Question on chopping and channeling a 32 5w

I am going to be building two 5w coupes, one for myself and one for a friend.

I am going to channel mine and chop just a bit to be noticable. I will also set the firewall back for a 401 nailhead.

My buddy is also channeling and setting the firewall back for a nailhead. He, though is 6'2 and he wants to chop as much as possible.

Question is any of you taller guys have chopped and channeled 32 5w coupes? How much chop and how comfortable are you? Are you cramped or somewhat comfortable?

Thanks for the help in advance

 

How much set back on the firewalls?

actually, I'm just doing a BTT

 

Seat selection will play into the math. And how far you plan on driving (you will drive it, right?) Age will play into comfort too.

 

the firewall will be set back 3" and yes I drive all my cars. I have no problem but my bud is tall so he was asking before we proceed

 

I had a stock height '32 5wd once. I was always torn on chopping it. Some days I wanted to, some days I didn't. During the 5 years I drove it though I NEVER wanted to channel it.

I'm guessing that a 3" set back on the firewall, channel, & chop is going to get real small, real fast, for a dude who is 6'2". 3" on each would be about as far as you'd want to go I'm guessing. Maybe the width of the frame on the channel. Maybe.

You two really just need to mock it up though. What someone here thinks will work might be totally impossible for him to tolerate.... or he might want to go further.

JH

 

I planning on doing a similar build for my 32 5w only with a 331 HEMI. I am channeling it the full length of the rails and chopping 4" but I am only 6' tall and most of it is in my legs so the chopping shouldn't be too back. I was also thinking about setting my engine back 6" and I know that's going to kill the interior space but I am really just in the planning stages right now and my car is such a piece of **** I can change all of that in time when we start putting the body back together. Once we attach the quarters I can start figuring out what's what with space. I don't know there are a lot of things up in the air and I guess it'll evolve as the car is built.

The driver can always sit in the center of the cab and do it complete drag coupe style. I think too many people would be afraid to do something like that though to a 32.

 

JJ,

You better chop your legs while you're cutting. That SOB is gonna get TIGHT!!!

JH

 

Yeah I'll do it civil war style with a wooden s**** in my mouth! As I said I am in the planning stages but my goal was to build a '32 the way most people were afraid to build a 32 because they were worried about the investment. My car is such a wreck I feel like it deserves to go that extra distance and showcase a type of car that's not normally built these days because people want p***engers and space and intend to drive it a long distance. My car might be just the opposite really. I have another car to drive long distances but I was planning on my '32 turning out a lot like the Chopstick special II. But I have a felling that it's either going to be channeled or the engine is going to be set back since I appear to be getting fatter by the day.

Think drag coupe circa '57.

 

Take your coupe body and a bunch of 2x4 chunks, and some plywood, and mock it up. Build a false floor at the height the new floor would be after channelling. Hang some of the plywood from the top bows at the distance you think you want to chop it. Place a plywood panel at the distance you need to tunnel your firewall. Then sit in it for an hour straight (no moving around, keep your eyes on the road) and see if you can stand it. Bet you can't.

 

But I only need to be in it 12 sec's or 1/4 mile at a time .....

Actually Alchemy that's a great idea. I really should put some seat time in all mocked up to make sure it's not too crazy in there.

And while we're talking about 3" set back, it almost might be necessary since nailheads are long right? At the very least you are going to need a flattened firewall....or a flat sheet of aluminum like I plan on doing.


Honestly if I can just build something close to this (even half as cool) I'd be stoked. It's chopped, channeled and oh so tasty!

 

Another thing you might consider is stretching the frame to offset the problems with the engine set-back. Just something I wish I would have considered before doing mine. Oh well...

 

chopped and channeled coupe... might want to also consider your width as well as height. my neighbor is about 6 foot, but i am sure he is well over 300 lbs. I doubt he could fit in an unchopped 5 window.

 

We seem to be overlooking something here. How deep are we going to channel it?

Here is your best bet, do your first. Get it channeled and before you chop it have him set in it. it may be that his doesn't get chopped or maybe it won't get channeled. I think that is a better solution than asking us what we have done.

Everyone is different. For instance before I started loosing discs in my back I was 6 ft tall and had a 30" inseam (short legs). I needed a car with lots of head room because all my height was from the waist up, but I didn't need a car with lots of leg room because my legs are short. My foster brother on the other had was the same height but his inseam was 34". He could sit pretty low in a car but he had to have lots of distance from the seat to the toe boards as compaired to me.

it is going to vary quit a bit from one person to another is what I am trying to say here.

 

This is so true. Everybody asks about height in these threads. I'm 6' 195 LBS and fit fine in my 34 pickup with a 6" chop and 3" channel. I've had a few of my friends that are the same height but 250 plus that can barely squeeze in my truck.

Another thing that is makes a huge difference is seat and pedal placement. Make sure it's set up for you.

 

it's been said depends on your friend really and what his comfort level is, I have a buddy that has a 32 5 window that is channeled, sectioned and radically chopped. seats are on the floor and he used to make the drive from san diego to paso in it

you can have it chopped, channeled or comfortable....pick two

 

That's funny....and probably very true.

 

yeppppp....

 

thats what I told him, pick two..........

My 32 was fine for me, it was not channeled just chopped 3".

Some great ideas on mock up here, thanks

 

I think it's all AGE related.....15-25 chop and channel that baby to the max, who cares!..... after that our bodys start to dictate comfort....We just don't bend as easy......My coupe was built by a 20 year old in 1948-50,and he drove it a couple of years,sold it and it became a 1/4 mile car for the next few years.....fast forward to today and my plan is to put it back on the road and it will be driven lots...but I wouldn't be able to drive it without a lot of frame modification....Z'd to get at least 6" of floor back and seat will be back where the package tray was...I'm 6'1", old and stiff but still believe it can be done....Go for it !

 

I'm 6'2" / 205 lbs., and my car is a 4 1/2" chop, and I fit great.
I couldn't imagine fitting in it if it were also channeled, with a set back firewall. Unless, of course, he was 20+, and much more flexible than I.

 

That thing i awesome RDR!

There's also this option if you want to get really crazy. Bob Bleed did this for Whitey a few years ago. It cut's the the rail height by 2" (I think) so that then view from outside the car was infact channeled the full height but it allowed 2 more inches inside to be chopped and such which is brilliant.

 

A chop, channel and firewall set back for someone 6' 2" is not going to be very comfortable. I have a stock 5W and even at 5' 7" there's not much room to stretch out on long drives. Suppose if the goal is to do the local cruise nights and short rides to shows, you can probably live with it. But for long drives, it's gonna get old fast.

 

JJ - that 32 frame is killer! I'm a big fan of a stock 32 K but those curvy X member pieces are amazing! I'm going to have to save this pic for future reference . . .

Steve

 

Yeah Bob Bleed did and amazing job on that frame. In person it leaves your mouth on the ground with a bog puddle of drool around it.

I have an Ionia frame for mine but if I were scratch building a frame I might think about doing something like that to save some space inside.

Here's another pic of BOB BLEED'S MASTER PIECE.

 

JJ, ever figure anything out on this?

I'm going to hi-jack a little here (sorry bud) but it is relevant to your build.

I've found a write up via Street Rodder Mag on a '34 Coupe.

http://www.streetrodderweb.com/tech/0703_1933_ford_coupe/index.html

After looking through the pics...I know a 32 Floor wouldn't work for that type of channel job, but I have access to a 34 floor pan that's just collecting rust at my buddies shop. You think a guy could make that fit on a deuce frame, or would it even be worth the effort?

I'd rather channel it like they did back in the day, and not by using 1/2" steel tubing. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, but I would RATHER just have sheet metal under me. One of those "Jesse Lee"-ism's.

Anybody have any idea on how to build a sheetmetal-only floor for a 5W?

 

No chop, channeled the height of the frame, seat on the floor, @6'3, things are very tight. First at the light, hard to see it! Notice the wiper is missing to aid vison.

 

Back in the 60,s I built a 32 five window chopped and channeled and I dropped the floor inside the frame rails a couple of inches. I am only 5' 9" but I used buckets from a Sunbeam Tiger with tracks and all. You may want to concider dropping the floor. most guys don't but it worked for me. I will try and dig out some photos and post them here.

 

There must be a whole lot more to this frame than what is shown here, got a lot of tricky doodads and bricabrack but weaker than a stock set of '32 rails.

 

x2 on dropping the floor.

My car is chopped 4.5 inches channeled 10 inches (yes 10!) and has the firewall setback 8.5 inches!!! Undriveable? Nope. Because the floor is dropped to the bottom of the frame rails and the seat sits on the floor and way back. I'm not big at 5'8" and 170 lbs, but I have PLENTY of room in the car. It's all in Seat and pedal placement and dropping the floor.

Here's one from back in the day.



Here is a shot of the bare floor. Ignore the dash - it's going in the dumpster.



Now that's a channel job!

 

My brain just popped. Where is your crossmember??? Right behind your seat?

My ch***is was originally set up for a hiboy roadster. I was building (and still am) building a racer. Frame is beefed up. Sold it, and now have the 5W, which is going to be channeled.

Dropping the floor isnt an option, but I'm REALLY curious as to how it is done.

I get how the floor gets secured to the body in the area forward of the seat. How do you attach the floor to the body BEHIND the seat all the way to the taillights?

Maybe I'm thinking too much....