I am chopping my 41 business coupe ford, I like the idea of either pie cutting, (sectioning) the hood as well. I think it would make the hood less bulky looking in profile. Any of you guys done this? Share photo's if you have. I did a search, couldn't find anything. Thanks
I haven't done it on a '41 ford but did it on my '46 chevy, I took, i think, 2 1/2 inches out of the front. I braced the hood all over underneath and cut it and welded it back together. It turned out great as far as the bodywork goes, but doesn't fit the car really well. i found out later on that you're supposed to leave the hood on the car and tack weld it to the fenders before you cut. That way it fits much better when you're done. I did mine to a finished car so that wouldn't have worked anyway, but in hindsight since I was going to have to repaint and reflame the hood anyway it would have been better to just weld it to the fenders and then paint the whole clip when I was done.
Maybe I am missing something, but would sectioning (once called "pancaking") the hood work with an un-channeled or un-sectioned car? Would not the body have to come down for a pie-cut hood to fit??
I think most of the time it ruins the lines of a car to make the hood point downward. It can work in some cases if it's done subtly, but most of the time I don't like it. Also, it was done too much in the pro-street era, that's what it makes me think of.
I agree with Weez the 41 has a unique nose up look (perfect custom) and you might loose it changing the hood shape.
I thought to "pancake" meant to weld the hood to the fenders and then cut out a new hood opening?? I didn't want to lose the hoods peak, just lower the slope.
My father in law has done a 46 coupe and a 48 tudor sedan. He cuts about 2 1/2 inches out of the front and moves it forward then adds metal in at the back edge of the hood at the cowl. They're also chopped. I have pic of the coupe but I will have to scan it in first. Give me a few. Nope, sorry. my scanner doesn't want to work.
Hey, You thought correctly To section & to pancake a hood panel are not now, nor have they ever been, the same thing! Lincoln sectioned the hood panels when they built 1940 & '41 model Continentals from production Lincoln Zephyrs as factory customs, and the only reason it worked on this vehicle is because the whole vehicle was sectioned to match the hood panel's heigth. To pie section the hood of a '41 without sectioning the cowl will result in a ''ski-slope'' look not unlike that of a street rod from the 80's " Humpty Dumpty was pushed "
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