Pir8Darryl,what i can say???thanks a lot for the good words but ya know...not only because you're a big talker you're the best one around!! I don't like much noise...you have to do what you have to,sometimes..that's all! It's called ingenuity perhaps??? Of course never again i will start from such a poor base,but to me the idea to save a 50 Merc was enuff to take the task... You have to know that was a special moment,very difficult to find a 50 Merc around...few 49's ,many 51's...but NO 50!! So,i bought the car by pics and knew had rust and really did not expect all the holes and the poor body conds after the sand blasting surprise! But the desire to save the car was above all...i try to not see the bills by now and only thinkin positive,so soon it will be done and will payback BIG time...
Mikes51,the garage is located at 5000 feet above the sea level,and weather is mostly sunny all year long..as far i reckon i put sweatshirts only in january for let's say ,1 month at much...but daily is sunny too...now we have the rainy season,but in 1 month or less will be over... yeah,the place is really cool for work ... Acually i just thinkin that once the rainy season is over i will bring my Merc 40 coupe and start choppin it too...just outside the garage,in the spare time.
Looking real good Sled. I am still amazed at what you and Tom are doing there. Motivation is high to get on with mine. I have a copy of every pic you have posted. Hope that's fine with you? My lincoln is now off the chassis and on a rotisserie. Much easier to get at rust from there. Both sills are shot. Have put xj6 Jag independant rear in and a complete Jag front end sub-frame and all. Looks like it was built to go there... Catch up later mate...
Lifestylz,good to hear from ya mate!!All fine here but always on the run for so many things,as you know...yeah,Merc is progressing fine and starts to get in shape...rear end has been a pain in the ass,practically is new..almost none of the original parts is there! Started now to work on the side small windows,figgering out the best shape to make the right curves...just to be distracted a bit!! Ah,tomorrow will take some new pics too.... Good to hear that is good inspiration for your Lincoln...did your mate came to chop the thing??? What about posting some pics for our fellow hambers??? Keep up the good work...Sled
The chop is about a month away yet. But here is a link to some random shots of the Lincoln to date... http://picasaweb.google.com/vicki.budgeting/My49LincolnCoupeBuild# .
Lifestylz,looks good from here...very solid car to work with.can't wait to see it chopped...start a thread then,to everybody to see it!! Im amazed how much time i lost on swiss cheese just on the metal work...but ok,let's look forward! Good luck on yours mate...Sled
Pachalo,ya,ya...oye,a suggestion..don't spend money on the wedding,put it on the Merc instead...best wishes on BOTH ventures..
i was thinking the same man,but you know how that goes,as far as parts go i have enough to complete the car and drive it, i am just going to need of your help to give it a hair cut,hey and you better be at my weding...
Sled: Ok,details ,details...first mock up on the side windows,tryin to get the right curves accordin to the roof flow...not so pleased right now,but putting all conners togheter will find the final look soon...also all has to matched with the driprail,i have an idea about that...let's see how it goes! Also more kustom tricks on the rounds trunk corners...yeah,all these stuff makes a car stadin out from the average rest when done!!You know that....more to come, sled
Sled: same process in passenger side.this step on creatin the flow is everything on a car like that...has to be clean and smooth accordin to the all components...i figure with the driprail treatment it will be interesting ,can't wait to jump on there...little more and you'll see what i'm talkin about! Also i wanna definately have the outside stailess steel moldings on the windows,to add some class when painted!
Sled: ok fellas,that's all for now...keep going the weekend on the torture!!Ah,but at list it starts to look like a kustom car,so motivation is HIGH....catcha soon, sled
Looks great as usual, did you save those corners from old parts or are they made new from plain metal? My first impulse is to make all corners have about the same radius corner. But keeping an open mind, I think that real sharp corner (upper left corner in your pic) could make a very dramatic look. I'm anxious to see how the shapes look after the door corners are also in place. Looks great, nothing like the shape of a cut down merc quarter window, heh?
Mikes51,the bottom right/left corner are made with the shrinker from plain metal...cannot use the old ones,makes no sense.As you know you have to give a new shape so better start from scratch and clean metal... Note that i did NOT touch yet the upper (dramatic as you say) corner close to the door...if you look closely is still the fist cut when i slanted the B pillar...i will jump there soon...probbaly i will finish this side first including mounting the door with the rounded shape and everything to have the visual final effect and THEN jump in the passenger side only when i'm totally pleased on the look...also will take couple of days more to check out the car day by day and tryin to find negative points against...yeah,you have to take your time here... Will be very peaky on the flow oh the windows and shape of the corners too...also remember that i will put the stainless trim on too...you can't go too tight ,very difficult to make the trim then... Yep,as you sayin is very pleasing now on getting close to the finished look..the fun begins!!! more updates soon....
The way the posts are slanted is unique in the sence that its a straight line between the belt line and the rain gutter.In other words,it doesnt go straight up to where the trim would bend and then start to slant.
You are right on the ball, I forgot all about those stainless pieces. Wow, I remember those were not easy to do mine. I can't remember the name of the guy who did that excellent video. But I remember him showing how to angle the end of that stainless beltline trim to match the slanted pillar. That was really impressive, all that attention to detail.
Mikes51,perhaps was our fellow hamber 51Gringo???i remember he posted here an exellent thread on HOW TO build up the stainless trim,which i would check it out again to refresh my memory before start my side trims...that was very inspirational,and pure class...attention to detail was awesome too...51GRINGO,where are ya???
00MACK,thanks..good to know!where i can find it??Is it possible to see some pics here on hamb somewhere??
Yes, I remember 2 posts. One was how to weld that ultra thin stainless, show quality stuff. Then there was another, make an entire new stainless out of brass. Both super slick, no clips type deal. I've got a million clips on mine. That's right, Tommy Steadman, he put out a great video. Actually videos, I think he has quite a library of many subjects. Available from Nightprowlers still I believe.
Mikes51,you just beat me up on posting this...i see,i remember now that 51gringo made a trim out of brass,i should consider taht option too.. Ah,i probably wanna have only 1 clip,same as factory...or none! But i accept one ,but no more than that... Will do a research on Tommy's videos then..thanks for the helpful infos...just curious to see the way he goes...
Hey, I boleave the gentelman's name, who posted the 'how to' on the brass trim, was siddmatt, here on the HAMB. Swankey Devils C.C. "Meanwhile, back aboard The Tainted Pork"
Pimpin,i took my time and yeah..is 51GRINGO that put out the cool thread on the stainless trim..he did it on his cool suede red 51 Merc...i put in favorites again... Sladnmatt is another talented builder,just saw his thread on choppin 4 Mercs here...cool stuff!
Sled: Passenger side,much faster..already knew shapes and curves,got the pattern to follow and bingo!Done in no time..well,almost! Just showin closer details and the ultimate shape on back corner...did nothin yet on the upper one,will follow soon.
Sled: back to drivers side it time to decide the final shape of the upper corner...Me and Tom we took plenty time to discuss this crutial point...at this step Tom built 3 different corners ,an open one, a closed one ,and the ovious one in between..to see visualy after several tests what's the result...what do you think of it??Well,everybody has his own opinion and i'm sure will a wide range of comments on the go... Anyway,perhaps is a bit difficult to appreciate on pics ,can be deceiving but there are couple opens and closed corners..We already decided the way to go...more to come...
Sled: This is our way,a narrowed corner...cause after many tests it just flows so naturally in there that looks that it was born there or belongs there...Me and Tom both agreed after takin plenty time that there is no way to talk more about it ..it's DONE! Consequently the door which will be mounted soon will reflct the amost the same ,but opposite corners shape to flow...just goes by itself! Actually in real life looks not so extremely angled...is always difficult from the camera,but i hope you get the idea! So,currently workin on replicating the final shape to the pass side...one more step done! Tom really knows his stuff and he prooved once more...there is a huge satisfaction when you achieve somethin that you are entirely pleased after months and months down to the trenches..so,cannot ask better than this,really... Now,ah....back to work...let's cut the crap...
Why even start with a Merc? Just start with about 60 sheets of 18 gauge and have at it! Looks great guys.
Unionvillehaunt,ah,ah,ah....you're about right!!!Why start with a Merc??Too simple,anybody can do it.. at this point any done detail is very satisfactory,you start to see something fixed on it....but i will never ever start from such a poor base,you bet!! Makes no sense exept another Merc will be on the road soon...
Yea, sometimes that first gut feeling is the right choice. By the way, are you going to round the outside corner of the door?
Mikes51,yeah...Tom is already workin on rounding the upper door corners...actually yesterday sunday we worked on the car too,no breaks! There are planned more rounded corners too...
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