Customs Mercury custom headlights - Issue

I have seen carbon steel 7'' headlamp doors. Perhaps taken from the large trucks from that era?

I'd probably build my own, and wouldn't be suprized to learn that Sam, Windy, Westergard et al. did the same. These should be a piece -o-cake for anyone who calls himself a metalman!

 

I would be surprised if they made their own ring. In nothing I have ever read has it ever been mentioned that custom rings were made. It always indicates that a certain year headlight ring was used to french the headlights.

 

Yes, but not stainless in contact with bare carbon steel, at least not for long!

And yes, the GM was a very poor design, a glue in windshield/backgl*** with carbon spring steel moulding clips that went through the body with bolts/studs, and stainless trim in constant contact to complete the circut.
Water and dirt, trapped beneth the trim, didn't help.

S****ey Devils C.C.
"Meanwhile, back aboard The Tainted Pork"

 

I used the stock ones on my Chevy!!! they have been done for 17 years no problems with them breaking out...Stock 1951 Chevy rings!!!

 

had!!!!!!

 

Stock '49,unfrenched...

 

Here is some of the work I did for John.

The first two photos show the headlights that are on the car right now.
Tunneled and with painted lips on the inside.






And these show the car with a set of 52 Mercury units.

 

I don't believe the tunneled frenched headlights started until after 1952 when the Ford rings were used. Prior to that the stock Merc rings were used. here's mine ('49)

Jim

 

Hey Rikster,

That's some killer photo work there!

I wish I could build one that fast.

S****ey Devils C.C.

"Meanwhile, back onboard The Tainted Pork"

 

Who needs a make over when rikster can do your wallet photo this good..

 

Wow, dank opnieuw Rik. Uw artistieke vaardigheden helpen me werkelijk door sommige zeer belangrijke besluiten sorteren.

 

Okay back to our regularly scheduled programming.

So should I get stock '49 bezels, or '52 bezels? Could someone describe how the parts come together? My frame of reference is newer cars. So on a newer car, say from the 60's, the headlight would either be held in by a few screws or there would be a trim piece that held it in. So frenched and flush fit lights, would screw in from the back, so you just screwing in the screws from the other side?

Typically my first call for parts is to Flat-Top Bob unless someone has the right stuff lying around.

As for the styling, I'm not going to to do side trim like stock, planning to do no side trim until I know more about it, the stock stuff required drilling holes in the side and I'm not doing that.

 

That last Rikster post is insane. I have always been a ****er for the later Merc rings tho..

 

Whoa, that's cool ^ And the Rikster photochop with the 52 Merc lights and the shiny garnish is the cat's ***!

 

Man that last merc is spot on!!!!

ETHER

 

Thanks Mike51, I'm sure that took some time to do that. Mercman's link is very helpful, I'm still not clear one some aspects of frenching tail lights perhaps I need to get a shop on the fone and buy some stuff.

Ether yeah I think that car looks great, but black is #1 for me right now.

 

Black

With DeSoto grille, 52 Merc headlights, window trim, 48 Buick side trim and 51 Merc beltline trim, lowered and new wheels and tires.




Second image is the same, only I used your headlights, but added chrome rings for the tunneling.... huge difference, but I still like the 52 Merc headlights better

 

I think I know what I want my next Mercury to look like.

I love that black one. And the red one.

 

BTW I dont fully know whats going on with teh headlite size issue, but it appears you have regular 7" bulbs, if that is what the debate is about.

 

I'm leaning towards '52 Merc headlight treatments right now based on the pictures.

 

I believe the proportions between the headlights and the grille are what make or break the look here....big grill and flush mount headlights look squinty...small grille and tunneled '54 Merc rings look too bug-eyed. The grill is what I think is making the lights on John's car look small.

I have a 24" x 17" BW version of this pic in my dining room, so I look at it daily. Perfection,,,,,,,,,,




Bryan

 

I think I'm pretty much going to make my Merc look like the last two pictures. I'm still debating whether the 52's look a little bugeyed.

 

Wait, so its getting repainted, but you are not sure which headlights are going to get cut up and welded in? Man you are b*** akwards!

 

I don't think you can go wrong either way. IMO the two most beautiful Merc's ever built are Sam's car and Bettancourts and though I know that Bettancourts didn't use '52 rings (built before they would have been available ) it has a similar look to it. I would'nt turn down either of these cars. Pics from Riksters site

 

I'm with K13. Those Rikster photoshops all look good. Pro Stock John, I don't think any of those headlights look bad or bug eyed. Now a bug eyed Sprite, that is a different story.

Whoever frenched your headlights did a good job. There is no dip where the headlight ring and the fender meets. If you change them, make sure the body guy creates a seamless curve from fender to ring, no dips.

You're welcome but that was no big deal. Now those photoshops by Rikster are a different story, really nice work.

 

John,IMO,I personally like the molded hl rings.I'm not a big fan of tunneled hl's.But its your car,do what ever you like.

Joe

 

John,one more thing.I'm sure most will agree.If nothing else,please,please!,install a set of Appletons.Just look at the photoshop pics with them bad boys mounted on the a-pillars.

It doesn't have to be the real thing,although that would help.They can be a set of Kustom Kraft repos.I had a set on my Chevy,till I bought a set of the real 112's.

 

And yes, the GM was a very poor design, a glue in windshield/backgl*** with carbon spring steel moulding clips that went through the body with bolts/studs, and stainless trim in constant contact to complete the circut.
Water and dirt, trapped beneth the trim, didn't help.

uh... water and dirt is what cause the problem. if not then they would all be rusted, even garage kept creampuffs.

looks to me like the headlights are in the stock location and the headlight ring is extended out from the fender.

look to the aftermarket for non stainless 49 -52 chevy rings. there are cheap chrome steel ones out there. if the look of a flush headlight is what you want you might consider using 49-52 chevy buckets as well as the riings.. mount the bucket from behind and weld the ring to the fender. prolly easier to find on ebay than the same parts for a merc


IMFO if you want spots use real ones. I prefer none myself... save spots for the stockers.