Customs Kustom Mercs / How did you get hooked?

This weekend I've been scanning my old Mercury Pictures and stumbled on
to some kool memories. This is the Mercury that started my love affair with
Kustoms. It was built by Gary Mundy back in the early 80s. I was into stock
55-57 Chevy club so seeing the Merc for the first time was a shock to the system.
I'll never forget the day at the Tumbleweeds show, When Geta ( Gary's Wife) was
showing us how the Hydraulics worked. I was so amazed you thought that she
had invinted Gravy. Man that was kool.....I was bit. It took me years later but
I finally own a Merc and still pre-tend that I'm driving the Godfather. The Merc
was called Godfather and she was bad.

I love Gary's style Lower it, Candy Apple red & White Walls.

Wish it was still around.








I'll post more Mercury pictures tomorrow....

Happy Trails,

Mick

 

Looking back now, it wasn't the nicest car........ but in 1973, it was the coolest car I have ever seen.... The Pharohs Merc, American Grafitti. Wanted one ever since then.

 

mick, do you got any pics of charlie jarvis' (from here in denison tx) 50 merc, before it was chopped... old green paint, slammed, red wheels, wide whites... thats the one for me..... or even a pic of it after the chop would be cool...

 

1980's? This is my first one in process circa 1957

 

KKOA got me BACK into Mercs with this black chopped black 50 Merc
with straight b posts. The red 49 Merc is mine built after seeing it.

 

1980 been hooked ever since

 

The James Dean Merc(Rebel Without a Cause) and American Graffiti Merc got me liking mercs and wanting one.I finally got my first merc about 2 years ago,took me along time.Now I have 2.

 

I've got a copy of "the" photo of Sam Barris standing beside his Merc photo in an album from way back when with a couple of photos of my 51 along with it from when I was a teenager. I have no idea when I put those in the album but I was under 21 at the time because it was before I got drafted. I bought my 51 in 1963 when I was 16 and I had been a Merc fan for years before that. Probably since my uncle Vernon left his 49/51 coupe in our yard for a year or so while he went to Korea in the early 50's and took me for a ride in it when he got back. I remember it stalled at the roller rink and he had to get some guys to push start it. I'd love to have another one but I think most of them are out of my price range now.

 

Bill, I like the way it looks there. When did you change the top?

 

'73 or '74,Gatlinburg rod run,a blue chopped 50 with flames that stayed parked on Airport Road at the Convention center all weekend..Damn near the only post 48 in town that week,and it had notes stuck on the windshield every day..
That car ruined me,I'd love to know who owned it..

EDIT...That car had North Carolina plates,and was a finished car.About a 4" chop,stock front end.Any body know the car,or the original builder?

 

Mercury Charlie's Nadine. I hadn't paid attention to Mercurys in years to be honest, just walked past them at shows and rod gatherings. One night I saw Nadine parked on a street corner and walked over to check the car out and was instantly hooked. The only problem is now I kinda judge all Mercs against her and that isn't fair to them.

 

Having the Robert Williams poster with "Rudy's Green Flame" on it and then seeing the car built to look like it at the Autorama when I was a small kid.

Too bad that car is not in that form anymore.

 

Two reasons...
#1 James Dean...Rebel Without a Cause!
#2 There was this guy who lived somewhere around where I grew up with a chopped,black,'49 Merc! I used to hop on my bike and try to catch up with him to get a better look. Finally,one day I did,and after that he would give me rides any time he saw me. Front was stock height and the rear was lowered. No headliner. He said he couldn't afford to fix it. Wish I knew where that car went...

There's no other car that I saw as a kid,that made me say "I've got to have a car like that!".

 

Sounds like it was a true taildragger.

I agree the whole James Dean thing is cool but something else that really re-fired me up was "Johnny's" Winfield built merc with kickstand pipes built for the TV show Private Eye.

 

My Dad almost bought one when I was real young on the corner of Beach & Whittier.Then seeing the movie book of love in 1991 and going to peterson museum for the first time and them having a couple of mercs ....... I was certain I would own one and of coarse like Bob said ...... Rebel Without a Cause.

 

The rear windows of the 63 and 64 mercs hooked me. I had never seen anything like them. When I saw a 63 monterey at a car show I had to get one.

 

Saw American Graffiti a few times over the years...

I recall reading the Hot Rod article about the Hirohata Merc and how it had been found... article in the 90's?

I saw Cobra in 1987? That hooked me.

Finally bought one in 2008.

All my influences are the guys and cars on this site. Jeff Neppl's car for period correctness, and Nadine for pure awesomeness.

 

Ever since I saw yours
"Doc" Parsons

 

I used to ride my bicycle over to Zupan's service station in Pueblo so I could drool over their cars. One of them was the Ayala/Bettancourt/Barris merc. That was probably about 1956 or '57. I can still remember the unbelieveable mile deep maroon paint and the Dean Jefferies striping on the dash. But the casters under the rear bumper were the coolest things I had ever seen! Been hooked on sleds ever since. My older sister's boyfriend called custom cars "shorts". Anybody else remember hearing that?

 

HOLYSHIT!!!!! So you used to see that car in person back in the day ???? WOW!!! Im very envious.

 

The AG Merc and , IIRC it was Richard Zocchi's "Kool 50" on the cover of Street Rodder in the early 70's. Street Rodder also had the early 70's Merc special with a chop how to. These along with gawking at my old magazines featuring Hirohata's and Ayala's Mercs.

 

For me it begun in 1974 or 75, by the age of ten when I first saw American Graffiti. The impression the Merc did on me will last all through my life. Of course, it is far from the best Merc but it was the first I did see. The red color, the chopped roof and sleek lines... For years I rode my bicycle and later also my moped long distances just to see the movie (I saw it on the cinema 14 times, longest travel by moped to the cinema was 87 miles, one way).

 

Bought my first Merc in '69.
A '49 moredoor ... it's only 20 years old I told my old man
as he drove off in his OLD '47 Olds.. lol
Second one in '86 was a '51 semi custom job.
302/c4/8"
Flame job and lakes etc..
Current build is a '49 Lincoln coupe.
Well it's still a Merc aye. Just a bit flashier..
500 Caddy and jag independent all round.
More trick stuff than care to mention.
Need to get it on the road quick smart..

 

Yes I do. I have it at home. It was one of the 100 Merc pictures that I scanned in over
weekend and I have a before and after picture of Charlie's Merc. I remember when it
drove in at Ft. Smith all Patina'd up. This was way before it was a trend. I liked it after
he chopped it and primerd it black but the "before" was a kool start.

Sorry I forgot the pictures today. Stay tune, I'll post them tomorrow.

Later that year I went to the Starbird show and saw Jack walker's Hirohata clone. I was just
dating my wife at the time and she could not get me away from the Merc. If my memory is correct. I bought a magazine at the show that had a picture of Rudy's Green Flame. It was another one that shocked me because who would put green flames on a purple Merc. Man it was Kool !!! I agree the car needs to be converted back into the Robert Williams
Version. Very kool Sled.

Wow! That would have done more then hooked me...very kool post.

Happy Trails,

Mick

 

My next door neighbor had a 51 coupe and I would see that car everyday in his backyard and imagine how cool it would be to drive it...at 10 years old there wasn't much chance of that and by the time I was 16 the Merc was history but I never forgot it. Another guy, the local "Fonzi", had a 50 that was scalloped over the whole car, looked like an Easter egg...he and the car were bad ass. Now that I have a 50 I have too many other irons in the fire to finish it but it will see the road sometime in the next few years.

 

Well I'll soon be 72 and prolly wanted one since 1960. Bought a Street Rodder mag August 1977 had a chopped Merc on the cover (candy red). that belonged to a kid named Steve Gonzales. His dad, Blas built it chop and all Many pages of Mercs in that mag and the mag is war torn and all dog eared from me going through it. I finally bought mine in 1995 and love it.

 

for me when i was a about 11 or 12.....

 

I didn't know about the issue the first time around. I was talking toTitus (years ago)
and he told me about the issue. Very Kool issue, I had to get mine from Ebay. Proud
to say it is part of my kustom Library. If you don't have a copy of the issue, try to
get your hands on one.



Happy Trails,

Mick

 

Fatkoop,man you are making all of jealous!.Seeing the Bettancourt car in person.I got a ride in Barry Mazza's clone and got an 8 mile ride in Jack Walkers Hirohata clone.I was in heaven!!!!!!.

 

This is the only picture of Charlie's Merc that I could find. It was sure fun that weekend
watching it kruize around. Stance is everything.



Happy Trails,

Mick