Customs Provenance

I picked up this 50 Merc custom at auction with no accompanying documentation. It has Barris badging and a Kustoms of America placard on the radiator shroud showing the name "BruiseR". There are a few details that make me doubt it's a Barris Kustom notwithstanding the lack of documentation. Does anyone know anything about this car? It was formerly in the Rhett Butler collection in Texas.

 

Wasn’t there a previous post on this car?

 

You can buy Barris badges.

 

Beautiful Merc. Good luck in your search for info.

 

What are those decals on the windshield?
Did you get the previous title signed over to you or any other documents with names or info?

 

Hell, for 100 bucks you could buy George....

 

Good Looking Merc, Congrats !

 

Welcome to the HAMB.

The red paint with silver scallops looks vaguely familiar- maybe in an R&C magazine's event coverage from 10 or 20 years ago?

 

The car is awesome.....

 

Decals on the windshield are for the auction.

 

@Moriarity may have a memory of this one? Looks very much like something that would show up at Salina.

@travisfromkansas may also have an idea

@straykatkustoms

 

I recognized, seems like it was a magazine feature car in the early to mid 1990s (Rod & Custom?)

 

Great car. Welcome to the hamb. Someone on here will recognize it.
@OG lil E

 

Looks like George could have had some recourse. Probably wasn't worth the legal fees.

 

Looks like one from a Hot Rod article in customs in the early to mid 80s. Guy commented that he drove it so much he went through 3 sets of pipes a year. Good luck on provenance. I've been trying to find Anything on this supposed Sam Barris owned 59 El Camino for over20 years. It had a bill of sale from. Joyce Barris, which I saw and held, but did not receive in the end. Shameless plug I know.

 

It was sold at Barrett Jackson Scottsdale 2005 and they played up the Barris provenance.....the Mecum auction did not. Assuming BJ did not verify but floated the notion and Mecum could not verify so did not....which of course is the correct thing to do.
https://www.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Details/1950-MERCURY-CUSTOM-2-DOOR-SLED-20899

 

Here's the Mecum link with more pics for y'all:
https://www.mecum.com/lots/DA0922-522002/1950-mercury-custom/

~Peter

 

Great looking Merc! Good luck with your search.

 

Same here, recall seeing, seems mid to late 90s Mag,, the Red & Silver seems to jar memory, lick in a block on cover @ event , with multiple car blocks .
I was a subscriber to so many Mags , No help on witch one,

 

This won't help answer your questions about provenance (though I agree with all the posts above that Barris likely wasn't involved), but wasn't there a photo of that car in Pat Ganahl's "Hot Rods and Cool Customs" book? I'm away for the holiday and don't have that book with me, but I seem to recall there was a shot of it taken in the '80s or early '90s with full Moon discs on it. I could be wrong...if no one else has that book, I can look when I get home.

 

Thanks for the link. B-J really hyped the car up. I think they really over exaggerated it. If it was the most famous Merc ever, a lot of people on here would know about it. Also, it doesn't have a 350. It's only a 305. Can't belive B-J would blow smoke like that.

 

Just compared the SN. It's not the same car. Mine must be a clone?

 

Yeah, people don't clone non famous cars. Somebody messed up the serial number listing somewhere along the line. You might want to verify the serial number on your title actually matches your car. Don't believe a tin plate that was recently riveted to your firewall, as the DMV won't believe it.

 

Those are definitely the same car. The most notable difference I see is a hose clamp was added to the remote radiator fill cap which makes sense that it would need one rather than just relying on the cosmetic shrink tube.

 

If it's a clone of the BJ (I gotta quit abbreviating this ) car....they got it down to the gnat's ass. The lake pipes covers set up is the same and the center cover appears (not crystal clear tho) to be the same one. Regardless, as others have said, you've got one fine looking car there. Edit: Looks like everyone got this covered while I was editing pics.
Mecum/your car

BJ car

 

Here's the car Curt Six mentioned. Different, but does have a crest down low.

 

I don't have a dog in the fight, but it is a beauty and thank GOD it didn't suffer from the Kemp virus anywhere along the line. Nice catch.