Merc Madness and other assorted Customs

Well, it's still winter here in Chicagoland, so I fired up the scanner to share with you all, some of the cars I've taken pics of in the past.

Now, I'm no photographer and some of these pics are getting old. Still I hope you all enjoy a look back at some cars we all know and love. It's hard to believe some of these shots are nearing thirty years old.

It's strange and funny that some of these pics seem to be "Old School" at a time when they were all built to emulate and celebrate the original Old School ways.

Anyway, please feel free to copy and enjoy the pics. It is my enjoyment to share these with you all.

Joel

First up: Here's some mighty Mercs taken at the Mid Century Mercury Club car show on Memorial Day 1983 at the University of Wisconsin Kenosha campus.

 

This silver Merc hails from Iowa. I was at a small show near or at Blackhawk, Ia. in '75 or '76.

The kandy red Merc with the new skirts was at a Tri Chevy Assoc. show in '78, I think.

The Carson topped Merc was taken at a carshow/swapmeet I believe in Frankfort, Il. at Phillips Chevrolet.

 

Check out "the Green Flame" at the '75 Chicago WoW. Ever since I first laid eyes on Robert Williams "Rudy's Green Flame", I always new someone would build it.

Well, this ain't "it" but, it was billed as "it". The car was built and showed by the guy who drove the hauler and set up all the ISCA touring cars back then. Although I realize that chopping a Merc is tough, this I felt had the worst I've seen as far as contour and flow. Where is it now?

The other pictured Merc is a Lowrider from Rockford,Il. The pic was taken in '83 at a Lowrider show in the same town. I think this car had a history, although I never talked to it's owner and never seen it since.

 

Here some "Assorted customs" from the archives.

I wanted to post these and also include pics I wanted to add to other posts.

Take a look!

Here's a chopped '46, I guess that appeared at the Tri Chevy assoc. show in '79 or '80. It has a hot rod w/ muscle look.

I've included two pics of a radical '56 Chevy 'vert from the '77 NSRA St. Paul Nats. Summers in St. Paul are cool.

I also have here a pic of Stan Staton's heavily chopped Mont Carlo and a customized El Camino, all from Louisville, Kentucky. Those guys really made a big showing at the '83 Rockford Il. Lowrider event. Now immortalized as the "Louisville Mafia".

 

Those are some clean mercs, classic styling.


I can't find it now but I have a postcard featuring the gold scallop/red Merc. I'm pretty sure it's that car, the postcard has a low angle shot of the passenger side. In the card a musician is leaning against the rear quarter, playing the sax.

The Merc on juice is cool. Rudy's green flame doesn't look too bad a chop to me.

 

Nice trip back in time, Joel.

 

The Green flame car that was built by Dave Kampney is now candy red and white with a hemi jammed into it and it is owned by Don Garlits.Hate to say it but I dig the roof other than the fact that theres no curve from the trunk to the back window.The 1st black chopped merc w/ the blue flames was owned by New Mexico merc addict Dean Hymes from New Mexico who has had several since. The red 50 convert with the puffy carson and the dark blue chopped coupe with the buick headlights. were built by the late great Miles Mesa. The orange one with the gold scallops was hemi powered and owned by Dick Crouthers.

 

damn, 00Mack sure knows his Mercs!
V nice pics, thanks for the show!

 

I had to look at the post again. Mark Mays Earth angel red chopped 50 w Buick sidetrim and slanted posts ) is still going strong in the same configuration.The dark maroon merc with the 55 desoto grill and moulded shell next to Miles Mesas car with thew buick headlights was absolutely tits and ended up in New York. It later had fadeaways and pearl white scallops. The grey one with the Plymouth grill was at the street rod nats in Tulsa and pictured in Street Rodder along with Fred Steeles yellow merc when he took it to T.J..

 

OH and I dont exactly know what happened to the Jim Juarez 51 called dreamin but I tried to get in touch with him 4 years ago when he wrote a letter to Rod and Custom to find out!

 

The last time I saw the dark red 50 with the straight posts and stock grille was in Rhinbeck N.Y pretty worn looking being sold by Michael Dezer who owned the classic car theme retaurant and museum in N.Y.C.

 

The chopped 46 Ford was later painted black with flames by Jerry Charvat from Indiana and the 56 was owned by Norm Baltes and was a Classic and Custom cover car.

 

Anthony, I am truly, truly impressed and amazed that you know these cars and know who's got what and where.

I made this post for you, hoping that some of these mysteries could be solved. You know I forgot all about Palatine, Il. favorite son, Miles Mesa. I remember him and his cars. Ya know he did a radically chopped '64 Chevy Belair in the late '70's. It was really wild. I met the owner at a cruise night and he showed me pics of it. It looked great But, he said he had alot to do to it and wouldn't take it out. Never seen it since.

I'm sorry to hear that Miles passed.

I have a few more to resize and will post in a little while. Thanks 00MACK for contributing to this post.

Joel

 

Keep Em Comin, Im goin ta sleep. My brain went into a psycohtic
frenzy like Beavis on cappucino when I saw the pics! Ill be sure to caption the rest of the pics when I see em!

 

I hope ya get a good nights sleep, my friend.

Here's a few more for when you wake.

This white w/ purple flames merc hailed from Berwyn,Il.. The owner had another white merc too. He also had a radically chopped '70 Riviera, that was cool. I used to see all these cars at the famous "Duke's Drive In" in Bridgeview, Il. in the early '80's. Check the Illinois license plate on the white Merc, "Low Life", it's a colored pencil on heavy white cardboard rendering. I knew the guy that did 'em and they were flawless, only not dimensional. I already know Anthony hates the sideview mirrors.

Here are a few from the MCM show in '82 and '83

Joel

 

just wondering but am i the only one that doesnt like shaved dip rails on mercs?? it makes the rear window look funny, like it doesnt line up with the door winow

 

Here's a few more from the '82 KKOA Spectacular in Des Moines, Ia. I wish I would've attended more, especially the ones in Holland, Mich.. I would ride by on my Amtak locomotive on the way to/back from a run to Grand Rapids. So close ,so far away.

I hope ya all enjoyed this, especially with the added commentary by 00MACK. I had a ton of fun, I will be doing something for the HAMB to help pay for all the bandwith I'm using soon. Later alligator.

Joel

One more thing; the gray primered Merc with the late model tailights, at the time I thought what a clever idea. Back then alot of people were starting to incorporate modern parts on old themes to give 'em a modern spin. I would venture to say that Anthony would hate this too. The '58 Chevy scoop is cool, although the cool louvers serve no purpose. I guess the point is "Don't try this at home", ever.

 

PPOC, excellent pics, OO, I am humbled by your knowledge. We need more posts like this. Thank you gentlemen.-MIKE

Customs Rule!!

 

Good Morning,The other Merc with the flames was actuall Dean Hymes naxt Merc and from what you say he must have sold it to someone in Illinois. The candy red 51 was owned by Tom OBrien from Crystal Lake Illinois. Any More, This ruleS!!!

 

On to the next set the wihite 51 was CECIL PROFFITS and is now in Long Island New York..The red one with the funny tube grille was chopped by east coast legend Don Blakeand is still identical and owned by my friend Bob Recker.The orange and white 51 was owned by Duane Flaherty and I havent seen it since the 80s. The next one with the tube grill was featured in Mike Keys Lead Sleds book but I never saw it in person and the red one with the 55 Desoto grille and the spokes had 56 Olds spinners and skirts on it the last time I saw it. The wonderful yellow merc was built by Dick Dean and the last cool person who owned it was George Beluszak who sold it and the car is now candy red with ghost flames,sports a set of narrow white radials and some lame dash and wheel. As far as Praise the Lowered went ,Id rather forget it but when you showed the front in an earlier post I remembered that the front was not as bad as the back.

 

Excellent pics, thanks.

 

Here are some shots from 1987-Larry Krammers show. HOT LEAD AND OTHER BAD METAL in Springfield,OHIO.-MIKE

 

Shit, only lets me do 1 pic at a time

 

222
2

 

Land Shark, love this car.

 

Nice

 

Terry Cook

 

The NY clan,that's my Stude, back then. Flat 6,3-speed/OD

 

Stude.again

 

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