Sectioned

Dave Stuckey's Lil' Coffin

Joe Brienza's 1934 Ford Convertible of West Islip, New York was completed in 1958. The body was sectioned 4 inches.

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 firewall was sectioned 6 inches during the rebuild, giving the car a total height of 38 inches from the ground to the top of the cowl. Bill completed the build the same year, showing it at the 1956 National Roadster Show.

Joaquin Arnett's 1934 Ford 3-window coupe of San Diego, California was completed in 1951. The body on Joaquin's coupe was chopped, fully fendered, un-channeled, sectioned and shortened.

Ted Svendsen's 1934 Ford

Alf Rasmussen's 1936 Ford of Bergen, Norway. Alf bought the chopped, channeled and sectioned car from a British or American pilot in Bergen in 1951 or 1952. The pilot had worked in the Independent Norwegian Brigade Group in Germany after WWII, and was now returning home to his girlfriend.

Tommy Jamieson's 1937 Ford Pickup

Art Lehner's 1939 Ford - The Fadeaway Ford

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.

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.

A radically restyled custom photographed at a used car lot located at 4875 El Cajon Blvd. in San Diego, California. Running 1947 license plates, the car seems to have started out as a 1940 Mercury Convertible. Modifications include a sectioned body, removed running boards, a chopped and padded top, a custom made grille and front end, molded body seams, fenderskirts, blackwall tires, and flipper hubcaps. Please get in touch with us if you have more info or photos to share of this mystery custom. Photo from The Robert Genat Photo Collection.

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 channeled and sectioned.

Bill Cushenbery's 1940 Ford

Ralph Jilek's 1940 Ford

Ted Graziano's 1940 Ford Sport Custom, of Cranston, Rhode Island.

Joe Urritta's 1941 Ford

John Vara's 1941 Ford Convertible was restyled by Barris Kustoms in 1948, featuring a sectioned body. John sold the car to Johnny Zaro of Maywood, California before the build was completed.

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. 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. It was also channeled 5 inches, and chopped 3 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.

Earl Wilson's 1947 Studebaker

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, and the body was sectioned 4 inches.

Qvintus Brusefält Ån's 1949 Chevrolet of Borensberg, Sweden. In 2018 Qvintus and Gene Winfield chopped the top on the car at the Yankee Car Show in Finland. After the show, Qvintus sectioned the body 3 inches.

Chuck Porter's 1949 Ford

Milton Depuy's 1949 Ford of Cleveland, Ohio was restyled around 1956. Milton's Ford was sectioned 4 inches and fit with a 1951 Ford Victoria top.

Gary Overby's 1949 Ford of Tacoma, Washington was sectioned 5 inches in 1961.

Merton Peterson's 1950 Ford of San Diego, California was restyled by Carrol "Red Eye" Gentry of Styler's Custom Shop. The build was completed in 1953 and featured a 5 inch section job.

Richard Gregg's 1950 Ford Pickup of Sacramento, California. Restyled by Richard at Rick's Body Shop, the build was started in 1958 and completed early in 1959, featuring a 5 inch sectioned body. The car was shown as "the Capri."

Tom Griffin's 1950 Ford of Portland, Oregon. Griffin owned the car in 2024. The full history of the sectioned Ford is not known, and it is rumored to be an old custom originally restyled in the early 1950s. The body features a 5-inch section job.

Bob Metz' 1950 Buick - XM105

Chris Clark's 1950 Chevrolet

Burt Hamrol's 1950 Ford Sedan

Don Britton's 1950 Ford

Master Welders' 1950 Ford Club Coupe

Ron Dunn's 1950 Ford Coupe

Jack Stewart's 1950 Oldsmobile - The Polynesian

Hank Katzenmaler's 1951 Ford Tudor, of Dacatur, Illinois was built by its owner.

09.21.2023 - 1951 Ford Victoria Customized Coupe: A George Barris-inspired customization, this Ford Victoria showcases extensive bodywork. The body has been sectioned 3 to 4 inches, equipped with dual headlights, a Corvette grill/bumper, dummy spotlights, and nearly every panel has seen some form of customization. While the major bodywork stands out, the paint shows its age with some bubbling and could benefit from some attention. However, it still presents well from a distance. Located in Calhoun, Georgia, the car was advertised for sale on eBay in September of 2023. It was listed with a US $11,300.00 Buy it Now price. Click here to check out the eBay ad.

Ron Hart's 1951 Ford Club Coupe of Cincinnati, Ohio. Ron was a member of the Cincros car club, and he built the sectioned Ford in 1954. The body of the car was sectioned 4 inches, while the top remained un-chopped.

Ron Courtney's 1951 Ford of McMinnville, Oregon was restyled by Ron between 1954 and 1956. The car, known as the X-51, was sectioned 5 inches.

John Foxley's 1952 Chevrolet

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. The body was sectioned 5 1/2 inches.

J.G. Schmidlapp's 1952 Oldsmobile Holiday 88

Wally Troy's 1953 Buick Convertible, The Troy Custom, was sectioned 9 inches Wally Troy of Springfield, Illinois. The build was completed in 1954.

Ray Russell's 1953 Ford convertible of Detroit, Michigan. Restyled in 1953, Ray's Ford featured a 7 inche sectioned body.

Milton Melton's 1954 Cadillac Eldorado - The Parisienne

The Old School Chevy

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 sectioned 5 1/2 inches.

Vic Collins' 1955 Chevrolet truck of Rahway, New Jersey. Vic's truck is a clone of George Barris' 1955 Chevrolet truck, the Kopper Kart. Restyled by Customs by Flash and John Maurice, the build was started in 1999, and completed in 2008. The original Kopper Kart was according to the magazines sectioned 5 1/2 inches. This turned out to be too much, so John sectioned his Kopper Kart clone a little less then that.

Gene Boucher's 1956 Ford, The Marquis, was sectioned 6 inches by Bill Cushenbery of Cushenbery Custom Shop. The build took two and a half year to complete, and it made its debut in January of 1962.

Leroy Kemmerer's 1956 Mercury of Castro Valley, California. Leroy's Merc, also known as The Jade Idol, was restyled by Gene Winfield of Winfield's Custom Shop. The build was started in 1958, and completed in 1959. The Jade Idol was sectioned 4 inches, and it was the first car that Gene ever sectioned. The Jade Idol became an instant hit at car shows all over the US, and it was the car that helped Gene gain national recognition as a custom car builder.

Pat Mulligan's 1958 Chevrolet Impala

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.

Mikko Kiviniemi's 1953 Chevrolet of Örebro, Sweden. The body on Mikko's Chevrolet has been sectioned 3 inches and chopped 3 inches, reducing the height with a total of 6 inches. The build was started in 2013 and completed in 2019.

Ivan Peroff's 1956 Buick Century of Kanehoe, Hawaii. Built between 1957 and 1958, the car was sectioned, channeled, and powered by a supercharged Buick Nailhead engine. The body was sectioned about 4 or 5 inches.

Hence Forsman's 1956 Cadillac Eldorado of Moliden, Sweden. The body on Hence's in-progress build has been sectioned 2 inches.

Jon Zarbolias' 1961 Chevrolet Truck of Missoula, Montana. The body on Jon's in-progress custom has been sectioned 4 7/8 inches.

Helge Solberg's 1967 Chevrolet Camaro of Bø i Telemark, Norway. Known as "Low'n Blown," the car was built in the 1980s. Featuring a sectioned body and a chopped top, the first version made its debut in 1984. The body was sectioned 3.15 inches.

Body-section - to lower the body by cutting out a section of the body, then welding together the two halves.

The first car that legendary custom car builder Gene Winfield sectioned was Leroy Kemmerer's 1956 Mercury, The Jade Idol. The Jade Idol was started in 1958 and completed in 1959. The Jade Idol was sectioned 4 inches. When Gene sections a car, he use 4 inches as a standard. As everything has to come down, and it is the same amount of work, Gene feels that you might as well go as far as you can go in order to make it look cool.

Sectioned Cars

Dave Stuckey's Lil' Coffin
Bill Smith's 1934 Ford Roadster Custom
Joaquin Arnett's 1934 Ford 3-Window Coupe
Joe Brienza's 1934 Ford Convertible - The Brienza Special
Ted Svendsen's 1934 Ford
Alf Rasmussen's 1936 Ford Convertible
Tommy Jamieson's 1937 Ford Pickup
Art Lehner's 1939 Ford - The Fadeaway Ford
Dave Facey's 1939 Ford Coupe
Augustus Eberman's 1941 Chevrolet Coupe
Bill Cushenbery's 1940 Ford
Ralph Jilek's 1940 Ford
Ted Graziano's 1940 Ford Sport Custom
Tim Morton's 1940 Ford Pickup
Joe Urritta's 1941 Ford
John Vara's 1941 Ford Convertible
Jack Telnack's 1941 Mercury Convertible
Peter Brock's 1946 Ford Convertible - The Fordillac
Earl Wilson's 1947 Studebaker
Jack Crabbs' 1948 Buick Roadmaster - The Black Flame
Qvintus Brusefält Ån's 1949 Chevrolet
Chuck Porter's 1949 Ford
Gary Overby's 1949 Ford
Milton Depuy's 1949 Ford
Bob Metz' 1950 Buick - XM105
Chris Clark's 1950 Chevrolet
Burt Hamrol's 1950 Ford Sedan
Don Britton's 1950 Ford
Master Welders' 1950 Ford Coupe
Merton Peterson's 1950 Ford
Richard Gregg's 1950 Ford Pickup - The Capri
Ron Dunn's 1950 Ford Coupe
Tom Griffin's 1950 Ford
Jack Stewart's 1950 Oldsmobile - The Polynesian
Hank Katzenmaler's 1951 Ford Tudor
Ron Courtney's 1951 Ford - X-51
Ron Hart's 1951 Ford Club Coupe
John Foxley's 1952 Chevrolet
Nick Cozzitorto's 1952 Ford F-1 Pickup
J.G. Schmidlapp's 1952 Oldsmobile Holiday 88
Wally Troy's 1953 Buick - The Troy Custom
Mikko Kiviniemi's 1953 Chevrolet
Al Ayala's 1953 Ford F-100
Ray Russell's 1953 Ford Convertible
Milton Melton's 1954 Cadillac Eldorado - The Parisienne
The Old School Chevy
George Barris' 1955 Chevrolet Truck - The Kopper Kart
Vic Collins' 1955 Chevrolet Truck - The Kopper Kart Klone
Ivan Peroff's 1956 Buick Century
Gene Boucher's 1956 Ford - The Marquis
Hence Forsman's 1956 Cadillac Eldorado
Leroy Kemmerer's 1956 Mercury - The Jade Idol
Pat Mulligan's 1958 Chevrolet Impala
Jon Zarbolias' 1961 Chevrolet Truck
Dave Stuckey's 1965 Pontiac Catalina
Helge Solberg's 1967 Chevrolet Camaro - Low'n Blown