'64 chopped shorty

[joe231]

LINKY

[1966gmc]

Oh word!!! That is nice. Hmmmm, an Elky frame you say...............

[scotts62]

Looks ok, i think they look like an old lincoln with the front end that stuck out a mile when they are chopped that much but oh well its different

[TimE]

HAH!! I could cut a hole in the roof and drive it like Rat Fink!!!!!!

[scotts62]

Originally Posted by TimE

HAH!! I could cut a hole in the roof and drive it like Rat Fink!!!!!!

[LILRED66]

Another one bites the dust...not a hater, just my two cents.

[283 Man]

Its in a town within 100 miles from me.

[jonzcustomshop]

think of it this way lilred...
it was one that got crushed... they just stopped before they were done.
chops need to look at the big picture... they need to be sitting in the ground, if you take one down this far, it might need a section too to get the look back in proportion.
I did a quick photo section on it.

[LILRED66]

In a few years, when we are all drooling over the next trend, after the lowering trend has passed, just like the chopping era has faded, that lowered/chopped truck and many just like it will be sitting in the back lot, collecting dust/rust...because no human being will spend the money to restore the sheetmetal and frame back to it's original glory.

Many/most trucks I see posted on this site and many just like it, fall victim to slamming/chopping/"z"-ing/channeling/smoothing and every other personal touch known to man.

Just an observation...wouldn't it be a travesty if most/many Corvettes/Chevelles/Cameros/Mopars/Mustangs/etc/etc/etc were butchered up with these personal touches, only to be de-valued/depreciated long before their time. I have and will continue to scratch my head wondering why many/most '60-'66 Chevy truck owners are so compelled to go to work on these trucks, to, in their opinion, make them better.

Once again, I emphatically state that I am not a hater, I just struggle with the notion that many/most of these trucks need to be radically modified, in order to be set apart from everyone else, even though there are not that many of them on the road compared to the '50-'59's and the '67-'72's.

It would be refreshing to see a new member posting photos of his/her newly purchased '60-'66 Chevy truck and not read/see the majority of the replies suggesting that "it sure would look good with a body drop/laying frame/dragging ass/rolling on 22's/etc/etc/etc". With the number of these trucks going to the crusher/rusting to the frame rails/being chopped up, there aren't going to be many stockers left.

[scotts62]

Very true, Post up a thread for stock trucks only lets see how many are out there, im not being a smart a or anything i agree, im just curious too.

[62 short step]

Originally Posted by scotts62

Very true, Post up a thread for stock trucks only lets see how many are out there, im not being a smart a or anything i agree, im just curious too.

I think Tony did post a thread for stockers. I'll look for it and bring it to the top. A mild chop looks good on these trucks, but thats a little much. But to each his own.

[scotts62]

Originally Posted by 62 short step

I think Tony did post a thread for stockers. I'll look for it and bring it to the top. A mild chop looks good on these trucks, but thats a little much. But to each his own.

Yeah i remember seing a thread about that a while back.

I agree with you there

[502tripower]

Originally Posted by LILRED66

Just an observation...wouldn't it be a travesty if most/many Corvettes/Chevelles/Cameros/Mopars/Mustangs/etc/etc/etc were butchered up with these personal touches, only to be de-valued/depreciated long before their time. I have and will continue to scratch my head wondering why many/most '60-'66 Chevy truck owners are so compelled to go to work on these trucks, to, in their opinion, make them better.

Well, it is being done to those vehicles as well but, on a much larger budget. Lets face it these trucks are affordable. There for its not a big loss to cut something up. These are not factory numbers matching muscle cars. They are work trucks. Personally I like the stock look but updated with the modern conveniences. My vision of a vehicle is something that I can load my gear in and take off across the country if I want and do it in style. Because I like to drive my rigs. I would not want to do that in a forty year old restored truck. That just would not be any fun for me. That is just my opinion. Personally I do not like the truck that was posted in this tread but hey that was his or her vision and I can respect that. I think because these trucks are affordable it is giving a younger generation the opportunity to own and build a "Hot Rod, Rat Rod, Low Rider, Dragin Ass, Layed Out, Rocker Sparks Flyin, Bad Ass MFen Cool Ride" and I take my hat off to them for it. These are the next generation of Hot Rodders and the enthusiast that are going to keep this hobby going....

[scotts62]

Originally Posted by 502tripower

Well, it is being done to those vehicles as well My vision of a vehicle is something that I can load my gear in and take off across the country if I want and do it in style. Because I like to drive my rigs. I would not want to do that in a forty year old restored truck. That just would not be any fun for me. That is just my opinion. Personally I do not like the truck that was posted in this tread but hey that was his or her vision and I can respect that. I think because these trucks are affordable it is giving a younger generation the opportunity to own and build a "Hot Rod, Rat Rod, Low Rider, Dragin Ass, Layed Out, Rocker Sparks Flyin, Bad Ass MFen Cool Ride" and I take my hat off to them for it. These are the next generation of Hot Rodders and the enthusiast that are going to keep this hobby going....

[joe231]

first off, i like what you did with your photo-chop jon.
lowering and hot rodding is not a fad, it has been around as long as the automobile.........
to each their own, don't think it is right to tell anyone who is changing their vehicle to match their vision or need, that they are ruining their vehicle. my $0.02
oh and 502, well said!
customizing vehicles is a living, breathing, ever changing, and always innovating, pass time to some, way of life to others!

[magsnubby]

I'd drive the hell out of that thing. But i'd flame it first.



I look at it this way, every time some one drags a truck out of a field, wrecking yard or someone's back yard, they're saving it from either rusting into oblivion or being crushed. Chopped, dropped, primed or restored, atleast it's being saved. Besides, how boring would it be if everyone drove a restored stocker?

[19GMC63]

I do respect the work (there is no way I could do a chop without messing something up) but aesthetically, it doesn't look good. My grandpa had a saying... different isn't always better.

[502tripower]

Originally Posted by 19GMC63

. My grandpa had a saying... different isn't always better.

Mine did to "A fare line is pleasing to the eye".

[PrerunnerRob]

I always have a hard time with doing large modifications to a restorable truck, but if it has been hacked, cut, or in a large accident already, then go for it! My front cab came from a truck that was going to the wrecker after someone folded the frame rails up 30 degrees, and the other complete truck I started my build with was hacked by previous owners. That one was also going to the crusher a few weeks down the road, so I think of it as putting them back on the road, instead of destroying them. No matter how different they are from stock, it's still nice to have some old trucks out and about.

Now, if it was grandpa's old pickup that had 50k on it, was in restorable solid condition, and was complete, some one needs to be slapped around if they want to chop it.

[62 short step]

Originally Posted by PrerunnerRob

Now, if it was grandpa's old pickup that had 50k on it, was in restorable solid condition, and was complete, some one needs to be slapped around if they want to chop it.

I agree!!

[Dinos63]

I like it! if all the old cars and trucks were just stock and know one cut them up or customized them yaaaaaaaawn,pass just my few cents

[joe231]

[kizer]

I'm not a big fan of chopping either. I do agree with LILRED66 some and well some I do not.

I'm not a huge fan of chopping the truck up and altering every piece of sheet metal so it looks different. Do a change, but doing the change properly is what I've always wanted to see. Nothing drives me more bonkers than to see somebody do something, but in a hacked mannner. As well I'm not a huge fan of copying what everybody else does.

On the other side of the coin subtle changes to these trucks are what make them a little unique almost like a different color from the factory.

The hard part is coming here every day and seeing the marvels you guys pull off redoing sheet metal and altering the suspension in such ways that in my mind defys physics. I didn't know sheet metal could bend that way or you could cut something that way to make it work.

In the end I'd rather see a chopped truck on the road opposed to a stocker in the crusher.

[Sinister-65]

I personally don't like the look . but we all know what they say about opinions.

[Frizzle Fry]

Originally Posted by LILRED66

Many/most trucks I see posted on this site and many just like it, fall victim to slamming/chopping/"z"-ing/channeling/smoothing and every other personal touch known to man.

Just an observation...wouldn't it be a travesty if most/many Corvettes/Chevelles/Cameros/Mopars/Mustangs/etc/etc/etc were butchered up with these personal touches, only to be de-valued/depreciated long before their time.

I guess that means I "butchered" my Suburban... Darn it!!! Oh well, I guess I'll just have to accept the devaluation I've subjected it to and hunt for a stocker to do a 100pt resto on... Because I'm sure that the original design is the best thing achievable... even 45 years later.

I know the sarcasm is a little overboard there Tony, and I do respect what you do with your trucks. Thank God there are guys like you out there preserving these great machines in there near-factory state. But by sticking with all factory specs you are also saying that the original design is better than anything you could come up with. What if they had made it differently, would you stick with that? If so than you are basically putting all the authority in the hands of the original designers and accepting that they know/knew better than you about all aspects of the design 45 years ago. And regardless of what choices they happened to make your OK with it. To me that's equivalent to saying your parents know how to dress you better than you do. No offense intended. That's just the analogy that comes to mind.

I fully agree that they designed some sweet looking trucks. That's why we are all drawn to them. But if we were somehow barred from making any changes to them I guarantee many more would be gone forever by now.

FWIW, I am not a fan of the chop posted, but for every way you can detract from a vehicle I believe there is a way to improve upon it.