What and why your preference: 3 window coupes vs. 5 windows

I've been wondering what and why some of the reasons people have preferences for one or the other. Is it just a personal thing, or is there historical precedent why a rodder preferred a 3 window coupe vs. the 5?
Is it because the 3 window is more commonly ***ociated with a "Sport" model as opposed to a "Standard" coupe? Kind of curious.
I can think of glowing examples of both with two very different cars right off the top of my head: Larry's 32 (formerly) and Rolf's 31.
I personally prefer the 5 window look, but maybe it's just me. I'm not looking to pick a fight, but I am curious why people think the way they do.
This isn't totally redundant either, your answers might very well influence the course of history ... well, at least my history. Thanks for playing.

 

Depends on the car. 32's I like them both, 33-36 I prefer 3-windows.

 

You know I thought about this and, really, I can't say. It's like picking your favorite Ice Cream flavor.

 

i think the five windows look better for all 28-32,
no particular technical reason just the overall look

 

I've always liked 5 windows better, maybe it's because it seemed like the fiberglas companies flooded the hobby with 3 windows.

 

I myself prefer the 3W ... in a 1932 Ford.
At 6'2" and overweight ... the 5W has a smaller door and is a LOT more difficult to get in/out of. The 5W is easier to see out of ...

The 3W has a much prettier dash ( IMHO ) with the cigar lighter and the glove box. The rear window looks better also.





But the 3W just does it for me ...
I also like 5W's ...

 

It's just an aesthetic preference of course, but I've always liked 5 windows much better.

 

I'm not sure, I have a 32 5 window, and I've always wanted a 3 window. I think the 3 windows look a little meaner when set up right. But I guess for me it's more of the one I don't have. But that doesn't explain the 3 windows going for so much more money. But I have friends that have 5's and wouldn't have a 3 window. So go figure.--TV

 

I think the 5 window looks better but the 3 window is easier to get in and out of. I've had both.

 

I Like 5 Windows Better....

 

i like the 5 window coupes . i think the little window when chopped gets that d shape kinda give it a little more character

 

im on the fence , i like both but never owned either , unless a 34 3window counts..

 

I like either one. I guess I'm partial to the 3 window. I always think "less is more". 3 speed over 4 speed, no fenders, no hood.

 

yeah,,but most women dont!

 

damn thats funny!!

 

So thats why they say street rods are for getting girls and hot rods are for getting rid of them

 

no..actually 'they' say customs are for getting girls and hot rods are for getting rid of them,,,,(Robert Williams said that,,,but i disagree,,,,)


i think HOT "RODS" are what the girls want,,,,and customs are for GETTING THEM...."

fell free to qoute me on that....

 

3 window.

 

i prefer the look of the 5 windows. no specific reason though

 

I am exactly like TV's post above, I have a 32 5 window, but have always wanted a 3 window! I was 13 years old when American Grafitti came out and that movie jacked up my mind. Everybody has their own idea of what a hot rod is, but I knew at that moment that someday I would own a 32 coupe. The fact is in 1985 when I went looking for a 3 window, they were already out of my price range, so I bought a nice 5 window that year and now I'm glad I bought it when I did! Viva la differance.

 

I have a 5 win and I will tell ya... 3 win are where it's at! To me... the 3 win has more of a 30's gangster look to it. The 5 win looks more mom and pops. The 3 win to me is more elegant looking.

 

the gr*** is always greener on the other side....

 

dude,,hate to break it to you,,but Milners 32 was a FIVE window....

 

i like the sucide doors , 3-win

 

This is nothing but subjective, I like the ice cream flavor comment. I have a 5W '32 and prefer the look greatly over a 3W Deuce. I also have 3W '36 Coupe and have zero interest in Five windows in that model. My all-time favorite is my '40 Standard Coupe with a '39 Deluxe grille, and Henry didn't even give me a choice on the number of windows, go figure ?

Bottom line, I love old cars ! ...............Johnnie.

 

dude,,hate to break it to you,,but Milners 32 was a FIVE window....

I am fully aware that it was a 5 window. I never said it was not. I was just stating a fact that even in the early 80's, 3 windows were more popular. I have watched the movie hundreds of times and have memorized every line. But hey....Thanks for that fact!

 

So far this thread seems to be Ford centric. There are other makes out there ya know, which make *****in hot rods too. So my comments apply to all makes - not just Ford.

I posted a thread on this 3W/5W issue a while back and noted that while most 5W coupe use sedan doors - usually fordor front doors, because they are short, most 3W coupes - yes other flavors beside Ford as well - used their own specific door, which was usually curved at the rear of the window frame rather than squared off as in most 5W coupes. One exception was the 1935/1936 Nash Lafayette which used the same door for the 3W coupe version as for the 5W coupe version, with the 3W having a crudely blanked out rear window, which made it **** ugly - the 5W Lafayette was a much prettier coupe.

For me the 3W aesthetic usually works just so much better, but the three quarter rear vision ****s. The 5W coupes are just so much more practical, light and airy.

What it boils down to is that I have no hard and fast preferences, but, while I have seen many attempts to make 3W coupes out of 5W or sedan donors, I have yet to see anyone (factory and coachbuilders excluded) try to make a 5W coupe out of a 3W coupe.

 

Just another thought here, to throw the proverbial cat a**** the pigeons: those of you who post categorically that you prefer 3 windows, as an all encomp***ing statement, that would then presumably include non opening fabric topped Sport or Business coupes too? They are by definition also three window coupes.

Ford made sport coupes through 1933 (and before the 'experts' rip my throat out, yes Ford made approximately 50 non opening roof 1933 sport coupes - in Australia) and Holden's made Willys three window fabric roof sport coupes up until 1935. Chevy made sport coupes with landau irons too. These are all 3W except the 1929 Ford Model A business coupe, which, with it's porthole rear quarter windows must qualify as a 5W.

 

they both have there own style, which was ' how does it look coming into the drive in!' we saw mostly 5 windows in the day, and they looked *****in'.A 3 window looked 'sneaky' 3 windows were not that common 50 yrs ago, they are definetly a rarer car. In fact any duece looked good ! 4 doors were used to make A V8 roadsters!

 

Three windows look more private, more sinister, and cleaner to me. I've always preferred them over 5Ws.

There are 5Ws that I like too (model A's), and others that I don't like at all ('35-36). But in the years when both were available, I prefer the 3's pretty much all the time.