Ron, got any starting pics of the body? I'm still trying to ID a body I picked up that someone decided to shorten a BUNCH. I'll be watching this thread too, I want to do the same and are in your shoes......
My coupe is chopped 3.5 inches and fits me fine. I am using a Glide seat for a 32 Roadster because the back is about 2" shorter than one for a Model A Coupe. I sat in a 30 Coupe that had been shopped 5" and before I got in and sat down I was skeptical that I would be comfortable (I am 6'), but when I got in I was surprised.........it was pretty comfortable. The guy had used a Cadillac seat that had been shorted. The back package tray that is found in all Coupes had been taken out and the seat back was tilted back around 15 degrees...............but it was nice. The only issue is that looking out the front windshield with the solid visor is pretty limited...................at a 5" chop the windshield gets pretty small so you may want to cut holes in the visor like I did. Other than that it's pretty straight forward.......................except, don't forget the brace the inside across the doors and also front to back (these need to be temporarily welded) so you keep the window frames and body square when you cut off the top. If you don't................well....you'll have fun making it fit back together again. Good luck and send pictures before and after.
I just sent you a couple picture. It's a 1930 model a steel body coupe. I have taken off the fenders etc. The intent is to rat rod it....
I chopped my sedan 4 1/2". I'm 5'10" and I still have plenty of room to sit up. Unless you want to lay down don't chop it 5" and channel it 6" like The coupe I tried to sit in last weekend. I think it looks bad *** at a show but if you can only drive around the block once before you knock your brains out on the roof, what's the point. Anyway what I'm getting at is, build it to fit you.
Oh man, now you went and did it. Try not to use the rat rod term around here, it gets no respect and the guys will tell you to hit the Ol Skool Rodz forum. This site is dedicated to traditional hot rods and customs, not rat rodz. Just a head's up to make your life around here a little less painfull. That aside I'm 6'1" and fit in my buddy's 30 coupe with a 5" chop and about a 4" channel. Of course that was with the seat mounted all the way back and tilted way back too. Think about how tall you want the back window to be. When you cut the top off you can leave material around the window so it stays on the body when you lift the roof off. That way you can adjust the height you want, or just cut it straight off and have a mail slot for a back window. I believe the model A roof tapers out towards the top. I chopped my sedan 6" and when I went to put the top of the header back on my A post stubs I lined up the p***enger side but the driver's hung over 1/4" I had to narrow it at the top as well. Just tape it off top and bottom so you have a good referrence and get to cutting. It's also not a bad idea to brace your door openings as well as fore and aft and side to side. Just tack in some 1X1 to keep the shape in tact when the roof comes off. Good luck.
Took my sedan 3 inches but as said before do it to fit you . Also add lotsa bracing to keep it square. My rear window went from 10 to 7 inches tall. What did me was i read much more chop and it starts to look like a mail box slot.
I took 4" out of mine, I'm 6'. 5" I would have hit my head just sitting in the drivers seat. Advice, brace the living hell out of it. I put them front to back, side to side, corner to corner etc. when I cut it the body didn't flex at all made putting the lid back on much easier. skreemin
buts thats cause you are a ruler. he is going five cause he is a ratroding pud pulling *** pirate. isn't building a rat rod kinda like *****ing with a betty pudge?
Dirty, you have one of the most B-ute-e-ful cars on the HAMB. That thing is just spot on perfect. It makes me smile everytime I see a pic of it.
This is for sale near to me.I reckon with a better paint job and some decent wheels it would be ok.Just had a few days off work due to being in a car accident ,nothing serious but to sore to spend time in the garage.I have a 34 /5 window in storage ,hoping to start it in 3-4 months,the accident must have affected my brain because I started to think about selling the 34 and building a chopped A instead.
2-3 inches aint even worth the effort, Chopp it if your gonna chope it so poeple can tell. You can always build the car interior to fit any height
Ok guys, gotta give him a break on the rr thing, 3 post FNG! Maybe chew a bit for not reading enough, but he's not doing it to be an ***..... Now, I got a question. Why not channel it? Like I said earlier, I want to chop 5 or 6 off my 30. oldMULE
Im only 5' 10" by too wide but felt real cramped in an A coupe chopped 5" and channeled 3". It had the package try removed and the seat moved back. Leg room was ok but it felt like I was driving with my chin buried on my chest. Try and find someone who has one chopped and sit in it first.
Bluestang67....Thank you for posting your pictures. Very helpfull. My wife also said I should brace it up well. But.. I fiqured she didn't know shi... However all the posts confirm her story. Thanks for the help guys.
Bishop Welding......I'm thinking you have a valid point. Are you thinking with a five in chop I'll limit my opportunity to channel without having to leave a hole in the roof for my head to stick through?
The purple one above with WWW looks about perfect! The silver one is nice too with it's milder chop....both are channelled.... The green one has one nasty chop, nice....but looks like it's going to break in half at the firewall...if it had a hood, it'd be pointing up....l
Thanks for the compliments guys it means a lot. The relationship with my coupe has been very Love/ Hate but I feel very fortunate to have a car of that caliber. It truely is my dream car Dirty
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