Do you have any info on chopping a '39 ford coupe? just scored this SOB for $300 and I want to give it nice cut. I bought 39 merc front sheetmetal for it, I know they dont fit, but if you have any info on that too, that'd be great. While I'm at it, I also need doors rear fenders and a decklid, just to throw that out there.
Can't tell if that body is on a chassis or not. I'd get a chassis trued up and the body mounted on it before cutting anything.
IMO ..39-40 ford coupes look funny chopped...it has been done but very few have been able to pull it off and have it flowing nicely when they are done..
I have to think I'd worry about finding doors and a deck lid before I worried about chopping it. Especially doors, since they have to be chopped too.
Leave the lid alone, Pretty easy to screw up a damn near perfect shape. Lots of other not as perfect stuff out there to chop, especially if it's the first one. 39-40's are darn near perfect right out of the box. Your car but go easy. As a side note I know some guys pretty close to you who would love to buy that if you wanted to sell it. Tim
I agree with CHAD, don't chop it unless you are a very skilled welder and have a plan already in the works. 40's look funny chopped, and by the looks of it, that body is fairly clean. Find the reaminaing parts first. But, this is just my opinion and it is your car.
Vern Hammond has what I believe to be the best looking chopped coupe ever.. Pretty sure it's a 40, now I'm questioning myself.. I'm sick and nyquil will do that to ya.
Never have seen a chopped 39/40 Ford coupe that looked right ---- even in the magazines. Don't do it.
If you bought 39 Mercury sheetmetal for it, it would take a lot of work to make it fit since it's different from a 39 Ford (like a longer wheelbase etc.)
It sure is... In the latest Hop Up magazine there is a 1940 Ford coupe being built by Donn Lowe.... that car is just as perfect as it can get. Chopped and sectioned.. and a lot more done to it.. so elegant!!! I have seen other photos which I cant show.. but this scan below is from the Hop Up magazine.. and it proofs - once again - that even 1940 Ford coupes can be chopped and that it will look very good. But as said before, a chop like this needs to be planned and very well designed to work. The windshield has to be angled back, but just the right amount. The hump at the rear of the top needs to come down... but not to much. Both samples in this post show that it can be done.. and there are plenty of other samples of chopped 1939-40 Ford coups that look very good. So... please go ahead and chop it.... but take your time and study as many samples as you can find.
Agreed Bob....and the chick in the background digs it too! Looks like she's letting go of her boyfriend and ready to jump in!
I'm with the majority on this one, don't chop it without seriously doing some homework on it. This isn't a first timers chop, the guys that pull it off are usually experts at it and pros to boot. It is your car of course and you'll do what you want. A long time ago I made the mistake of not listening to guys with more experience than I had and I ended up with a car that I didn't like the looks of. Basically, a good car was ruined.
He took the words out of my fingers. I've seen a number of them that have been chopped an out of those, maybe two that looked presentable. This is probably Ford's hardest body to chop right and not have it look like the fat lady sat on it when you are done. Personally, I'd leave it unchopped and concentrate on getting the whole car right. The hundreds of hours you spend fighting to get the chop right would go a long way towards getting the body perfect without the chop. If you do go ahead and chop it get the chassis right first and then get the body squared away on the chassis including putting the firewall in and getting the door gaps perfect before you even think about making a cut. And don't forget to brace the body every way from Sunday before you cut it to hold things in place. The door gap thing is from personal experince. I didn't get the doors squared up perfectly before I chopped my truck and that is one reason I am doing a new cab for it. <input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden">
$300?? Fuck! I'm in the wrong country, that sucker would cost you 2g or more here! If you are going to cut it, find a perfect (Ie Vern's) and copy it. Otherwise don't do it man, pass it onto someone that just LOVES the 39-40 coupe. Just because you got it cheap dont mean its OK to fuck up. Doc.
I agree with the crowd. You had better be a very skilled craftsman and designer to pull it off, and that seems like a big gamble when they look so good un-chopped. Sectioning though...
You never said what your fab skill level is. If this is one of your first chops, don't do it. You need quite a few chop jobs under your belt before attemping this one. I always thought chopping a 40 is like chopping a 40-41 Willys, WHY?
This car was chopped by my pal Brandon Winters from Jack's Lowrodders in Fountain Valley, Ca. One of my favorite '39-'40 Ford coupe chops...well proportioned.
The Jalopy Journal
