Customs Anybody recognize this neglected merc from the 1970s? "Pro Built", but who did it"?

I'm curious now too. I've been pouring over rikster's site and haven't found a match yet but I'm sure if its a well known car he would know...

Edit: I just realized I seen this on Facebook already so you've already asked him lol. Sorry I got no ideas. It's a weird chop and still has headlight rings so maybe somebody here knows...

 

Are the quarter windows higher than the door windows? Hmm.

 

i wonder who the 'pro' builder really was?

 

It's gonna drive me nuts now haha thanks for sharing it. Starbird was in Kansas, maybe it came through his shop at some point for work. Hopefully that chop wasnt his work. If you google the name in the ad, a bartel trucking service LLC comes up in dodge city Kansas, maybe that's a relative who could point you to del?


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And a link to a profile page for del bartel in the 1974 graduating cl*** at dodge city high lol. That's all a long shot hoping he would know who built that car


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WOW, could this be it?

 

The quarter windows on that one aren't the same as the OP car. Although so much time has p***ed since that ad was posted who knows if someone redid the quarter windows or change something


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Just a hunch, but that photo looks like the Merc that Kurt McCormick rescued and restored. I don`t remember whose early custom it is; but it was a signifigant one.

 

This photo was taken in 1977 at the Cars of the Stars Museum in Buena Park, CA.

 

All of the ones I see on the net have the 1/4 window tops aligned with the front window. Ought to be a dead giveaway.

 

kurt doesn't internet much, that's why i asked rik hoving first. i'll probably print this and just go check with kurt himself.

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=7329571#post7329571

 

Darryl Starbird did it. The chop was covered in a 2 part, Custom Rodder magazine series, not to be confused with the Alexander Bros , **** Bailey car which was also covered in another East Coast publication . The Merc was bright red and in Upstate New York in the 80's with Packard taillights and a bar grille. The roof looked so weird because the back window was an upside down 50.

 

Here it is in Wisconsin back in the early 80s!

 

It's cool to find the history on it! Is it still around?


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As I now remember, it was in Wisconsin before the guy in Upstate NY got it! Peter Pan took these pics of it at the Mid Century Merc show in Kenosha! in 1981. Click on the link I posted.

 

that's awesome!

 

pretty cool looking i must say

 

so hell - I'll give $375....where is it ?

 

Its an illusion=those quarter windows are not higher than the door gl***es =they just have that look as a result of having the damn drip rail shaved off.

 

Oh boy, those were the good ol' days huh?

This post reminds me of a small article in the June '92 Rod and Custom. It was in the "Roddin' Around" column they had (still have?). There was a picture the Buddy Alcorn Merc on a trailer being towed off. The last line of the article has always stuck with me. "Why didn't you buy a Barris Merc back when nobody wanted 'em? Why didn't I?"

 

I rescued the car, not him. Kurt bought the car from me and flipped it shortly afterward. He did nothing to the car. Stay tuned....

 

Correct. The person who bought the car from Kurt is solely responsible for all the work seen in this pic. He lived in Wisconsin at that time.

 

Yes, they are.

 

Incorrect.

 

I'm sorry, but to me it looked better in the for sale ad than it does after all the work was done to it.

Mick