Customs The '41 Merc chop......(((NEW PICS)))

Nice work Pete!

 

Looks good! Definitely an improvement over the first set of pictures. The skirts help too- now just get the stance where you want it!

 

IF you take a piece of tape, straight edge what ever and lay it on the roof to the gap at the front of the deck lid and try to get that to flow as smooth as possible you will be in good shape, what everyone is trying to tell you is the rear drops off too much and the rear package try between the deck lid and backglass is too long. and it makes the roofline move foreward of the rear whells which makes it look like an old plymouth as someone stated, IE ( which is ugly and not many ar made into good kustoms) Look at the picture that was posted of the 41 with slanted pillars, the back of the roof is heavier, and flows into deck lid area without a long area after decklid before roof flows upwards. and if you study the roof on the high profile cars none have the long area, and from the side the roof flows about in the middle of the rear wheel, not in front of. I like the two piece backglass tho.

 

not saying mine is the perfect example, but this might shed some more lite on what I mean, and no I dont think all chops should be the same.

 

Is the door window angle chopped ie. higher at the front than the back? It looks weird in the pictures but it might just be the angle but if it is I think it needs to be fixed and the top of the window frame should be parallel to the top of the door.

 

Barris did it on the Brumbach Ford... it worked there.

 

Looks weird on that car to me as well

 

Thanks, I was thinking the same thing....It will fill in a bit more when the all the metal is added.

Pete-

 

Im glad you noticed...Im actually trying to keep the factory crease around the rear window, I understand what everyone is saying about the rear package tray and the angle of the rear window in relationship to the tray...

Im trying to do a chop that doesnt look like every other chop.....

The rear of the roof is chopped more than the front, I in fact did want the door tops to slope back, it looks weird to me when they are level.

Pete-

 

Yea,,,,im not sure it looks like a Plymouth though......that's a little harsh...sorry Plymouth guys...lol

 

This photo "clean up" of where your chop is looks great to me. I think it has a real New England feel to it and also doesn't have that modern squashed pancake look that so many 40 fords and shoe boxes suffer from these days. I think you did that merc a favor.

 

Awwee, thanks Adam.

 

Im stoked with what James posted!

I say keep diggin!!!

 

Ultimately its how You like it done that matters ! I think you are on the right track...before I chop something I try and over think it as much as I can, doesnt always work though lol! Check by 47 thread theres quite a few pics of how I chopped my Ford coupe...you cant see too many examples thats for sure! I am looking forward to some updated pics of the progress!

 

Im heading to my shop tomorrow, Im going to use some duct tape and fill some gaps....Im really diggin it at this point though...I do however have an x-tra rear window with material at the top and bottom, maybe ill lay that over the rear and see how it looks..

Pete-

 

Jamesd and adam nailed it to me ....

Pete am i reading you right when you say you want to keep the crease the last cut before the big slope?? IMO i wouldnt want that V thats in earlier pics. Now I dont know shit about chopping or body work... You guys got balls to even attempt the chop.... keep it up

 

Pete here it is keeping the body line below the rear window, so the window has more of a "hard stop" rather than flowing into the decklid. At least I think that's what your description sounds like. This way there's no mistake that it's a 41 Merc rather than 46-48.

 

Looks more like a Chevy in that rendering. The Ford/Merc roofs lines are the same 41-48, it just depends on which style cpe it is. Club/5 passenger/sedan/long door cpe or if it's a business/opera/short door cpe

 

Tony,

Yes...thats it. I like that look...

I dont think anybody would mistake this car for a Chevy...if you do, well thats another story.

 

I don't, but the break at the back window along with the rear roof line is reminicent of a chopped Chevy of that era. If you don't see it that's fine with me, it's your car you should build it to suit you.

 

So what motor is going into this thing now?

 

Land Rover.

 

The engine that's in the Michigan!

 

I know its your car and you should do what ever you like to it.

But despite the nice Photoshop work that Flash did that totally kills the wonderful shapes of a 1941 Mercury top in my eyes.
The moved forward back of the top and long space behind the top to the trunk totally does not work with the tailldragger look at all.
Perhaps it will look better if you remove the skirts, and put a heavy forward rake on it.. and make a Hot Rod out of it.

 

I agree!!

 

this thread puts me in mind of a funny vid on a thread here somewhere bout the 40 Merc Nachtfalter, referring to the door handles being left on as I recall....theres a line was ..'it takes big balls to do something Sam Barris didn't do first..!!"

My point..chop it YOUR way Pete. IMO its lookin good!!

 

I like that crease line. Looks less like a model car that was heated & squished that way or like a fleetline.

 

I like that you are doing the chop this way because it is different...and I think it works.

The way a lot of these chops are done with everything blended makes them look kind of unresolved. Like, "Let's just smooth that over and call it done".

 

These cars always look way too fat on the rear and the quarter windows always look out of proportion,,,,in my eyes..