History What Ever Happened to..........?

You're right, the headlight treatment really stand out. I've got a picture of the car in the teal from the 1994 Merc/Deuce ReUnion in Holland MI. I'll see if its in my stack and post it.

 

That would be great! E

 

Almost forgot, @straykatkustoms posted this picture earlier today on his kustom blues thread. Great picture of one of Mark's '55 Chevys.
Low and behold, in the background you can see the Dave Purdy '49 Mercury (Slimer) in the gray primer with scallops. E

 

WEHR 1 --I`m getting a little better at posting.

 

Thanks Jim! I knew somebody would have a picture of that Merc. What a beauty! E

 

Yes it is. And here is the rear shot of I CUT IT. It will be interesting to see the shots of the Teal version and the rear skirts.

 

Found it .... and the close up of the Slimer from the same show ... Merc/Deuce and Friends, Holland MI 1994

 

OK, crazy week last week, so I am just now getting caught up on all the reading on Slimer from the last few days. Funny, 54delray's pic shows well one of the things I noticed. Looking at all the pics, it looks like only the driver's side rear window was removable. Pics from the same time taken of the other side look to be smoothed off. The more recent pics of the car today show the driver's side smoothed over as well, so I guess for whatever reason, he deiced to do away with the removable panel. Minutiae, but I thought it was interesting. LOL

Loving the Schmidt/Wehr Merc, although I can't ever recall having seen it.

Ed, thanks for all your efforts to bring us something new every week. I am amazed at the rest of you guys and your ability to recall, research and hunt out more information and pics. Between this thread and all you guys bring to the Kustom Blues thread, I'm in kustom heaven most days. Thanks guys and may you all have a blessed Christmas!!

 

I see what you mean, Doc. The more pictures I see of the Slimer car, the more differences I see. It seems like the car was constantly changing.
Glad you're enjoying the thread, Doc. It makes it so much easier with guys like you and Jim, Mark, Sancho, 54delray and so many others adding information and pictures. I love the way this thread keeps growing with so much participation!

Those are some great pictures @54delray and Jim! Thanks a lot for all your input! E

 

Lil E, you might have the years/show wrong on the give away. Not that matters in finding info on this W.E.H.T., but the way I remember, P&J Fiberglass gave away 2 cars at the MercDuece ReUnion in '94 Holland MI. A 51 Merc and a 32 Sedan. Rules were you had to be a registered participant at the show with a car on the grounds .... I bought a stock 51 Merc in 1990. After planning my kustom modifacations, it went to the body shop with realistic goal of getting it on the road in time for the 1994 Merc/Deuce. I spent a LOT of money that I shouldn't have. As the show dates drew near, reality set in and I could see it wasn't going to be done. I was p i s s e d !!! No Merc to drive, and no chance to win a Merc.

I've got pics of both giveaway cars in Holland, just bare body on chassis. Wehr's had to finish the car. I remember it at the '99 Merc/Deuce, purple like you said. I recall the tail lights being a double stack of the ribbed section of 54 Merc tail lights. Each rib had chrome trimmed edges. Also have a pic of that somewhere.

And now back to our previously scheduled HAMB program

EDIT (As you will read 3 posts later, I was wrong about the Wehr's winning their P&J Merc at the 94 MercDuece and also wrong that they had to finish a raw car. OG lil E was correct)

 

Wow, late to the party this week....
Okay, first off; the Slimer. In the grey primer photo (Astorian from the other thread) the rear door window panel is smoothed off. Was this the transition?
Also in 54delray's last pic of it, the trim is black.

 

Now on to this weeks custom.
Comparing the first two photos Ed posted, the first photo shows side trim that isn't there in the 2nd photo.
In the second photo, it is sporting bullets on the front hubcaps and the rear quarter appears to have a large scoop that runs from the body line down and looks to have 3 little "teeth" in the middle. It's show placard reads "Twilight Zone". Did the Wehr's own it at the time of the 2nd photo?

Also in that second photo to the right of the Gray Ghost Chevy is George West's '51 Mercury (WEHT #7).

 

Was it possible they gave away two purple Mercs at two different events? Maybe one of us is off on the years, as the Leadsled Spectacular was in Holland, Michigan in '88, '90 and '92. Then the last two Leadsleds in Michigan were in Lansing in '95 and '97.
On the '92 Leadsled Spectacular video recorded by Video Bob Huff of Action video, he did a walk around of the car at the show. I'm pretty sure it was shot at the Leadsled as it rained ALOT on and off all weekend that year. The car was sitting on some real soggy grass and it was raining and you could see the car was all wet with beads of rain running off of it. I'll have to re-watch the video again to see if the car had glass in it or an if it had an interior. I think you're right about it being unfinished.
He also shot the awards ceremony when they did the drawing to see who won the car. Titus called the Wehr's name and Jan came running out of the stands in hysterics. She was hollering and laughing all while trying to make her way to the stage in a sloppy mudhole without falling down. She was so excited (who wouldn't be?!?)! While she was talking to Titus, she kept saying "Will someone find my husband?" and "Where's my old man?" It was great! Mrs. Wehr seems like she was a real spit fire! E

 

Sharp Eye Sancho strikes again! I have to be honest. By the time I started posting this weeks W.E.H.T. my head was spinning. I found so many different parts of the Schmidt/Wehr Mercury on different videos, then mix in the Dave Purdy Slimer Merc and everything started to run together.
I'm not exactly sure if the Schmidt/Wehr Merc was called "Twilight Zone" before they bought it or if they named it after they took ownership. I noticed the car show sign calling it "Twilight Zone" while it was still yellow. The car definitely has some interesting history.

I'm guessing the door tops were opened up later, and then maybe eliminated again after. In the '85 video when the car was in primer and he was showing the car with the passenger rear lower door portion open, it really looks like the top part of the door is part of the roof with no way to open or remove it.
Seems like a lot of work to make an opening, then fill it, then open it up again. Very confusing...........We sure need Mr. Purdy or someone who knew him and the car to chime in and give us the facts, huh? E

 

Whenever they had the Merc Duece reunion in Holland Mich. they had a Duece and a Merc giveaway from P&J. The rules stated that you had to have a car registered in the show and be present to win. When the Merc winner was called nobody came forward so they had the child reach in and draw again. My friend Dale Stacey (R.I.P) name was pulled and he won the Merc. As stated in a previous post it was basically just a shell on a frame, no steering column and in gel coat with those 5 star Weld wheels. Luckily we were able to find someone with a trailer headed back toward Illinois to help us get it home. After Dale got it home he ended up selling it to Norm & Jan and I may wrong but believe they had it converted it into a convertible.

 

That's correct Mark, do you recall when the Merc Duece reunion was it 94 maybe? I know that they held it for 5 times 5 years apart.

 

I remember attending the last two Holland Mich. and Davenport Iowa, just didn't remember the years. 102 degrees in Davenport and a hail storm I'll never forget!

 

I was riding around in flooded streets and parking lots cause the wife wanted to go to some nearby Mall and do some SHOPPING!

 

Now back to the I Cut It Merc. This is gonna be a roller coaster ride with some nonbelievers but I will eventually convince you how the merc evolved. Here what the Merc looked like when I saw it about 4 years ago. A gentleman from South Dakota owned it at the time He drove it Goodguys events, car cruises, and even Salina. See the similarities, no. Look at the grille.

 

Okay, then this will convince you then. Remember how Ed mentioned the skirts got molded and changed. Look at them now. I have close-ups that I will post later. Tune in later for updates on this car later. And does it ever change. Still not convinced. Look at the frenched antenna on the door. I talked with Ed about this car a week or two ago comparing it to another Merc with a shortened trunklid. I think he discovered this was the merc that used to be I Cut It.

 

Wow! Good eyes Jim and Ed to recognize the car under all the changes. You convinced me.

 

I agree with that. The way the leading edge of the front wheelwell angles forward, the big lip around the front wheelwell.....


Although harder to see in the yellow version, it appears the area below the decklid and above the taillight still has the contour of the decklid, meaning that it isn't flat or smoothed out. That also shows on the red version, and the rear bumper area, tag location etc.


Also the placement of the taillights seems odd to me. But, they are about at the outer ends of the full width taillight and appear to be at the same height on the fender...

THANKS stanlow for this update! I can't wait to see the the further changes......

 

Also compare the placement of the Buick trim. See how the forward end is right up to that big lip around the front wheel opening?

 

Nice breakdown of the Schmidt/Wehr Merc guys. I'm almost 100% positive that this is the car.
From what Jim told me the car was wrecked and that's why the front end was changed. I really liked the way Mr. Schmidt did the front end better. I also liked the full length taillight better, too. The way it is now there is just too much empty space between the rear bumper and the trunk lid. Hey Jim, do you know if the car was hit in the rear as well, or was it changed just for the sake of change?
Wouldn't that full length taillight have been extra cool with a piece of red Lee lens material instead of plain red plastic? Lee stars all the way across would have been something to see cruising around at night! E

 

Love the break down of the "I cut it" Merc. I saw it at a KKOA show Denison, Salina, somewhere. I cant believe that its the same Merc...