Foxer Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 (edited) I remember this being a common custom modification in the '50's and '60's but haven't seen it in the hundreds of 49 Merc models I've seen. The first 1:1 record of this modification I know of was on the Bettancourt Mercury by the Ayala Brothers in the early '50's. This car was also the first 49-51 Mercury to receive a top chop! This feature was performed by reversing the top grill shell from a donor car and welding in in upside down matching the upper shell to create a rounded opening. The model pictured was started in the early 90's and still resides on my workbench. I did this as my first ever casting job, not resin, but epoxy! I created a mold by pushing modeling clay into the grill. The impression I needed was fairly shallow so I believe large side dams to contain the epoxy were not needed. The exact details of this are behind the cobwebs of my brain, but I used 5 minute epoxy in the clay mold to form the grill shell. The shell was cleaned up, and hollowed out behind, with the Dremel, files and sandpaper. It was fit into the Merc to leave room for the kit supplied roll-pan. The fit was surprisingly good, so a lot of filing of the hard epoxy against the plastic body was not required. So far, I don't know what the grill itself will be, but it's waiting for a brainstorm of a different sort .. I guess the reason for all of this is I was wondering whatever happened to this common custom feature of the original 49 Mercs of the '50's. Edited May 16, 2009 by Foxer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyle Willits Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 I suppose this could be "argued" for years, but I've always heard that Sam Barris was the first to chop a '49 Merc, although the Bettancourt Merc was also built around the very same time. After 60 years, there probably aren't too many people who can say for sure. Sam' Merc, fully restored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxer Posted May 6, 2009 Author Share Posted May 6, 2009 Yeah, they were done about the same time. who knows. I should have said, "one of the first Merc top chops" ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pibull63 Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 guys, it don't matter who cut the first lid off a merc. ya can't find nothing sweeter than a '49,'50,'51 with mailslot windows, draggin' the bumpers in the weeds. sweeeeet. just my 2 cents Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxer Posted May 16, 2009 Author Share Posted May 16, 2009 (edited) hehe.. it wasn't an argument, just a slip of my keyboard. I was talking about the grill anyway. If a chopped Merc didn't look right from the start we wouldn't have 99% of surviving bodies ready to receive mail!!! .. ok.. 80% ... some of the less radical ones can take a book from amazon.com Edited May 16, 2009 by Foxer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pibull63 Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 ok, back to the topic. i remember back in the late 80's, there was an article in S A E. it was about how to chop a merc top, and your mod about the round grill opening. it was done in detail how to make merc modifications. now remember, this was 20 something years ago, i THINK it was an S A E, like an annual addition. i do remember it was a very informative article. anyone else know what i'm talking about? anyway, has anybody purchased the merc custom kit with the chop top? that is going to be my next project, i was just curious about the quality, and is it a decent chop? what detail parts if any come with it? does the hood and trunk open? doors? anybody know?..........steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxer Posted May 16, 2009 Author Share Posted May 16, 2009 i remember back in the late 80's, there was an article in S A E. it was about how to chop a merc top, and your mod about the round grill opening. it was done in detail how to make merc modifications. now remember, this was 20 something years ago, i THINK it was an S A E, like an annual addition. i do remember it was a very informative article. anyone else know what i'm talking about? anyway, has anybody purchased the merc custom kit with the chop top? that is going to be my next project, i was just curious about the quality, and is it a decent chop? what detail parts if any come with it? does the hood and trunk open? doors? anybody know?..........steve I was still on my first absence from modeling in the 80.s but that cool there was an article on doing that. I assume you mean the Revell Merc .. that has gotten rave reviews and a must have, I think everyone has one or 10 except me. I'm still on this 15 year build of the AMT one. It seems to have many of the standard Merc custom pieces and a rather size able chop. I've seen guys raising the roof even. Not having build one, better to let someone else comment on it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pibull63 Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 ok, i am going to order it this coming friday. no rush, i've got alot sittin' in front of me now. there's a tobias chassis modified with a gremlin body. i'm at the point....to detail or not....i got a falcon modified body that came yesterday. i've already slid the roof back, and narrowed it to fit the tobias frame. i started to scratchbuild a tobias frame. there's also a sprint car floatin' around over there somewhere. ok, gettin' off the subject. the merc will be the first street car in 20 years. i have another, that i chopped the top shaved the chrome, peaked the hood, and a few other things, then it got put back in the box and forgot. maybe i'll use the doors from it. i'm thinking no B pillars either. maybe no center post in the windshield, or the two posts in the back window. what do ya think?..................steve..................oh yeah, i'll try your grill trick too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxer Posted May 17, 2009 Author Share Posted May 17, 2009 ok, i am going to order it this coming friday. no rush, i've got alot sittin' in front of me now. there's a tobias chassis modified with a gremlin body. i'm at the point....to detail or not....i got a falcon modified body that came yesterday. i've already slid the roof back, and narrowed it to fit the tobias frame. i started to scratchbuild a tobias frame. there's also a sprint car floatin' around over there somewhere. ok, gettin' off the subject. the merc will be the first street car in 20 years. i have another, that i chopped the top shaved the chrome, peaked the hood, and a few other things, then it got put back in the box and forgot. maybe i'll use the doors from it. i'm thinking no B pillars either. maybe no center post in the windshield, or the two posts in the back window. what do ya think?..................steve..................oh yeah, i'll try your grill trick too So you like modifieds! I have one on the bench that's the first I've done. I love the look when they are down low. That Tobias frame was a real pain to get all straight .. that has to be SOME work doing one from scratch! Been collecting pieces to give it more finish as I try to clean up other projects ... nice 4 -barrel, air cleaner, brakes and making some better looking shocks/springs. Oh .. the 35 Chevy. These are so open it hard not to go crazy with the detailing, but it's all worthwhile BECAUSE of the visibility! Your ideas for the Merc sound good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pibull63 Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 the modified i have now, i cut the 4 bar suspension off the rear and installed leaf springs. the front shock mounts were removed and i put the upswept posts on. made a set of coil overs for the front. i made the shocks and springs. i cut the stubs off the front axle ends and made a set of spindles and king pins, so the front wheels are poseable. i'm now building a tie rod, and drag link so it all moves with the front wheels. the hood was made from sheet plastic, and the scoop used to be a plastic spoon flipped upside down and trimmed. the seat, i used the kit seat, but upholstered it with a piece of parachute pants the girls outgrew and was in the trash. so i cut a big piece out of it so i have enuff to do several seats. i made the firewall out of sheet plastic. the roof and top of the hood are white, the body and sides of the hood, and frame are tangerine pearl. the rims are white with tangerine hubs. they also have valve stems in them. the front, rear, and side rail are aluminum welding rod. bent then polished. we're going to get a camera this week so i can take pics of some of this stuff. i'll show ya the falcon body i got this week. i shortened 3/4 inch, slid the roof back 1/2 inch, then narrowed the body 1/2 inch, so it will sit snug down on the frame. i was looking today and found a load of merc pics. put them all in a file for when i start that one. it will probably end up as a long term wip. you know how that goes. that tobias frame, actually is pretty easy, its all 90 degree bends for the rails. the cage you build to fit the body. i found some .080 rod that bends pretty easy without heating. gotta go bac k to the tie rod, i think the glue is set up...............steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxer Posted May 18, 2009 Author Share Posted May 18, 2009 sounds impressive! You have to start a WIP thread on this .. it will get lost in this " GiveMeABreakAnotherMerc" thread.. ehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pibull63 Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 yeah i know, i get to yakkin' and wander off the subject. it's a wonder we haven't caught hell yet. there's another forum, if ya get off the subject within 1 or 2 posts, the moderator gets excited. i think wer'e the only two here. anyway, i think i'm too far along for a wip, but i will do it for the next one. wer'e getting a camera this week, so as soon as i figure out how to put pics on here, i'll put them up to let ya see what i've been up to. i got the other shock done today. so the front end is ready as soon as i paint the radius rods, and put them on. i was going to make them functional, but decided against it, i think the front end might get too weak with all the moving parts....... Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercman Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 ok, back to the topic. i remember back in the late 80's, there was an article in S A E. it was about how to chop a merc top, and your mod about the round grill opening. it was done in detail how to make merc modifications. now remember, this was 20 something years ago, i THINK it was an S A E, like an annual addition. i do remember it was a very informative article. anyone else know what i'm talking about? anyway, has anybody purchased the merc custom kit with the chop top? that is going to be my next project, i was just curious about the quality, and is it a decent chop? what detail parts if any come with it? does the hood and trunk open? doors? anybody know?..........steve The issue was #24 the Mercury issue. The whole thing was devoted to Mercury models. The Revell Merc is a good kit, you wont be disappointed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxer Posted July 5, 2009 Author Share Posted July 5, 2009 The issue was #24 the Mercury issue. The whole thing was devoted to Mercury models. The Revell Merc is a good kit, you wont be disappointed. I'd love to see a copy of that article! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathskull59 Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 wow if the 49 merc didnt look rite with a chopped top from the start. then their would be way to many boring 49 to 51 mercs out their. guess its a good thing that it dose look rite on a merc then. dut very hard and diffacult to do on the 1:1 cars. then on a plastic one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMc Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Louie_Bettancourt's_1949_Mercury Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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