How Much To Chop a 32 Three Window

Would like to see some pictures of different chopped tops. I need the headroom, but a Stock top SEEMS to look a tad too high on a Hi Boy, and a 3" cut SEEMS too low (DON'T mean to piss anybody off, here). I need to find that right proportion, and still try to keep some semblance of headroom. The "right" proportion being more important...

 

My buddy's got a chopped 3wdo & one that has the roof at stock height. The funny thing is that the stock one seems to get more attention that the one that's been whacked!

IMHO,
It's nice to see one of Henry's originals that's not chopped. If it's gl***, whack away!

 

I agree with safari wagon!

 

huh..I thought 4.5 was a minimum..haha with seat mods of course... stance has a lot to do with it though as well

 

I won't chop my Henry 3w but I like them chopped. Had I built a gl*** car, I was going to chop it some more. IMO, the majority of the gl*** 3w body makers try to satisfy both the chopped/unchopped buyer with the same body. Because they are so common, when I see a chopped 3w hiboy with a glue in windshield I ***ume it's fibergl***.

 

I personally wouldn't chop it. I like the looks of a stock height coupe. Safari-wagon is right...I'll walk past a chopped coupe to check out a stocker.

 

I had mine chopped 2 1/2 in the front and 2 in the rear. Looks good and plenty of headroom with stock seat. I am 6 ft plus. Mine was the last red flamed car shown chopped by Steve Davis in LA. The rest of the coupes shown are all chopped at least 3 -4 -5 inches. I MHO severe chops look very nice but are very uncomfortable to drive. Look at the chop on a Wescott 3 window as shown on their website.

Brizio built a beauty this year for one of his customers. Perfect 3 inch chop.

Make the way you want it.

 

I like them chopped like the first grey primered one that was chopped by Rudy. I am a little partial as my brother owns that car now. The black coupe in the middle is really quite bad*** as well. I never understand the mentality of the unchopped crowd. This is a hotrod board after all.

 

I agree ...
With the vast majority of the fibergl*** 32 3W coupes being chopped, seeing a non chopped coupe is refreshing ... at least to me.







But Mykes ( here on the HAMB ) 32 3W has the best chop going IMHO

 

With me it depends on if it's fendered or a highboy. Mines fendered and choped 2.5 f&b. If it was a highboy I would have done it 3.5 front and 3 rear. If I had any balls I would do it like the Rollin Bones boys! Just my opinion!

 

Here is what 5 1/4 looks like out of a duce

 

Interesting thread...... 345 DeSoto said Highboy, I haven't seen to many highboys unchopped. Mykes is very good IMO.

 

This is a 4" chop. Headroom is no problem, just custom build your seat using a wooden seat frame or a minivan seat.

 

start chopping! go small first, its easier to cut more than add back
flat powers 5.25 might be a bit much but its coool

 

The black bad*** coupe in the middle looks vaguely familiar......thanks Dale.

 

heres my personal favorite...

old survivor...with a good story


I think this was 3wlarry's car before he built the black chopped one...the similarities are uncanny....kidding, just kidding....

I really do like the pink car though...

Im still trying to figure how to chop my 32 5w 5.25 and get the front hinge to work...

 

3 1/2 front and 3 in back looks good to me. http://www.waldenspeedshop.com/brookville.html

 

Any 1" - 1 1/2" chops?...

 

Mean kids do 1" chops on Packards for the express and only purpose of ******* off the restorers.
Don't do it.

If that car hasn't seen someone's hack saw in 75 years there's really no rush to do it now.

Sometimes, to not decide is to decide.
Put it off until you're really sure and decided..

 

You either WHACK them...

or

your just WHACKING it....

 

You could basically build the car to a mockup stage, take photos and do a photoshop 1-1 1/2 or 2 inch chop..... Just a suggestion but that's what I'm planning to do with my Henry 3 w.

 

WILLYSGUY - Would love to do that, but have NO idea what/how Photo Shop is.

If I were to EVER come across an unmolested original steel 3W, rest ***ured I'd never touch the top...am thinking of a 'gl*** coupe...

 

Okay! Let's have us some FUN with this one, eh?!

Personally, I think a car should either be:

1. Chopped very little (Like the 1 to 1.5 inch cut someone mentioned)
2. Chopped a LOT! (Radical chop!)

or...

3. Not chopped at all!

Essentially, either stock, very subtle, or completely whacked...no in-betweens!!

With THAT in mind, let's seek out a suitable victim!

Ah! Here we go! A stock-looking 32 three window...PERFECT!!



Now, let's shave just a little bit off that top...



Not much needs to change with a chop this subtle, but it still involves some work to get everything back into shape and proportion. I kinda like this style in that it doesn't jump right out and slap you in the face...it makes you look at the car and kinda WONDER what, if anything, has been doen to it. Slick!

Okay, now we cast all restraint aside and REALLY lay the axe to it!!

Ha Ha...ain't no mistakin' this baby's gone under da knife!!



This is where the touch of a seriously talented metal man would be needed to pull it off, in my opinion. There's a lot more going on her than just knocking the roof down a bunch...the whole car had to be re-worked a bit...poked and tweaked, to get it looking 'right' to my eyes.

As stated, stance is relevant to a chop, so this car had to have the wheelbase adjusted and come down a ways compared to the stock starting point.

Next, a mild, but sneaky sectioning job was done to kinda 'move the fenders UP the body' in a sense. Not a Sunday afternoon job, by any means, but it helps make the whole thing 'work'.

In addition to that, the cowl area was stretched about an inch or maybe a pinch more. Gotta put the driver SOMEWHERE once you take the headroom away and section the body, right?! Ha Ha...besides, it also helps bring this monster 'together'.

So, there ya have it! Stock, Mild and Wild all parked together!

 

GREAT! That's about what I needed. Full fendered looks better with a Stock top...

 

Rolling Bones' chops are always right on.

 

I like them stock, but if your going to chop one, nothing less than 2''. Anything less than that you might as well leave it alone.

 

This coupe was chopped 2 inches by Dave Simard. It was on the cover of TRJ ... in bare metal a few years ago. I took the photos off the " FAMOUS auction site "

It is a beautiful coupe ... and IF I could afford it ... I would bid on it.

 

This one is chopped 3 inches

 

that looks right on. perfect.