My buddy Dean has been working on this '50 merc for almost 2 years now. he is getting real close to finishing.. all thats left is the paint and the engine install. All the brackets and mounts have been fabbed up and everything has been test fit. This was the finish primer that went over the heavy sandable primer. This thing was a shine or drug runner.. came from the deep south, had the top of the gas tank brazed shut and the inside of the trunk fender well had an opening that was also concealed.. so you could get access to the inside of the fender. This is going to be his wifes car, and she is a BILLET QUEEN(tm) but we have talked her out of most everything she wanted.. digital gages.. big billet wheels billet column and all that. Is a Delta 88 frame (she wanted disks and a small block) with air ride thats been slightly modified for fit. Chopped 3.5 inches.... new floors.. rockers... front clip is all welded together.. some cool homemade marker lights.. He made a custom hand fabbed grill from 2.5" stainless tubing that resembes a desoto grill, that is packed in a box till its put back together. Its something ... not true traditional.. but custom with a traditional flair none theless... I respect the hard work. Here is a pic of "'Ol Chitty" his dads, then uncles, now his 29 pickup ... its been done up "Grabowski style" back in the early 70's... been shortened and butcherd pretty bad but is going to be on the road to recovery probably next year. I am giving him my model A frame and he has collected some parts here and there.. we will be using the flatty out of the merc to push it.. this one will be quite the pickup... Dean is a master fabricator ( millwright by trade ) and a heck of a designer. I will keep everyone posted on the pickup project when it happens.
yeah i dont like the side mirror much either.. but when the woman says thats what i want.. thats what she wanted You would not believe all the stuff we talked her out of.. the side mirror was one of those things we just had to let her run with
I don't know why, but I DIG un-slanted B-pillars. That car looks pretty slick so far...and thanks for talking her out of her billet fantasies...would have been a travesty (I'll let the mirror slide...I understand you gotta pick your battles!) Curt
He is pretty detail oriented... he went so far as to cut and weld the garnish moulding for the rear windows new radius' .... instead of overlapping them. You dont know how may times i go to a show and see these big buck mercs.. like 50 and 60K cars.. with overlapped garnish mouldings. another cool thing.. he kept the drip rails on. picking your battles is the name of the game. you cant always build what you or your friends think is cool... sometimes in the case of your own shop.. you got to do what the customer wants.. either way.. just wanted to share the pics with ya'll
[ QUOTE ] He is pretty detail oriented... he went so far as to cut and weld the garnish moulding for the rear windows new radius' .... instead of overlapping them. You dont know how may times i go to a show and see these big buck mercs.. like 50 and 60K cars.. with overlapped garnish mouldings. another cool thing.. he kept the drip rails on. picking your battles is the name of the game. you cant always build what you or your friends think is cool... sometimes in the case of your own shop.. you got to do what the customer wants.. either way.. just wanted to share the pics with ya'll [/ QUOTE ] I agree...keeping the drip rails is needed to keep it real.. nice looking...he put alot of work into it...
Really nice chop!! Hope mine comes out half that nice after body work. Looks like a factory lowered lid, love the quarter windows and the straight "B" pillars. That is exactly the look I'm goin for, good job.......OLDBEET
it was his first chop... his father in law helped out with tons of technical details.. he is an old school hot rodder.. turned out real nice... I will definitly have them around when i chop my shoebox
Having seen this car in person, both in its original state and its current state, I have to say Dean has done a helluva job. Believe it or not, but that thing is even smoother in person! Just wait til the hand formed grill pics are up.
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