1950 Morris Minor Low Light Business Coupe - Dashing

I like no.1
Don't go near no.3!

So I had a couple of minutes to spare today and this happened. They say the first cut is the deepest...






I had been planning to do the windscreen chop first, but the more I looked at it the less I felt it needed, so today I decided that the side profile might help me answer the question. You can see here just how much I brought the window profile forward.



I haven't even tacked anything into place yet, it is just balancing and taped. I think the end of the window opening is in close to the right spot, running down to tie in with the front of the rear guard. Using this method of shifting the original window curvature forward I think it is interesting to see just how much I needed to raise the rear of the opening up to eliminate any sense of the opening appearing to droop at the rear.










The silver vertical tape line is to get a sense of a pillar. I'm not yet sure how I feel about the rear of the door top curving down just before it ends, so I've tried it in a couple of locations. If it doesn't curve slightly I think the line runs the risk of looking like some others I have seen, where the door and rear quarter window look disjointed.

Not sure I'd raise the rear of your cut off gutter section to make the front line up (if that's what's happening). It makes the roof look like it's going uphill. Would it be better to reshape the curve for a better alignment where it meets the front of the roof, above the front quarterlight? You want to avoid the "jacked up at the back" look that these cars get when people just move the back of the roof forwards.

Had a little bit more of a play when I got home, moving the profile back around 10mm, I think that has the line just about where I want it. I'll sit on it for a bit, tack it in, repeat on the other side then bring the back of the roof forward to about the right spot, then look at bringing the roof down. I suspect it will only come down an inch or so.

I appreciate the constructive thoughts. It's hard to know where to start really with so many possible movements. I don't think I will push the side window shape too far yet, I think it is all going to end up a little iterative, as each tweak will influence another and each angle of viewing will bring about different insights. I think I will tack this frame in close to where it is next time I get a chance to work on the car.

I did another super-rough photoshop based on the final image to get a sense of whether the direction was right. It all felt a little stumpy until I added extra depth to the roof behind the rear window, but even doing that I found that as soon as I chop the roof more than a fraction it looks out of proportion with the slab body side. sectioning is just a step too far for me, while it was a thing of the era, but I did notice that raising the window sill height (I have done it from the side strip, but the only practical way to do it in reality would be to add to the square section above the door's curve) I can give the impression of a lower roof without it looking out of proportion with the body. Doing so may make that box section look unusual but I will keep it in mind once the other changes are mocked in.

The new owner bought it with the intention of restoring, I'm get to hear if it has progressed, but it was a good candidate

At Hotrod Hayride today.

May add ideas……

Of all the grille options, the first is my favourite, the one where you can't see any headlights at all. It has Buick Y-Job overtones to it.  Having the headlights completely hidden tidies up the front of the car so well, even having the sidlights on display in the grille works for the proportions at the front.



Shall be watching the evolution of this one with interest.

Made another trial cut. I extended the window line a touch for now as the back edge will come forward when the windscreen is cut. The rear of the roof is currently weighing down the front, which means that the window line has dropped a bit, at the same time I think the back of the roof pokes up a bit high for now.