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Projects Who else has redone an 80's custom to an earlier era - Pics!

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Pro Stock John, Sep 10, 2013.

  1. Sounds like some of us have experience with buying a custom with 80's or even newer looks and redone them for an older look... Whatcha got? And for the record, Mick would win a contest if we had one. :)

    1951 Mercury custom, was told it was done in the early 80's in South Carolina:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    I'm still working on it:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  2. Chopmerc, I didn't know his car looked like that before he did his car:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     

  3. I must say you have saved this car.Looks good.
     
  4. Thanks, she used to have too much makeup on but now's she's classy. :)
     

  5. atomickustom
    Joined: Aug 30, 2005
    Posts: 3,409

    atomickustom
    Member

    Holy cow, that is a miraculous transformation!! Nice.
    That almost challenges Mick for best before/after. Almost.
     
  6. I'd have to see before/after pics of Mick's car, let's have a vote. :)
     
  7. jerseymike
    Joined: Sep 25, 2008
    Posts: 707

    jerseymike
    Member

    just to show a little more of chopmerc's amazing transformation, here's some different angle shots.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  8. jerseymike
    Joined: Sep 25, 2008
    Posts: 707

    jerseymike
    Member

    and his brother fifty5c-gas just saved another shoebox. them politz boys got great taste in customs! before, and these don't show the f-upped top or the screwed on fender skirts

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    to this in a matter of months!
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  9. verde742
    Joined: Aug 11, 2010
    Posts: 6,269

    verde742
    Member

    this is not what Ryan has in mind? is it?
     
  10. Steve Ray
    Joined: Mar 2, 2001
    Posts: 693

    Steve Ray
    Member


    It's about traditional customs and how they differ from '80s and '90s styles. I find it interesting. The Merc already had the chop and the frenched headlights but looked dated and cliched; just a few changes made a huge difference. Pro Stock John has great taste.

    Chopmerc's car (Mick's?) is a great example of a mid to late '50s style custom, just before they went over the top and got kind of ugly. What a transformation from the boring and uninspired car it was.

    The shoebox convertible was almost there but the changes really pulled it together.

    Briz bumpers are always a mistake.
     
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2013
  11. I must say I will be following this thread closely - as this is the challenge I am facing with my Mercury. All the basics are there, but the car was "updated" around the '80s style and I am anxious to send her back in time to a more "traditional" look. Thanks should go out to those before me who owned and maintained this car so that I am able to build from a pretty nice basis.

    Great examples of what you meant Pro Stock John. (Perhaps the thread title should have read "80's built/styled").

    Most of what I have worked on is hidden from view, but I hope to get to the bodywork this winter and to restore the dashboard and steering column/wheel.

    [​IMG]

    -Dave
     
  12. fryguy
    Joined: Nov 26, 2005
    Posts: 1,235

    fryguy
    Member

    This is going to be a popular thread moving forward. Lots of 80's styled cars out there that are coming up for sale. Owners are getting older and starting to dump these onto the market.


    Fryguy
     
  13. straykatkustoms
    Joined: Oct 30, 2001
    Posts: 22,308

    straykatkustoms
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Kool idea with the post. Thanks John for the confidence that I'd win the contest. :)
    She was sure ugly back then.

    [​IMG]

    I've had a lot of help to get her to this shape but this is where she sits today. Its hard to
    believe the difference that it made.

    [​IMG]

    Happy Trails, Mick
     

  14. damn, how much fiberglass came off of that thing?
     
  15. straykatkustoms
    Joined: Oct 30, 2001
    Posts: 22,308

    straykatkustoms
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    It would have been easier if it was fiberglass but no fiberglass was found. It was some
    metal and a lot of Bondo...
     
  16. Wow StrayKat! I will never complain about what's in store for me after seeing the task you took upon yourself! Great Job!! That Merc just looks happier now!

    -Dave
     
  17. Mick is like the guy who keeps winning the pie eating contest, impossible to beat. I am just now noticing that the old nose has what looks like a 1991 Firebird bumper grafted upside down? And oo la la those directional wheels.

    Yeah I started the thread to have a little fun but it's at the same time very inspirational to see how folks have transformed a custom.

    I don't even like customs like Chop Mercs but I like it more than my own car... is that weird or what. That car just works.

    I might win on interior, this is my before pic:
    [​IMG]

    I'm still in a bad place, this is about where I am right now, I still need to buy other seats and then decide on whether my buddy and I will try to do the interior ourselves (meaning he does most of the work and I try to stay out of the way):

    [​IMG]
     
  18. roddin-shack
    Joined: Apr 12, 2006
    Posts: 2,512

    roddin-shack
    Member

    Built in the mid 80s I made a few changes but could not bring myself to do much more, it is now just the way I want it. 1. Replace grill. 2. Raise front suspension. 3. Lower rear suspension. 4. Interior update. 5. New Pinstriping. 6. Add 57 Caddy wheel discs.
     

    Attached Files:

  19. cleatus
    Joined: Mar 1, 2002
    Posts: 2,277

    cleatus
    Member
    from Sacramento

    Mick, if I didn't already know it, it would be hard to believe your beautiful car was born from that salamander. It is hard to even understand what they were trying to accomplish with that previous version. Your transformation is amazing
     
  20. mikes51
    Joined: Oct 4, 2001
    Posts: 2,195

    mikes51
    Member

    Yea, hard to beat Mick's old Merc/Datsun front end.

    But what happened? They must have run out of tweed, you know that dash should have been tweed also.

    I just realized you have a 51 merc dash that they removed the best chrome insert part.
     
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2013
  21. What would possess someone to do that to a car ? Nice to see you've brought it back to our type of normality
     
  22. straykatkustoms
    Joined: Oct 30, 2001
    Posts: 22,308

    straykatkustoms
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    My friend was trying to copy a concept drawing that was in Rod & Custom magazine. The
    concept drawing didn't look like my Merc. I was with him during the build and every time I
    was there I made the suggestion to change it back. He liked it :(. The Merc was sitting on
    a 78 Cougar chassis so it had a good ride, that was about the only thing going for it. I had
    a chance to buy it knowing that someday I could convert it into something traditional.

    Gary Mundy was the guy that cut off the 240 z head lights and it started a new life. I
    finally saw the potential that i knew that it had. Ralph Schindel took the project on and
    converted it into a two door and finished the front end conversion and added the 52 Merc
    Dash. I'm very blessed to have been able to own something that is not embarrassing. My
    Merc is proof every thing has potential.

    I found the concept dawning and I will post it tomorrow..

    thanks for all of the complements.... Happy Trails, Mick

    Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
     
    Last edited: Sep 12, 2013
  23. randy
    Joined: Nov 15, 2003
    Posts: 679

    randy
    Member

    whoa. you win.

    -r
     
  24. CHOPMERC
    Joined: May 11, 2001
    Posts: 992

    CHOPMERC
    Member

    Thanks for including my car in this thread John and to jersey mike for the pics and props, I'm proud of how it turned out. And I agree, Mick wins this one, lol...
     
  25. fleet-master
    Joined: Sep 29, 2010
    Posts: 1,780

    fleet-master
    Member

    240z headlights on a Merc ?? :eek:
     
  26. straykatkustoms
    Joined: Oct 30, 2001
    Posts: 22,308

    straykatkustoms
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    This is the concept drawing that my Merc was built after. Originally he was going to put
    headlight covers on the 240z headlight buckets, but decided not too. If you compare the
    concept to the build you can see some similarity.

    [​IMG]

    Thankfully that is all behind me...
     
  27. Dang what year was that drawing done, feels mid 90's for me. Thom Taylor illustrations are cool but...

    Any bigger 'before' pics of your car Chopmerc?
     
  28. OLLIN
    Joined: Aug 25, 2006
    Posts: 3,147

    OLLIN
    Member

    looks like they watched too many episodes of knight rider!

    what a huge improvement, that second pic looks like it was taken in 1952!

    [​IMG] GOOD JOB!
     
  29. Rot 'n Kustom
    Joined: Sep 24, 2004
    Posts: 2,086

    Rot 'n Kustom
    Member

    I wonder if 30 years from now guys will look at these cars and say,
    "How could they ruin a period-perfect 1980s-style custom?" :D
     
  30. straykatkustoms
    Joined: Oct 30, 2001
    Posts: 22,308

    straykatkustoms
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    It was in the August '88 issue of R & C. Charlie Smith was the illustrator and not Thom
    Taylor. He had some concepts in the issue but this wasn't one of them..... I may have
    some bigger pictures of the "before" Merc at home. I try not to get those out. Lol!
     

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