I'm not really chopping the top off of a coupe so much as ***embling a roofless car from coupe parts. (30-31 model A) Question is, if you were doing this would you bother trying chop up the quarters, lengthening the panel above the decklid, etc, or just ***emble it and let it fly as what it is? I'm torn between letting it look like a coupe with the roof hacked off, trying to make it look Ford roadster, or doing something along the lines of the Eddie Dye car, where they got rid of the coach lines on the cowl and reworked panels so it's not readily identifiable as a Ford at first glance. This is really a matter of opinion. I'm just looking for input.
No, I left that short on my Roadster. To keep the p*** area as long as possible. That way a tall guy can have a low car...
My opinion is to either go all out to make it an accurate roadster, or just do the minimum to tastefully round off the edge. Doing it 1/2 way between the two makes it look like you were trying to fake a roadster.
They don't look bad with just the top cut off. The way I see it, it's 1950,some guy inherits the family '32 coupe, builds a hot flatty, but the SCTA doesn't allow coupes whats a guy to do??? Cut the top off of course! It seems like something that would have happened back then.
Cut the top off and have no regrets. You are building it for you and not some schlub, right? Build it and go ******* in KC, why not? I was going to do the same to a '27T.
Good call Gordon - That's the very car that has me in the leave the panels as is camp. Mine won't have working doors, but the body will likely be similar to that. I've got no problems with no top year round - It's going to be really hard to tear into my car this winter when it seldom gets cold enough to keep me from driving it. Alex - if you're still looking at this, check out the picture above. Basically I'm looking for some panels to fill the gap from quarter to cowl - double bead at the top and a single at the bottom to match Ford lines. I'll be in touch after I get some stuff mocked up.
Well I didnt build it but here's mine front half 28 coupe back 27 coupe http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=132584
Metalshapes, is one of my favorite HAMB hot rods. I've always liked that look, and then with that cool top, it doesn't any better. Sometimes it is just better to go with the flow.....it would be lots of extra work for zero improvement. If you made the tail end longer, you would have to shorten the ****pit, or the body would look too long. And it doesn't make much sense to do all that work and make it less comfortable. I also like the look when they cap off and raise the top of the doors and back of the ****pit slightly with round tubing cut in half. This also avoids the sitting on a lawn tractor look, and puts you down in the car more. ON A QUIET NIGHT, YOU CAN HEAR AN OLD FORD RUST
This is a nice, nice, "coopster." http://www.rollingarttv.com/site/inygar/jims-1931/jims-1931.html Can be seen here too...... http://rodandcustommagazine.com/eventcoverage/135_0406_good_06_z.jpg
The biggest visual sticking point for me is when guys use cut-up coupe windshield frames/cowls on their 'roadsters'. I'd suggest looking for a roadster cowl (or pieces of one)...and I'd work the back and sides (where the roof was cut) to make the body flow into the interior section naturally. Not neccessarily copying the way Ford built their roadsters, but making it look like it was MEANT to be *******. There's a variety of ways to get that look, my favorite being a fluid rise (or very short 'ramp' behind the interior space the flows down into the floor and forms the seats (or seat backs). Wrap the sides around into the door panel areas and make it look sorta sports carlike, if you follow. I like roadsters done with smoothed cowls...no windshield...but since everyone is dropping onto that train of thought now, I abandoned it for another decade or so. (Why I'm happy to have a 60s cruiser for now!). But...'roadsters' with cut-up coupe cowls and windshield frames look '****y' to me. Just opinion, but that's what ya asked for!
Never planned on leaving the closed car windshield, Hack. That's the worst offense I can think of. I'm leaving panels mostly as is and adapting a later windshield. Check this out to see what I'm talking about. This is just a mock-up on my existing body, I plan on ***embling a completely different body for this winshield. I'm going to destroy my car this winter. windshield
That's pretty cool, Grim! I'm not a HUGE fan of Duvall-style windshields, but when utilized correctly they have their place, and they deffinately look ALOT better than a cut-up coupe or sedan frame! There was an old sports car/roadster in the last one or two issues of HOT ROD that had a really slick little 'double hump' sort of windshield on it. That would be a cool look to pull off on a hot rod roadster if you have access to someone who could make one to fit your specific cowl. You'll do right by your car...you got The Eye, it won't let ya down!
I like the closed car posts but I narrow them front to back about 1/2" by removing the inner jam that is hidden when the door is closed... then I tilt them back about 10*, with the slant winshield "filler panel", narrowed the lower A pillars for a more roadster look, will do the same for the doors A and B jams... and will use a closed car w/s frame... . the toughest part of a coupester to make look good are the door tops/ caps... . a buddy hammer formed a pair of door tops or door caps with a wooden buck... I had him put a 1/2" left to right "bow" into them like the '30 coupe doors ... they look like the '28-'29 roadster door tops... had them made 1/4" thicker as the coupe door is thicker, and made them longer so I could cap tudor doors as well... will weld on the leftover tops/caps from the B pillar back about 2.5" towards the rear to mount roadster top bow anchors in... pix if I can retrieve them from my frozen comp...
Nope. Not in that form. It remained largely unchanged and was sold to a guy in Tennessee. Then eventually showed up in Iowa where it p***ed through a few hands and had some super dodgy and obviously fake "Bonneville history" ***igned to it. Was then sold to the current owner – who seems to truly "get it" and love the car. I miss it terribly sometimes. Given the chance I'd definitely buy it back.
I roadsterized a Coupe once. I was just dying to have a roadster and wanted it at all costs. Nobody wanted to trade so buzzy-buzzy spinning wheels o' fiery doom fixed it. It was a learning experience for sure. I wouldn't do it again knowing what I know now but I did learn a lot while doing it. I guess that's what life experiences are all about.
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