54 DelRay, I understand, it is seriously surreal to build parts for my car in Gene' shop, work with Craig G and have design conversations with Gene. Gene is a true artist and these people look at things differently than most-he is still able to "see" what a car will look like even before it is done. He has a rule he strongly lives by and anyone who has met and spoke to him will agree that "Everyday is a School Day". This is why I take pics so I can see that I have been privileged to be there (in School)! I am fortunate to be able to have a relationship with people of this caliber and want to mention that there are many others out there all around our awesome country with the same mindsets and the gift of what I call "Rolling Car Art Design". Look at people like Voo Doo Larry, Matt Townsend, Ian Roussel and many others who keep the Kustom Car art of fabrication alive and well-these and people like them are who inspired me to take my fabrication skills to the next level. Thank you for the compliment about mine standing alone. My vision and design ideas were and have been thought out after studying a lot of books, internet sites, history from Rik Hoving's stories and again, learning a ton here on the HAMB from people just like you.
here are some more progress pics on the reverse opening wind wings. Still need to polish the window frame and have glass cut but working out so far. Tough project And it’s giving me more respect for the guys that do these a lot. You have to trim the rubber weatherstripping and keep cutting and finishing all metal so everything will work properly.pics show it closed, open and view from inside where are you see that it will drive plenty of air into the car nicely.
Hmm, I like, but makes me recall a time driving my '55 Ford. Tall narrow wing windows, open all the way to move a lot of air into the car. A big bumble bee hit just the right spot on the glass, propelled it into me, then bounced onto the floor. Dang thing was still alive. I couldn't get stopped fast enough to chase it around with my foot and turn it into little bumble bee parts. Again, I like the modifications you've made on your car. Just be prepared for errant bug or rock to hit you.
That’s a great story and I had a similar situation happen in a big truck I was driving once. I hit a bee swarm....same as you couldn’t get that damn truck stopped fast enough! It’s a good story like yours, in all seriousness, your point is well taken and respected. Thanks for stirring up my memory too!
Yes sir I do, I found a set of 53-54 Ford front fenders and cut them up for the flares. These fenders were rough all around except for the flare portion And I got them inexpensively. They work great and enhance the car imo
Hi Michael, your car is simply fantastic and I have followed your build since the beginning. You have really come a long way. I remember when you showed the side view with the 3-window roof on page 2 and I thought: So much work and it just does not look right! Best idea to cut it off and restart. The Carson top and everything looks perfect now. Congratulations!
Thank you very much, it’s been a long battle but with words like yours, worth it! I like how the Carson top flows right into the trunk almost like a Fleetline, this is intentional to give the car a longer lower look and better symmetry. Glad you like and have enjoyed the journey, a few more finishing touches and I will be driving the whitewalls off of it! So far all mechanicals are working great and she cruises 70-75 mph beautifully at 2000 rpms which is what gas mileage likes! Stay tuned almost done
Hello, here’s another update and something a little different. I might not be the first person to figure this out, but again, giving back to the H.A.M.B. is important to me. While installing my door panels after all the fabrication on the wind wing frames and windows, I re discovered an age old problem with installing door handles and window cranks when using the additional decorative escutcheons. The issue is having to use the “pins” that go through the handle to hold it in place on the door shaft or window crank while at the same time trying to hold the sleigh loaded escutcheon collar out of the way. I know there are special tools for this task but even those are a pain to use at times. You also need a needle size drift punch to install the pins all the way in. Next, the pins also are typically a tight fit and if and when you need to remove them again, it’s just a pain! Last, guess what happens over time? They rust in place and then have fun getting them out! I decided to dilll and tap the holes using a 6/32 Allen head set screw since they fit flush and the escutcheons will work well. I also used anti siege on the threads so they don’t rust in place too and it is much easier to remove them for future repairs etc. see the pics above. finally, I decided to wake up the door handles and window cranks by painting the flutes in them themed to match my car-bid difference a little detail makes, huh? I used a “paint pen” by Sharpie with actual enamel in it and it flowes nice and will be easy to touch up later on. Hope this helps others, now back to the wind wing project
Hello, finally finished the wind wing project. These work GREAT at any speed and don’t blast the heck out of you when open. Took some time to finish, polish and get the glass cut and final installed but way worth it for me and passengers
Yes i agree to a certain degree, see above in the thread regarding bees etc. I believe the time that bugs might get caught and thrown in the car will be minimal compared to how much this setup will keep the car cooler.
Thanks for sharing. Your car has come a long way. Congrats Sent from my SM-A102U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Thank you ZZ, it has been a long road but well worth the effort. Episode 6 is up next where I visit the paint shop nd start putting on the chrome jewelery.
Finally! Here is the last episode of my build-Episode 7. Hope you like and thanks again HAMBERS for all the help guidance and support!
Thank you for taking the time to post your updates. It is really kool to see a Merc come together. I applaud that you did some modifications you don't see very often. The frenched door handle treatment is too kool, Great Idea! Keep us updated, looking forward to seeing video of ya cruising around.
Mercs bad ass bro!!! Can’t wait to start goin back to these car shows again Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Thank you very much Stray Kat, sometimes wish I lived closer to you guys so I could participate in your event. The door handles were a cool idea but in reality not well thought out, one of the mistakes I made building this car. This modification was purposeful so the door handles would lock and they serve this purpose, even though it was a lot to do as I also had to also graft the latch mechanisms into the pillars. The mistake was that I did not look into how the door windows would work in their tracks and most unfortunately, they do not work as the handle mechanisms block the window from being installed and working. With that, came another challenge. I was able to modify and install the wind wings to work but I still needed side windows for obvious reasons. So, I reached out to Craig Gilliam and the one and only Gene Winfield and their solution was simple and effective. I built some window frames out of 1/2" stainless steel tubing by first bending the tubing into the shape I needed. I used the stainless tube versus carbon steel tube like Winfield used in past projects so I would not have to have them chromed incurring big expense. The stainless tube is relatively easily polished to a mirror finish and will be easy to maintain versus chrome. Once Gene and Craig saw this, they were impressed and will look into this way of fabricating window frames in the future. Then, I cut a slot into the tube so the glass would fit into it and had my good friend Jon Hair, who is a master TIG welder weld it up. Next, was to make the glass templates for the glass shop out of 1/4" plywood, an easy task. Last, I built a channel out of 3/4" carbon steel for the door slots where the windows normally go and was able to attach it into the wind wing frame and door frame at the rear of the door. The windows frames neatly fit inside the door channels and lock in at the bottom and the glass is longer than the frame at the front and they neatly slide in and lock the front in place and will work excellent. I'll make a small bag to store them in when not in use although currently, I like driving the car without them as there is minimal air blast flow with the shape of the car, even at highway speeds. Just a bummer not to have roll up and down windows but these will work well, look good, provide sealing against the elements and security when in place too. Here's a couple of pics:
I will post videos of cruising in the near future, it is always cool to see these cars actually moving down the highway etc. The color was perfectly picked out by my wife as she drove to work one day and she had the vision of what it would look like on a full size car somehow. It started out as a color from a late model Mini Cooper and Khalil and his crew at Canoga Auto Works put a little spin on it to make it pop even more.
Thank you Merc Man, I will look forward to meeting you at a show in So Cal in the future and we MUST park these two bad boys next to each other so we can "represent" the Mercs there, deal!?!?
The Jalopy Journal
