I have a weak spot for these, so I would love to see what's being built and has been built in the recent (10-15?) years. Coupes and Conv./Carsons. Projects or finished cars. Thanks ! Below a pic of my 1940 Coupe and my friend, Klas Wingren's 1939 Convertible.
JB do a search for this. We've done it to death. I honestly think I've seen EVERY cool 39/40 Merc right here on the HAMB in the past... Might try searching for Westergard as well..
Hey JB, your 40 Merc is right on! Do yu have specs on the lowering and chop? I'm building a 40 merc coupe in the Andril/Zaro way. Its been a long road in collecting the parts. I have two 37 Desoto bumpers, 112 Appletons, ribbed caps (doesn't have the center bar), full caps just like the ones on Jimmy Summer's and so on. I love to see what Jive Bomber has been up to on his 39 merc converitble. I'll get some pics up of, it's on hold till I finish my 53 chevy truck. Later. Ken
Hi Kilroy ! I guessed that could be the case. Did a search before this thread, but didn't end up with that many pics. I'll keep checking ! Sorry ! Take care ! Thanks ! Yeah, getting the right parts can sure take a while. My chop is 5" horizontal in front and 7½" in rear. The front window is moved up 1 3/4" and rear window is chopped 1½" in the middle and 2" on the sides. The lowering is a 4" dropped I-beam and stock spring in front and (only "modern" thing) bags in rear. Took away the spring and use a panhard bar. Haven't C:d or Z:d the frame, just made new axle bumpers ½" thick to let the car rest on while parked. Low enough for my taste. The Zaro/Andril Coupes aren't really as heavy chopped and has not the windscreen moved up among other things. I have some pics of those two. If you're interested, let me know. Me and Wolf checking out how the sidewindow opening should look like... Rear window chopped and leaned in position, roof roughly cut and in place... Wolf working on those C-pillars...
Haven't done much to mine yet, but parts are coming in all the time. (Plan= nose, deck, skirts, flipper caps (the right ones), Desoto or Zephyr bumpers, etc.) Here's a pic of her right now:
Really nice!! That chop is just right for that car. Keep posting the updates for us. I'm going to be starting on my 37 chevy coupe pretty soon and the perspectives I get from projects like yours really help in my decision making. Thanks
Thanks guys ! Yeah, I read your post about when you bought it. Looks fabulous ! My friend with the -39 above has been resistant not to chop it, but now he says he MUST do it to get the best look and style. So, probably he will start working on a Carsontop. In the end you can't get away from the "full-Kustom-flu", ha ha... The one you showed that was on sale. I saved all those photos from the ad. There were plenty of pics from all over the car. Still have them if you need them. Was said to be a Barris-built car. Don't know, but it sure looked great.
Hey J.B. can you post more pics of your 39' as your chopping it? I just picked up a 39' Merc and I'm trying to get enough confidence to chop the top. Its a clean stocker and I'm having a hard time seeing myself wacking the top off of it without a solid plan. Great car, perfect lines. Johnny BTW...what'd you do about the side windows, are they fuctional?
Be sure to check out the Harry Bradley/Donn Lowe "Afterglow" '40 Merc, finished last year after years in construction. There's an excellent article about it in Rodder's Journal #25.
Hey J.B., thanks for sharing those great pics and info.Greatly appreciated.You know how I think about your Merc.This is exactly the kind of shit I like to see here !!! Even if there are already some threads regarding 39-40 Mercs(I don't know about any/which means nothing...),I simply don't get tired by watching another one.Man,those are unbelievable great and beautiful looking cars when done right as evident by your killer Kustom Merc and I'm glad you didn't stop posting at all !!! I hope to start building a Kustom with a similar vibe in the near future and hopefully it's gonna be as half as nice as yours at least.I'm so impressed by those beautiful lines and stance,overall proportions,choice of colors and parts,all resulting in this klassic kustom which screams kool...The Vikmo Mercury rules.Period. PLEASE and I mean PLEASE post some more pics and info !!!
I've said it before and I'll say it again. I dig Kents Merc! Simply beautiful. And who gives a shit if there has been prior posts about this subject! This is an automotive board correct? Keep the pictures coming JB. Mike
J.B., Your Merc definitely has the look. Here's some shots of my old merc that was originally done in the late fifties and I rescued in '75. It was recently sold again and now resides in N.Y. Mick
Hey, JB, when I saw a pic of you merc in Rolls and pleats as a temp convert. It belw me away! Finding out that again in Rolls and pleats that you had the top put back on, chopped, and is perfect. In every detail. I'm going for the Zaro/Andril chop, keeping the 1/4 window style, but moving the front windshield (it's a must on 39/40 mercs). I'm partial to both the Zaro/Andril and Jimmy Summers mercs. Of course the Matranga is another step up for 40's kustoms. I have a set of the Appletons/Lorraine spotlights for sales? JB and anybody else, keep these pics comming. Thanks Ken
Hi guys and thanks for your kind words. Been pretty busy, so I haven't arranged any more chop-pics yet. But I have some nice ones of the entire chop that I'll put up as soon as I get some time... About the sidewindows. I got screwed on the garage I was supposed to have this winter so I'll have to wait until next winter to make those. Here in Sweden the summer is too short (4 months), so I don't want to spend more than half of that time in the garage. Which I've done for two years now... I'm looking at doing another styling than the Matranga curved ones. Just to try something different. Still a lot thinner than stock, but with a leaned "hardtop" look. My friend Rik from Holland did a photoshop test of my thoughts. Maybe something like this: Hi Lurker Mick. Is this the same car as your old one ? Where did it come from originally ? BTW. Here's the car when I went over and bought it in Florida Oct. 2002. But please post some more pics if you got them ! Projects and under construction is great too !
J.B. yeah thats my old Merc. It was originally built in Portland, Ore. in 1952-56, owned by Don Telen, and built by Master body shop in Portland. I didn't know this until I had the car finished, but no one was restoring old customs in 1975. Here is the article on the car when Don owned it. Hot Rod magazine, March 1957. Mick
Not to Hijack, but does anyone have anymore info or pics on Doug Rice's 39 from Aberdeen WA? One of the baddest cars ever. Black powdercoated sombreros on it. 1955 custom cars trend book.
Don worked at the printing shop near my house in Portland. Watched that car for years, I believe Don used it as his daily driver. Most likely his only car. Must have done most work on the weekends, as it was at the print shop nearly every day, but always changing. Love that Merc!!!!..........OLDBEET
Old Beet, after I knew it was Don's car, I acquired a copy of the original tech sheet that Don filled out for the Hot Rod article and some unpublished photos from the shoot. The new owner in N.Y. says he is in the process of restoring it back to the way it appeared in the '57 article. Mick
J.B. -Your 40 is Perfect!!!! Everything is just right. Nice job! How did you attach the Sombreros to your 40 Merc wheels??? Did you weld on trim rings to the Sombreros? And where in Florida did you buy it?
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