Art & Inspiration Chopped verses Non chopped Hot Rods

I have owned a few chopped cars in the past, a glass 32 Ford coupe, a 32 Ford roadster and a 39 Ford convertible, I had fun with them all but as time pasted and the beard got grayer I realized my 6' 4" tall body didn't want to fold up like a Taco to get in and out of these cars, I love to see the chopped cars but any extended road trips I prefer something unchopped.

Today I drove my old beater for the first time since I had my health scare and It's been almost 2 months since I drove the car, I realized just how much I enjoy driving my old sedan, I'm still grinning! HRP

 

I'll be 79 next week and still enjoy driving my chopped coupe. Over 7000 miles this past two years!

 

Unchopped for me.....but I sure like the look of some of those chopped!

 

Chopped, unchopped all Cool if actually driven like HRP is back doing - good to hear

 

Before.



After.



Before.



After.



Unchopped sucks.

-Abone.

 

Unchopped sucks.

-Abone.

Damn Jeff, throw me under the bus!

 

View attachment 5862480 I am in the un-chopped faction, had chopped 56 F100 years ago.

View attachment 5862480

 

I like a well done, tasteful chop but now that it seems everything is chopped, unchopped feels like it's maybe a bit cooler.

 

I'm for the chopped, not sure I could get it out of my basement if it wasn't.

 

I like my chopped 49 Buick, but driving my 56 T-Bird with the top down in nice weather can't be beat.

 

That Buick is a beauty! HRP

 

Face it if you went to a rod trot with all the cars not being chopped or every car being chopped it would be as boring as going to a Mustang, Corvette or Camaro meet where they get excited over the correct placement of chalk marks on the firewall. I went to one of my favorite car shows today and it had one of the biggest turn outs it has had in years but fully half the cars there looked like they had just rolled off the showroom floor yesterday, or out of the front row at a high end lot. Main thing is those folks were having a ball. There were a few high end rigs and then the cars that will race in the Maryhill hillclimb tomorrow that are interesting but not Hamb Friendly for the most part.

 

I got to admit, Mr 48 is correct in that the "Marque Clubs" get over the top on minutia that no one else cares about.

 

After my 3W was wrecked in March '99 and after the body was straightened out I decided to chop it. The amount was only to correct the proportions. I took numerous photos and determined that 2" would look the best and still not affect visibility or comfort. The body had been a dirt tracker, a restored car with a flathead and when I got it in '82 it was bolted to my chassis. I've had many cars and this is my favorite.

 

At least you could shop the front line at a dealer and never have a salesman in your face.

 

Big Bird likes them unchopped

 

As a conservative kind of guy. I prefer un cut tops.
Vic

 

I spend many years , thinking about hammerin the top on my 32 . I always come up with the same answer , if it was a rusty bent up body hammer it . Mine was perfect , so no chopin it yet .

 

I like mine chopped. Tudor 2”, Roadster 3”, 5 Window 4”

 

I'm 6'4" too, so while I dig both, I would want unchopped for my own use.
I also am A Mopar guy and the 34 Plymouths look already chopped and are bigger inside. Have your cake and eat it, too.
Full disclosure, this is a pic from online, not mine.

 

Both!

Dave

 

I oddly prefer channelled with a stock roof

 

Many a chopped Deuce coupe has looked enticing.
Model A coupes not so much. More than 3" should be about racing.
I've mentioned in the past my history with A's begins before first grade.
We only knew from dead stock survivors.
An A, or a Deuce sedan can nicely carry a few inches, if IMHO the fenders are off of it.
Moving into the 30's + 40's It depends on the execution. Lot of work better be worth it.
The factory designers did a great job.
One more thought; the idea of ridiculous chops came from wanting to slice the air at more than 120 MPH.
Just driving a heavily hammered any year, for fun, is comfort wasted
Should add, speaking of Model A, if it gets channeled more than 3-4 inches It needs chopped to look decent. ( not like a cartoon )

 

And here I thought I was comfortable, guess I should un-chop it, eh?

 

I dated a girl who preferred them uncut!

 

We are talking car, right? HRP

 

My dad has a 33 Dodge coupe. They look right unchopped. I've seen some chopped. To think people think that improves the looks...

 

I like both,chop or not,but don't care at all for over chopped*> The ones that are done just to be BS trendy=Looks like cartoons to me an you need to be a cartoon to drive.
A tip,if your into over chop,keep the post parts,so the next guy dose not have to work so hard ,too undo the over chop. Having those left over post parts,can make resale go much faster.
So many over chopped bodys,just end up rotting away>not enjoyable to drive,so get parked n rust.
My little speedshop,got the job of putting top back up,on two rods that came in/about a year apart... Along with other fix's they both needed. Owners were very happy after fixed. But I likely lost $,with all the hours it took.

 

I prefer the factory chop myself (at least the windshield) my sport coupe like the "B' 400's are 1" lower than coupes & sedans.

 

There is no chop like Nochop