Customs Phil Sauers "Old Shasta"1951 Mercury

I'm the current caretaker of Phils "Old Shasta" 1951 Mercury! I acquired it in 2008 I've been collecting history on it since 2008. I started a couple of threads in 2008 and 2011 here on the HAMB:
1951 MERCURY HISTORY? https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1951-mercury-history.313153/ and
1951 MERCURY HISTORY/MYSTERY ANSWERED https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1951-mercury-history-mystery-answered.653803/. I like collecting stuff. Most of my stuff is not displayed, it's in boxes. So I thought I would share the history of Old Shasta and Phil Sauers.Here's the history I've been collecting over the last 15 years.I'll be posting as I go through my stuff. Here's a more recent picture of Shasta.

 

Phil Sauers was born 1-16-1937 and Passed December 19, 2022 from complications of covid. Who is Phil?
Phillip Sauer of Huntington Beach, California was born on January 16th, 1937. His father Cecil, was worked as a lifeguard, and the interest for surfing developed within Phil. While on summer vacation in San Clemente, he was taught how to surf by legendary Pop Proctor. Later on in 1956, he went to Hawaii to catch the big waves. After a year of exploring for surf spots, Phil set sail along with his friend and a wannabe captain on a small 38 foot sailboat known as The Gitana on October 4th, heading for Seattle, Washington. But only five days after the journey begun, a terrible storm caught their boat, and they were lost at sea for the next 71 days. They managed the two months with extreme thirst, and they were washed ashore 150km north of Cabo San Lucas, California.[1]


Four years later in 1961, Phil opened a surf shop on the corner of Firestone and Lakewood Blvds in Downey, called "Surfboards by Phil". Eventually the movie industry noticed Phil's shop, and over the next few years, it would be know as "Surfboards To The Stars". And they were featured along with his clothing line in almost every beach party movies, including, "Ride The Wild Surf", "Muscle Beach Party", "Beach Blanket Bingo", "How To Stuff a Wild Bikini", "Dr. Goldfoot And The Bikini Machine", "Beach Ball", "Bikini Beach", "Wild On The Beach", also classis tv shows as the "The Monkees" and "Gidget"[1]


These days, Phil is living in New York, where he spends his days lobbying heads-of-state at the United Nations on behalf of worldwide fresh water issues via the environmental organization he founded, known as the "World Water Rescue Foundation". Phil and Shasta!

 

[ Ed "Pop" Proctor. Born 12-12-1881 passed away in 1981 at the age of 99. While on summer vacation in San Clemente, Phil was taught how to surf by legendary Pop Proctor. Who is Pop's:“Pop” Proctor is a name known to anyone drawn to the history of Doheny State Beach. He first came to Doheny in 1937 when he was 56. He had recently retired as a mechanic in central California, learned to surf at San Onofre, and soon made Doheny not just his favorite surf break, but eventually his home for most of the year. He lived at the park with the approval of the rangers in his “customized” Dodge (and later Ford) panel truck. He became a local legend and an iconic waterman. Pop was Doheny’s Numero Uno surfer, not for being the best wave rider, but for being the one having the most fun. He was Doho’s first lifeguard. He fished from his paddleboard and snorkeled for abalone and lobster. He was a sought after swim teacher for youngsters, imparting not only swimming, surfing and diving skills, but also a philosophy of how to live life..Pop's was also labeled the worlds oldest surfer. He also worked at a Shell Station which Phil used to hang out at in Shasta mentioned in Car Craft in 1983.

 

Phils 51 Mercury before customizing. When Phil passed away he left a storage locker behind and it was sold with a lot of his items. I was able to acquire some of his pics of the 51 Merc.The guy on the left is Phil and the right his brother Joe?

 

Phil Sauers and his newly painted merc. The Merc was painted and lowered by Dean Jeffries. The interior was done by a GM designer in his garage. The striping was done by Von Dutch. Unfortunately the glovebox door with the tree of life went missing and the striping on the exterior of the car got painted over after the accident. Phil told me he spent the day with Von Dutch. He said it took all day to stripe the car. He would stripe a little then drink a little and stripe a little Still looking for the glove box door.Here's a link:
WANTED TO FIND MISSING VON DUTCH STRIPED 51 MERCURY GLOVE BOX DOOR/LIDhttps://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...striped-51-mercury-glove-box-door-lid.842666/

 

[The accident Feb 1956.. Phil wrecked the car about 1956, when a old man slammed his brakes in front of him. Phil brought it over to Dean Jeffries once again, this time to repair the damages. The rebuild cost Phillip over $4000.Unfortunately after the repair all the exterior Von Dutch pinstriping was painted over. Attached is an article from Car Craft 1983 about the accident, Pop's place A Shell Station which is at the corner Slauson and Soto in Huntington Park and how Shasta got it's name.[

 

In July of 1956 Bob D'Olivio photographed the car for Car Craft Magazine. This version featured 1956 Oldsmobile Fiesta hubcaps. The featured story was printed one year later, in Car Craft July 1957. The feature was shot at Griffith Park.

 

Phil Sauers also belonged to Barris Kustoms of America. Here's the old sticker he got for joining. I think he told me it was like 2 dollars to join.

 

Will do thank you.Thanks for enlarging them too!

 

Got them. Thank you!

 

Love the shot of it in front of the Shell billboard promoting "TCP". Back then we called it Tom Cat Piss.

 

Lol! Never heard that. I think that's the Shell Station was were Pops Proctor worked at. I think Phil told me it was off Slauson and Soto in Huntington Park in one of his emails.

 

In 1956, Phil would become one of the earliest North Shore big wave riders to explore and ride Sunset Beach. Pursuing his dreams he went to Hawaii, and put the car on blocks in his mother's garage.

 

After spending a year exploring the island for other surf spots from Waikiki to Makaha to the North Shore on October 4th 1957,Phil set sail with a wannabe captain and friend out Ala Wai Harbor in Honolulu to Seattle,Wa on a 38 foot sailboat known as The Gitana.Phil and Dave in their uniforms.The captain was Bill Bredehoff of Honolulu. Drew Dave Smith of Newport Beach and Phil Sauers were all onboard the Gitana.

 

Their peaceful journey turned into a nightmare as they got caught up in a massive storm. They got lost and drifted at sea until they were washed ashore 150km north of Cabo San Lucas, California,

 

Phil kept a journal through the 71 day ordeal at sea. Unfortunately I didn't win the bid on ebay for it.Here are a couple of pic's of the journal. The owner of the journal was nice enough to send a passage in it that she found about Phils Merc Shasta:


I’m reading Phil’s journal while lost at sea and he just mentioned Shasta. So thought I’d share. He is writing about what he is missing and thinking about.

“A kid mowing the lawn
while his dad waxes the
car.
I want to live!!!
As I sit here I see
people and places. The evangelistic taberaacle. The Maywood Babtist. Yes old 5921 Templeton st., My car Shasta.”

 

Not too long after Phil Sauers returned home around 1958 after being lost at sea for 71 days he decided to to sell Shasta his merc. He told me his priorities changed. He sold his mercury to Benjamin C Abrenillo of San Diego. The last time Phil saw his car was in 1960, he saw Shasta cruising down PCH, so he turned around and chased the owner down. The merc was pretty much the same, only a little higher. Who is Benjamin Abrenillo:BENJAMIN C. ABRENILLA

Jan. 27, 1935-July 31, 2005
Benjamin C. Abrenilla, 70, of San Diego died Sunday. He was born in San Diego and was an aircraft mechanic. He was retired from the Air Force.
Survivors include his nieces, Gigi Stewart, Robin Suafa, Bonne Mongold and Veronica Fenn; and nephews, Tom Deguinion and Anthony Fortun.
Viewing: noon to 4 p.m. tomorrow, Berge-Roberts Mortuary Chapel, 607 National City Blvd., National City.
Services: none announced.
Inurnment: Holy Cross Cemetery, 4470 Hilltop Drive, San Diego. He also worked at General Dynamics in San Diego right across the street from the storage facility on 28th street where Shasta sat from 1969 until 2008 when I bought it.

 

Here are some pic's from 1959? Don't have any info on the Hudson?

 

Maybe Cabo San Lucas, Baja California?

 

In 1961, Phil opened a surf shop on the corner of Firestone and Lakewood Blvds in Downey, called "Surfboards by Phil".

 

Eventually the movie industry noticed Phil's shop, and over the next few years, it would be known as "Surfboards To The Stars". And they were featured along with his clothing line in almost every beach party movies, including, "Ride The Wild Surf", "Muscle Beach Party", "Beach Blanket Bingo", "How To Stuff a Wild Bikini", "Dr. Goldfoot And The Bikini Machine", "Beach Ball", "Bikini Beach", "Wild On The Beach", also classic tv shows as the "The Monkees" and "Gidget.

 

I'm not sure when Inland Surf Shop closed down? In the 80's Phil was cruising his 41 Woody across the country and racing it raising money for the Heart Association. Here's a link to an interview with Phil: https://www.youtube.com/watch

 

In 2008 I started searching for a Mercury. I always wanted one since I saw American Graffiti and Rebel Without a Cause. I started searching the net and saw a 51 Mercury on ebay that was local and bid on it. The bid did not meet the reserve, but I was the high bidder and worked out a deal with Charles Green who was the current owner. The mercury was at a storage facility on 28th street across from General Dynamics. He acquired it by a lien sale for unpaid storage fees after Benjamin Abrenillo died. Was supposed to a father and son project that never happened. Here's the only poor quality pic I have of it at the storage facility.

 

About a week later my friend Karl and I got a trailer and picked up the Mercury from San Diego and brought it home. The glovebox door was missing. After I got it home a found a card board box with receipts and old registration cards with Benjamin Abrenillo's name on them. The last time the car was registered was 1969.

 

After having the car for a few months and surfing the net looking for history with no look I came across a website called the HAMB which I never heard of. I decided to join in November 29,2008. Right after I joined I started this thread: 1951 MERCURY HISTORY? https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1951-mercury-history.313153/ .Shortly after I posted this thread Member 97 posted this obituary; Jan. 27, 1935-July 31, 2005
Benjamin C. Abrenilla, 70, of San Diego died Sunday. He was born in San Diego and was an aircraft mechanic. He was retired from the Air Force.

 

A day later 00Mack mentioned: Car Craft.July 57.I can only elaborate by saying the car is in there and its a nice one page feature. I can also say that Car Craft revisited the feature when they put out their anniversary issue in the early 80s.The magazine also featured the David Lee Roth video merc. I searched the net and was able to get a copy of Car Craft July 1957 and Car Craft 30th Anniversary Issue from May 1983.Now I had another name Phil Sauer. In the thread 1951 Mercury History I asked if anyone new who Phil is?

 

Sometime in the 60s the 1953 mercury flathead was replaced with a 1955 Chrysler 331 Hemi out of a Chrysler 300. The Rivi taillights in the decklid replaced the bumper guard taillights. Charles Green the st orage owner replaced the whitewalls with radial tires. The glovebox door was missing at the time I got it. At the time I had no clue as to what it looked like. There was also a cool Barris KOA sticker in the window.