Projects Project "AREA 51" 51 Mercury update

Thanks. Always good to see pics of the hidden, fiddly work that goes into a car done right.

 

Thanks for the comments guys. It is a ton of work and I will keep you posted. ETHER

 

Wow, that enlightens me greatly. I want to notch and bag my shoebox, but my biggest gripe was cutting up all of my solid trunk floor and having to remake it all. Extra work that kind of erases the fact that I paid for a more solid car to start with.

I'd like to keep my notch as unintrusive into the trunk/rear seat as yours is. So obviously the work can me done from underneath without having to cut away the trunk for access. This is great! Keep the pics coming!

 

awsome build so far looking forward to seeing more of this post

 

Got the rear half of the differential hump finished. I welded the body mount stiffners back to the wheel wells, drilled, and tapped the notches. The body mounts are now in their original location, only higher. Now the T-bird rear seat rests right up against the hump and no need for the fabrication work I had before (check previuos thread http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=229300 for that work), I feel better with the seat in this configuration. I seem to have some pretty well fed buddies and I dont have to worry now that the seat is supported better. All I have to do now is trim the speaker deck supports a little and weld them back. A mild drive shaft tunnel job is next. Stay tooned ETHER

 

Freakin' sweet man!!!

As my screen name shows, I'm a huge 79-93 mustang fan, so seeing any old school rod with an EFI setup I know is awesome. Someday I want to build a 29 or so model A, but with a EFI 5.0/t-5 setup.

 

Kev, Im building a 34 Ford Tudor sedan for a customer right now. Fully fendered, hood and hood sides ans well as wire spokes. Totally traditional but for the powerplant, 5.0L EFI with an AOD. Hes drivin this one!!!!!!! Ill post a build of that one later. ETHER

 

Late model EFI = drive it anywhere.

Car looks good man, you thinking of doing bags?

 

John, Im not planning on doing a bag setup right now, but with the Jamco springs, two inch blocks and 3 inch tubes on the 8.8, its a bit close to the frame rails. I may bag it later and now I dont have to cut into a painted car. ETHER

 

That's great how you used as much of the original floor as you could. Very cool, even if no-one does ever see it.

 

"INSPIRATION" Awesome project

 

Thanks, if you look at one of the previous threads, I had some supports welded to the hump to position the wrap around rear seat. Now the seat rests right on the hump like it should. I feel alot better with the way it worked out. Alot of work but some times the end result works out for the good of two situations. ETHER

 

Here are a few more of the back seat placement. ETHER

 

Hopefully this will be the last update before the main body gets blasted and primed. The passenger rear floor was solid but I had to do a little trimming to move the seat perch forward for the T-bird bottom seat, so I replaced it in the meantime. I lifted the tunnel as I replaced the pan for a little more driveshaft clearence. I am running Jamco springs and 2" blocks but may later bag the merc or use 3" blocks and the clearence for the shaft was tight. ( get your mind out of the gutter) Lifting the tunnel at the rear pans also required a tunnel under the rear seat bottom. When all was completed, the trans hump needed some more clearence as well. Most of the mods are done on the body but I have a good bit to do on the front clip, but I am going to get what is done in primer and maybe a first stage of bodywork. Stay Tooned. ETHER

 

lookin good,

GET'ER DONE !!!!

 

Excellent work man, that thing will have another 50 years in it with the work you are doing.

 

Dave, Zapp, Thanks, Im hoping to drive it for anouther 50!!!!!! That is if gas is still available......LOL

 

just keeps gettin better and better, this build is gaining as much hype as the new batman movie LOL...keep it up!!!!!

 

"Holy flypaper Batman........."
Punkabilly, it would be cool to see the merc in Batmobile photoshop!!!!! LOL Anyone?? ETHER

 

ah man, i think people have been killed for thinking those types of things lol

 

Well here are the last pics before tear down for blast and paint. Just the body, doors, decklid, and frame are getting done right now. I have some more mods to do to the front clip and that can be blasted and painted alot easier. ETHER

 

Man this thing looks great! She has come a long way, nice work.

 

Nice! I think you mentioned it already, but dark maroon?

 

What a good lookin little Merc. You are gonna REALLY have to hurry to make the HAMB Drags........

Keep it up, -Abone.

 

That looks terrible! The bare metal is all different consistancies,the trunk doesn't match,looks like it doesn't have any taillight lenses,no glass! You should paint it and hide all those defects, LOL!!!!
How soon you gonna shoot it? I hear you decided on maroon...nice choice!

I think bones has got you beat!!!!

 

Heck, Abone Im just trying to catch up with you!!!!! Hell, They are already calling us the twin builds, Im just wondering if we are brothers or sisters???? LOL HAHAHAHAHAH

SLOW and Bob, I am still leaning on Black, but You never know.
ETHER

 

Black!?!?!? Then you'll really be twins. That thing will look good in any color.

 

Oh, YOU are definately the sister.....

PS. Tommorrow is my LAST day of buffing...Then I get to put on all the chrome and stick in the windows, and she will be DONE.

I hope your body work goes quicker than mine...

-Abone.

 

I almost am leaning on that 40 Ford color that is like a gray green color? But I dont know how it would look.
Here is the color on this 37 that was at the SoCal speed shop.
What do ya think???? Just toyin with it. Photoshop???????
ETHER

 

I met a guy in Long Beach about 15 years ago with a 49 Merc that was a little lighter than that green,but not the stock green. He told me the original owner painted it right after he bought it cause he hated that Army green,stock color. It looked great!
Icebox's Merc is the stock Merc green,and it looks great...