Customs Phil Sauers "Old Shasta"1951 Mercury

In December 2008 Axle invited me to the Merc Gathering at the Sacramento Autorama 2009.I accepted.

 

After I accepted I had to do something about the ugly rivi taillights and tires. I paid a visit to Bill Papke and was able to get a different decklid,3 mercury wheels,3 white wall tires. I acquired 2 more rims locally and 2 more whitewalls from my friend Jim Sigmund. Dave at Kuma Tire in Riverside mounted the tires for me. Here's a pic with the new decklid and the merc on a trailer ready for the Merc Gathering.

 

Great read 51, look forward to more...don't see a lot of Mercs customized without skirts but truly they can hold their own either way.

So are you working towards Phil's vision of this custom, though keeping the hemi?

Was it given height adjustment to improve drivability? Do you have the blocks and other hardware to return it back to earth?

I don't think closely replicating the striping would be taboo either as it's a restoration of sorts...as an artist myself I would feel it kind of an honor to do a tribute to an artist in such a way...

I like the taillights in the bumper guard over the Rivs as well.

Thanks for sharing the journey with this blast from the past...

Just a shout out to @jnaki with you being a surfer dude from way back...J, did you have any interaction with this scene around Phil's shop...and even have a few passes by this Merc under its second owner...

I know California is a big place so the region may have be out of your bounds or even age would have counted this thought as just that...but I had to ask...

 

Thank you!.Don't have any of the parts to lower it.I will lower it eventually.I have another bumper Matt Townsend modified for the exhaust to run through the ends.He also recreated the taillights for me. Keeping the hemi for now! Not sure if I'm going back to a flathead.I did find an intake and heads like Phil had,but don't have a Mercury block.I'm not sure when Phils Shop closed,no interactions there or with the second owner.

 

At the Sacramento Autorama Merc Gathering 02/06/2009.

 

When a vintage survivor has a multi faceted past with positives and negatives in the facelifts and mods along the way it presents challenges for people in your shoes to cherry pick how to reconfigure the latest iteration. With the period of where your going back to things such as the engine were both plausible candidates so I think a melding of both previous owners is an admirable choice I support you in making...it doesn't mean those are easy choices...

Mixing it up is the essence of Hotrod/Custom really...It's awesome to be here sharing your experience with it...

 

After the Merc Gathering I get a call from Axle and he asked if it was ok to give my info to Pat Ganahl, he was writing a book called Lost Hot Rods and wanted to shoot Merc for it. Here are a few shots of the photo shoot for Lost Hot Rods from May 12. 2009.

 

Here's a pic of Pat doing a book signing for Lost Hot Rods at Auto Books & Aero Books in Burbank ,Ca in 2011.RIP Pat. RIP Pat. Here's a link to the Photo shoot:
TODAY PAT GANAHL SHOT MY MERC https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/today-pat-ganahl-shot-my-merc.361429/

 

In 2010 Axle contacted me again and asked if I wanted to show my Merc in the Custom Then and Now at the 2011 GNRS. Of course I said yes.

 

Before the Customs Then & Now Show I wanted to do a couple of things to my Merc.I added 56 Olds Starfire wheel covers to my Merc and Matt Townsend recreated the bumper guard taillights. Here's a link to how he made them .https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/tech-week-bumper-gaurd-tail-lights.566437/

 

A few Pics from the Custom Then and Now at the 2011 GNRS.

 

Hello,

We knew of Surfboards by Phil. But, we stuck to our local Long Beach/Seal Beach, Huntington Beach/Dana Point surfboard shapers and surfers. We did have a close connection, though in 1961. A young kid from Bellflower, California came over to our Long Beach house after seeing us surf at Huntington Beach. He asked us if we had a surfboard for sale, of all things. Then he told us of a story about Surfboards by Phil and his shop. He was given a choice of a stock board from the shop or get one made.

The cost of a new surfboard was too much for him and since he saw us surfing almost daily at Huntington Beach Pier, he thought we would have a used, good condition surfboard his size for sale. He wanted to buy a surfboard from our supplies. My brother had his first surfboard all wax free and sitting in our backyard Rumpus Room, now no longer a hot rod garage, but a motorcycle/surfboard garage workspace.

It had no dings, rode well and looked brand new. The nice blue color made it look as if it belonged in a museum. My brother had just started riding a new red rail, two redwood stringers, a wooden fin + redwood tail block, 9 foot 10 inch surfboard and agreed to sell the old one to this kid. So, he came over with cash to our house.

When he saw the board, he thought it was brand new. He gave us the cash, and drove away with the board strapped on top of his mom's car. He was a happy teenager and thanked us profusely for the sale of a pristine surfboard.

Jnaki

This kid's story continues along for the next several years in the surfing world. Then one day in 1964, I was in need of someone buying my flathead 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery, so I could pay for college. After several weeks of advertising it at the HB Pier daily during the ever popular summer surf season, I was approached by this guy who looked familiar, but I could not place him anywhere.

He proceeded to tell me that he came over to our Westside Long Beach house to buy a pristine blue surfboard many years ago. Then, it clicked and I knew who he was. Now, he was the owner of a local HB main street surf shop and wanted to buy my sedan delivery. We made another deal and he was now the owner of the sedan delivery. I went away to college, but every time I was home for a vacation between classes, I saw the sedan delivery sitting out in front of his shop.

A small world indeed... YRMV

 

...Too cool that is...it's been said before we need a double like button...Thanks J...

 

Cool story! Thanks for sharing!

 

Shortly after the Customs Then and Now Show at the GNRS Evel aka Piero DeLuca got a hold of me and wanted to shoot my merc for the Mad Fab 6 dvd.

 

Truly a work of art...and that highlights my reference to the stripes...replicating details is a form of walking in a fabricators/builders shoes...you sort of feel a connection...hard to describe...Tip of the hat to Matt...

 

Photo Shoot for Mad Fab 6 by Evel October 2011. View attachment 5865401

 

I remember seeing the Merc advertised here in San Diego. Does it run and drive now?

 

After starting this thread in 2008.
1951 MERCURY HISTORY?Phil Sauers finally contacted me 12-15-2011 and here's a copy of his post:
GREG.. This is PHIL SAUERS.. Yes -> I am the Surfer-Dude that put together your "SHASTA".. I still have all the original papers & lots of photos too.. Your welcome
to contact me.. OK ?? Enjoy your day.. PHIL

 

Phil also posted this on Facebook on 12-18-2011; Phil Sauers ‎~> "SHASTA" was my 1951 Mercury "California-Lowrider".. 2 years of custom bodywork was done by "Dean Jeffries" starting in January1953.. Pinstriping was done by "Von Dutch".. Featured in July 1957 "Car Craft" Magazine

 

On 1-12-2012 I got an email to call him. I spoke to him on the 16th and here's the info he gave me about Shasta.The photo shoot was for Car Craft July 1957 was shot at Griffith Park.He spent a day with Von Dutch and watched him stripe the dash and glove box.The glove box was striped with the Tree Of Life.Too bad it's missing.Dean Jeffries did the body work before and after the accident.The interior was done by a GM designer.Phil had a custom surfboard rack that was made to fit into the trunk to carry his boards.The car was designed by Phil.Phil put the car on blocks in his mothers garage in 1956 when he went to Hawaii to surf the big waves.Shortly after he got lost at sea for 71 days and came back to California, he sold the car.In 1960 he saw Shasta cruising down PCH, so he turned around and chased the owner down.The merc was pretty much the same,only a little higher.Phil resides in New York now and all the memrobilia is in California.If I get any more info.I'll update it.Thank you Phil. This post was from another thread 12-18-2011 I started. 1951 Mercury History/Mystery Answered

 

When I talked to Phil and said he saw the pictures of my merc the way I found it, he was disapointed the original rear bumper was gone with the bumper guard taillights.I told him how you Matt Townsed reproduced them for me and I put them back on the car.He was also disapointed the glovebox door was missing.

 

After talking to Phil and him describing the Von Dutch Stripe Glovebox I started this thread.Here's the link:
WANTED TO FIND MISSING VON DUTCH STRIPED 51 MERCURY GLOVE BOX DOOR/LID.https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...striped-51-mercury-glove-box-door-lid.842666/

 

It sure does.Got it running in 2021.

 

A promising lead 11-5-2013 came from Flowmeister on the Missing Von Dutch Glovebox Door.
You know, here's a funny thing,
I was watching Devil at Your Feet while eating supper tonight
and there was a scene in where I believe it was Vern Hammond from the Burbank Choppers
held up a glove box door that was on a shelf, color and style of striping looked very similar.
just sayin'.I ended ordering the dvd Devil at your feet and snapped a picture of it.On 11-11-2013 Ver Hammond reached out to me this what he had to say:
Verne pm'ed me yesterday about the glovebox door.He got it about 9 or 10 years ago in San Diego.Unfourtanatley he sold 2 or 3 years ago at the LA Roadster show.STILL LOOKING!

 

In 2015 I heard Petersen Publishing Company was archiving all their pictures. I got ahold of Thomas the archivist who was in charge of imaging all there photos. I asked him about Phil Sauers said he won't be able to look for awhile because the project was too big. In February 22,2017 he got a hold of me and sent this pic of the glovebox door.Dead ringer for the one Vern Hammond had.

 

Thomas the archivist from Petersen Publishing Company sent me a proof sheet and I was able to order prints for the July 1957 Car Craft Photo Shoot.

 

That is really a bizarre twist to all of this...you can't make shit like that up...I hope it shows up, it's a part of that car...was von's signature on that part...I could see it at a swap sitting there insignificantly with a tag on it...There's so much pinstriped parts it would be hard to discern who did it...someone bought it and is into vintage parts that's why they go to swaps right...

I tell you if I bought it and seen this on the Hamb I'd be pm'ing you as we speak Von Dutch or not...

 

So @51 mercules, in 08 did you see the door on the car when you bought it and it disappeared between then and when you picked it up?

 

In June 2020 I got laid off due to covid So my wife told me I should my get my Mercury running.I've had it since 2008 and been collecting parts the whole time. I got a hold of my friend Shug at So What Speed Shop and asked if he could help me get it running.He's a land speed racer and had over 40 world records. He told me he wont be able to work on until November. When November rolled around he picked it up and I gave him all the parts.He started working on it right away. I got this 1954 Hemi from someone on the HAMB in Lake Havasu in 2014 . I can't remember whom.