Update 2: The Hudson's chop

If you've missed the prior couple of threads on the car, they can be found here:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=187556
AND
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=236046

I took a bit of a break on the car. I didn't really do much for about a month. The weather was nasty, I was getting a bit burned out, and I met a gal.

Anyway. I've got most everything welded up now. Lots of grinding to do yet, but it's coming along.

(By the way, sorry for the crappy blurry pics. It was getting dark, and I turned off the flash because the flash was only showing raindrops).

Here's the car before I started on the door tops:


Hudsons have a lot of compound curves...the vent windows are not at the same angle as the driver's window, and the door tops go from thin to fat back to thin along the top. Most people cut the door tops in the center and add a piece. This wasn't going to work on my car, as it would have created a TON of work to get the vent window "bar" to line up.
I decided to re-curve the top of the door, and add a piece in the front of the door top to keep the wing window operable.



So last night, I decided that the car was "together" enough to take for a spin. Even though it was raining, and I have no sideglass, no heat, no wipers, etc, I HAD to take the car out. I threw the seat in and pulled into the yard. This was the first time I have had the car out of the garage to have a good look at the chop. I'm pretty happy with the lines.





Rolled her on down to the gas station to fill up. There was a "genericar" there in front of me, and I noticed how much lower my car is in comparison when I came back out of the station after paying for my gas...




I rolled over to a buddy's house and hung out for a while, checked out the killer choppers he and his room-mate are building, then came home.
Parked her in the garage for the night.



And, just for a side by side comparison, here's the roofline pre-chop and post-chop:

 

Hey that Mercury looks like a Hudson now!

Nice job man! Definately be proud of that! Kickass ride.

 

Your an animal; chopped Hudsons are cool.

 

damn man... if you were going to a sled look.. you nailed the piss out of it.. it looks awesome!

 

Gorgeous lines! Looking good.

 

Right on. At first I wanted to see you slant the pillars forward, but now I can say that you did it right. Hell yeah.

 

Real tough car!

 

Looks Killer Keith!!!!! Let me know when ya want to start on that side glass..OLDBEET

 

I want me a Hudson Dag Gummit!!!!

 

Perfect!!!

 

I always thought Hudsons looked cool without a chop but that's even cooler.

 

So this girl you met, does she have a big wang?

I miss you dude.

Car looks good.

 

Stupid grandpa car. J.K. You nailed the look with the chop and all other mods so far!

 

damn that looks great

 

I have always said somebody would have to be nuts to chop a Hudson but I was wrong that looks great.

 

Very nice job! that thing looks awesome. I have at least 1 car i would like to chop and it scares me to death!

 

Dude that thing is TITS, keep up the good work!!

 

now we need pics of the girl ya met with the car. looking good keith. jeffrey

 

Car looks good.
(never did get my posters..)

 

Can I come over and borrow the willys for a decade or two.. looks like you have a few cool projects.

the roof came out nice. look forward to seeing it this summer. you are you going to do about paint/ color for the roof now

 

looks lean, Im itching to get mine done. Im in the middle of sanding mine down. Keep us posted looks great!

 

Keith, great job. You did well!

 

Great chop. nice work.

 

Just right. Subtle. Classy.

 

killer!

 

Looks super nice. Hope you're leaving the split windshield.

 

beautiful lines man

 

I really liked you Hudson before the chop, now I am in Love. Looks awesome, well done.

 

Chopped just right. Awesome job. Have you thought about cutting down the back glass and reworking the opening a proportionate amount?