But it got me thinking......
What bugs me about it is the hump in the roof line over the back seat.
QUESTION
Has anyone ever tried gracefully getting rid of the hump?
Or seen photos of it done???

 

I remember a Sam Foose 1941 coupe, on which he had slimmed the top. Not exactly what you are asking, but if you can find a pic, it might be helpful.

 

Yes..Pics.. Lots of them.

 

That factory roof line is what makes it so cool. Makes your eye see the rake. Implies speed sitting still.....

 

If you're wanting to go low-n-slow, raise the front of the cars suspension and lower the rear, your eye will trick you into not seeing what you're seeing as much.....mild kustom, or you wanting to go full kustom and cut her all up.....?

 

Man, In my opinion that car looks great just as it sit's. HRP

 

I totally get what your saying, my first hotrod I built was a long door coupe. That hump always sort of bugged me. I built it back in the eighties drove it for years but then it got stuck in the corner and then selling it a few years ago. I had just lost interest in it. I always thought if I had the back half of a business coupe roof it would have been kool to make a long door three window after seeing one at Pleasanton goodguys .

 

Looks great to me too.

 

If you don't like it bring it over to my house and leave it. I think it looks perfect. When I was 15 years old I looked for one of these and never did find one.

 

Looks great, don't sweat it.

 

Two different styles. I don't know which I like best, but yours looks really great the way it is. Wish mine had as nice of a look.

 

Sits great, love the wheel covers...

 

Not only do I love this body style, but your car is killer as it is, I wouldn't touch it!

 

leave it,looks good

 

I've never really put much thought into this era of Ford, but I really like your as it sits. Your stance/tire/hubcap combination really sets the car off. Nicely done.

I would spend some time in Photoshop chopping on it before I brought out the tools in the real, as I think it will be hard to improve on what you have going on already.

 

Your car looks good. As far as the hump goes, just get over it.

 

I understand you thoughts on the rear roof contour. @rusty rocket , in post #7 touches on an idea that is worth investigation. As I recall, the quarter window in the short door Business Coupe is the same quarter window used in the Sedan Coupe.

If I am correct in that recollection, it is feasible that one could graft a major portion of the Bus Cpe roof in place of the high crown Sed Cpe section. I think the trunk lids are shared too, the ‘catwalk’ area being longer on the Bus Cpe accounting for the difference in door/roof lengths. In this instance the catwalk would be shortened accordingly.

No small task just to get the better flowing lines of the Bus Cpe, but that is often what customizing requires. And, I tend to like the subtle mods that make a car look ‘better’ or ‘just right’ over the more radical...”hey, look at me! I’m modified”.

Ray

 

Hey, you never know when America might go back to wearing hats again.

 

I felt the same way so I had my brother in law chop mine a bit to make the proportions look a little better. It wasn't drastic but I thought it improved the look.

 

Hello,
Not to downgrade Sam Foose's 41 smoothing of the hump or anyone's attempt at that customizing job, but your car looks way better the way it sits today. It is a nice looking 46 coupe, typical of one of the teens in our hot rod group from high school days in So Cal. His was painted purple with white tuck and roll upholstery. Your 46 is very cool looking and does not need anything to "upgrade" it. We would be proud to drive around in that 46, for sure.

Jnaki
You did a great job. If being period correct is the way your build was supposed to go, it has made it very clear. It hits all period correct buttons, at least for our late 50s early 60s era of hot rodding in So Cal.

 

Greaser Bob - go to: The Photoshop to End All Photoshop Threads - incorporate some of the GordonC coupe - but consider laying the B pillar forward some - ask the guys for a few ideas - like many things, when you change one thing and it snowballs - mods that you are considering will not be cheap, or easy - but, your ride - you have to like it -

 

Just buy a Plymouth then the humps not a worry....

 

I've owned a couple of 46-47 coupes. In my estimation any top chopping will only destroy the cars proportions. I'd leave it alone. I can't imagine going through all the time and effort creating something looking much worse then what Henry created.
As you can tell I'm not one of those who think every car needs to have a chopped top.

 

Alright so not the best rendering but gets the idea across.

I will start with saying this is ZERO chop in the windows it’s more or less pancaking the front section of the roof and the back section is completely re shapped.

I first took the “hump” shape and changed it to echo the curve of the quarter window. Which then showed me that the c pillar should would need altered to match.

I then noticed a smaller hump just forward of the “stock” hump after doing this. So I took some meat out of the roof above the rain gutters.

then lastly I took the section immediately above the windshield, about 3 inches depth wise and dropped it down a little further.

given the complex compound curves I think your best bet would be to basically cut the roof off above the windows/ rain gutter all the way around plus the C pillar and make a brand new roof in as few sections as possible. Cutting it up and trying to make it work with the stock metal left over it’s going to turn into patch work hell with seams in the middle of a lot of compound curves.

If you don’t think you are capable of building an English wheel and teaching yourself how to use it if you don’t already, then you have no business cutting that car up.

Anyhow it’s kinda neat. The back of the roof ends up looking like a 50 merc coupe a little

 

Why do people want to make a Ford look like a Chevy or a Plymouth? Leave it alone, it's a part of it's character...

 

I like it the way it is. Sometimes change ain't for the better but it's not my car.

 

Another vote for leaving it. The car looks/sits perfect IMHO.
I bet the hump was designed in, to maximize headroom in that small back seat area.

 

Goodness.