Held at the Shannons Insurance showrooms, the Road Lords Kustom Car Club’s Park ‘Em Up brought together some of Melbourne’s finest traditional customs, and Andrew Hod’s 1949 Mercury was the standout. Built by respected customiser “Hudg,” the Mercury wears a 5.5-inch chop at the front and 6.25 inches at the rear, a white tuck-and-roll interior, stretched and flattened rear quarters with a fill panel below the boot lid, and a frenched grille with headlight buckets moved back 33mm and fitted with ’49 spinner rings.
Andrew Hod’s Chopped 1949 Mercury Leads the Pack
Also on display were Rick’s 1950 Ford single-spinner business coupe — a plain but historically popular customizing base, sometimes called a “poor man’s Mercury” — and Luke’s 1950 Mercury, another single-spinner build sharing a similar factory silhouette. Traditional kustom culture is alive and well in Melbourne, and this walkthrough captures the raw craftsmanship that keeps the Road Lords scene going.
A 5.5-inch chop is a serious commitment on any build, and it’s what sets Andrew’s 1949 Mercury apart from the other lead sleds on display. Details like the moved headlight buckets and hand-fitted fill panel are the kind of work that only shows up when you look closely — exactly what a walkthrough like this is for.
Subscribe to Greased n Gassed on YouTube for more hot rod, custom, and classic car coverage from events across Australia.
Covering a car club event, dealership, or build of your own? Caprice Media produces automotive video content just like this — see our automotive video production services.
