been busy so I haven't had time to work on my 52 much.few weeks ago I was at Glenn's(dabirdguy) house helping him out with his 55 Merc.I fell in love with the bumper and wondered what it would look like in my 52 custom.whats the chances I'll be able to find a 54 or 55 merc grill.none,right?but I made up my mind that I wanted dagmares on my car so for the last month I been looking hard.after talking to Glenn at the pumpkin run ,I walked 30ft passed is booth and there on the ground is a 54 merc bumper.I would have gave 3 bills for it,thats how bad I wanted it.I walk off with it for 80 bucks.
it was more work than I thought it would be nothing lined up,at all.some of the car was cut.trim trim and more trim.just to get it back into the car.then the sides were sticking over the tire so out come 2 and half inches from the sides and was welded back up
still needs some fillers on top.I will get to that later and I'm thinking of pulling the grill teeth up to give it a little more grunt.they lay flat now.I know it looks a little lop sided right now but give me some time and it will look better.the car will be a full blown custom with the top chopped and different bumpers and body mods it won't look much like a chevy.
I think it looks neat -- much better than I would have expected. I'd keep it until the car is further along overall, and decide whether it looks like it belongs with the rest of the car. You gonna use Merc headlight rings (I hope)?
That is the kind of thing, when finished, people will look at and say, I never knew a merc grill would just bolt up to a chevy. Having no idea how much work was involved. I think it looks great, a good kustom touch. Keep it and make the rest of the changes go with it.
Yeah man I thought you meant rear, at which point was odd, never would have guessed front. Looks totally kickass man, nothing Ive ever seen before like it either. Go you, its your birthday.
that is one thing that my mind is blank about is the back bumper.i want something with a little style but not real crazy.any suggestions?I was looking at a 57 buick super back bumper.with the ribs and exhaust openings but it looked like it would overwelm the car.even cut down.I don't know I'll figure it out when I see it in a junk yard i hope
Looks great from the front, I think the plain cap and suspension height is throwing off the side view. s.
The Merc bumper looks good on the Chevy front...never would have figured that... Yeah, the '57 Buick bumper is too massive for the rear of the Chevy...even if you trim it some...too much bumper. I think you need to think more along the lines of a '53 Lincoln rear...or possibly a '53 Mercury rear bumper. A '53 Caddy mite work, but it would require narrowing...and the bumper guards are reminscent of the Merc's front Dagmars... Just my 13 cents... R-
Hey, that's not a bad thing! I like it...I'm thinking a bumper that's shaped like the new one in the front, a little more squared than the stockers, would look good. I'm just not sure the donor for it. Bryan
.. I'm back. I love 49 - 52 chevys. stock, custom, rusty wrecks.. I stop and look whenever I see one and have been for 30 years. I thought it might grow on me since the first time I looked, but no.. it didn't. too massive for my tastes. maybe if i saw it with a full 3/4 view.... nah.. too massive. for me anyways... you go ahead and do whatever you like. be sure to put an equally massive rear bumper on it to even it out.
The Jalopy Journal
