Ok it has been covered many times before... But everybody has his own tricks and techniques to get his chopped Merc look just perfect. Here are a few trick Barry Mazza wants to share with us. After chopping many 49-50 Mercury's he says it all comes down to the folowing "easy" steps to get a really good looking chopped Merc. Word and Photos by Barry Mazza... Start basic 31/2 inch at the post chop. The more you cut the more slant on the sides and the harder to get everything lined up. This is the best way i figured from several attempts. Some of the articles in magazines are awfull. Way too much labor and cuts. Set it down and tack the rear when you have the amount of taper you want. Nothing worse than a “down in the front” chop. The front drooping down you might not notice till you get the top of the doors on, then its too late. Note cuts for slant post on B pillar and door. Time to weld the posts and b pillar. Before cutting weld a brace in the center to keep the roof from drooping. I cut 2 slits to ease the post out. I gas weld these cuts and the post. Mig is fine! This is the B pillar, cut in the center to get proper height then weld it in like this and fill in the gaps with metal, the bends in the corners almost align right up. Your on your way now to cutting out the rear window. You can now remove the glass and remove the rear window by cutting around the bottom. You must cut the package tray as well. Next you will want to place the rear window back in for welding. Trim and brace the rear window. Place it in and tack weld. This is the critical time as the flow of the roof is carried on. The owner of this car wanted a more stock looking roof. So no slits were made which flatens the rear of the roof. Fillers are welded in around bottom edge. Jack is used to keep up center of roof. Weld in filler metal all around and round the rear of the quarter window To match contour of front vent window area. Builder tip , if you have junk front doors, cut out area around vent windows, Weld left side in right rear corner, you then can use stock stainless for the rear corner. Rear of door, top edge cut is really not needed but, Will add controll of edge when getting things lined up proper. Just weld and finish off metal. This owner wanted gutters removed. This involves welding the 3 parts togather, Then filler metal welded in over the door. This shows added metal over the door when gutter is removed. Door gap is adjusted after all welding is done. I bent metal in brake to add in over door. Ok, just clean up your welds and start with the plastic or lead.... Also reinstall the window to make sure the frame did not twist while welding. Prime and paint. The best way to do inside molding. To make the window open like stock is a whole different chalange. Due to the rear molding and glass frame conflict&pivot... Can be done but, very hard to make look stock. The finished frames in plastic, not to hard really. This shows the slits to taper down the rear of the roof if thats what you want. 4 Slits will do it but, no need to go back deeper any more than shown as roof will Really get hard to get back in place. These slits will let you really lay down the back window for a nice taper. This plate take the worry out of the vent windows. Make one up for your vent, Put in the vise and have some one lightly heat the stainless and bend it down on the plate. I use two sets of welding gloves and just grabit and force it down. No puckers or kinks. Just trim it and change pivot point and rivet it back your done. New rubber, cut windshilds,quarter windows, I found 60’s Volkswagen quarter window rubber works great for the rear quarter windows. Little paint and last is the stainless around the windows. That is just trim and fitting. You can use the plastic trim, fits great, hardcore guys will not.!!! End result
JEBUS, a chop without hardly messing the paint and the interior still in!!! Beautiful work, I'ld let him do brain surgery on me, thanx.-MIKE
Teddy...yes that is Harry Smithers old merc...brings back some memories...i haven't seen that car in years...where did it go??
I dunno but he got locked in my Merc once @ whiskey for about an hour. Felt really bad about that one...
I was going to drive the Merc to work today and at the last minute changed my mind. Krap, I shouldn't have changed my mind. Another Kool post Rikster!! Thanks for keeping the "Kustom" post a popping on the HAMB. Happy Trails, Mick
GREAT CHOP!!! We learned the hard way when chopping a fourdoor merc... when doing the inner garnish moldings ... measure and re measure... we ended up with one side of the car almost 1/2 lower than the other so when interior pieces were cut and welded to match they were too big for one side .. thank goodness we started on the taller side first... paperdog
THANK YOU Barry and Rikster for posting and sharing this excellent info. Any chance of showing how Barry chops a 49-51 Merc convertible? I've got the car. All I need is Barry's to do his metal magic!
ya make it look easy enough that a hack like me thinks he can do it... my old 50 pontiac might get scalped one of these days...
I notice you did not do much cutting in back. You cut above rear glass , pull roof forward and let it land where ever it does? Is that what I'm seeing? I've been looking around and some guys take a section out from rear. Yours looks like a lot less work with a real nice look . I'm getting ready to chop a 49 . Just getting a few tips where I can find them. I've chopped a 50 ford f-1 (3.5);I've also chopped a 28 studabaker (5).now I'm getting ready to chop the merc ; not sure how much , probable 5 . What do you guys think?
Ernie, When you chop your 49 PLEASE take plenty of photos with notes on how you did it. Then post it all on HAMB. Good luck and thanks, JIM
I took 5 out of mine. A huge amount of work to get sides lined up. Had to pull a lot in to get difference in width aligned. I didn't want to slit the roof like I see others do.
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