when you chop the roof clean off...thats too much chop....just kidding, Legally here we have to have 8in windscreen height as far as I recall, thats a mean chop though!
7 inches on a 5 window, and the rear side windows look dumb if not shaped properly. Not sure about a 3 window. I think 6 is about as low as I'd go, unless it was a race car. Paul, my Hudson's windscreen is 280 ml at the corners, and 250 in the center. So about 12 and 14 inches.
Yes, you're asking "When is the dumb point?" You know you'll get dozens of different answers to this.
Mine was 5" front and 4 1/2" rear with laid back A pillars. My personal opinion is anything more than that starts to look awkward. Also not a fan of a straight chop...i.e. 5" front/5" rear
Walden does a super nice job chopping the 3 windows. I am not sure how much he takes out but the cars looks right on the money to me and you can still drive them. Chop them too much – 6"-7" and you have a cartoon car. We have a windshield law also but I have never heard of anyone being stopped. There are lots of photos on here of some pretty radical chop jobs on three windows both 32's and model 40's. If you don't like this car, then you are not thinking straight. Refocus and climb aboard. (See Walden Speed Shop on Facebook.)
Tex smith wrote a chopping top book and he breaks down the artistic style into engineering numbers and talks about surface area % of roof to% of body , stance can play a big part also ... one car may look funny and the othe righteous with the same chop... Lots of variables , mine is 4" now I drove a 3" chopped 3w daily for over a year I wouldn't want to do that again more than 4" I agree with Larry , after 5 they start to look funny ... Too much wedge looks stupid also
I like the look of a tapered top to the side windows, that Walden 3Window in the above post looks good to me. Whatever it takes to make the A post a bit shorter than the rear. Bob
I chopped my own '34 sedan 3 1/2" and chopped two '34 3wndw coupes for friends. They all felt chopped, looked just right. Four looks really chopped and I agree when you get into 5" plus, its gets radical looking and the rest of the body can look dis-proportionit. Of course this is just my opinion. You'll get plenty more. Tim
Mine is chopped 2.5 inch's but is full fendered. If I would have done it as a highboy I would have went 4.5in front and 4 in the back. I'm an old fart and a little conservative?
I would love to see a 3w with more than 4 taken out. It seems like a lot, but I would like to it. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
personally, i think that a straight chop on a 3W should stop at 4". a straight chop at 5" starts to look squished or something. the length of the door window gets out of proportion to its height. if you're gonna go 5 in the A pillar i think the angle chop like 3W Larry's is nails. the Walden chop is right on as well. the window and roof shape keep the car flowing or 'in-motion' and keep it from appearing 'blocky' with that much taken out of it.
No, his is a 5 window and I think it's chopped too much in my opinion. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
When you have to crawl in? Visually about 25% window to 75% body with exceptions. There is no right answer to this. It depends on the car how it's built and personal taste. It's like a woman asking if her butt looks too big.
Here are few more examples of chopped coupes. Some stated above that stance has a lot to do with the look. I agree. Steadfast can make a Deuce look righteous with a perfect stance. Rolling Bones Style is the heavy hammered race car look. Steadfast style. I love this one with a perfect stance. Another nice example in bare metal. Laid back post is an alternative that some people prefer. This chop looks like the correct proportions for a 3 window. Jon Wright's, JHRS built, at the SO-CAL open house grabbed me right where it hurts. This RJ car is one bad dude.
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