Merc quarter panel modification

Has anyone tried to install 51 Merc quarter pieces on a 49-50 Merc? I know Gene winfield did in 51 on his own car. I'm really starting to like the back end of a 51 more, especially with a 50 back window. It just seems to flow more and makes the car look longer. I'm also thinking of using a 51 merc grill shell and lipping the hood to match up. I feel better cutting a 51 shell to install a 54 Imperial grill than I do my 49 shell.

 

Here's one a guy was working on,that was in Paso in '06

 

Cool. Thanks Bob. Any word on T shirts?

 

NO! Not yet...

 

51's are purty.... im still debating about the 50 back window in mine...

 

Swapping a '49 shell for a '51?? Can I buy your '49?

 

hell im closer, that means i get first dibs lol

 

Dont take this wrong,i am not trying to tell you how or what to do to your car, but think long about puting a 50 window in a *** end of a 51.Just look and study the flowlines of the two styles.To me a 51 MUST HAVE a 51 rear window the bigger gl*** flows with the longer rear quarters,on a 50 with round bathtub style of that rearend the 50 window follows the round curves of the car. Just do your homework before you decide cause that is a big decision and it can make or break a sled,but hey thats just my opinion what do I know. Watch the movie book of love and check out the *** end of the merc in that movie.Check out the old famous Kustoms,picture the Hirohata with a 50 rear window.

 

good point jeff, there are some '51s that are god awful with the o.g. rear window but the ones you pointed out proove that it can be done and done well. I have yet to see "book of love" but i keep watching the youtube clip just to see that car lol

 

Yes you are right about that, some 51 windows look terrible but that is due to bad workmanship and inexperience. There are a lot of people who run 50 rear windows on a 51 simply because they are a lot easier to lay then a 51 window when the car is chopped.Im not saying thats the reason for all 50 windows on a 51, there some that like the look of a 50 window better.To me when its done right, a 51 window on a 51 mercury is just flat out ****in STUNNING! Oh ya,the book of love merc is gorgeous.If you havnt seen it just go to Rik hoving site find **** Dean Kustoms and look at the lucero merc, it has the same chop **** chopped both of the mercs exactly the same.

 

Interesting perspective Jeff. I hold a similar view, that 49/50's and '51's really don't look very similar when you consider the '51 is so much longer.

 

Here's slddnmatt's old '51 I like the way he did his window...



I guess Terri's 51 would be the exception to the rule,right?

 

Of co**** Terry is a exception and like I said SOME guys like the look of a 50 rear window better and Terry is one of them and his car is beautiful,but when I look at this picture with those beautiful quarters I think it would look gorgeous and better with a 51 rear window they just fit this *** perfect.

 

Terry's and Jesse James' are the reason, I'm thinking of putting on 51 quarters. They just look so much more custom to me with the longer quarters. I never cared for 51 rear windows on chop tops. Imagine what Hirohata's would have looked like with a 50 back window. I just don't like the awkward shape of it on his car. It looks to angular. The 50 window would flow better. Still unsure though. I really like how Hirohata's exhaust comes out the bumper itself, not the guards. Unsure how it would look without the heavier rear bumper. I just feel the 51 rear end, conveys a feeling of being more m***ive and heavy, which also contributes to it being longer and looking lower. The larger back end alos works well with the bigger grill treatment to give the illusion the car is wider and lower than it is.

 

I'm with you, I like the '51 quarters the best but on a chopped car I'd rather have the early style rear window. If you have the parts I don't think it would be too difficult of a task to use the extended quarters and rear bumper, should be doable with some planning.

I have a '51 Merc coupe and if I ever chopped it (don't know if I will, it's a far off project at this point) I think I'd want the '49 window instead of the '51 wraparound. I have a '50 Lincoln coupe with the '49 Merc style rear window but I'd hate to part it out just for that one piece.

But you can add me to the list of people who would trade you a '51 shell for a 49/50 shell, that I would leave alone.

 

Also, I'll add, that I do know where a '51 Merc is that might make a great donor car, it has the rear bumper and quarter panel sections you would need intact, and I could use some of the other parts on it. If you really are serious about this I could get that car and we could split the costs, I could send you what you need, I don't think it would be that expensive.

 

Honestly if I had a bone stock '51 I was doing, I'd research a different back gl*** altogether. That Lucky7 gold car was intriguing, though I would do it a little differently. To me the '51 rear gl*** is a little too big, and the '50 gl*** is a little too small for a '51. But I'm happy with mine, it's the overall car that gets me excited.

 

sorry brother the only time a 51 rear window looks good in a 51 is when its stock.
chop a 51 and you have to put a 50, or 49 backlight in it.
the Hirohata merc would be perfect if it had 50 backlight in it, just my humble opinion.

you can't like the the way the bottom corners dig into the body line when chopped?
even on the "best chopped" mercs those corners stop the "flow" of an otherwise smooth body shape.
I hate to see square corners on a round car.
and who can argue the fact that a 51 backlight is just too tall on a chopped merc?
its simple, a 50, or 49 backlight better matches the profile of the side gl*** on a chopped merc.

 

We did it to my Merc. The main problem that we had to over come was the body is round
on the 49 & 50 and the '51 is straight. We ended up forming a body line to end at the
back bumper. Just a little bit of work.

I can post some construction pictures if ya want them.







Good luck!!

Happy Trails,

Mick

 

This is the reason why I had to make the change........




He almost ran over my McPhail art work. ha,ha,ha.... I can almost laugh about it now.

Happy Trails,

Mick

 

Mick, I'd love to see pics of your car as it sits right now.

Matt, you have the two Mercs now, a '49 coupe and that '51 more door? IMO grafting on '51 quarters is just more work, sounded like you need to do the rockers and stuff on that car. BTW, I've sourced a set of 5 Studebaker hubcaps, hopefully I'd have them in the next two weeks.

 

This is a side view...

 

Looks awesome!

 

Disagree. On a 51 I prefer the 51 rear window prior to the 50 window.
Favorite example is "Wolf's" car

 

Thanks John ,we have a lot of work to do to the rear. Little stuff that will take some
time to finish it off. Adding Caddy bumper guards with a Mercury bar and redo the
frenched liscense plate.

Very Kool!! great example, has the back window been cut?

Happy Trails,

Mick

 

Well thats what you think and thats cool but I dont see how a 50 window matches the *** end of a 51 better when the rear of a car is simply not round.I think the hirohata wouldnt even look as good with a 50 window in it. Thats just what I think,

 

Heres a pair of 51's on a 49 vert. that a buddy of mine built.

 

The 49/50 vs. 51 window battle will rage on..In the end, it comes down to preference.

BUT, one thing to consider when useing a 51 backlight is if your chop is heavy, the 51 is way harder to fit back into teh roof. Sliddnmatts car is the best looking 51 window you will ever see and is about all the chop you can get away with without drasticly increasing teh difficulty of putting the roof back together.

I pussed out and went with the 50 on mine..



See ya, -Abone.

 

The back window is not cut, but it is made a little bit wider than a stock window.
There are many impressing details on that roof... For more views of the car, take a look at Riksters site...

 

i would have to argue and say you didn't "puss" out on anything with that car jeff!!!