1949 Merc Build - Any Ideas

Are you making one body from the two of them?, Either way I am looking forward to more progress pics

 

Well Steve,
You know how it goes, see car, buy car, blinded to the Ontario rust issues, wake up and face the facts, grab tig torch and go nuts. I had all intention of building a four door, the one you see, but rust issues and the lure of a coupe. Ah yes, sounds much the same as your 47. I have been watching for some time and learning. I had a direction set in stone (in my mind, I am very stuborn) with this Mark VIII long before I got married to the HAMB. The next one will be very trad, 36 Ford coupe I hope. But for now I hope to stay as dedicated to this as you are to yours, regards, Rhys.

 

Still working away at it my way. Regards, Rhys.

 

pm me!

Luv Mk threes!
Luv '49-51 MERCS
"smoke" in tha' Mountains......Must be sumthin' ON FAR!...........

 

Abone.......Have U thought about usung LINCOLN From '49-'51 Era?
They have front-end about 5 in. LOOOGER Than Merc.....
I' putting Pony-ac Dash in my Chev, and all MY Buddies R FROWNING!!!
But I always have enjoyed bein' different!
Tha Guys in the Forties DID THIER THING! LQQK WHAT THAT STARTED.

Smokey

 

Welding it back together

 

Rhys, Glad to see you are at it again!!!! This is going to be one unique build and I appreciate you taking the time to take the pics and posting!!!! The top is going to be fun. There is alot of welding going across a fairly flat area. Warpage will be your biggest challenge and I bet you pull it off. Keep us posted!!!!!

 

Good to see some progress Rhys !

 

So much resentment bob, damn! Its a different solution to a problem and straying away from the norm

 

I dunno - I´ve looked at stock Mercs and thought that they needed to lose some height from the roof. I can´t say I´ve ever looked at one and thought that it needed to be 6" wider.

 

Ahahaha. Ya the widening part wouldn't be in my mix of thoughts, just scrap the 2k donor and keep the potential 60k merc un-widened. Break those tack welds and re - weld that shell back together!!! Make a new chassis with all that effort your willing to put into it.

 

Cowl section tacked and dollied in. I will hit the roof section next with a flurry of clecos and then on with the tig torch. Regards, Rhys.

 

A fatter body with a chopped top,,,I cant wait to see it! Keep us posted

 

I managed to get half of the roof section welded in today. It went smooth. I also picked up my new inner rockers from Michael Dundon (Green Mountain) and I hope to move into installing those next. I would like to move into a new body hammer and set of dollies. I have my eye on a Snap On BF603 but holy snappin assholes they are pricey. What are most people using out there!!!!!

 

My body hammers and dollies are Martin.

I'm happy with them, though they are not what you would call cheap.

They are, however, cheaper than Snap On by a good margin.

I'm partial to wood handles, but you can get them with rubber wrapped fiberglass handles now too, if you prefer.

One thing they don't seem to make many of is crowned face hammers. Be sure you look at the face and make sure it suits you, because almost all of the ones I've got are almost dead flat. Call it one or two in ten with a crowned face, and even those are pretty low crown.

 

Well my opinion was why would anyone change a frame on a merc unless they had never driven a proper stock merc with radial tires and new good quality shocks that has a nice tight front end, new bushings and all, if you drive one that is truely "right" they are one of the best driving cars ever built. But I let that slide with out speaking my peace, then you cut up a 4 door to build a coupe, I see alot of people doing this these days, and I do not understand that either, I have a coupe a convertible and a 4-door, I am building the 4-door, the reason is it is by far the coolest merc, it looks really cool, has the cool suicide rear doors, all my buddys can climb in and go to the cruise in or the show or where ever, kids can climb in the car and not worry about it, so I think the 4 door is by far the best choice, but now you are making it wider???? you know there was an old airport limo for sale not too long ago, you should look into that one.....you might really like it! And while you are at it put some mercades headlights in the car too.....Jim

 

I would like to do more here today but honestly -10 Celsius or 14 Fahrenheit (and going into work for the morning) is a bit much. When is it going to freakin warm up I`m sick of the snotsicle hitting the welding shield. Regards, Rhys.

 

Are you serious.?
Why can't a guy build what he wants
without being TRASHED by those who don't get it?

 

What are you going to do for a back window? plexiglass? Why would you want to widen a Merc??? I don't get it....

 

No shit.

We've got ~8" of "Global Warming" on the ground outside right now, and it's still falling to beat all hell.

I don't dare go outside, 'cause the damned snowflakes are so big, that if one hit you in the forehead, it'd put you down for the count.

The big patch of easter lillies out in the yard look like they are bummed right the hell out too, all smothered under a big heap of snow.

I'm digging your wooden roof support jack idea. Gonna do something similar for my '36, I think. The entire damned floor and substructure is rotten, so I've got nothing at all for the body to set on while I'm working.

I've been thinking of doing something like what you've got built there, and seeing that someone else has had the same idea at least reassures me that I'm not FOS on this one.

Keep plugging away at it, I think it'll actually turn out looking pretty good. The work you're doing is top notch.

I assume you're going to cut a modern windshield to fit the rear window opening. Got anything specific in mind yet, or are you just going to build a pattern and start laying it on every car you can until something matches?

Either way, keep the updates coming. I want to see the nay sayers eatin' crow when the thing is finished and bitchin'.

 

Finished `tacking`in the passenger side and played with the rest of the driver`s side. I like the profile of the passenger side and I think I will slice off a tiny bit more on the driver`s to get it just perfect. For those wondering about the rear window I will be using the 49 rear frame shown in the pictures, a couple of `pie cuts` around the perimeter and it should fly in. Regards, Rhys.

 

Congrats on making a 49 merc off topic.

 

The proportions are gonna be so drastically different, I don't see how this is gonna come out well.

 

Still working away. Regards, Rhys.

 

One side of the rear done. On to the other. Regards, Rhys.

 

WOW! I just came across this thread and really like what you are doing Rhys.

I don't get all the negative posts... kind of thought that sometimes taking a different approach in customizing was part of hotrodding and it's evolution. I'm sure the Wright Borthers, Picasso, Thomas Edison, etc. all had their share of pissants thumbing their noses on the sidelines too. Just ignore them, I'm sure there are many more here that understand your project.

I also had a Mark VIII a number of years back... would love to be able to duplicate that ride in everything I have driven since.

Keep up the great work and pics!

X

 

Working on the right rear side.

 

Explain??

 

I think he's refering to "Non-traditional".

 

Last of the rear section tacked in. Bit more welding and on to the inner rockers this week, Rhys.