WINTER PROJECT: The Merc that everyone told me to throw away

So, I've been kinda scarce around here for a while....had good reason...been out in the shop pluggin away at this '50 Merc that everybody and their brother told me to throw out...Well now I've got some friends that keep askin fer some progress pics, so I figured that I'd oblige...been takin pics for quite some time on this with my camera phone and I don't think they turned out too terrible.
So, first off, I pulled this car out of a field about 4 years ago, no front end, no running gear, no suspension, lotsa dents, lots and lotsa rust. I got a '51 Merc 4 door parts car for the front end, and a '51 Lincoln rolling chassis (had to cut the Lincoln chassis and shorten it 2 inches...a Lincoln is 2 inches longer from the firewall forward...welded it back together and plated it too) I wasn't quite sure if I had the time or space to take on this project, so I tried to sell it for a while with no takers, so I figured screw it, let's get started.
So these pictures represent the starting point:

 

A couple more starting point pictures:

 

So I rented out some shop space from a good friend of mine (welding shop...he's in the Army and not around very much so we don't really get in each others way) and started to replace things...this is how she looked when I brought it into his place...took her apart and started replacing the floors...

 

Floors goin in on the passenger side and I started to repair the passenger side door pillar bottom....

 

If I were you I would get new friends even though its a project it is way doable

 

well you don't throw something like this away. if you can fix it, fix it. I applaud your effort. you do nice work. your friends will be jealous. hell, I'M jealous.

 

Thanks man! This may take a while fellas so bear with me...Well I went on tour with one of my bands for a month and jumped right back into it upon returning home...
I started to replace the passenger side outer rocker, most of the passenger side rear wheel well inner, and began recreating the outer bottom lip of the rear of the car (the part that the trunk floor pans spot weld to)

Also welded up the gas door...

 

I began making part of the trunk floor next...it's kind of integral to the inner wheel wells, so i was doing that at the same time...keep in mind that I didn't have a sheet metal brake at this point either...made my own make shift metal bender....A piece of 3/4 inch plywood with a piece of angle iron on one edge...mark where the bend has to go on the sheet metal, clamp it down, and start hammering the thing over....

 

Next order of business was to start fabricating the majority of the drivers inner rear wheel well...this took quite some time....and I had to mock the quarter up on it to tease myself a little...

 

So did I mention that the other problem the car had was lotsa dents? The hermit farmer I got the car from had beat on it with a 10 pound sledge...long story of a deal gone bad between him and a previous wannabe buyer....all I can say is I'd like to have acouple rounds with him and my own hammer...I swear, some people's kids....anyway, so he managed to smack it in all of the "hard" places...where you couldn't get a hammer and dolly in, so I would cut out the dented piece, reshape it, and then weld it back in...Here's the one in the passenger side rear quarter...

 

You have taken on quite a task however, it looks like you have the skills to finish out the project. I love merks and will extreamly glad to see another on the road.

Keep up the good work.

 

And one in the panel just in front of the trunk lid...also a welded in shot of the quarter piece...

 

man, thats a big job. looking good so far.

 

Some grinding, sanding, sandblasting, priming....

 

Lots of progress Steve! Keep on it!

Max

 

Thanks for the props guys! There's still more a comin....I figured that I'd start on the body work while I was at it...

 

Next was gettin the mill into this old girl... 390 Cadillac outta a '62 hearse...had to make the motor mounts, frame mounts....they're good and strong...made 'em outta 1/4 inch plate...welded up some firewall holes too

 

More sanding, more primer...the decklid in these pics is my replacement that I bought from Squablow...Viva La Hamb!

 

Fixed the passenger side front roof dent and made patch for the passenger side dogleg of the rear quarter bottom...Now it's starting to look like something...

 

yep,you and 'Sled' are keeping the naysayers in their place!
.All you have to do now is realise that smoothing bondo is a lot harder than straightening metal.

 

So both door hinge pillars were rusted pretty badly also....remade them...

 

Very, very cool! Love your metalwork and attitude. Nice job.

 

Fixed the hinges on the passenger door and got it mounted back on and working! Up to this point, I had to lift the door off to do any work around it...Also I fixed the driver's roof front and the section in front of the trunk lid on the driver's side...

 

Recreating the passenger rocker front, and welded the door handle and lock shut on the passenger door...I just had to do something fun, ya get a bit sick of just chasing rust after a while...

 

Fixed drivers side hinge pillar and hinges on that door...also welded up the door handle and lock...Also I started welding up the trim holes on the driver's door...it was a Lincoln door, that's why the big trim holes...sorry about the dark pics...

 

time involved will make it mean more to you than money needed to buy the same car some one else built , glad to see you are up to the challange and doing a good job of building your own merc.

 

So I also got this crazy idea to graft '55 Chevy wheel wells onto the Merc front fenders...so here's the driver's side...

 

great job ,slowly it ressurects from the dead.This is a real resto with some talented workmanship,well done.

 

a couple more of the driver's....also started fixing the headlight opening...

 

GREAT JOB! I'd be a bit leary of starting with such a shaky foundation, but you have proved many wrong, i'm sure. I too have been doing all the metal work on mine, and just started the chop. I agree that sometimes you gotta take a break from chasing rust and do some fun metal fab. Keep up the good work, and keep posting pics! LOOKS GREAT!