What and why your preference: 3 window coupes vs. 5 windows

5 window for me.....Fibergl*** companies have ruined the 3-w for me...too many on the market..probably more 3-w on road today than Henry made in the first place.Nothing looks better for a trad Hot Rod than a 3'' chopped 5-w ,
fendered or not.....My 2cents

 

20 years ago I wanted a '33/'34 3 window so bad I could taste it.

Then I migrated to the Deuces... don't know why. But I wanted a roadster.

Now I would love to do a '32 five window before I ***ume room temerature...

 

I've got to say 5w 'cause there are 2 32's in the shop. BUT, I'd trade one for a '32 3w in a heartbeat.

Frank

 

i just think 5w's look better, more proportioned. (whatever that means)

 

I don't prefer one over the other. I have a 34Ford five window. It was within my price range when I was lookin' for a hot rod project.
I've always wondered why the manufacters made both.
We have a customer at my work that says "lift their skirts,they are all sisters"
Smokey

 

I argee ..100%... plus 5W look real kool

 

I loved my Tudor but wanted a 5 window and love it . Would love to have a 3 window . But I think its like when I was young , I always wanted a vette . A army friend of mine went on vacation and left me his vette. I found out real fast you can pick up the girls but I really didnt like the vette. I miss my Tudor !

 

3W

Removing a pillar from the car's profile cleans it up and smooths it out. Door length seems to do good things for the car in terms of short deck/long hood styling ie muscle.

For what it's worth I like hardtops better than sedans too. 3W is just an early hardtop, ain't it?

 

I've had both & I like the 5w channelled but not chopped. I like the 3w unchannelled and unchopped but my favorite hot rod is the Lloyd Bakan/Orosco coupe? I think chopped coupes have gotten to be a bore because there are so many. My .02

 

Wow - thanks for all the objective opinions. That's a lot of food for thought. You just never know how the HAMB world swings until you put the question out there, right?

 

I prefer 5w coupes, I think they are proportioned better than 3w cars - the area between the desck lid and the rear window seems to long on the 3w cars and gives them a strange look from some angles.

 

Sometimes it just might be a matter of what you can find at a price you can handle.

Personally I prefer a Cabriolet, but then again a Cabriolet with the top up looks a lot like a 3W.

I think both 3W and 5W look great when done right!

 

i like the 5 windows on a model a and 32's but i like 3 windows in 34's though mt thoughts.....Jones

 

If done right i love them all. 32 three windows are hard to be and so are 36 5- windows in my opinion.

 

I like the 3 window '32, 'cause I dig suicide doors.

Doc.

 

3 windows look better, better proportions. In fact I dislike the '32 5 window because it so plain and badly proportioned, if it had same body lines as the '32 3 window, it would be just fine, imho.

 

Hey Gigantor,
This is an interestin' thread. Thanks for startin' it. Like I said in my earlier post "I don't have a preference"but, it's cool hearin' other peoples thoughts.
Smokey

 

NOT SO ... On most 3 windows ( and for sure 32 Ford 3W's ) the deck lid almost touches the rear roof ... not so on a 5W ... that area is actually longer on a 5W. On a 32 3W from Ford the body itself is actually longer than a 5W ... and requires a small cutout area in the rear of the lower panel for the gas filler ...




I have to agree about the fibergl*** manufacturers flooding the rod world with the 3W bodies. Even two companies have made 32 3W's in steel.

Even back in 1932 ... which was considered by many to the worse year in the " Great Depression " ... folks bought the 5W over the 3W ... by a ratio of 5 to 2 The figures were 51,794 for the 5W and only 22,148 for the DeLuxe 3W. Some of that could be that the 5W was less expensive ... or maybe the DeLuxe 3W ( being a new body style ) had not yet been widely accepted. I would imagine that then ( 1932 ) as now ... folks buy what is on the lot ... and the dealers bought the less expensive coupes ... figuring that they would have a better chance of being sold due to the lower price.

 

I like 6 window .............

 

I think those that like 3 window are thinking Ford doors. Admittedly the Ford 5 window door looks too utilitarian. Here's 2 1933-4 Plymouths, both with curved front door line. 5 window has more visual interest to me.

 

this may be true of 32s but look at the other coupes from 33-36

 

My reason for picking a 5 window over a 3 window?

Subconsciously, 3 window coupes look "fake" to me becuase of far, far too many fibergl*** 3 window copies that you see everywhere.

3 Windows seem fake until proven innocent (steel).

 

Not that I would scoff at a three window, but I prefer the five window. I've never owned either, and the opinion is without formal basis.

 

Five

 

I think it's really funny that so many don't like 3 windows because there are too many gl*** ones. What the hell does that have to do with style? Also there are plenty of 5 windows in gl*** too. They probably just don't realize it.
Now since your poll asks about 28-32 only, I'll say hands down 3 window because we are really only talking 32's since as an earlier thread beat to death there really weren't any Model A TRUE 3 window coupes - just fabric top sport coupes. Personally i don't think any of the non Fords from 28-32 have great lines to start with so I discounted them. They can be made to look OK but not in stock form - IMHO.
As far as why - I think it's a much better flow on the 3 window and when chopped just looks nastier, again, just my opinion

 

I am lucky enough to own both 3w and 5w (32's) and like my children love them equally.
But
I think the 3w has more "deco" lines, where as the 5w is more utilitarian. IMHO

 

I think the thing that interests me the most about the 5 window and the roadster, is the rear. The larger panel across the back just looks great with all sorts of tail light combinations. The 3 Window is much smaller, and if you go to far from a rectangular tail-light, then it starts to look a little funky.

For example, Pontiac round tail-lights look good on the 5 and roadster, but look funky on the 3.

It's mad...

 

Since everybody wanted a 3 window,and my Dad raced a 5 window-- 5 windows please.

 

"Three windows look more private, more sinister..."

Sinister is why I like chopped Model-A's, it's the visor that does it for me, gives the chopped A an evil looking squint. 32 3W my second choice.

 

I prefer a 31 Ford Roadster but if I had choose between a 5 window or a 3 window I take a 5 window modal A and a 32 , 3 window.