1941-1948 Ford and Mercury club coupes- two different roofs. why the difference?

[1942deluxe]

42 rh side.jpg
The 42 in the enlarged picture appears to have had someone shorten the drip rail. You can see on my car they drip rail runs all the way to the trunk. My guess is the drip rail was rusted enough that the owner shortened it. Very difficult to repair and back in the 70's I saw cars where they had been cut off altogether. This area (Lake Erie) has always been one of the worst areas for rust in the country.