Customs Merc chop progress with compiled project pics

I think so, will know more by the weekend.

 

The pinion.

 

WAS THAT A HARD PUSH ?? to get the case spread.............?

 

No, with the jack it spread very nicely. Will have to be more careful with the merc rearend to not over do it

 

yup tehehe

 

The 51 merc rearend is a Dana 44

It has 19 spline axles
And the bearing caps fit on the jeep races. So the jeeps carrier will drop in to the Mercs housing. Just need to get the Mercs housing gutted out.

 

So the yoke is stuck on the pinion. So I got 2 inch blocks made for the rearend.

 

I got the last little bit done on the radio. Electronics are in and the knobs are polished and installed. From first glance, nobody will never know.....

 

Looks great, good to see it coming together

 

Looks awesome!!

 

So I've had a problem with getting the rear window to fit. Some how with a braced opening, it some how narrowed by a 1/2 inch in the corners. I cut the corners loose and pulled out to the correct measurement. So the window fits everywhere but the upper part. I think I'm going to relief cut the corners to maybe allow the roof to come up. Kinda scratching my head at the moment...

 

Somewhere Bob H. is looking down smiling. Great job, man. Nice attention to detail! E

 

I have had the same issue with mine, except it looks like mine widened at the corners. When I did the back glass swap on mine last year, it took the glass guy 4 hours to get the glass in. About a month later, the bottom popped back out. I tried to reseat it once with no luck. The glass had more of a bow on the bottom than the cat walk did. Last week we pulled the glass again and switched to another piece that fit the opening a bit better but still fought the bottom exactly like you are fighting the top. We finally got it seated and I think it may stay, but I'm hoping that there isn't too much stress on the glass and it breaks. Ultimately, I still have plans to adjust the chop a bit (relocate the back window a little and hardtop it), so in the process, I will end up messing with the opening so I don't have this issue any longer.

All that to say, I think you are on the right track to adjust your shape a bit at the top for a better fit.

 

I didn't think about a possible difference in the glass. I have the other window that is flatter than this one. The one in the car is the 4-door glass with the bubble in it. I will have to try that!

 

That could well solve your problem. I've found quite a bit of variation between the 3 windows I've had here.

 

I tried my other window and it fits worse than the other one. Looks like I'm going to cut it out and reinstall with the window in the opening. I totally see why the 51's get swapped out for the 50's. Way easier to work with.

 

That stinks. I was hoping you'd get an easy solution by swapping the glass.

 

Yeah I was hoping that was going to work, but I think it will go ok. The roof may flow better once it's done. I think I'm going to tackle that in a couple week.

 

Yes, it works in the merc housing.

 

The rearend has a 3.31 gear in it!
I still need to set it up, but all the parts fit.
You have to use a carrier that came with 19 spline axles. The spider gears won't work in a carrier with the 28 spline gears. I end up having a 56 ford pickup Dana 44 that had a 3.73 gear in it so it had the correct carrier break for the gear.
So a ring and pinion out of a 87 jeep wagoner and a carrier out of a 56 ford pick up with 3.73's are the parts you need to swap gears in a 51 merc rearend!

 

I started playing around with the headliner. I stitched up a test one to see how the front will lay down. Got to make the mounts for the headliner bows but got it clamped in.

 

wow that's cool

 

Ended up adjusting the corners so the seam should go through the sun visor mounts.

 

That's going to look great! If you are headed where I think you are headed, I have some tips from the studying I did for mine...and how I messed it up. LOL

The center 9 panels are all cut straight and that last outside "red" panel will be curved where it meets the straight line of the outside "red" panel of the center section. You are correct, you are going to want that outside seam to hit about the corner of the windshield, which should put the back end right about the corner of the rear window. I let my seams get too wide and ended up with that line too far to the outside, so the curve of the side panel right above the side windows was too far to the outside and I never could get it all to lay flat and get the wrinkles out. You can see what I'm talking about towards the end of my "undorkifying" thread (I'm on my phone at the moment and don't know how to paste in the link with my pictures). I hope that all makes sense...if it doesn't I'll give it another shot. Lol

I'd be curious to know how you are going to hang it. I decided to try to hang mine from tabs onto the stock bows. I'm missing a few bows, so it's a bit saggy. I think I'll try something different when I tear it all out and do it over.

 

I'm going to punch some holes in the seam allowance and try hanging it with the bows and see how it goes. I got the bows for the car plus some from the 4 door. We will see soon......

 

(since this is just between you and me and no one else is listening....lol)...I ended up doing much the same thing in places. I poked some holes in the seam allowance in places and just used zip ties to tie it up. The bows actually seem to be doing a fine job holding it up and show no signs of sagging down, I just think I don't have enough bows so there is sagging between the bows. Like you, I'm picking up an extra set from a 4dr and hope filling in some of the gaps will make a big difference.

I still have the measurements of widths of the strips if that would be helpful to you, but it looks like you already have them figured out.

 

Hole punched in seam allowance for the headliner bows.
And got it clamped and stretch alittle. Seems to fit, got to put some more curve in the side, but seems to work.

 

Very nice!!

 

Did you by chance see the pics of your other Merc with The Shadow on Rik's Custom Car Chronicle site today?

 

No I didn't. I will have to look.