You are totally correct in your first state ment, but my point was more in the less is more, and a little air cleaner is better then aircleaner, carb, valve covers and a part of a blower, gives me the Fad T chills in the bad way. I like the statement about less I more in this case. And yes the small body and the big engine make the T cool, but it's a matter of keeping the golden ratio, engine can't be to big because then it looks like a clown car. All hot rods need the important ratio, some just fine max further out then me. :wink: Regarding cowl move, it's one of those things that you do for on reason and get the other for free. And that is two very nice cars I hold in high esteem, they are cool and in they tried keeping cowl and radiator line flat, but also ended up with the things with in the ratio. You are absolutely right on time frame and this means that there was a load of shit build and a load of weird was driven, but the most weird was changed at some point. And there is mostly very few rules about how to build a proper hot rod, but there is a lot of rules about how to do it wrong, that 90.5 of people on here agree on and the rest is artistic freedom. But this was a thread about other ways to do it, then just remove a piece of for post and run a it with a flat or non roof. And the CHIP comment was uncalled for, nobody likes to be called a street rodder because they prefer a subtle chop for some builds and a hard for others :sad: But I'm after all a man and can take it. The 403 dry lake car is to me the best subtle chop out there!! And most might agree Gene Winfields "the thing" is the worst chop he ever made
The Chip Foose joke was really relevant. To change the roofline to model A and sectioning the body to make the windows line better is something he could do. And thats just for the estetics. And if it cool or not? Well i guess where back to everyones opinions again.
I understand what you mean Anders. It's probably outside of what this forum is really about. But I'm all about the aesthetics, especially as I have no other skills, except for some idea about what looks good. I just wanted to see what it would look like, so I tried it out.
I always thought the T coupe would look great with a '28-'29 A truck cowl and a hair cut.. It would be super easy swap as they use the same doors.
This asterisks you speak of, is alive and well and has been since the 32 grill became the standard, and some of the builds today is "nice" in the details that they make old survivors look like a hack job. And I still prefer them of modern builds, mostly any way. But making model A doors sit flush is also an example of these things that is popular, but no always done. Gapping doors. Or "coffin" look, that you rarely see on anything other vintage photos from the lakes. Times change, and so does traditional hot rods, but that doesn't mean you can stop people from trying new shit, then or now.
There are a lot of changes on cars that go unseen in plain view. When I first saw my T coupe when Clark Bates advertised it on Ebay, I just couldn't put my finger on what it was that really caught my eye. After buying it and taking it home, I finally figured it out. When Clark was laying the car out, he raised the engine about 4 or 5 inches higher than normal. any more and it would have looked like clown car. The down side was the amount of interior room that was lost do to the higher engine / trans position. The trans up is kind of high but still usable. The higher engine allowed the car and frame to sit lower.............it all was a matter of inches but I think it works great. As for the flat top, I think it is one of the nicest parts of the T design. Henry Ford thought it was good and built like 15,000,000 of them. I think changing the flat top would be akin to taking the fins off a 59 Caddy.......you can do it but don't expect everyone to like it
Please post pictures! I think I know what you mean about the roof. But do you think the 32 top is too much, that the A-bone roof or the gold, slightly rounded T roof is too much? Because the 32 makes no sense too me, and if you do that much to make the roof look like an A model Why don't get an A model. Despite it looks so good, but it would be easier to build an A bone instead. But I think that the gold one has enough chop, so that I still looks like an T. It got a small enough crown in the roof to look pretty and not so much that it don't look like a T. So to me he nailed it.
I hope you didnt take it as that i dont like your rendering. It sure looks good. Just not genuine Hamb material. But if a build with overall traditional aperence where built here with these modifications you made it would problaby be allowed to be here.
"But I think that the gold one has enough chop, so that I still looks like an T. It got a small enough crown in the roof to look pretty and not so much that it don't look like a T. So to me he nailed it." I agree. The Model A and B tops look too "different" from a T to look good on it. The slightly rounded edges on the gold T soften the harshness of the top without making it look like something it's not. And the subtle chop is good in its proportions. Too much chop just looks silly, unless you're at Bonneville, then there's a reason for it.
So this image has been floating around (Started with Mr. Model T's photo of a coupe body on his roadster frame.) Drop the top, and take away a couple of inches from behind the B pillar to tighten up the side window. But notice the back half of the top/beltline forms a partial ellipse in this cut. Very subtle. Moose and James D could do a much better rendition than this hack with paint.
It seems to me that you either like and want a Model T or you don't, I just don't see how such a drastic roof change will improve a Model T, best go with a different body style altogether. The Model T roof is not as simple as it may look. It is quite wide and has an unusual edging compared with later models plus the back corners dip down. It is definitely not as flat as it looks and first impressions of a T roof can be misleading. The rear corner dips IMHO became a part of a bad design fault as the original roof cloth broke down, water would leak in the back corners and the moisture would run down the rear panels straight into the belt line where over the years a lot of rust out would do much damage to a difficult spot to repair as many T coupe owners can attest to. To replicate a T coupe roof again IMHO, it is best to copy the wood edge in sheet metal and then fill in the center with a suitably curved sheet metal piece. Re-roofing a T coupe is a good opportunity to also add some extra metal bracing in the roof void which helps stabilise The whole body structure and reinforce the tops of the door B pillars. Nothing wrong with a stock roof either, but also a nice chance to stiffen it up a little with extra bracing.
This is a great looking roof. Its something like this i want for my coupe but bolted and covered with vinyl.
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