I started a thread about Three-Window Post War Ford Coupes, and the response was outstanding. There was a lot of positive feedback; and photographs of several completed cars were posted. As I studied the few examples that exist, it dawned on me there is a reason so few have been done: doing one properly requires a short-door donor coupe to create --- something in very short supply. On the other hand, and quite the reverse of the method most customs are done, another style chop I like, very much, is done on VW-Beatles, where the front is chopped more than the rear. With Bigs 'n Littles, and with a severe rake, a very pleasant profile is achieved. My question is this: Have any HAMBers done a chop like this on a Post-War Ford Coupe? And, are there any images of them? There are several 'how-to' posts elsewhere on the web for doing a Bug, and I think a '46-'48 Ford (Long Door) Coupe could be chopped using similar methods. Even so, I can't convince myself how it would look, other than being aggressive and possibly cartoon-like --- not really a bad thing, if you like 'different', which of course is one of the reasons for chopping a top. Any suggestions, examples, ideas, comments, or visuals will be appreciated. Carl
fortynut, I can't think of a coupe done this way off-hand - I am sure there are a few out there, but my thinking is that this style of chop would be better suited to a sedan since the VW body is more sedan-like than coupe-like. Jus' thinkin'.. It will be interesting to see what images show up here. Dave
Talk about a non-starter. Hey, Ryan, you should just take this one away on your hook! It's like a three day old fish. Sorry I started it. In retrospect, I guess it's not all that great of an idea. I even have a parts car and after a lot of rapture I'm going to do a conservative chop, myself. Maybe if I had photoshop I could get an idea of how it'd look. Anyone interest in doing that? Oh well, without images this is a waste of space. Harpo
Hi relatively new here but I remember checking the HAMB and someone was doing a repair chop on a bonneville race coupe, post war that was forward chopped? Maybe that will help .i hope you can find it, it was kinda rough but had a real hot rod racer rake that I appreciated. Johnny
Some things work on one vehicle and don't work at all on another and thiBos is probably one of those that doesn't. The VW guys go for "radical" as my bud says and his idea of "radical" doesn't always look the best when you stand back and take a long look at it. You also have to remember that mods to a Bonneville racer or lakes racer are often done just for speed and the forward slant chop may have been done to accommodate the roll cage without a consideration for looks or ascetics. I've seen a lot more of the 41/48 coupes that were chopped and look wrong when they are done than look right on the money when they are done. They are some of the hardest ones to get right when you chop them out there.
Carl, I did a photochop on a '47 just to see how this would look. I didn't think this would work, but it came out better than I expected. I started with a nose-down '47 Merc street rod and took it in a more custom direction: Lowered but level stance, angled the A-pillar back, and angled the C-pillar forward. The B-pillar is almost stock height. The roof crown is lowered and the roof angles down to meet the A-pillar.
Looks like crap, like someone stuck a pole up its butt. Which proves it is not a thing to do, for good reason!
Looks like a dog shitting a pineapple. There is a reason you don't see too many like this. Have seen a few, all done by beginners hoping to do a cheap chop with minimal work and no skills. Almost any chop looks better than a stocker, this is the exception.
Just to be clear, the OP asked to see a photochop and I provided it. I made it look as good as I could, but it still hurts to look at!
Not radical enough to work. Drop the top another 4" all around, loose all the bumpers, fenders and hood. Slicks out back & spokes in front on a dropped drilled axle with a little track nose a' la Ala Kart, but made right from the Ford hood & fenders+lights, cut down. Raise the rear 2" & drop the front 2". Straight headers to a shorty dual system. Slick the firewall. Midrise intake setup with Fenton style scoop. Etc etc etc. Or at least raise the rear 2" & drop the nose a tad. (And you pretty much need to ditch the skirts on a raked car.) Otherwise, to keep it a full-fendered, skirted taildragger, chop the top the other way. 3" in front & 5" in the rear plus loose as much rear top crown as possible. It's just gonna look wrong from the side if the top line fights the rake line. The funny thing is that from an oblique angle, it can look OK due to perspective, but then side-on it's a confused image.
not really a bug person but the reason they chopped bugs like that is you just chop the posts and jump on the roof until they touch, weld it all back up and adjust the door tops to match. then you don't have to do the back. chopping a bug in the traditional manner would be like chopping an egg. on regular cars it just doesn't look right.
Ulu, sorry it's taken a while to respond to your question. In another thread I started on Post War Three Window Coupes, hotrodprimer added this link to a build of one of the best three windows that turned up during that discussion. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=371085 If you go there and follow George King's build of his coupe, you will become aware of my reference ( his use of a donor top from the 'short-door' coupe). And, even though I have two coupes, now, one in good condition and the other in donor condition (both long doors), such a chop, while it creates a splendid car is nonetheless a daunting proposition; hence, this thread which, obviously, in another direction (no pun intended). Keep in mind, that I love these coupes and am just trying to stir the pot for ideas, not to confuse or create dissent. I want to end up with something that pleases me, as we all do; and, in raising questions, tickling people's brains for ideas, and exposing them to other possibilities, I'm looking for answers like we all are. In doing so, I hope to see glimmers of what others may dream up. Just like your comments on the photo-shopped example, that if anything, proves such a beast as a forward-chopped coupe would be a hard sell without a lot of work, perhaps even more radically chopped than what was shown by Rot n' Kustom , and certainly more like a Hot Rod than a Custom. Carl
I like mine. I added long doors to a short door coupe. Took 6 inches out of the A pillars then moved the entire roof forward to line up a pillars took the front of right door to shape the rear of the left door
I really like the above three window, I am using the same idea on a 41 lincoln, of using fronts of doors reversed on the back opposite sides of doors.gives a nice shape to the back of the doors.johnny
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