Projects My 1951 Mercury Restoration Part II

I think the bumper-ettes and overrider makes it look busy. Better without as John shows...

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Oz(green car) cut his down so it didn't have as much weight to it. But the photoshopped version on John's car does look bulkier than the painted picture. I find the "chrome" version looks too beefy in there. Did something change with the picture John?

 

That Dodge grille looks great.

 

I think it was just the way it was photoshopped here is another version someone did in the photoshop thread and IMO it looks less bulky and great.

 

Ian, I didn't see that other rendering, looks tasty.

I'll take another pic right when I get home to show the thickness of the bar. For snicks I'll also take a pic with the top-most bar, which is thinner.

 

You are going to have to start a gill and hubcap store pretty soon.

 

Sheesh what do I have to do to get into the traditional custom forum, Sombreros would get it done? I'm not putting some slow ass flathead in the car I actually drive this car all over.

 

I think you've got the right grille bar. It looks really good to me

As I understand it. The trad custom forum is for period correct cars. No radials or late chassis. I've got some hidden stuff on my Merc that'll keep me from making the grade over there also

 

Yep that's the feedback I got from he who shall not be named.

I took some more pics in case anyone was curious. The shorter bar to me is too short, I'm flirting with the idea of doing two bars, the longer one v'd to follow the nose, and the shorter one would have the ends shortened and the '51 Ford bullets attached. Not sure if the latter would end up feeling a little busy...

Pics:

 

OK JOHN, That grille idea gets the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. Excellent choice. Run with it.

 

I think I would go with the longer piece contoured to match the shape of the nose and chromed. Then I would sit back and call it done. That's my opinion. Either way, I think those grille bars are a home run and will be a great addition to your car that only needs a grille...and wheel covers. Sorry, couldn't resist

 

I almost think the length needs to be somewhere in between the two you have.

 

Could be, but the V'ing will take some length out. I'm just now realizing that the V'ing will require two cuts, one section removed from each side of the 4 middle bumps.

 

I vote the longer bar, v'd to match. That will be a tricky v'ing however, to keep the center ribs parallel. Ideally, it would be v'd in the middle, but how to do that and keep the ribs parallel would be lots and lots of cuts me thinks. V'ing to the outside of the ribs as you said above is probably the easiest, but I think the center will be too flat when viewed from above. That's me thinking out loud. I really like it and think it will look awesome. I agree with the other folks that the thickness of the bar looks great in your car as compared to the thinner bar in OZ's. Not saying I don't like his, but I like the thicker one on yours.

 

I've looked at a bunch of pics of Oz' Merc and it looks like he didn't V it at first, and then V'd it later. Looks different in some pics. I don't think the bar is sectioned.

Google search: https://www.google.com/search?q=oz+...php%3Ftitle%3DOz_Welch's_1949_Mercury;800;497

Does not look V'd here: http://www.kustomrama.com/images/8/8f/Oz-welch-1949-mercury-bad-apple.jpg

Looks V'd here: http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6082/6131349383_76de722bb6_z.jpg

I don't think the bar is thinner, in this pic you can see that maybe it's an optical illusion, the bottom part is black because it did not reflect the light: http://www.kustomrama.com/images/3/39/Oz-welch-1949-mercury-bad-apple7.jpg

 

I'm assuming the bumper is steel, so it would need to be tig welded to keep it nice right...?

 

That third pic makes it look like it was v'd on each side of the ribs like you suggested a few posts above. The middle doesn't look too flat to me in that picture of it is indeed the ends that have been v'd in instead of v'd in the middle.


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I think drdave figured it out. Leave the middle ribs alone and just make a cut under each of the outside ribs so you can "tilt" the bar. The slight "V" cut would be hidden by covered by each of the outside ribs.

How do you think it would look with 2 of those grille pieces- one above the other? It would fill the grille opening a little more and may look pretty darn good.

 

Well, actually, v'ing on each side of the center ribs was John's idea.

I think both bars will not fit in the opening top to bottom and be too much, unfortunately. I really, really like that idea, but I'm thinking there is too much thickness to the bars there to pull it off. But if you cut the bottom, say, 1/3 off each bar horizontally just below the peak.....that might be something there......


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Was able to spend a few hours in the garage, so spent it doing the last bit of sanding on the garnish moldings. Mine had been covered with tweed so I had to sand off the glue, and two layers of paint. I primed the non-visible sections today with rust converter primer.

 

Didn't get to prime my moldings yesterday, rained all day. Maybe tonight.

A few more pics of the planned grille, some other angles to give you guys a feel for it:

 

Was:


Now:


Finally some primer.

 

Better pic


Sanding

 

Gonna look good John!


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The bar looks smaller with the paint sanded off.

 

Looks good.... I like the projects like the window molding, that have a big payoff when they are done.

 

Doc (Joe right?), any pics of your quarter window moldings? I'm wondering what the factory lines look like in the bottom corners.

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I'm only a perfectionist once in a while, but I have to say some parts of the moldings are making my eye twitch. I'm thinking I'll be a bunch of work to a few spots.

 

Yep, Joe. Unchopped '51 Merc window moldings:
The first picture, where they are painted, is taken on a downward angle, so it distorts how tall they are.

 

I'd take a pic to show what in wondering about but I dont get to do car stuff tonight, wife is going out with friends.

There is a 'beauty' line of sorts that runs the length of the quarter window moldings. I'm wondering how they end do they disappear before the ends?

 

Actually your primer parts pic answers my questions, awesome! I was wondering whether the line on the quarter window moldings went straight back or curved up, I see that they curve up and disappear. I was worried that whomever chopped my car did that to just accommodate some bad work.

I've been wondering if this grille bar is stainless or not, I'm assuming not since it was painted from the factory. I will try the magnet test. One friend threw out the idea of me having it polished instead of chromed.