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Paul Schiefer's 1925 Ford Model T Roadster of San Diego, California. Schiefer was a member of the San Diego Roadster Club. He started racing his roadster in 1947, and it became one of the few cars campaigned on the lakes and the strips that, within a decade, saw its first-year top speeds on the dry lakes exceeded by its later 1/4-mile ETs. The body was channeled about 4 inches over the frame.
Louis Banto and Sal Macchia's 1927 Ford Model T Roadster of Los Angeles, California was completed around 1949/1950. The body was channeled 3 inches over a 1932 Ford frame.
Louis Banto and Jack Perre's 1927 Ford Model T Roadster of Los Angeles, California was completed around 1951/1952. The body was channeled 3 1/2 inches over a 1932 Ford frame.
Dean Batchelor's 1927 Ford Model T Roadster of Sherman Oaks, California. Dean's roadster was channeled 6 inches over a 1930 Ford Model A frame.
Thomas Dannerbauer's 1929 Ford Model A Roadster. Tom's roadster is an old California Hot Rod that has been in storage since the late 1970s.
Kenny Smith's 1929 Ford Model A Roadster of San Gabriel, California. Built by Kenny, an early iteration of the car was featured in Hot Rod Magazine August 1950. According to that story, three years of spare time and approximately $1000 went into the build when Kenny first built it. The body was channeled over the frame.
Dick Ceola's 1930 Ford Model A truck of Springdale, Arkansas. Dick was a member of the Ozark Drifters Kar Klub of Fayetteville when he started the build in 1960. Completed two years later, in 1962, the ruck went on to become a trophy winner in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. The body on Dick's truck was channeled over the frame.
The Cam Snappers of Newburyport's 1930 Ford Model A roadster was owned, built and raced by the Cam Snappers of newburyport car club of Newburyport, Massachusetts. The build was completed in 1954 featuring a channeled body.
Junichi Shimodaira's 1930 Ford Model A Tudor Sedan of Nagoya, Japan. The car, known as Rod Riguez was built by Junichi at his shop Paradise Road. Rod Riguez was heavily channeled over a Z'ed frame in order to get the car as low as possible.
Henrik Forss' 1930 Ford Model A Coupe of Sacramento, California. Henrik's Coupe was originally built by Jorel Shockley at Shockley Customs. Henrik bought the hot rod in 2021, gave it a makeover, and turned it into the Hollywood Howler. When Henrik bought the coupe, the body had been channeled 5 inches over a 1932 Ford frame.
Mike Brodski's 1931 Ford Model A Coupe of Clifton, New Jersey. The body was channeled over the frame, and Brodski started building it in 1957 or 1958.
Joe Tully's 1931 Ford Model A Coupe of Dixon, Illinois. Tully was a member of the Blackhawk Rod and Custom club. He built the coupe in the 1950s, and the iteration seen here was raced at the The World Series of Drag Racing in Lawrence, Illinois in 1956. The body on Joe's coupe was channeled 4 inches over the frame. The top was also chopped 4 inches, and the frame was kicked up 8 inches.
Bengt Wennergren's 1931 Ford Model A Roadster of Enskedefältet in Stockholm, Sweden was built by Bengt between 1962 and 1966. The body was channeled 6 inches over a 1932 Ford frame.
Buddy Hinman's 1931 Ford Model A Roadster of Rome, New York. The build was started in 1947 and completed in 1949, when buddy was 13 years old. It featured a body that was channeled 6 inches over the frame.
Martin Oja's 1931 Ford Model A Coupe of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. The build was started in 1960 and completed in 1962. The body was channeled 6 inches over the frame.
Bob Hagerty's 1931 Ford Model A Tudor Sedan of Wheaton, Maryland. Bob, who was a member of the Coach Masters of Wheaton, built the car himself. The build took two years, and it was completed in 1964, featuring a 13 inch channeling. Bob's tudor was shown on the East Coast as "Jade East."
Norman Kopp's 1932 Chevrolet Coupe of Beloit, Wisconsin. Originally owned and built by Norman's brother, the first running completion was in 1958. The build was completed in 1961. Norman was a member of the Road Gents of Beloit car club. Norman's coupe was fully chopped and channeled.
Bill Kelly's 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe of Warminster, Pennsylvania. The first version of the coupe was built in 1948. The body was channeled over the frame, and the top was kept unchopped.
Mikael Blomberg's 1932 Ford Roadster of Motala, Sweden. Blomberg bought the roadster from Indian Mike of La Cañada Flintridge, California, early in 2019. Advertised for sale as an authentic drag car from the late 1950s or the early 1960s, Mike believed the roadster probably ran in the A/Roadster class back in the days. When Mike bought the car the doors were welded shut and the body was channeled over the frame.
Johnny Bierfeldt's 1932 Ford Roadster, of Norwalk, California was a Long Beach Qualifiers car. It was painted by Bart Root and upholstered by Don Hudson.
Laverne A. Stetzer's 1932 Ford 5-Window coupe of York, Pennsylvania. The car, known as the York Coupe was built by Glen "Rudy" Rudisill and his father at G.E. Rudisill & Sons in 1957. The body was channeled over a Z'ed frame. The top was kept unchopped.
Wayne Knudson's 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe of Toledo, Ohio. The chopped and channeled coupe is believed to have been built by Knudson in the mid-late 1950s. It was later acquired by Warren Bookman, the organizer of the Toledo Auto Rama. Under Bookman's ownership, the car was prominently showcased at the Auto Rama, drawing significant attention and acclaim from attendees and automobile enthusiasts.
Orin Meyer's 1932 Ford 5-Window Coupe of Plymouth, Massachusetts. Orin first saw the car in 1957, when it was owned by Norman Fortini of Plymouth, Massachusetts. He purchased it from Duncan Weaver around 1960, and this photo shows the coupe as it appeared in 1963. When Orin purchased the coupe from Duncan, the body was channeled over a Z-ed frame.
Jon Grinager's 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe of Farmington, Michigan. Grinager acquired the Coupe in 1956 during his sophomore year at Farmington High School. What began as a school shop project soon became a local hot rod masterpiece. Years later, the car lay dormant for three decades after a 1980s restoration attempt that ended in heartbreak. However, its legacy was rejuvenated by Jon's nephews, Tanner and Logan Kucharek, who had it restored and showcased at the 2022 Detroit Autorama, where it clinched three awards. Amidst its revival, whispers emerged of its alleged ties to the Alexander Brothers, an iconic Detroit customizing duo. The quest for this connection remains alive, seeking evidence to validate these legendary claims. The body was channeled 7 inches over the Z'd frame.
Bruce Olson's 1932 Ford 5-Window Coupe of Beach, North Dakota. The first version of Bruce's coupe was completed in 1955, featuring a channeled body. Bruce channeled it 6 inches up front, and 8 inches in the rear.
Don Broyles' 1932 Ford roadster of Dayton, Ohio. The channeled roadster car was originally built in 1951.
Jacques Bechard's 1932 Ford Roadster of Montreal, Canada. The build was started in 1958. This photo shows the car as it appeared circa 1961. When the photo was taken, the body had been channeled 8 inches over the frame.
Allan Fielding's 1932 Ford 5-Window Coupe of Burriville, Rhode Island. Allan traded the car for a 1951 Oldsmobile around 1955. The coupe had already been hot rodded when Allan got it, and it ran a channeled 1932 Ford chassis. Allan and his friends George Summers and Ronnie Bouchard installed a 1934 Ford chassis and a Hemi in the car before they got it back on the strip. The body was channeled 12 inches over the frame.
Max Magness' 1932 Ford Cabriolet of Grandfalls, Texas. The build was started in 1959 and completed in 1960. It featured a channeled body.
Deaner Probst's 1933 Ford Cabriolet of Jefferson, Wisconsin. Known as "Lil' Dough," Probst dragged the car home as a project in 1957. He spent the next years working on it while showing it at various shows. In 1962 he debuted a Metalflake red iteration of the car. The body was channeled 6 inches over the frame.
Ron Price's 1933 Ford 3-Window Coupe of San Jose, California. Built in the early 1960s, the car made its debut in 1961, at the Grand National Roadster Show. A 3 inch chop and an 8 inch channeling gave the car an ultra-low silhouette.
Bob Peterson's 1933 Ford 3-Window Coupe of Mason City, Iowa. Bob bought the coupe in 1962. At the time, he was stationed at the Army's Nike-Hercules missile headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and he kept the car at a friend's house in Minneapolis. The body was channeled about 10 inches over the frame.
Bill Smith's 1934 Ford Roadster Custom of Alameda, California. Bill was a member of the Shamrocks of Alameda car club, and he set out to build the roadster in 1955. Built from a retired Tudor Sedan, Bill modified the body by cutting off the roof and moving it down to form the trunk. The body was also channeled over the frame. He completed the build the same year, showing it at the 1956 National Roadster Show.
Ray Ellis' 1934 Ford 5-window coupe of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The build was started in 1966, and completed in 1972, featuring a channeled body.
Rick Menz' 1934 Ford Tudor-Sedan of Sepulveda, California. Rick began building the car in 1960. At the time he was a member of the Chancellors of Van Nuys car club. The body was channeled over the frame with a forward rake. He sold the Ford in 1962 before the build was completed.
Tommy Henderson's 1934 Ford Cabriolet of Coney Road, Toronto, Ontario‚ Canada. Tommy bought the car in 1958. He built and sold it in less than a year, to pay for a trip to Ireland in 1959. It featured a channeled body over a Z'ed frame.
Shaun Miller's 1934 Ford 5-Window Coupe of Wimot, New Hampshire. Shaun purchased the survivor hot rod from a fellow in Plantsville, Connecticut in May of 2021. It came without a story, a channeled body, and a windshield glass marked 1967.
George Smaldone's 1934 Ford 3-Window Coupe of Cranston, Rhode Island. Built by George and his buddy Ralph Potter, the build was started in 1954 and completed in 1957. The body was channeled 7 1/2 inches over the frame.
Bruce Brown's 1936 Ford of San Mateo, California. Bruce's Ford was restyled in the 1940s, sometime prior to 1948. It featured a channeled body.
Sebastian Rubbo's 1936 Ford Roadster of Massachusetts. Sabie started working on the roadster at age 23, in 1945. He had just gotten out of the Navy, and was inspired by the cars he saw racing at the dry lakes near where he was stationed in Southern California. The build was completed in 1946, featuring a 6 inch channeling.
Augustus Eberman's 1941 Chevrolet Coupe of Geneva, Wisconsin. The build was completed circa 1961, and it is believed to be designed by Brooks Stevens. The body on the car was shortened, sectioned and channeled.
Jimmy Summers' 1940 Mercury convertible of Hollywood, California. The build was completed in 1946, featuring a 6 inch channeling job.
Al Andril's 1940 Mercury Coupe of Maywood, California. Al's Merc was restyled by Barris Kustoms in 1948 at their Compton Avenue shop. The body was channeled over the frame.
Johnny Zaro's 1940 Mercury Coupe of Maywood, California. Johnny's Merc was restyled by Barris Kustoms in 1948 at their Compton Avenue shop. The body was channeled over the frame.
Fred Cain's 1940 Ford coupe of Wilmington, Massachusetts. Fred's coupe was originally restyled in 1948.
Paul McGill's 1940 Ford Convertible was restyled by Clusters of Grays Harbor member Paul McGill, of Aberdeen, Washington, in the early 1950s. The body on Paul's Ford was channeled 6 1/2 inches over the frame.
Conrad W. Jacobs' 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe of Baltimore, Maryland was built around 1956-1958. The body on Conrad's coupe was channeled 7 inches.
Ron Maxwell's 1934 Ford 5-Window Coupe of Salt Lake City, Utah. The build was started in 1954, when Ron was 15 years old. The first iteration of the coupe, featuring a 3 inch channeled body, was completed in 1955. Ron's coupe ran under flathead and later Cadillac power, competing in B/Altered at strips around Utah.
John Vara's 1941 Ford Convertible was restyled by Barris Kustoms in 1948. The body on John's convertible was channeled 8 inches.
Joe Brienza's 1929 Ford Model A Coupe of West Islip, New York was built in 1954. Joe channeled the body of the coupe 10 inches over the frame.
Joe Brienza's 1934 Ford Convertible of West Islip, New York was completed in 1958. The body was channeled 14 inches over the frame.
Glenn Johnson's 1937 Ford Coupe of Las Vegas, Nevada. The build was started in 1947, and completed it in 1951. The body on Glenn's coupe was channeled 6 inches.
Bill Pearce's 1939 Ford Convertible of Hacienda Heights, California. Bill's Ford was restyled in the late 1940s or early 1950s. During the restyling, the body was channeled over the frame.
Arthur Lellis' 1939 Ford Convertible of Los Angeles, California. Restyled by Art at Art & Jerry Custom Shop, the build was completed in 1946. The body on Art's Ford was channeled 4 inches over the frame.
Jerry Moffatt's 1939 Ford Convertible of Los Angeles, California. Restyled by Jerry at Olive Hill Garage, the build was completed in 1946. The body was channeled 6 inches over the frame.
Nick De Simon's 1940 Ford Coupe of Teaneck, New Jersey. Nick worked for his dad at De Simon Auto Body. He was a very talented body man and fabricator, and the coupe was built during weekends, nights, and in Nick's spare time. Featuring a chopped top and channeled body, the build was completed around 1957.
Bob Creasman's 1940 Ford coupe of Los Angeles, California was channeled 4 inches.. Bob began restyling the car late in 1943, making it the first 1940 Ford coupe to be channeled, and the second to be chopped in the Los Angeles area. The work was done in conjunction with the Brand Brothers Body Shop in Los Angeles.
Tim Morton's 1940 Ford Pickup of Kingsburg, California. Morton owned the sectioned and channeled truck in 1980, but it is rumored to have been running around Fresno in the late 1950s. It was also supposedly featured in a 1950s hot rod magazine.
Bernie Mordawski's 1940 Mercury Convertible of Mundelein, Illinois. William Day of New Albany, Indiana bought the channeled custom from Bernie in 1971. Back then he was told that the car was built by Barris in 1956.
Jack Telnack's 1941 Mercury Convertible of Detroit, Michigan. The build was started in 1954 and completed in 1955. After the build was completed, Jay moved to California, attending the Art Center Design School. He sold the car in California in the latter part of the 1950s. Jay went on to become head designer at Ford Motor Company where he is credited for the Taurus and the Sable. The body on Jay's merc was both sectioned and channeled.
Pete Brock's 1946 Ford Convertible of Menlo Park, California. The car was originally restyled by Art Lellis and Jerry Moffatt at Olive Hill Garage. The original owner was killed in Korea, and his family placed the car on a used car lot in San Francisco. Pete Brock bought it from the lot in the mid-1950s. When Brock bought the car, the body had already been sectioned 5 inches and channeled another 5 inches.
A second iteration of Pete Brock's 1946 Ford Convertible of Menlo Park, California. While studying as an automotive designer at the Art Center Design School of Los Angeles, Pete started sketching new ideas for the Ford. He brought the custom to Norm's Auto Body to have the ideas carried out in metal. According to Peter, "It’s interesting to note that Briggs Cunningham was the first to use these "racing stripes" which I added to my car in honor of his participation as an American at Le Mans. I later used those stripes in designing the livery for the Mustang GT350s we built at Shelby American starting in 1965." Known as the "Fordillac", this photo shows the car as it appeared when it was featured in Car Craft June 1956.
Jack Crabbs' 1948 Buick Roadmaster of Bettendorf, Iowa. Known as the "Black Flame", ack's intent was to build and market a low scale production custom car for wealthy people, like the Kurtis Cad and the Muntz of the same time. The build was started in 1953 and completed in 1956. It was restyled by Dunshee's Body Shop, who channeled the body 3 inches.
Lloyd C. Hammond's 1949 Ford of San Bernardino, California. Lloyd was a member of the San Bernardino Krankers and his car was known as "The Majestic Lady." The first iteration of his Ford was completed circa 1958. The body was channeled 4 inches over the frame.
Martin S. Papazian's Cordster of Worcester, Massachusetts. The first version of Martin's Cordster was completed in 1953. In 1955 the top was chopped and the car was fit with a widened laydown windshield from an MG. Martin’s objective in building the Cordster was to produce a “Sports Custom” family car. He felt that the two seater sports cars of the day were limited to people that could afford to own two cars, so he set out to create his own. The body on the Cordster was channeled 2 inches.
Nick Cozzitorto's 1952 Ford F-1 Pickup. In 1952, with barely 100 miles on the odometer, Nick brought the pickup to Gene Winfield at Winfield's Custom Shop for a full custom treatment. In 1956 he returned for more work, and Winfield, sectioned, channeled, and reworked the front of the car amongst other changes.
George Barris' 1955 Chevrolet truck, the Kopper Kart, was built as a promotion vehicle for Barris Kustoms of Lynwood, California. The build was completed in 1957. The body was channeled 8 inches over the frame.
Dave Stuckey's 1965 Pontiac Catalina of Wichita, Kansas. The build was started in 1967 and completed in 1969. The car was Dave's personal driver, and the overall height of it was drastically reduced by chopping the top 3 inches, sectioning the body 3 inches, channeling it 2 inches and lowering it 6 inches.
Dave Facey's 1939 Ford Coupe of Lakeland, Florida. For years, Dave used to pass by the radical custom on his way to work. It sat in a backyard, and in the early 1980s, he finally decided to stop and check it out. He bought it, and the seller told him that the sectioned and channeled car was built in the Ohio area. Dave eventually sold it to "Big George," who put in a big block Chevy running gear and additional customizations. He named it "The Silver Rose" and showed it for several years.
Channel - to lower the body by cutting out the floor, spreading the body, and dropping it around the frame rails. According to Motor Life May 1955, Jimmy Summers is credited for the first body channeling.[1]
Articles Showing How To Channel Cars
How-To-Do Article - Valley Custom Channeling a 1939 Mercury
Channeled Cars
Dave Patton's 1924 Ford Model T Roadster
Paul Schiefer's 1925 Ford Model T Roadster
Dean Batchelor's 1927 Ford Model T Roadster
Louis Banto and Jack Perre's 1927 Ford Model T Roadster
Louis Banto and Sal Macchia's 1927 Ford Model T Roadster
Joe Brienza's 1929 Ford Model A Coupe
Kenny Smith's 1929 Ford Model A Roadster
Thomas Dannerbauer's 1929 Ford Model A Roadster
Cam Snappers of Newburyport's 1930 Ford Model A Roadster
Dick Ceola's 1930 Ford Model A Truck
Henrik Forss' 1930 Ford Model A Coupe - Hollywood Howler
Junichi Shimodaira's 1930 Ford Model A Tudor Sedan - Rod Riguez
Bengt Wennergren's 1931 Ford Model A Roadster
Buddy Hinman's 1931 Ford Model A Roadster
Gil Granucci's 1931 Ford Model A Coupe
Joe Tully's 1931 Ford Model A Coupe
Martin Oja's 1931 Ford Model A Coupe
Mike Brodski's 1931 Ford Model A Coupe
Allan Fielding's 1932 Ford 5-Window Coupe
Norman Kopp's 1932 Chevrolet Coupe
Bill Kelly's 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe
Bruce Olson's 1932 Ford 5-Window Coupe
Charles Crowther's 1932 Ford Roadster
Conrad W. Jacobs' 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe - "The Klondyke Koupe"
Don Broyles' 1932 Ford Roadster
Jacques Bechard's 1932 Ford Roadster
Johnny Bierfeldt's 1932 Ford Roadster
Jon Grinager's 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe
Laverne A. Stetzer's 1932 Ford 5-Window Coupe - The York Coupe
Max Magness' 1932 Ford Cabriolet
Mikael Blomberg's 1932 Ford Roadster
Orin Meyer's 1932 Ford 5-Window Coupe
Sid Kayman's 1932 Ford Roadster
Wayne Knudson's 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe
Deaner Probst's 1933 Ford Cabriolet - Lil' Dough
Ron Price's 1933 Ford 3-Window Coupe
Bill Smith's 1934 Ford Roadster Custom
Bob Peterson's 1933 Ford 3-Window Coupe
Darrol Finger's 1934 Ford 5-Window Coupe
Darryl Harvey's 1934 Ford Roadster
George Smaldone's 1934 Ford 3-Window Coupe
Joe Brienza's 1934 Ford Convertible - The Brienza Special
Ray Ellis' 1934 Ford 5-Window Coupe
Rick Menz' 1934 Ford Tudor Sedan
Ron Maxwell's 1934 Ford 5-Window Coupe
Shaun Miller's 1934 Ford 5-Window Coupe
Tommy Henderson's 1934 Ford Cabriolet
Alf Rasmussen's 1936 Ford Convertible
Bruce Brown's 1936 Ford
Buddy Hinman's 1936 Ford Cabriolet
Sebastian Rubbo's 1936 Ford Roadster
Glenn Johnson's 1937 Ford Coupe
Arthur Lellis' 1939 Ford Convertible
Bill Pearce's 1939 Ford Convertible
Dave Facey's 1939 Ford Coupe
Harry Keiichi Nishiyama's 1939 Ford Convertible
Jerry Moffatt's 1939 Ford Convertible
Augustus Eberman's 1941 Chevrolet Coupe
Bob Creasman's 1940 Ford Coupe
Fred Cain's 1940 Ford Coupe
Nick De Simon's 1940 Ford Coupe
Paul McGill's 1940 Ford Convertible
Ted Graziano's 1940 Ford Sport Custom
Tim Morton's 1940 Ford Pickup
Bernie Mordawski's 1940 Mercury Convertible
Jimmy Summers' 1940 Mercury Convertible
John Vara's 1941 Ford Convertible
Al Andril's 1940 Mercury Coupe
Johnny Zaro's 1940 Mercury Coupe
Jack Telnack's 1941 Mercury Convertible
Martin S. Papazian's Cordster
Peter Brock's 1946 Ford Convertible - The Fordillac
Jack Crabbs' 1948 Buick Roadmaster - The Black Flame
Lloyd C. Hammond's 1949 Ford - The Majestic Lady
Nick Cozzitorto's 1952 Ford F-1 Pickup
George Barris' 1955 Chevrolet Truck - The Kopper Kart
Ivan Peroff's 1956 Buick Century
Dave Stuckey's 1965 Pontiac Catalina
References
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