It's uncanny how much Jeffs Merc looks like the Quesnel Merc! Great story and pic's again Rik and cleatus...
Hey Rik thanks for doing this for all of us who could not make it. The stories and history lessons were great. And the photos outstanding. Thanks again.
Rik , What has 00mack been saying?,that made you say you think he has been right this whole time? Was he saying that he think's Jerry's was chopped first? If he has been saying that then we are on the same page. I have been saying this and arguing with people about this. Ever since I developed a friendship with Jerry I beleived his was first,ever since he told me the story that you told in your post.
Just for the record on the Sam Barris poster (up above) The pic on the very bottom left and the one above it, that is Mr Jerry Quesnel himself. In the Barris book's I think they say that it is Johnny Zaro,but that is Jerry right there.
What he said.... I SECOND this,, Man , Rikster- It shows how you LOVE them MERC's.. Excellent photography & detailed info !! thanks. -41-
Great footage Rik! and the photo journal of the chop is incredible! It seems like a strange, and kinda difficult way to do a chop on a merc though, but i guess the resaults speak for themselves...
Well I can't add much to what evey one has already said. But living in the Islands has benefits as far as weather is concerned, but if you love this stuf, and i have for 60yrs, you miss it all down here. Not compaining, but if it werent for Rick and folks like him, it would all be lost after a long week end. Thanks again, I followed those cars when they were first done and, well here we are again. They were done but true craftsman, and that never gets OLD. Ice man
WOW, 5 star post for sure. Thanks so much for taking and posting all the photos and commentary. You camera and eye are fantastic. Those are the clearest photos I've seen and I'm sure will go down in custom history. If you had a dime for every photo that someone right clicked and saved you could have paid for your trip many times over. Thanks so much for sharing.
Is it possible, that the '51 dates on the plates are not the date of issue, but, maybe the date of expiration? Sam's '49 also has '51 plates. the Bettencourt car has a '52 corner tag covering the year on the plate. Maybe it's covering a "'51". What about the Bettencourt car? i thought the argument was between it and the Barris Merc. It supposedly was getting chopped at the same time at Ayalas' shop with Sam maybe getting his finished first. On the poster. The bottom two left photos are of Sam's car, the rest are Quisnels. Somebody needs to get ahold of the Barris' and strongly suggest they reproduce that masterpiece quickly.
Rik What a great treat to finally meet you at the show. I was only there for Saturday and spent most of the day in the Merc room. Your pictures and documentation are fantastic. I also like the Merc mystery stories that are popping up. A lot of those early customs were passed from shop to shop and even changed owners before they were finally finished up with paint or primer. Sometimes it was hard to tell who did what. RodP
Here's another Merc Mystery for you. This is a photo of Butch Hurlhey chopping a couple of Mercs at my shop in the late seventies. Both of them were at the show in Sacramento. One was inside and the other was outside. Does anyone know which ones they were? RodP
The argument in the book's has been between the betencourt and Sam's car but this argument has been going on behind the scenes.As far as the poster goes you say that the bottom left pics are Sam's car???? Say's who besides the Barris book's?? See those same Barris book's also claim that in that same picture that is Johnny Zaro working with Sam when in fact it is Jerry. Why would they put a bunch of pics of Jerry's car and then just happen to throw in 2 of Sam's pic's? Also- there is no proof that those two pictures ARE in fact Sam's merc- reason you ask??? When have you seen any other pic's of Sam's car running around with a Kustom merc grill?????
Oh and Jeff,I was always said that the car wiTh the roof bein lifted off in the pics wasnt Sams car it was Quesnells,thats all.
Well never know which one was first.How do we know it wasnt Bettencourts or Gaylords convert for that matter.
Anthony You are right on the 51. It was my car car when Butch chopped it and I drove it a couple of years and sold it. The new owner had us put in the desoto grill. He has owned it ever since. It was in the drive in part of the show. It has red wheels and black bumpers now. Makes me sad. Wrong on the Midnight Sensation guess again.
I didnt say Midnight sensation.That thing supposed to be here somewhere.I said Curly Tremaines.Midnight Sensation was a 51.
I personally dont count the convert with the coupes,but that's just me. Louie's? See that's a tough one because the earliest photo's I can find of that car it is running 1951 plates with 52 corner tag's. I find it hard to beleive that if that car was sliced in 49 like a lot of people said ,why was it not shown or photographed till late 51 or 52.( I think 52 was it's first show at the pan pacific,I might be mistaken.)
The Jalopy Journal
