After 38 sum years, my dad's old Miles Masa 51 Merc has returned to the family. My youngest brother is going to take it back to the way it was
Miles Masa was quite the artis and a very interesting guy. He painter a car for me in Candy Apple Red with Gold Flames.
In the middle 70s my dad seen pictures of Miles's 2 mercs on the cover of a magazine, he was looking for a coupe at the time and contacted Miles. Short time later Miles called and said he found clean convertible that the owner had to sell. Dad drove out and purchased the car and over the next few years Miles built it for dad, they switched to a 50 front clip for a smoother look. Miles had a mold for fibergl*** tops and made the one pictured. My dad always had cars as long as I've been alive but this is the one me and my 2 brothers grew up in, riding in it to Wichita for the first kkoa show. Dad sold it around 87-88 and it went to New Jersey and as usual the owner tried changing things to make it his own. About 8 years or so after dad initially sold it a friend of his from New Jersey (who happened to be in the caravan of cars that went to Wichita) purchased the car and was going to redo it. Over the years he started it but never completed it. This summer sitting at the Custom Car Revival my youngest brother and I started reminiscing about it, when we got home he found the caretakers number and made the call. He was going to turn 90 and said he was never going to finish it so my brother made a deal and told him it would be restored as close to possible to the way it was. A month later we made the emotional trip to New Jersey and brought it back home. We both were suprised how well the car held up, majority of the interior is still in good condition. Restoration should start in the next couple of months.
The Jalopy Journal
