Projects Mercury 51 frenched headlamp

Hello all,

I'm buildind a 51 mercury and want the front headlights like this or like Jesse James mercury:
http://image.customrodder.com/f/fea...5806/0505cr_01_z+1951_mercury_coupe+front.jpg

But I just can find this kit:
https://www.streetrodhq.com/detail/15245/Frenched_Headlamp_Set_7_Chrome_40S50S_Cars_And.html


Cany you guys give me an advice?


Thanks,
Fernando

 

Trust me, you don't want that kit. Look for some '53 or '54 Merc rings. They "look" right.

 

You do NOT want those Hagan ones! Looks awful 100% of the time. What you do want is 53 Ford car headlight rings, 54 would probably work too, they're just not quite as deep. With the '53 rings, you get a steel bezel you can cut down and weld directly to the fender. Mercury probably used the same parts.

I think someone is reproducing the Ford/Mercury headlight pieces you need, but I'm not sure where to find them, perhaps someone else here can point to the source. But do NOT buy those Hagan ones! Yuck!

 

Night prowlers (kustomcarparts.com) used to sell the '53-'54 Merc rings with bezels which are what you are looking for but they no longer include the inside stainless bezel and I haven't heard anyone that is selling new ones with a bezel anymore. Here is what they now offer:
http://shop.kustomcarparts.com/1952...l-Frenching-Rings-NO-BEZELS-french-52merc.htm

 

Hey guys, dart73 says he wants that look and wants info re the same and not your opinion, so why not give him the info or refrain from posting.

 

No he didn't he said that was the only kit he could find. The picture he showed is of the '53 Merc rings.

 

Because when you see a fellow going in the wrong direction when it comes to frenching the iconic 51 Merc you have an obligation to tell him the truth about what makes a traditional good looking custom. Also, you may be able to use the stock 51 Merc headlight rims if they are steel, not pot metal. They are a little deeper than Ford. 49 Merc will also work nicely.
So, with that said dart73 can now do it right.\http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/featuredvehicles/0707rc_1951_mercury_custom/
http://www.ebay.com/sch/6000/i.html?_nkw=1953+ford+headlight+rims&_rdc=2

 

In responding to the original question. The supply do 51 merc rings seems to have dried up. I agree and do not like the Hagan kit with the wide fat stainless trim ring. Found a site www.Kool-rides.com. that has a expensive kit than has the original style thin stainless trim rings.

 

Thank you all guys. It really helped.
Just let me know if anyone kows a good source for this "kit"...

Thanks again,

 

Here you go.
http://www.haganauto.com/40s_50s_Frenched_Headlamp_Sets_s/54.htm

 

Are you looking for rings like in your picture and on the Jesse James Merc or are you looking for the Hagans? No one that I know of is currently selling a new kit for the style from your picture/Jesse James Merc.

 

I just frenched the headlights on my '51 Mercury using the '52-'54 Mercury headlight rings.
See these threads and links:

Frenched Headlights Picture Thread
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=775255

Tech: Traditional headlight frenching 101
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=232931

52-54 Mercury Headlight Frenching Kits w/stainless trim?
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=802079

52-54 Merc Steel Head Light Bezels w/ SST Inner Ring (pair)
https://www.koolrides.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=75&products_id=700

http://shop.kustomcarparts.com/Headlight-Frenching-Kits-and-Rings_c305.htm
http://shop.kustomcarparts.com/1952...l-Frenching-Rings-NO-BEZELS-french-52merc.htm



.

 

Wow it's too bad night prowlers still doesn't sell the Merc rings with bezel as Kool rides is $50 more than they used to charge.


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Yes I want like Jesse James... not like Hagans,,,

 

Hagans look completely wrong. Get the Ford/Merc bezels...Speedway Motors has them, last time I looked.

 

Hagans....NOOOOO!!!!

 

Then you want the ones like Doctor Detroit posted in his pictures which are '52-'53 Merc and it looks like the only place selling them with the inner stainless steel bezel anymore is Koolrides.com. I would definitely confirm with them that you are getting the entire piece with bezel as that is what everyone used to sell but are no longer selling which may mean the source has gone away and koolrides hasn't changed their picture or they still have a bunch and know they can charge a premium.

Unfortunatley they are like everyone else now other than what koolrides shows and don't include the inner bezel.

 

So, this is the part right?
https://www.koolrides.com/catalog/p...d=700&osCsid=43319fcbb5412adb44907e0d963eaee1

And the inner bucket? Do I need that or don't...

 

this great info

 

That is what you need. You should be able to use your original Mercury inner buckets to do this mod, shouldn't need anything else.

 

As mentioned, you don't need the inner bucket from a kit. You'll reuse your factory Mercury bucket. You'll want to change how it mounts though. From the factory, the bucket mounts from the outside, with the chrome headlight ring covering the fasteners. Since you'll be welding on the '52-'54 Merc headlight rings, you'll want to mount the bucket from the back, inside the wheelwell. I added one weld stud and three weld nuts for fastening the bucket onto the fender. There's a lip on the headlight bucket you'll want to trim off so the bucket will sit flush against the inside of the fender. I've been meaning to create a "How to French a 49-51 Merc headlights" thread, but it's pretty much the same as the links I included above. See my pictures:

 

Yup. You move the stock bucket to inside the fender and use those rings.

See this link posted by Doctor Detroit for how to install:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=232931

The one thing that makes a huge difference in the appearance of these is to not just weld the rings on and then fill the resulting dip that is created with body filler/fiberglass filler but to actually rework the fender metal to match up with the ring so it is a continuous line. I see tons of installations where a couple years down the road the dip starts to show through the paint because it was filled with filler or fiberglass and not metal.

 

A better way is to remove the stock lip entirely, then put the rings in the hole from behind and weld them in. That does away with the "bug-eye" look. That's how we did it on the '49 Merc.

 

That's a great idea. Please post a photo if you can.

 

Seems like it would be easier to just cut down the rings until you got to the right size so you don't have to rebuild all the mounts for the headlight bucket.

 

Just tried to buy a set of the merc rings with the inner stainless trim. They are sold out, do not expect to get any in. Anyone have another source?

 

Yea I agree with you some people. Alot of people butt weld them up and fill with puddy. Here is a good example of that and it looks like shit. Here is my fix for that but I was wanting something different.


I know that this is not the type of rings in question but just my 2 cents about the fitment part.


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If they don't have them then I would have to think that the manufacturer has stopped making them as everyone used to carry the same ones and now nobody has them.


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Bummer the repros are not being made any more. Of course, you could always hit the swaps, HAMB classifieds or ebay for originals. Found mine here on the HAMB….to undo the "Hagan job" that came with my Merc.

 

The hagan ones look like total shit on a mercury! Be patient some rings will come up on here or ebay soon enough. It will pay off in the end man.

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