I did a photoshop of what I am thinking about doing. 3" chop, lowered, and a little **** cleaned off the front. I'll loose the visor too...
i would take it down another inch but i like radical chops none the less the photoshop one looks better
I actually think Hudsons look just right stock. They look like they're already customized compared to Mercs.
just lower it and you're already lower than a chopped merc.if you're gonna chop it anyway then at least plan it well in advance,it's not like chopping a dime-a-dozen merc
my buddy has one that is lowered in the front, and in the back, i did a full step notch and bag set up. it looks real good. its not chopped but i think a chop would look good too.
[ QUOTE ] just lower it and you're already lower than a chopped merc.if you're gonna chop it anyway then at least plan it well in advance,it's not like chopping a dime-a-dozen merc [/ QUOTE ] Dime a dozen, huh? Let me know where you buy them so I can stock up for the winter and get chopping. I say leave the Hudson alone. They look good unchopped. ****, they already look chopped a little bit.
i just say that cuz merc guys get all bent outta shape you can get twice as much car for half the money if you buy a hudson instead of a merc
Aw hell, I still don't know. I've been thinking about this chop for 5 years. Some days I say "**** it I'm doing it" and some days I say it looks good as is. The plan for the car is to bag the rear, the front is already clipped. She'll be very low when finished. Thanks for the input... Any pics of your buddy's Hudson with the notched rear?
I would leave it alone. The "step-down" Hudson models were designed to be lower from the factory than just about any other American car of the time. There are two schools of thought on chopping tops: The Hot Rod School says make the top as low and wicked looking as you can and still be able to drive - even if you get a crick in your neck! The Kustom School says make the chop (and everything else you do) look like it is a perfect design - smooth, integrated, and all-of-a-piece. I like both ideas, for different reasons - but I fall into the Kustom camp usually. The body is long to start with and the roof is very long compared to the body. Some folks say that the Hudson was the only car to look better as a four-door than a two-door. The roof was so long, the extra pillars gave it a solid suspension bridge appearance. The roof height is designed low to begin with, owing to the "step-down" design, which places the floor between the frame rails. Gives a very low center of gravity (one reason Hudsons ruled early stock car racing). So you have a car which is not only "chopped" from the factory, it is "channelled", too! Oh - I'd keep the visor, too - it makes the windshield look lower and completes the roof curve. Dave
Just for reference, the Jan 2005 issue of American Rodder has a customized Hudson. Check it out. Dave
Fenderless cars can be "overchopped" and still look right...but not with bathtub cars....they look squashed. The design of that car has great proportions and a mild chop, maybe two inches max is all I would ever consider...but it's cool "as is"...some cars are better left alone...like a 40 ford coupe...also perfect.
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