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History Glen Hooker's 1939 Mercury Convertible

Discussion in 'Traditional Customs' started by Jive-Bomber, Oct 2, 2014.

  1. Jive-Bomber
    Joined: Aug 21, 2001
    Posts: 3,754

    Jive-Bomber
    MODERATOR

  2. birdman1
    Joined: Dec 6, 2012
    Posts: 1,591

    birdman1
    Member

    what a great looking , sleek car! what an imagination it must have taken to build a car that is forever cool!
     
  3. flamingokid
    Joined: Jan 5, 2005
    Posts: 2,200

    flamingokid
    Member

    You just keep torturing me with Valley Customs fine work ;)
     
  4. Jkustom
    Joined: Oct 8, 2002
    Posts: 1,686

    Jkustom
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I like that car a lot. Anyone have any interior shots?
     

  5. RainierHooker
    Joined: Dec 20, 2011
    Posts: 2,031

    RainierHooker
    Member
    from Tacoma, WA

    Gorgeous. A fine example of the less-is-more mantra.
     
  6. rbantique
    Joined: Jun 12, 2008
    Posts: 6,431

    rbantique
    Member
    from maine

    see it in action !!
     
    zero2hero and HEMI32 like this.
  7. 50Fraud
    Joined: May 6, 2001
    Posts: 10,101

    50Fraud
    Member

    The movie is an amazing find.
    As I understand it, Glen Hooker was Neil Emory & Clayton Jensen's nephew. They built the car for Glen when he was a teenager, and started with a badly rusted '39 Merc convert. Channeling the car and cutting away the bottom portion of the body and fenders killed two birds with one slice; the car was customized and the rust was gone. Raising the wheel wells completed the job. It's amazing that the car is not sectioned and the fenders have not been raised, yet it compares favorably in its proportions to the much more radically modified Ralph Jilek '40 Ford convert, also a Valley Custom creation.
     
    zero2hero, falcongeorge and HEMI32 like this.
  8. @Jive-Bomber - Speaking of '39 Merc 'vert Customs ... Any updates on yours?
     
  9. 19Fordy
    Joined: May 17, 2003
    Posts: 8,027

    19Fordy
    Member

    Wow! Such melodrama where the good guys win.
    Nick Adams went on to do his famous TV series "The Rebel."
    That 39 Merc looks great tearing up those mountain roads at 110.
     
  10. Torchie
    Joined: Apr 17, 2011
    Posts: 1,099

    Torchie
    Member

    Agreed.
    At first glance I thought that it had been sectioned as well. But upon further looking noticed that the hood looked untouched.
    In my mind Valley Customs turned out some of the finest and best proportioned customs of the day. Everything that was done works as a total in the complete overall appearence. Nothing looks done just for the sake of doing it.
    Torchie.
     
  11. codeblu
    Joined: May 11, 2006
    Posts: 606

    codeblu
    Member

    I'm sure I'm in the minority here, but I love the chrome fender welting used back in the day on many of the Customs and Hot Rods. Always liked this car, and the majority of Valley Customs work.
     
    John Lee Williamson likes this.
  12. I like the chrome welting as well. Beautiful car but that was pretty much the norm coming from the Valley Customs shop.
     
  13. Such a great custom, I really enjoy seeing custom with a channel, gives it a sleek look. Pat Ganahl did a piece in his book lost Hot Rods 1. Glen had bought the Merc back and sectioned the hood and top cowl after consulting Neil. Car now sits in a warehouse.
     
  14. oldandkrusty
    Joined: Oct 8, 2002
    Posts: 2,141

    oldandkrusty
    Member

    If there is a more tasteful custom anywhere on this planet I sure would like to see it. Just deeeeeee-licious!
     
  15. 50Fraud
    Joined: May 6, 2001
    Posts: 10,101

    50Fraud
    Member

    Although I'd read Pat's book, I overlooked the part about Glen sectioning the hood and cowl. I sure hope the car gets put back together some day; I'd love to see it with its new proportions.
     
  16. Okie Pete
    Joined: Oct 29, 2008
    Posts: 4,968

    Okie Pete
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    It looks clean, smooth and subtle very nice . Truth is it was a lot of work .
     
  17. lucas doolin
    Joined: Feb 7, 2013
    Posts: 541

    lucas doolin
    Member

    Totally agree. With the fenders raised on the body, the chrome welding is proof of master craftsmanship required to modify the wheelhouse(s). It's way easier to trim and weld the fenders to the body and contour with lead or bondo. Jimmy Summers '40 Mercury is the prototype for this level of metal mastery. What I find most impressive about the Valley Custom Glen Hooker '39 convert is that it flows beautifully and looks far better than it should with the stock hood height out of proportion to the sleek body further slimmed by channeling and removal of the running boards.
    Look again at the lead picture and you'll see the front fenders really need to be raised a couple of inches to match the rear. I understand the additional work and cost was a factor at the time of the initial build. Tony's fraudulent 40 cvt addresses this design point very successfully. All the above IMHO of course. Just saying.
     
  18. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    LOVE the Hooker car. Comes off better than the Jilek car IMO, which has the front fenders raised. Its been said before, sometimes less is more...

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2014
  19. hugh m
    Joined: Jul 18, 2007
    Posts: 2,143

    hugh m
    Member
    from ct.

    At first thought it was one of the Coach Craft cars, sure is nice, especially comes together with the top up. That black scallop thingie is not needed, kind of hard to tell when it was added.....
     
  20. 50Fraud
    Joined: May 6, 2001
    Posts: 10,101

    50Fraud
    Member

    Couldn't resist:
    hooker39CVR.jpg
    Axel0200.jpg
    Jilek40-0300Hi.jpg
     
    ynottayblock likes this.
  21. 31Apickup
    Joined: Nov 8, 2005
    Posts: 3,367

    31Apickup
    Member

    Always loved the proportions of the Glen Hooker Merc, just perfect. I studied this car quite a bit about 25 years ago when I knew of a rough 39-40 Merc coupe that had the roof cut off for sale.
     
  22. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    Funny, I was thinking about doing the same thing! Might be heresy, but I think your car is better proportioned than Jileks. Believe it or not, the Hooker car is my favorite out of the three. The shorter front fender with the deep radius, along with the lack of running boards, gives the car a leaner more muscular appearance that I find very appealing.
     
  23. lucas doolin
    Joined: Feb 7, 2013
    Posts: 541

    lucas doolin
    Member

    The fenders are not raised on the Jilek car, the body has been sectioned above the fender line, lowering the top of the body down to the fenders. It's also not channeled, perhaps explaining why the running boards were left on. Visually, it does appear as if the fenders were raised, but this is really an "optical delusion."
     
  24. 50Fraud
    Joined: May 6, 2001
    Posts: 10,101

    50Fraud
    Member

    I wouldn't argue, but I'm waiting for the windows and top to be developed on mine before judging its final success. I think that Valley did the Jilek car first -- circa '48 -- and I don't know when the Hooker car was done, but I think later. I suspect that they figured out how to get a similar result with a lot less work on the Merc, and it's amazingly successful. Funny that they did the little subtle scallop on the door (visible in the picture at the top), and later did the much more extravagant scallop on the lower door and quarter (visible in the movie, and most other photos of the car). I like it better with the smaller scallop (or none!).
     
  25. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    I'll post Marty Moores car here, its not channelled or sectioned, but it shares several visual cues with the Hooker car. I have been looking at this car a lot over the last year, more so since I bought an unfinished 2" chopped '39 convertible. I'm particularly in love with the hood. Really like the radiused wheelwells as well.
    Marty 002.jpg Marty 001.jpg Marty 003.jpg
     
  26. 50Fraud
    Joined: May 6, 2001
    Posts: 10,101

    50Fraud
    Member

    Nice car. I don't recall seeing it before.
     
  27. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    I had thought you may have, it has several of the same cues that are a big part of yours, although they are also in common with the other cars here. The intent for my car is much more wieghted to the hot rod side of spectrum, sectioning is not in the cards, it wouldn't really "fit", the Moore car is in my mind alot. That issue hasn't left the nightstand since I bought the car, it won't be a "clone" by any means, and the "feel" will be quite different, but theres sure a lot to look at there.
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2014
  28. 50Fraud
    Joined: May 6, 2001
    Posts: 10,101

    50Fraud
    Member

    I found the Apr '55 HRM in my collection and reviewed the article. Again, nice car. I would not have thought of lowering a '40 and then radiusing the wheel wells, but it looks great. It may not be very obvious that mine has 3+" of rubber rake, with the wheel wells radiused accordingly, so there's more wedge to the shape of my car that any of the early cars had.
     
  29. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    I noticed that, and thats more in the direction I am heading, although I dont intend to get my car as low as yours.
     
  30. catdad49
    Joined: Sep 25, 2005
    Posts: 6,401

    catdad49
    Member

    Restyling at it's finest. Love the version without the black highlight.
     

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