I don't like the look of a chopped shoe...

Ron Dunns car is tolerable because of the magnificent worlmanship but the most KICK ASS sectioned box ever was Norman Rectors Bright red Cad powered 49 tudor with 51 Chrysler 1/4 panels that was on the cover of the March 54 Car Craft!It had a kick ass straight post gutterless roof!THAT my friends was a car.It didnt have that gay euro styling that most of those radiused wheelwelled dis-proportioned nightmares exhibited.

 

which one is that ur speaking off?

 

Im speaking of a killer chopped and sectioned 49 tudor that I would take any day of the week over any Valley Custom car.It had 51 Chrysler 1/4 panels,it was bright ass red and had a Caddy with 2 4s in it.The car was on the cover of Car Craft in March 54,It was a kustom with an attitude ,not some euro coach space bubble!

 

I don't care for all the 5"/7" chops being done lately. Marty Wells car looks really nice. He lives just up the street from me,so I see it now and then.
As far as my sons Shoebox. I've loved that car ever since I first saw it. That's why I bought it for my son. Todd Zimmerman(fordole500) gets all the credit for the car though.
I have never seen a sectioned Shoebox or Merc,that I liked. Especially an unchopped one!!!

Here's a couple more pic's of Marty's car.

 

Well,thanks UVH! I'm sure Todd(fordole500) would appreciate that.

 

Are you kidding? The sectioned car looks alot better then that. That back end on the green one is too bulky.

 

got any pics of it? i cant imagine it in my head

 

I've always liked chopped myself. I don't think I've ever seen an unchopped sectioned car I've liked. IMO, if you section a vehicle it should be chopped to even out the top to body proportion. Even still, I haven't seen one sectioned car I've. But thats just my .02.

Todd

 

HEY BAD BOB!!!!!Ive always loved that long full lenght tudor roof with straight posts!That rocks!Its a totally different school of thought than the way ya like your mercs I see!As much as I always babble about liking rear windows in the stock location and all the other garbage I spew,make no mistake,Your merc is a merc lovers merc!It too rocks!

 

built 25 years ago I chopped the top 4" looked good so I took out 2 more. to much now what? sectioned 4" to make it look proportional

 

i don't think it is bad but it is out there on the fringe as far as well proportioning goes. but then again. proportioning, like so many things, is a matter of interpritation and opinion.

i certainly do not dislike ALL unchopped shoebox Fords or all sectioned cars but you realy have to do it right to pull it off (in my opinion). i am however pretty fond of the Shoebox Ford coupes unchopped. i'd seriously consider leaving the lid alone if i had one. if i had a sedan though cuttin the lid would be the first thing i did.

 

Thanks 00.
The windows on a Sedan are almost the same length,so (IMO)they look funny with a slanted post. Now i've seen many that I like,but if I was chopping a Shoebox,I wouldn't slant it. Mercs,on the other hand.......

 

Know what I love about this country (USA) and our hobby, "To each his own". This is a funny post..... Hmmmmm I think apples are better than oranges......

 

i like oranges better but they are messier and harder to eat (you gotta peel em) so i eat more apples for that reason alone.

 

One issue RE the gold sectioned/unchopped Ford above is the picture angle; from 8' in the air, the profile is not accurately seen, so it looks better than it would curb-side. Me, I prefer a smaller greenhouse/larger body, ie; a chop on a stock body immensely over a stock greenhouse on a sectioned body. Sectioned cars always seemed akin to swimming against the current for the F of it...

 

Yeah- What he said....

 

I really liked the look of that 54 Chevy that Jesse did on Monster Garage. Those guys made it look like anybody could do it. BUT....it was chopped too!!!

 

I just dug out my copy of that issue, and I'd take any Valley Custom car over that one. Why start out with a shoebox if you're just going to end up with something that looks like some kinda fucked-up Fleetline?

 

could u scan a copy of it ive never seen the car before

 

I LOVE chopped shoes !...I like the 2 door sedans a lot, but contrary to popular opinions...I really dig chopped coupes....people don't seem to like the long ass it creates, ....and also the roof gets real small when you lay down the back glass...but...I'm crazy for that look...........OHhhh Yaaaa!....cruzin' around all cramped up peekin' thru the mail slot............Ya Baby !

 

Ah opinions, they are like assholes, everyone has one, thankfully, because if we dont shit, we die

 

I have to agree with you on that Dago Red. That is a wild car but not very stylish at all.
I have that copy of the Car Craft magazine as well... and I have had it for a long time and I have not felt any temptation to scan the photos and add that car to my site... I will eventually, but there is no hurry... I do not care for the lines on that one at all.

The gold/green one that started this post is nice, but I do not care for the mismatching wheel openings.

The Valley Custom Shop built Ron Dunn sectioned showbox is perfection in my eyes.

Here are a few more photos of it.










Second version





And this one (Merton Peterson) is intersting as well... totally different style though

 

Thats funny!Id go so far as to say Id feel like an asshole driving any of the cars pictured above.Theres just noting cool about them.I must see them wrong.

 

One thing everyone forgets is that cars made up through the 50s were designed to clear the hats that both men and women wore. Thats three inches or more of extra headroom. As far as sectioning a Ford coupe goes they start to emulate sports car body height and to me simply don't look quite right without an accompanying chop to maintain overall proportions. Radiusing the wheelwells only draws attention to the imbalance. (Just my opinion.)

Custom cars were about making someone's car unique looking. Back in those days there weren't that many mainstream models to choose from so custom modifications tended to be noticed a lot more. Todays generations have so many different car models to choose from the only thing that makes a custom stand out is the fact that its obviously a much older (hence rarer) car.

Today the custom treatments are largely unnoticed by the general population but old guys like me are able to recognize and identify the parts used. It's part of the enjoyment I get from going to these car shows.

 

Joey bag of donuts on tire detail, that's classic!

 

My personal opinion,I would rather own a chopped shoe box,if they are done right of course.Take Chuck DeWitt's 50 rag for instance.That just screams Koooooool.I dont really care for sectioned box's.Now one car that is neither chopped or sectioned and reeks of Koolness is Steve Anglins' super black 50 coupe from Ohio.

 

Steve was back in Hamilton, for a short time this past summer.

 

Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100&#37;" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by Moonglow2
Since I picked up my first car magazine in 1957 every shoebox coupe I have seen craved a chop. The attached pics of Marty Well's is the best example of correct chop that I have ever seen.

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I made an effort to be succinct in my comment (that means brief and to the point ADD-boy). Nowhere did I refer to anything in it except the proportions of the chop.