About a month ago I pulled this 1939 Merc out of a barn in Utah, it was built during the 40s and 50s by a couple of brothers. They chopped, channeled, shortened and sectioned it. Has a lift off top from and old Chevy. Last time it was registered was 64. Has a V8 265 motor. Here are some pics.
I like it, has that build-your-own-sportscar custom feel which was very popular at the time but seems very rarely done now. Proportions are much better than a lot of them I've seen as well, this one clearly had a lot of skilled labor invested in it. The door openings are crazy! Maybe it's just the angles of the pictures, but even with a big dent in the roof and very faded paint, the shortening of the roof looks seamless, and that's a very long section of flat open sheetmetal to weld.
That does have that Popular Mechanix / Mechanics illustrated build your own sports car look to it. Back in the late 50's my folks rented a house on the west side of Bainbridge Island Wa and in a cubby hole hall closet was a stack of early 50's Mechanix Illustrated magazines spanning from around 1950 to late 57. The whole Tom Mccahill collection from taking the new shoebox Ford to Granatelli Bros to have it hopped up to driving the Chrysler 300 C hell bent across some long highways. Quite often there was a build your own sports car article in the early ones or an article about a reader's car. If it were me the 59 instrument cluster would go in the swap meet box and I'd be putting and early 50's dash in it with a big speedometer and lots of chrome. Turn it back to someone's 1952 idea of what a custom sports car would be.
"Barn find" a term often overused/inappropriate..not in this case. Cool, you were able to rescue it. So..what are the plans?
It looks like someone put in a serious amount of time in the build. Do them an honor, and rebuild it the way it was.
Dig It. A Lot.I seem to remember hearing about this car.I can't wait to learn more history.I would have to have the merc headlight lenses, trim rather than the JC Witneys.There we go changin history.. Hot Roddin.
Plans are to get it running and start body work. Maybe swap out the entire dash. Throw in a couple low back buckets seats. Drive it. I'll probably scrap the top, and run it as a roadster. But who knows. I want to keep it's soul in tact
It was built by Duane and Gordon Hiatt. Back in the day. Kind of looks like the yellow Coachcraft Roadster that was built out of a 39 Merc.
To leave the top off wouldn't be a big deal, but to scrap the roof, or even modify it in any way, seems to me almost criminal. The work on the roof looks really good and the top is very proportionate. It's survived intact for so long, it'd be a shame to change anything drastically now.
I agree with Squablow. DON"T scrap that top. Even if you don't use it, hang on to it. Remember that all of us are really only care takers of any of these cars. The next person down the line may want to use it. JMHO Torchie p.s.Very nice find.
I won't scrap it, I want to make it a driver like it was intended. When it's time to paint would love to paint in by brush like the current paint is, speaking with his wife when I acquired this car, definitely want to finish what was started. Feel more like a steward than an owner.
The dash is rough on this they just screwed in with metal screws sheet metal over a chopped up orginal dash. Been looking at dashes to put in it. The first car I owned was a 54 Chevy belair, been look at those dashes, anyone got any ideas? Or spare dashes laying around they want to sell?
Think about when this car was being built. If you look at custom cars from that time most didn't have dash replacements as much as stock dashes with custom knobs or trim done in plastic. Or chromed stock dashes, etc... Given how much mods have been done to the car I would just find something that fits in with that vision. I could see a 49-50 Ford dash in there. But given the heritage of the top and windshield a Chevy would work as well. JMHO Torchie
Yep. This is a beauty. Definitely keep the top. It validates my 39 Cad with lift off hardtop. That dent will pop out easily. The doors are wild. I’d be looking for a 40s dash rather than a 50s dash. That will be a lot of work= fun. It’s kind of got a Jimmy Summers/ Coachcraft vibe . Winner.
I posted one of your pics on the Photoshop thread and asked for a few "what if" modifications. Here's what Moose came up with. It may be off from how you will finish it, but I hope it provides some useful inspiration.
I disagree with anyone who expresses the opinion that is should be built back like it was 'in the day'. That is, unless that look is being paid for by those who express that opinion. If I find something that was built to the standards of a different sensibility than mine, even if it was built by a genius or an idiot, because I now own it, I am going to do whatever the hell I want to with it, even if means a masterpiece is lost because of my ham handedness. The Golden Rule applies here. He who has the gold, makes the rules. Yeah. Love it, or hate it, that's my opinion. I am posting this so Mohaw won't feel intimidated, even though I have an idea he won't be. So Brother, feel free to follow whatever vision you have, knowing that freedom means exactly what it does.
In the current owner's words: "...definitely want to finish what was started. Feel more like a steward than an owner."
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