I like both stock and the fadeway, but for God's sake please don't just do a dogleg somewhere else we might have to ban you for that.
Here's three more pic's of Joe Fig's Merc,that Jeff posted. Also,the only pic I could find of Sam's Merc.
It's not a common thing done to a Merc. I have over a thousand Merc pic's and only three that I know of with the fadeaway done.
Bettancourt's had to be one of the first. The Buddy Alcorn Merc was also done by the Ayala Bros. Frank Sogzoni's Barris Merc under construction. (Photos from Rikster's.)
Kid Dean does some very straight fadeaways. He did Borris' merc and Figs also.The pic I posted of figs doesn't show the fadeaway good,lighting was bad in my pic. I like em but I love the stock door more.That is a feature that screams mercury.
It's been a long time since i have done them and was only on 4dr to 2dr convert as it was easier when making the front doors longer so when i see it done on a merc i wonder if it was a 2dr convert. As of today i have not seen a merc with a fadeaway done that i can say it was a improvement and mostly they are not imop. If had to do one i think i would end the fade just after the end of the front door and then do a slight curve up and then straight back kind of like an early 50's buick Rick Erickson / Extreme Kustoms 951 678-3520
I've been discussing it with my wife who quite like my merc and have been talking mainly about changing the tailights which are 59 Caddy to something more subtle. I told her the jury was out on fadeaways or keeping the hump. Her reply was"If you were building the car now and it didn't have the hump in the door would you put one in?" Jeez, them women really are from Venus. When I built the car there was no internet for reference and customs were not as prolific as hot rods. The Hirohata was still being restored and I couldn't go to a show and see a line up of Mercs in England and say I like this or that. I had a couple of pictures from Rod & Custom to work from and some talented friends around and we built a pretty nice metal finished Merc. Since 94 all I've done is wash it once a month and enjoyed it. I do like the fadeaway only going to the back of the rear side window (see the second picture I put up) as I'm not convinced on having a sloping high rear quarter but i've never seen a fadeaway in real life. If there are any photoshop gurus out there this could be your time to shine Best Neil
Neil, your tape line pic, I am not fan of how it is. What sort of look are you wanting for the car? Any particular era?
John the car is a traditional style custom. At the moment I do fancy the idea of reshaping and sloping the door hump to finish in line with the back of the rear side window and then it continues as factory along the rear quarter panel. It seems to work to my eye. I appreciate it is not a full fadeaway but I'm not a big fan of them. I think this does improve the lines of my Mercury and it is a custom. What is the reason it's not proving popular as a modification? I am open for positive criticism and I won't do it because it can be done. At the very least whilst spending time playing customisers i've also realised I don't like the flush front screen. I'm thinking of making something similar to the side window trim out of stainless or should I cut down a stock windscreen trim. If so any idea where I can get one please Photoshop gurus please shine Best Neil
DjNeil, I think that one of the reasons the "fade-away" on a 49-51 Merc is not very popular is that it tends to give the Merc body a "slab-sided" look which in turn makes it look larger and unfortunately a bit boring. The 49-51 Mercs have the nickname of "bath tubs" due to their massive body and the "fade-away look" adds to that, in my opinion. The little hump in the door of the original design actually accentuates the stock flow of the body while at the same time making the rear appear lower and longer in spite of the fin which made the car appear taller. Plus, there's the question of to what extent you want the Merc to look like the Hudson of similiar years. Here's a pictorial from the 49-51 Mercury Motors Manual that is interesting. Don't know if this model was ever made.
I completely agree about fadeaways making it slab sided and understand what you are saying. At this moment I do think that extending the door hump to the back of the side window and then returning it into the original quarter panel is an improvement and overcomes the bath tub issue. I am also trying to picture it with slightly flattened down rear wings more like a 49/50. I enjoy this part of the process and 90% of my custom ideas never reach the workshop. I have two cars to do before so wouldn't be starting until the New Year anyway so may torture you all for a few more months yet Thanks Neil
I think moving the "little hump" too far towards the rear will distort the proportion of the car to the extent that it will make the front of the car appear excessively long and the rear deck of the car excessively short -to the point where it looks like the "drop off" is visually too severe.
Thanks for the advice I'll head to the photoshop thread and see where it goes. Whatever happens the caddy tailights are history
Here is my friends Sam's 51 merc that has been pie sectioned in the rear. I think if you pie sectioned your merc in the rear the fadeaway would flow well but it would be allot of work. Rick Erickson / Extreme Kustoms 951 678-3520
Sam's 51 is truly magnificent. Notice how accenting the "little hump" with the chrome trim actually improved the "flow" of the sheet metal and nicely complimented the flared lower rear quarter panel without any conflict. Even the lines of the skirts "go with the flow." I think simplicity is the key. Moving that hump rearward would have ruined it all.
chose wolf's merc for the shopping (seriously, there are SO very few hardtopped mercs that are otherwise quite mild, when you have to look for pictures), adjusted the windows to be more like yours, and hid the tails. without a few more custom moves that location for the hump sure wont work did some weird sskirts on this one, not a fan haha some kinda trim for this one
The Jalopy Journal
