Projects My 1951 Mercury Restoration Part II

John, I think that the rear fender line you speak of is stock on '51 Mercs, but is usually hidden by the big stainless trim piece that goes in front of the bumper.

 

I'm not seeing this body line stock on the cars:

 

My car has this line. My rear quarters at welded on all down the body line except to this part. As a matter of fact, the stock stainless trim holes are still there on mine...filled with bullets. The holes are above the body line, so as mentione above, as stock, that big piece of stainless covers the line


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Looks like mine has been incorporated into a body line, and yours is not so much... I'm not a fan one way or another at this point.

 

Here's the way it is on a stock Merc. It looks like the vertical panal line has been eliminated on John's 51 - leaving only the top edge of the panel where it meets the bumper.
That sheet metal extension is what makes lower rear quarter different from 49 and 50's.
Looks good either way.
Click on photo to enlarge.

 

Gotcha, good to see it on another car, I'm more clear on it now.

 

This is interesting, a long time ago I noticed that radiused corner and what looks like a non stock 51 body line.

Since we are talking about it now, my guess was some time in the last 50 years, someone replaced that section with a 49-50 quarter panel. On the 49 50's, that ridge sticks out just a little bit from the quarter panel where your arrow is pointing, then the ridge goes around the corner and turns into that big (rolled pan shaped) gravel shield behind the rear bumper, which also sticks out from the body.

On a 51 there is also that radiused corner and then a horizontal line, but on the 51 it's just a gap/joint and the panel above and below that joint are flush, the bottom section doesn't stick out. Just guessing.

 

You know, that kinda makes sense. I just walked out to mine and took a quick look. The rear section where John's arrow is is flush on mine as Mike points out. The vertical line coming down is sticks out all the way down, but where it makes the transition to the horizontal line it only sticks out right at that radius and then all the rest is flush.

 

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

Try some shortened 1959 Pontiac Bonneville side trim. But, if you do use the Buick trim, the front fender pieces must be parallel to the ground, not angled.
http://www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/414412,15630/1959-Pontiac-Bonneville_photo.aspx#photo

 

Why not the Buick trim? It's quite iconic.

 

Overdone IMO.

 

Agreed, but still nice looking.

 

You need to decide on some hubcaps and get a grill done before you worry about side trim.

 

What are you my mother.

My next big update I'll have a lot done, grille be done. Just working on schedule stuff right now.

 

HAHA just making sure you don't get too caught up in your daydreams John. LOL

 

I agree, I'd like to see ya run around with your Lyon caps.

 

I might go a little renegade on the hubcaps, the grille will help me decide that. I think trad caps are kinda boring to be honest.

 

I wouldn't care if everybody put Buick side trim on their Mercury. It looks good to me and I don't get tired of seeing it.

 

John-For a nice clean look I used 55 Ford trim on this Merc.
TwoChops

left click to enlarge

 

That's funny John! I actually had my Buick trim pieces out the other day playing with them and thinking about making the jump and putting it on now instead of waiting until a major redo and some point way out in the future.

 

I remember coming into Paso and I got a front/side 3/4 view of a green Merc. The whole car was lower in the back, that Buick side trim added to that sweeping down look. Of course the curve of the trim perfectly matched the curve of the hardtop chopped top. It was a thing of beauty.

 

Okay I gotta get some stuff done here. Where would you guys suggest I bolt the floating grille brackets, #1 location (vertical spot in core support) or #2 (flat welded over sections of the nose)...

 

My end brackets are mounted to the bottom of the vent intakes, which is the area you have marked off as this flat spots. I also have a center bracket mounted to the center support behind the hood latch (this support may be something someone added once upon a time and might not be a factory thing). Excuse the dirt and bugs....its been seeing lots of miles.






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Awesome pics thanks a million! That's what I was hoping would work. I still have that center part too thought mine is a little beat up.

 

Okay keep the little seams or weld it complete smooth here?

 

I would make it smooth if I wasn't trying to replicate the Sam Barris Merc to exacting detail.

 

I would keep the seams. Everybody makes everything too smooth nowadays.

 

Another vote for smooth. No real good reason to keep them.

 

Make the seam go away...