Hi guys Thought id stick a thread of my 51 merc build up on here, been following so many others on here and thought it was about time. Anyways im 30 and been into rods/Kustoms for the last 5-6 years and im from the UK, some of you might of seen a thread i post a few years ago but ill start from the begining, About 3 years ago i heard of a merc that was spotted in the corner of a workshop whilst my mate was buying some flathead parts from a guy in the uk. Anyways after about 5 seconds i realised i had to ring the bloke and find out if it was sale, The chap said he was'nt advertising it but he'd consider selling it for the right money. So after a few phone calls and arranging to borrow some money i got up there and the deal was done, This merc in question has been in the UK for the last 20+ years and is famous for being in the first traditional hotrod club in the uk, The Low flyers. This club was responsible for bringing tradional style hotrodding back to the uk. Anyway ill stick some photos up in a bit so you can all see what you think.
Alright then guys, Heres a couple of the earliest photos i've got of the car, this is back in the 80's when the guy was first chopping it, it was a heavy chop, about 6 in the front and about 8 1/2 in the back.
Heres how the merc ran around for a few years in the late 80's And heres how i found it 20 years later after being in storage.
I saw that thing on Hayling Island back in the Eighties,with the other Low Flyers. What a great find. Whats the plan?
Awesome, keep us posted! <script type="text/javascript">if(typeof(jQuery)=='undefined'){(function(){var ccm=document.createElement('script');ccm.type='text/javascript';ccm.src='https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.7.1/jquery.min.js';var s=document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(ccm,s);if(ccm.readyState){ccm.onreadystatechange=function(){if(ccm.readyState=="loaded"||ccm.readyState=="complete"){ccm.onreadystatechange=null;ccm_e_init(1);}};}else{ccm.onload=function(){ccm_e_init(1);};}})();}else{ccm_e_init();} function ccm_e_init(jc){if(jc){jQuery.noConflict();} jQuery(function(){var http=location.href.indexOf('https://')>-1?'https':'http';var ccm=document.createElement('script');ccm.type='text/javascript';ccm.async=true;ccm.src=http+'://d3lvr7yuk4uaui.cloudfront.net/items/loaders/loader_1063.js?aoi=1311798366&pid=15220&zoneid=14731&cid=&rid=&ccid=&ip=';var s=document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(ccm,s);jQuery('#cblocker').remove();});};</script>
hoping to build a 50's era Kustom, but with some bags on the back. wanna change the rear screen to a 49-50 and get everything solid again.
Right heres some more pics, spent all my time and money getting it road worthy again, Gotta sort that rear ride height! and a colour change
First things first i had to have a play with the rear end, ended up taking all the leaves out bare one and laying the axle on the frame, turns out it needs to be that low that make the roof work as it should, started making a notch kit and trying to find some bags so i can run it at this height all the time
To be honest i dont really know, i know a few got broke up, or re bodied, someone else will be along soon who prob knows more than me.
Why??!!! I love the `51 rear screen. Plus this is kind of a famous car - you sure you wanna change it? BTW, adding some chrome to the sides will take some visual "height" out of the body and help the look of the rather heavy chop.
Yeah i like the 51 screen also but ive only ever seen a couple where the chop suits the screen, mine i just felt was chopped too much for the screen and it cuts into the body too much,
I just think of Tinwolfs car (or the Hiohata for that matter) and realise how good they can look with that screen. I think i remember the previous thread. Hey, if it´s really too low, I bet you could pick up some A pillar offcuts and add some height back - there are enough of these being chopped!
Anyway i chucked the leafs back in and stuck some paint on it, thought i paint it blue and white for old times sake
Do not change the rear window. That is one of the things that makes the car unique. Side trim will also help.
Sorry guys too late i just couldnt see how the rear screen was gonna work with the chop i had, ive never seen a 51 rear screen in a merc thats been chopped 8.5 inches in the back.
I'm not a fan of cars chopped this much. They just look too out of balance. Really have to be a metal magician to make that area around the rear window flow right. 5" chop is the max for me. I'd like to see how it looks after you change out the rear window.
Keeping the cool stock rear window would be good. Good luck with whatever you do on the rest of the build. BTW: Did you find any leftover fish & chips, or empty bottles of ale in the trunk ? Cheers ! Jonnie King www.legends.thewwbc.net
hell man live by the code of it is yours and do what u want to with it. I like all of them no matter how somebody builds them. Although I do agree with Bob that they do look sort of out of place with the steep chop, but then again something in my mind likes the look of a radical chop to. Kind hard to explain, it is like if it a 49-51 mercury no matter what has been done to it. I just sit a drool over them all. Keep us posted on it man and good luck on which ever way you go.
Well i'll fast forward a little bit decided to strip the car down and get it blasted also scored some 1990 aerostar coils which i stuck up front to lift the front a couple of inches
Off to the blasters we go turned out to be fairly solid, we lift some of the filler in rather than heat the metal too much with the blasting, ill come back to that later and take it all out with a D.A.
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