Hot Rods What's wrong with a channeled hot rod?

I certainly understand. I'm 5'9" tall and 190 lbs., I fit ok but anyone taller wouldn't do well, I'd say 5'11" would be max for this PU. When I go to a cruise in or show, I look around before I get out, just to see who's watching, I throw my left leg out first, and pull myself out, my knee replacement makes it a little tough, that and I'm almost 73, still, I love driving the car. Happy holidays!!

 

Fenderless-channeled & chopped Hot Rods are what hooked me as a kid.... and 64.5 years later they are still my favorite.

 

A more finished version of the photo of my 33 coupe in an earlier post.

 

At one point , someone mentioned there is no advantage gained by channeling... how about the lowered center of gravity? Comfort is a matter of using the right seats...Vette buckets work great! Long live channel rods!!

 

When I bought my roadster project car it was channeled quite a bit and with me being 6 foot tall it was going to be a little tight. Channeled cars pose a few problems such as windshield height, pedal location, steering wheel etc.. I had a 312 with a tri power intake and went to mock it up and found the carbs blocked my vision out the windshield due to the channel. Still, I always liked the channeled hot rod look so if I can ever get my ass in gear after this covid thing I can actually start digging out all the parts I've squirreled away and see it through.

 

Even though I'm originally from the east coast I've never been a fan of the un-chopped channeled look. I think they look out of proportion being too tall roof on a short body.

But, I love a chopped and channeled car. This one recently posted in another thread has the right look.

 

I don’t “ hate” channeled cars, they just don’t appeal to me personally... they can look good.... until somebody gets in it and they look goofy.
If you are 5’6”” they may be ok,but stick a 6. footer in one and it can look ridiculous....not saying all, but most.
If you lower the floor pans and get down then it works in most cases.
I guess it’s all down to taste... “ hate” is probably not the right word... I dislike a few things but that doesn’t mean I Hate them...but in the end,to each their own... it’s a good thing we don’t all like the same.

 

I love a chopped and channeled car.
<<<<<<< Me too!

 

4" chop, 4" channel and a 4" engine recess with the seats pushed all the way back. It's a tight fit for anyone over 5'9", but the CG is low, frontal area is reduced and weight distribution is near 50/50.

 

Back a zillion or so years ago when I was just a young guy in East Texas, the cars that always peeked my interest were those done in the East Coast style. That is channeled and "NOT" chopped. These cars just had that allure for that old country boy. A few years later the cars that really got me involved in Hot Rods were the Competition Coupes, to me and my uneducated eye they were, and still are for that matter, the coolest cars I could imagine. The Comp Coupes not for there drag racing heritage but because I always was trying to find a way to make a street car out of one of them.

Channeled cars "look" really cool, chopped and channeled looks simple awesome. For any real Hot Rod guy I simple do not see how you can look at one and not think they are cool. Why? Because they are cool. Now with that said unless you are a pip squeak sized feller you are just not going to fit into one of those damn things. I am a big guy 6'3" and yea I know I could loose a few pounds, well maybe quite a few. But even when I was at fighting weight I am still 6'3" tall and there is noway brother I would ever fit into a chopped and channeled car. I have owned a Model A coupe that was channeled 4" and unchopped. I did fit into that car pretty well even at my size today. I did have to get very creative with the seat to make it work but it did work. My Model A today is chopped and chopped a lot 6" just in the steel and another 3/8" in the cuts. Yea I chopped it 3 times 2" each time just to make sure that I was going to fit in the critter. I was surprised at each cut as I would set the top back on the car and I had so much room. I should have been looking out of the windshield, as with a big chop and a big guy that is a big problem, oh it is a solvable problem but a problem seeing none the less. Then dumb ass me I get the chop done and it never dawns on me that I setting with my ass on the floor of that Model A. Never even considered seats, I though I would do what I have always done and just install some bucket seats and off I would go. Well with a big chop seats suddenly become a big deal. I finally, after trying every damn bucket seat known to man found that C3 Corvette's seats are waaaaaay low, and in my case worked.

Channeled cars are very cool---Chopped cars are just as cool just different. I would love to have and be able to drive a chopped and channeled car. That wasn't in the cards for me and to tell the truth I had much rather be 6'3" and not fit than be shorter and fit. But I can love them for what they are and sometimes, just sometimes there are things that are just for looking at.

 

A wise old owl once sat in an oak, the more he saw the less he spoke, the less he spoke the more heard, why can't we be like that wise old bird.

Angledrive, it would be a very dull forum if none of us spoke.

Steve

 

4 inch chop, 9 inch channel. Dude that built it in the 60's was6'3".

 

I like channeled...built a full bellypan because I like the looks...in the process of building new hood sides because I got tired of headers...are they ever done? been at this one for 35 years and over 100k miles

 

My female cousin Mickey's Deuce roadster from Santa Cruz Ca. Picture taken around 1957.

 

This is mine. Three inch channel over a home brew frame and a 3" firewall recess. Had to cut 3/4" off the oil pan to get 5" of ground clearance so that makes the trans sit up into the foot room. I'm 5'11". Spent a lot of time playing with seating position to get decent support with enough give for comfort, sufficient leg room and still have my eyes low enough to look through the windshield.