I was fooling around on Rikster's site this morning and stumbled across the above shoebox Ford. Now, it's no secret that I love 1949-51 Fords, but I've never really appreciated the proportions of unchopped sedans. They've always seemed a little a... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
That thing is just right. My first car was a '49 Ford Tudor with about the same mild stuff done except for the Merc grille (mine had no grille at all!). Thanks for the post.
nice car. lose the bumper guards though, IMHO. the unchopped cars look best when moderately lowered... like 3 in front 4 in back or so. thanks for the pics...
You guys are right on. I love two-door shoeboxes, but you have to give much respect to anything that looks as nice as that four-door. Also? It runs. I own a '49 Club Coupe that ain't finished and doesn't run. At all. So I can definitely appreciate the nicety of having a running, finished four-door. Shoeboxes rule!
Here ya go, boss: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2427314 Unfortunately, they aren't all that common. But if you can find one complete, the whole front clip interchanges with a shoebox, and it looks real neat. 7/8 scale merc without all the cutting and welding. Here's a better shot: http://www.pbase.com/xl1ken/image/59663552
Those Meteor gilles are worth their weight in gold, have seen them as high as $2500 bucks at Portland Swap meet and they actually sold before the first day was over. And not too many were ever made. Merc grille cutdown and rechromed would be cheaper and more realistic if you want to finish your car. Took me 10 years to find and acquire a 51 Meteor grille and would have never happened if not for the HAMB.
Looked at a sedan for sale one time and couldn't figure out why it looked so good. The guy points out to me that he eliminated all four vent windows. Really subtle. I think it made the proportions better than a coupe.
That's what I'm talking about Notice how a few people on here thought that car was a 4 door? It's the rear quarter window vents that really make it look like a 4 door. I can deal with the bumper guards, but I think the car would look so much better with one piece rear quarter window glass. You could leave the front vent windows in, just the back ones look so out of place. Honestly, I'm not that hot for the frenched headlights on this one either.
The cool thing about a meteor shell vs. a sectioned Merc shell is that the upper corners are slightly more "squared off" than they would be with a sectioned Merc shell. The Merc shell is perfectly proportionate, but when you section 6 or so inches out of the middle, the corners tend to seem very round and bulky. Not that its a bad look, but next to a Meteor shell, its alot different. I have a line on one but its a million miles away.
Also never under-estimate the power of the Desoto grill. I would have to say I am happy with the stance of my unchopped 51 Shoebox
It's photos like these that always make me laugh when a guy chops a shoebox 6" front and 7.5 or more in the back to get that nice fastback look, airbags it so the frame sits on the ground, paints it flat black, sticks in 350/350 with a 3' shifter with a nice '80s tilt column, mexican blanket interior with plywood door panels and calls it a traditional kustom. This thing looks clean and has more class than a stocker. That's why it was kustomized. The Meteor surrounds are a bitch to find in decent shape since our climate was not kind to metal up here. A Meteor grille is narrower than a Merc to fit a shoebox. I have a spare one in case anyone is looking for one. I found a stainless one last year to put into my car. They are next to impossible to find. Most were plated steel. I believe they were '49 only and not at all plants.
yea, some times i kind of wish i had searched for a merc shell over the meteor shell for my car, but the price was right...i got the grill shell, hood latch, valence pan(which im going to change over to the stock one again) and the front section of the hood that i saved...but recently had to use to fix a rotted 51 hood..all i had to do was pay shipping and the gas for the hamber to drive out and rip the shit out of the car laying in a dried up river bed.. up in canada.
Ya, and I hate you for that. I have a friend in Vancouver buying a parts car for me and ripping off the entire front clip and then we need to figure out how to get it to me. Ugh! I have a '49 Merc shell, cut your meteor shell out and trade me!