News Flash! P15 Meets Chopping Block

[47heaven]

Yes, folks...another great P15 found it's way into a young buyer, only to be butchered and have it's top cut off. This once beautiful 1947 business coupe recently met it's fate just a few weeks ago. As the saying goes...another one bites the dust. RIP '47 business coupe.

Awaiting the slaughter.

The slaughter begins.

Point of no return.

Decapitated.

Ooops...now what?

Should have left it alone.

A sad sight

[Norm's Coupe]

Darin,

I'm not a fan of chopped tops either. However, not all is lost when you do that to a car. If someone really wanted to, they could cut another top off of a parts car and put the car back to original at any time they want. By the way, that's a club coupe, not a business coupe. Quarter windows do not roll down on business coupe.

[Normspeed]

He had no choice, he was obviously too short to finish painting the roof. Actually he seems to know what he's doing, particularly the way he is handling the rear window area. It would have been even neater if he went with a 3 piece rear window like an early 50's chevy.

I'm OK with chops but the P15 body just doesn't seem to do well with it.

[Norm's Coupe]

He had no choice, he was obviously too short to finish painting the roof. Actually he seems to know what he's doing, particularly the way he is handling the rear window area. It would have been even neater if he went with a 3 piece rear window like an early 50's chevy.

I'm OK with chops but the P15 body just doesn't seem to do well with it.

Never gave the Chevy window a thought before. But.......you're right, a rear window out of something like the 53 Chevy would look neat in there. Or, the wrap around rear window out of a 53/54 Ford would look good too.

[knighthawk]

I think he kinda made a mess of the rear window (?). Anyway.... Quote'' another one bites the dust ''........Also meaning , why chop this ,or any car ? Think of it this way... It's lived for 50 years as it was, maybe next it would sit out in a feild, rusting away , or probabley end up in a crusher somewhere. Then , where would this car be ? By chopping it, or making a 'hotrod' out of it, may just be what it takes for someone to take intrest in it , and make it live another 50 years !

[jd52cranbrook]

I agree completely. At least it has a life. Could have been turned into tuna cans....

And beauty is in the eyes of the beholder..... or something like that.

[Jeff.P_46]

So...........are you a POC member "It's_Heaven_in_a_47" Hmmmmm

[Plymouthy Adams]

POC...Plymouth's Official Critic

[62rebelP23]

it's a case of having a foot in both camps. i too bemoan the loss of an original but celebrate the fact it still lives in custom form. i'll say this; it takes guts to make that first cut. and the second. and so on until it's DONE and you can see what you were looking for. it's the ones that get halfway through and decide they can't finish it that are the shame; nobody wants to pick up where someone else left off! (except as parts cars!)

[Normspeed]

Nahhh, I heard a rumor that there's a 230 and an overdrive in the works for Darin's 47. POC won't have him after that.

So...........are you a POC member "It's_Heaven_in_a_47" Hmmmmm

[mackster]

It looks sharp, it's yours, do what you want with it, I found a junker and saved it from the claws! I haven't done much to it since I change jobs (been worry about performance) but I will get back in business soon. What kind of engine are you looking for? Mack G.

[Guest rockabillybassman]

Guess this will upset some........ it's said (author unknown) that restorers are "paint by numbers" and hotrodders and customisers are "true artists".

Personally I love chopped cars, but it definitely takes a good eye to make the rear of a 40's coupe flow well. Getting the flow right is the hard part of a chop like that. It will also have to sit really low (bagged and notched) to make the chop look good.

[Normspeed]

This guy is on the right track.

[Fireball]

rockabillybassman hit right on spot with that roof flow thing, and in my opinion that black beauty above is an great example of a chop well done. That looks better than original, but surely they all don't.

[Don Coatney]

A few years back I was talking to the owner of a D-24 and telling him about this forum. He told me that there are too many modified cars here to his liking. He likes to keep everything bone stock. He then proceeded to show me his car including the new non stock carpet he had just installed.

Apparently there is a line in the sand that is never crossed when restoring a car to original condition. Problem is that line is drawn differently by every car owner.

[62rebelP23]

you got that right! i'm not a single-make guy; matter of fact i have a long Ford history followed with Mopars. i tend to be a resto-renovator; if it worked well then and it works now, i leave it be; if it can be upgraded without being OBVIOUS like better brakes, i'm all for it. that's for my Fords, mind; my Plymouth is in my estimation 90% complete stock except for the door panels and seats done by PO back in the 70's. i'm not RESTORING it; there's no point in spending that kind of money on a 4dr sedan. but i AM bringing it back to functional life and trying to make it look "right"; not perfect. it helps that Mopars were known for good brakes, reliable engines, and strong trannies. the fact that before i got this one it had last run in 1989 and after replacing the plugs and wires it fired right up brings that point home!

[BobT-47P15]

Yes, it is rather amazing where that line is drawn, Don.

Even professed restorers to "original" do things that are not truly original.

Maybe sometimes certain things are done due to the difficulty nowadays in finding the correct needed item. That's understandable. But some of these guys certainly get on their high horse and are rather anal about the whole thing. They oughta be just a bit more tolerant of others.

[Young Ed]

Dads nicely restored 51 convert has carpet instead of rubber mat because he couldn't find a proper mat. There are a couple other minor things that I know but most people miss.

[BobT-47P15]

And then.....we get into people's interpretation of words like "original" and "restored" and "classic" -- you know the deal on all that.

The seller says this P15 has been restored. I would say it's been updated (re-upholstered in vinyl) -- and a rather nice looking job it is.

And then, there is my other nit-pickey pet peeve......they did not bother to

"restore" the engine and under the hood to go along with the rest of the car's appearance. They have a "buy it now" price of $10,000.....which is in the vicinity of top money for one of these cars. Then when ya get it, you got to do more stuff to really make it sharp all over.

All in all, a very nice looking car.

Trunk not too bad, I guess.

Link to the ad for viewing the pictures of car: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1948-Plymouth-2-Dr-Sedan-MOPAR-Dodge-Chrysler_W0QQitemZ270162594269QQihZ017QQcategoryZ6387QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[47heaven]

POC...Plymouth's Official Critic

Oooooh...don't be so quick to make me the "official" critic. You've had your share of being a critic on here yourself.

[47heaven]

So...........are you a POC member "It's_Heaven_in_a_47" Hmmmmm

Nah....I don't feel that I need to be a member of two clubs to be in one. If it were just one club, that would be okay.

I knew my posting would cause some controversy, but I still stand strong on my opinions about chops. All I know is that mine will never see a saw taken to it....at least as long as I own it.