Technical Bought a 56 Mercury lead sled. Questions

I just purchased a 56 Mercury Monterey from a older gentleman.I paid 3K for it..Bodywork is done has new glass EXECEPT WINDSHIELD..It has been Chopped,needs engine and transmission and interior.new front end parts installed...NEED HELP WITH THE TAILLIGHTS..Are these Packards and what year do I need?? Thanks

 

Sure looks like 56/57 Packard Clipper tail lights to me.

 

Your bigger problem may be the windshield. You usually fit the opening to the cut glass. You may not be able to cut glass to fit the opening. Lots of custom cars never get finished because they can't fit glass to the opening. Before you spend money on the car fit a windshield.

 

I'm not going to say anything, but I am going to watch.

 

Listen to BJR!

 

Nice score! In before the custom haters destroy the thread..

 

i think those tails look like they would fit a 56-57 premier taillight...

 

Great find she is way too kool. I hope you can get the windshield worked out.... Keep us posted with your progress.

 

A deal at 3k for sure! Cool custom! I'd have to paint her black...

 

IF you cannot find someone to cut the glass, you might consider Lexan-it's a very tuff plexiglas that resists scratching...and those taillights are pricey if and when you can find them...good luck. '56 Mercs were one of my favorites...

R-

 

Lexan is illegal in most states if not all states for windshields.

 

Solid advice here. To be clear I Love Kustoms! I just think by the photos you posted and the amount of work that "IS" done the builder probably ran into a big issue with the Windshield. As in "can't get there from where he ended up". At least not just trimming up a stock Glass. I was blessed with a few guys and one being a real Glass guy. He would have read the stock glass and told me how he could cut it and how much. Then we would decide what all needed to happen to the opening. Him being gone is the only reason my 57 Ford didn't get a haircut.

 

I'm no expert but it seems that I've read somewhere that in extreme chops on wrap-around windshields like this one you flip the glass upside down before cutting. The top becomes the bottom...

 

The OP may have to make a fiberglass/cardboard template of the opening, and place it on a stock glass to see if it is possible to make it fit by cutting top, bottom and or sides.

 

I'd make a fiberglass or plastic "plug" of the windshield opening and lay it over a stock height Mercury windshield, see if it can be cut. If it's close, modify the window opening to make it fit the available glass. Much easier to move metal around than to move glass.

As for the tail lights, if you can use a set of "driver quality" bezels that don't have perfect chrome, they'll be a lot cheaper. There's an NOS set on eBay for $3500, but recently a set of used ones sold for $1200, so that's not too terrible. You could modify the quarters for something else, but the Packard lights really are the right choice for a custom this radically chopped, seems a shame to change it.

This car has real potential, I'd love to see it finished.

 

Looks like BJR beat me to it, that's exactly what I'm thinking.

 

By one minute. Ha Ha Great minds think a like.

 

100% correct
I learned this lesson in 1994 with a 55 Ford with a wraparound windshield.

 

I'm with the group who says that the main reason that it was not finished and for sale at what appears to be a bargain price is that the builder either couldn't get anyone to attempt to cut a windshield for it or couldn't get one to stay in one piece after it was installed.
I've seen about three rigs change hands about once and maybe more around here for the same reason. They chopped a rig with a wrap around windshield and screwed up and can't get glass put in it. One specific 56 F100 in this area about 40 years ago comes to mind as I know it changed hands about 10 times after guys gave up trying to get glass in it and one glass shop that I know of had it show up with at least four of them after they bought it only to be told no, that the way it was done no one could put glass in it.

 

Is the older gentleman still around? Can you ask him what taillights are supposed to be used?

 

Following

 

Not so much Lexan (its just a name brand), but specifically polycarbonate.
Here's a good place to start https://www.racingshields.com/

 

Here's a local to me packard. Looks like they'd fit.

 

Lexans not that hard to work with if it comes to it

 

From what I see you can either have a windshield-buck built by someone who knows how and a windshield custom-made by a glass manufacturer (expensive) or you can re-chop the car using another top (in other words, sink the stock windshield opening into the cowl, that way you can avoid having to cut the windshield).

Fever dream time; replace the top with one from a second generation Camaro, in other words use the entire top structure, the windshield, back glass, side glasses (you'd have to turn it into a two-door), then instead of expensive Packard taillights fill the openings with a series of '59 Caddy taillights, it wouldn't be easy or traditional but it would be fun.

 

Packard with the tree growing out of it appears to be a '58 Clipper, pretty rare. Those are the lights the Merc takes. They're expensive. Even that set would be well worth buying if that car is getting parted out.

 

There are a couple of ways to handle the w.s. .....dont be afraid, be careful and take your time. At this stage you can manipulate the pinch welds care fully with a hammer and dolly. First thing I would do is fit the rubber and make a cornflake box pattern 2 layers thick glued together that fits into the rubber, mark the center and lay it on the inside of the w.s. line up the center bottom.Second thing I would do is find a lousy w.s. for a try out cut and install it to see what the problems are. Correct any problems and do the good w.s. I would snag that fine automobile in a heart beat if it were in my neighborhood.

 

Probably worth 2 dr HD topping it.

 

Guy wouldn't take 2k for it. He had the hood in the shop supposedly