1950 Mercury, New GUy

I'm looking for any advice or help with building my merc. Its been my dream car since i was a kid. My grandfather keeps asking me when I'm gonna build our car so I decided now is the time.

When he heard it was my dream car he said he'd help me build it. My grandfather and two of his friends bought a merc and started doing the chop on it, back in the day. Half way through the body work the three of them sold it and joined the army. They all agreed they'd buy their dream car again and finish their dream project but they never did. My grandfather still dreams of that car daily and everytime I see him he tells the same story. And asks me when we are gonna go for a cruise.

So now I'm in the military and I just bought my 50 merc with a running flat head. The car is pretty rough and my work is cut out for me. My end plan for the project is to chop it 5 inches, lose the drip rail, shave the door handles and french the lights. Welding on a Gambino Kustoms front Stubb and a pro street Back 1/2 with a C Notch in order to deal with the 460 inch big block ford being built for the car but keep the car as low as possible. Floor shift 5 speed TKO 600 transmision with a hurst T handle shifter, a tubbed rear to fit the 17.5 inch slicks on a narrowed ford 9" to get it to hook up. 20% gloss black on the entire car. And a ratrod interior, mostly just brushed or painted sheet metal with the original dash. A bench seat in the front if i can find one that will fit and a big dog bed in the back for me and the pitbull to sleep on during the trip to Chicago from Savannah GA.

If anyone has any advice to help me put the car together I would apreciate it. I'm enlisted and currently deployed so I need to keep the costs low but I have some time to find parts before I get home. Most the body work is being done by my friend Trafton. The flattie is getting traded to him for body work. I love the original engine but i need to be going fast. I'm trying to get the Merc together by next winter, I have alot of work to do, but gandpa's health is starting to slip and he's not getting any younger.

 

the car

 

Welcome to the HAMB. Good for you for persuing yours and your grandfather's dream. I will say, however, you kinda got your metaphors mixed so far as custom Mercs go. If you want to build a custom, they kinda go with full upholstered interiors, wide whites and are cruisers, not racers. If you want a race car, I would go with that theme with a different car. A big car isn't going to go fast....unless you spend LOTS of money. Building a Merc with that race/rat theme is really going to hurt your investment as most folks are not looking for a Merc in that style. My .02....not looking to rain on your parade as much as help point you in a helpful direction.

 

Welcome from Kansas City, EXCELLENT project to start and even better reason!

 

Wecome. Nice background story. Best of luck to you in your journey ahead.

 

A rat interior aye.
Your dog will love that..

 

DrDave, I know the idea for the car is very contradictory in the two themes I'm going with. But i plan on owning this car for the rest of my life so the re-sale value is really no concern. I've built choppers in the same fashion. I feel like a vehicle should be a reflection of the owners personality. I'm trying to go for something with some bad *** power and cool cl***ic style at the same time. Im a big fan of old traditional hotrod in look with carburated engines in them that they wish they could have built in the 50's and 60's. Built to last. I'm not a fan of flashy, I like to kick my feet up on the dash and sit on my hood. I like to drive the car or bike hard and not worry about the my paint and chrome. Much like the way I live. "It's better to be dead and cool than alive and uncool" Thank you for the advice tho, I apreciate all of you for the good luck wishes on the build.

 

So if resale value doesn't enter into it and you keep for life,
then I am guessing you still own the choppers as well.
Pics please...

 

This is the only photo I have of my bike in my email, cant connect my computer to the internet over here.

But the bike has a 113 s&s engine, bored 20 over with a kenndell johnson head job. right side drive Baker Tourque Box 6 speed close ratio transmission, BDL 3 inch belt drive. BDL Ultimate clutch. 300 rear tire. Rigid frame from redneck engineering, springer front end. 160 hp, 165 ft/lbs

20% gloss, everything is powder coated, Linexed, or chrome. No paint.

 

Go man, go! Good for you. Most all of mine are keepers, too. I totally dig the spirit of what you are doing and the family connection. My dad's first car was a '51 Merc, and therefore have wanted one most of my life. Finally got one a few years ago (yup...it's a keeper) and getting to hit the road with him and I in it was a total high point. Can't wait to hear about you and your grandpa doing the same thing in yours.

 

Thanks a lot man, and I'm really excited about it. Its something I knew I'd do and I've been looking forward to it for most my life. I am happy I'm finally in a position to make the dream happen. It's amazing to me how influential these cars are to Americans, and how much emotion we put into them as a symbol of our freedom and style. No other country I've been to in the world even comes close to America's love of the automobile. I think they are missing out on a peice of art and culture, but in the end it just makes me even more proud to be an American. I think this era of hotrod really embodies every bit of it.

 

I guess you have never been to New Zealand then.

 

Great Story

Thank you for your service ...



Good Luck with your build !




Jim

 

I have not, id love to check it out tho, Hows the hotrod scene out that way? I had a chance to get stationed in Australia but they said I wouldn't deploy anymore and I couldnt take my bike with me, so I told them No f...ing way. But I would love to check it out.

 

Welcome from the east bay Ca.

 

Every bit as big as the USA.
But travelling between events is meer hours driving instead of days.
Our country is small ..

 

that sounds pretty bad ***. I need to travel more

 

Looks like a bunch of body mods done already. Work on all the mechanical issues first. Get it driving, then if you must chop the damn thing, do it. Unchopped Mercs have become the rare ones! Go get em kid ~sololobo~

 

Welcome from Long Island and Thank you for your service.Build the car the way it makes you happy you are the only one you need to please I don't care what you do to it you will always find someone who doesn't like it.When they buy it they can change it.

 

Welcome from Ft Irwin...I'm pretty much in the same boat as you. Lot's of great peps here to offer their advise and definately their opinion...

 

I need to get ahold of some repacement 1/4 pannels, rockers, and bottom half of my doors. Anyone have any advice for where to start looking.

 

This would be a good start in finding things.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=331564

 

Two thumbs up from Kansas!

 

Welcome to the HAMB - what a great project - lookin' forward to updates.
Cheers.

 

Welcome... Nice ride!

 

Looks like your off to a great start!

 

First off, thank you for your service to this country. Second, welcome to the Hamb. You'll find so much good information here, you'll be overwhelmed. Third, I'm going to give you my biased opinion of the description of your build, since I am also a Merc owner. You're probably a young guy, but you have quite a fantastic opportunity. You own a '50 Merc in pretty decent condition. I'd bet that for every one 49-51 Merc ever made, there are ten guys who'd like to own one. And you have one. That's pretty awesome. That being said... don't **** it up. Look at all of the thread links I have included below. You're gonna see hundreds of pictures of pretty awesome Mercs. Use those as your inspiration. Build a Mercury that is timeless. Build a Mercury that would have existed in your grandfather's younger days. A diamond plate and sheetmetal interior is not a good idea, either is tubbing a Merc. Have higher goals for your car than it being 'ratrod' anything. Build a car that looks great, and don't worry about how fast it goes. And when you get to Chicago, look me up and I'll buy you a beer.


1949, 1950, 1951 Mercury Pictures (currently 43 pages)
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=192705

Custom Merc interiors
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=698661

Kustom Mercs / How did you get hooked?
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=429021

How are everyone's Mercury projects coming along?
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=379656

Jeff Neppl's 50 Mercury
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=324351




.

 

Excellent post Doc.

 

Thanks for the advice and inspirational links. I appreciate any thoughts on the subjects, and yea I'm young, 27, but the car is definetly gonna be fast. No mater how I theme the car. I realize that its not gonna be the fastest hotrod due to the ch***ie and cars construction, but I'll do what I can to get her to move. I do agree that the car is an amazing opportunity, and no worries I'm not gonna **** it up

 

Thanks everyone for the advice and links, everything was very helpful. I think I have most everything I need for the build, minus bubble skirts and a front bumper. If Anyone runs across either of the above please let me know. Thanks again.