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Customs Pulled a '51 Merc from a cemetery today (no kidding) pics

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Squablow, Oct 25, 2008.

  1. Squablow
    Joined: Apr 26, 2005
    Posts: 17,388

    Squablow
    Member

    Here's the story.

    A month or so ago I bought a baby Lincoln coupe and it was sitting on my trailer for a while. I posted some pics of it here.

    http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=293962

    So a friend of mine who knew I had the Lincoln stopped by and asked me if I wanted a '51 Mercury. I said sure I do. Is it the one by the graveyard? Yup.

    Sure enough, I've known about this car for years but no one would ever return my phone calls about it and it just sat there. But now the people who owned the property where it sat sold the building to a neighbor and the car had to go.

    I paid the guy for the car and got the title (it has a title!) and the next day (today) I went there to pick it up. Check out the cool old schoolhouse where the new property owner lives. This is right across the street. It's hard to read in the pic but the lettering above the door says Robert E Lee.

    [​IMG]

    There's a little red building on the other side of the road and the Merc was parked behind it. Here's the first picture I took. Check out the background.

    [​IMG]

    Here it is from the other side.

    [​IMG]

    I've got a winch and a trailer, but I'm worried about how buried it is in the ground. I don't want to have to jerk it out of there. I doubted any of those tires would hold air, but I brought air with me so may as well try. Figured maybe at least one would pump up long enough for me to get some blocks under the wheels so I'd have room to get my jack under.

    Of course, every valve stem was pointed down so I had to dig down into the dirt just to find the valve stems to try.

    [​IMG]

    But, one by one, every tire pumped up and held air. I couldn't believe it. Kind of creepy when the car starts to rise up out of the dirt and push the ground out around it. The new property owner came out to lend a hand (much appreciated by me) and he was watching as I pumped up the tires, standing right behind me he says "rise from the dead!" and the tires pumped up.

    [​IMG]
     
    oliver westlund likes this.
  2. Squablow
    Joined: Apr 26, 2005
    Posts: 17,388

    Squablow
    Member

    Then I winched it on and brought it home. Took a little finageling but it went on pretty smoothly. Here are some more pics of it on the trailer in my parking lot.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Quarters need work, it's no cream puff, but it ain't bad either. Engine is still in it and all complete, interior is all there and doesn't even look that bad. Has the radio delete on the dash where the radio numbers are printed on but no radio.

    Check out this rear quarter trim. It's almost completely disintegrated, yet the other side is stainless and it's perfect.

    [​IMG]


    Does anyone sell replacement quarters or patch panels for these cars? I've heard that there are pieces availible somewhere, but I haven't found any yet. You'd think with how popular Mercs are, you could get stuff for them.

    No idea what I'm going to do with this car, it was just one of those deals that was too good to pass up. Especially having known about it all this time. I just had to share some pics.
     
  3. slammed
    Joined: Jun 10, 2004
    Posts: 8,150

    slammed
    Member

    An unusal place to score some tin. Neat thread.
     
  4. Isaak_M
    Joined: Oct 31, 2004
    Posts: 183

    Isaak_M
    Member
    from LV/WA


  5. You've got be living a very good,honest life,Things like this usually happen to good people!!LUCKY,LUCKY,LUCKY The Gods smiled on you
    I've found a 50 Merc cpe and hope they smile on me too!
     
    Pinstriper40 likes this.
  6. Kustom7777
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 5,184

    Kustom7777
    Member
    from Austin, TX

    cool story and pics,,,,,very appropriate for this time of year,,hahah
     
  7. Labold
    Joined: Nov 1, 2007
    Posts: 1,219

    Labold
    Member

    Great find! Thanks for sharing.
     
  8. Dat Dirty Rat
    Joined: Jan 15, 2003
    Posts: 3,505

    Dat Dirty Rat
    Member

    Thats so awesome....nice score!!
     
  9. Carb-Otto
    Joined: Feb 12, 2006
    Posts: 332

    Carb-Otto
    Member
    from FINkLAND

    ...and even those windows are intact!
     
  10. Steve-Cook
    Joined: Jul 22, 2007
    Posts: 489

    Steve-Cook
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    just stuck me funny with where the car was found:eek:
     
    Clay Belt likes this.
  11. James427
    Joined: Apr 27, 2008
    Posts: 1,740

    James427
    BANNED

    Doesn't it feel good to finally get a car that you've known about for years? Too bad the previous owner had to be such a but hole and let it sink into the ground like that.
     
  12. deadendcruiser
    Joined: Jul 18, 2007
    Posts: 691

    deadendcruiser
    Member

    Very cool story. Looks like you have plenty of projects. Hope the Merc. gets back on the road.
     
  13. SlowandLow63
    Joined: Sep 18, 2004
    Posts: 5,958

    SlowandLow63
    Member
    from Central NJ

    Cemetary find, the new barn-find.
     
    Clay Belt likes this.
  14. "Rise from the dead" he says. Maybe you should have him say"chop the top" or "go custom" too!:D
     
    Clay Belt likes this.
  15. Squablow
    Joined: Apr 26, 2005
    Posts: 17,388

    Squablow
    Member


    The story I got was this car belonged to the father of the guy I got the title from. The son kept it in his barn for years after the father died. Then the son in law of the son (does that make sense? The granddaughter of the original owner's husband) took the car out of the barn and parked it behind this building. The son in law apparently thought he was going to fix it up.

    Sounds like the son of the original owner (who has to be in his 70's now) thought it was kept inside the building when really it was out back. He owned the property where it was kept and when he sold it he had to get rid of the car.

    It's surprisingly pretty solid underneath. No one was quite sure how long it had been there, the owner of the car thought maybe 10 years but the new property owners and neighbors that stopped by figured more like 20.

    I'm going to pull the plugs out and soak the cylinders, see if it will start. All 4 drums are locked up, but apparently the fronts were locked when they hauled it out there.
     
  16. Velomech
    Joined: Oct 14, 2007
    Posts: 136

    Velomech
    BANNED
    from nunya

    255 flathead? Thats quite a score, congrats bro.

    My pop and I had one when I was almost old enough to drive in the early 80's. It drove soooo smooth. You couldnt here the motor run.

    Cheers and beers
    Hodge
     
    Clay Belt likes this.
  17. rodknocker
    Joined: Jan 31, 2006
    Posts: 2,265

    rodknocker

    Thats a cool ass story, congrats.
     
  18. Mauseleum merc!


    OLD SCHOOL (HOUSE)MERC

    WOW WHAT FOND MEMORIES THERE MUST BE BEING A SCHOOL KID WITH A CEMETARY FOR APLAY GROUND..

    Did it come with hook/arm hangin from the passenger door handle?

    You say it was formaldehydeing behind that building for how long...

    Stop me put a steak in my chest
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2008
  19. gnarlytyler
    Joined: Feb 2, 2007
    Posts: 1,004

    gnarlytyler
    Member

    Cool find glad you got it before it joined the rest 6ft under.
     
  20. OshkoshRob
    Joined: Jun 16, 2008
    Posts: 388

    OshkoshRob
    Member
    from Oshkosh

    Great score man, and an awesome story. Try www.mercuryland.com for parts. I believe they have both steel and fiberglass quarters for these. Not cheap though. You got any buick rear ends in that stock pile of yours?
     
  21. notebooms
    Joined: Dec 14, 2005
    Posts: 2,077

    notebooms
    Alliance Member

    wow, what a score... and a good story to go along with it.

    great find.

    -scott noteboom
     
  22. titus
    Joined: Dec 6, 2003
    Posts: 5,145

    titus
    Member

    When i had my 50 merc i had looked into quarter and some one made em but can remember who, i actually looked at a set at Iola, they were at a sheet metal vender near the tower.

    jeff
     
  23. edgeabilly
    Joined: Dec 10, 2006
    Posts: 735

    edgeabilly
    Member

    Wow great car and story!!
     
  24. Chaz
    Joined: Feb 24, 2004
    Posts: 5,016

    Chaz
    Member Emeritus

    There were a bunch of people dying to get at that car!
     
  25. eightbanger
    Joined: Feb 17, 2007
    Posts: 378

    eightbanger
    Member

    Very nice score...lucky bastard.
     
  26. Very cool find!~!!!!!!
     
  27. Strange Agent
    Joined: Sep 29, 2008
    Posts: 2,879

    Strange Agent
    Member
    from Ponder, TX

    That's pretty cool. That makes a good oppurtunity for a themed ride. It looks like quite a project, though.
     
  28. Squablow
    Joined: Apr 26, 2005
    Posts: 17,388

    Squablow
    Member

    I wonder who that was. I've been to every Iola since I was 12, but I was never looking for Merc parts before.

    All I really need is a patch panel to fix the part in front of each rear wheelwell opening. The rest I can make. I don't necessarily want to buy full quarters if they're that expensive (I heard $800 a side!)

    We'll see. The baby Lincoln is going up for sale now that I have this one. I've got a billion projects to finish before this one gets touched, but I've known about the car for so long and it had to go somewhere fast so I was all over it.
     
  29. I never came across repop quarters, but you could try www.mercuryland.com though the lady is so-so knowledgeable. Someone does make repop rocker panels. Where are you in WI, down South? That might be the last Merc just sitting out like that around the upper MW.
     
  30. cool score and a cool story...good luck
     

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