so, I have owned this car for 3 or 4 years and frankly just got bummed out on it. when I made the deal to buy it, I paid to have some work done it that never happened. it was supposed to come to me as a runner driver with the quarters fixed. I was given a partial refund and brought it home. threw it in the garage and didn't touch it for at least a year. about a month ago maybe longer I got it running and fixed a brake line. it has posted here for sale for about a month. well last week I bought a new toolbox and needed to move the car before I pick up the box. this weekend I bled the brakes, finished bolting the front end together and cotter pinned everything. then i drove it around the block for the first time ever. the listings have all been taken down and I have made an appointment to get the quarters fixed and some other exciting stuff next month. some history on the car i found it for a buddy probably 8 years ago he said he wanted a glass top mercury, but it had to be a manual. I literally found this car on craigslist that down about 5 hours away. we went and bought it. he ordered all new jamco super low suspension for it and cut up the driver's quarter. he also built a super nice 312 for it. ( I didn't get buy it) then he got super busy, and it sat. another buddy bought it and never touched it. then I bought it from him. before I brought it home, I used his lift rebuilt the front suspension and installed all the new parts, I also had a new driveline made. I have wanted a glass top car since I was young and when I bought this car I bought with my intension of it being my keeper car. over the years I have collected a ton of neat parts for. restored 552's foxcraft skirts, lee lenses, a bunch of cal custom stuff, nos mercury accessory wheel. any way I'm going to make it happen this thread should gain some momentum in the next 2 months or so.
Thanks for the positive comments. I totally agree it's just metal. I want this car to be nice and that is above my metal working skills. Stay tuned it's going to get crazy. We have some cool stuff planned.
So in an attempt to hold myself accountable and continue making progress I am going to try and stay on top of this build thread. I have done a ton of garage cleaning and organizing. The car has an appointment for metal work August 1st. I have to have the back bumper off, interior out, trim off the quarters and the paint stripped by then. I have everything done except stripping the paint i will start that tomorrow morning it's already hot.
Well, @anthony myrick is the pro, but I'd make sure to have the side spears and other trim handy but not with the car to test fit the quarters after work. Parts won't get lost and it will QC the work.
Nope. Just a dude with a hammer. These mercs are almost custom looking from Detroit. That old metal should shape up nicely with very little filler needed
i got most of the quarters stripped yesterday. the passenger side definitely has some mud! I actually have a pair of ford quarters I can use for patch panels.
Look how good the floors in that thing are! Damn, you don't find that in Wisconsin. I also find that helpful, it's nice to post little updates and have a place to ask questions and opinions as you go. I love these cars. My first car was a '53 Ford which I still have, and I have a complete glasstop roof I bought when I was a teenager which I still plan to use on it at some point.
For dealer show room to display the engine. Some dealers sold them or even junked them. No body wanted that stuff back then.
I am officially ready for metal work appointment. if anybody has a parts car I am looking for 52 hardtop wing windows I have been told they are stainless and not pot metal. I also need the driver's side piece of stainless that connects the glass top to the mercury roof trim. we plan on using the ford quarters as patch panels potentially. I will let the guy doing the work decide what he wants to do.
I had a '53 that was rotten from the doortops down. Stupid me, I didn't bother to pull the flathead and automatic trans for the car I bought alongside it, a '53 Customline coupe. I sure have pulled some dumbass moves.
These cars are very cool and deserve to be saved. Glad you are taking this on and great to see the progress.
The quarter repairs are just about done. Tomorrow he will finish hanging both doors and start bracing for the chop. Hopefully cut by Friday.
thanks, my buddy doing the work is Paul Garland he does really nice work.here are some other cars he has done and a better pic of my car outside this morning.
The 54 Mercury has some of the best natural lines for building a custom. Personally I think a mild custom version usually looks better than changing the features too drastically. Good luck with your build.
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