J.Ukrop submitted a new blog post: Elegance and a 1940 Mercury Continue reading the Original Blog Post
WOW! That thing is incredible, like a piece of jewelry. I bet that paint is something to see in person. Rich
Sexy! That thing is near perfect! The only thing that really caught eye was the bumpers. It would look even better in my opinion if the bumpers hugged the body more. The gravel guards just look like they stick way out there from the side. But the fact that it has three pedals and a flathead I think I can overlook the bumpers!!!
Great topic. This car has that elusive elegance. Tim's photography and choice of backdrop perfectly balances the car. 3rd pis is the moneyshot. 3am and im looking bleary eyed at my phone. Can't wait to see these pics on abigger screen.
I am on the fence about it. It is certainly a surprise and I am not against flashier paint jobs on customs but this one might be a step too far for me still can't decide.
This is my 40 Merc that was first done in 1976 and repainted Candy Brandywine over small flake dark silver in 1979. I also used 37 DeSoto bumpers, Appletons and later switched to Cad sombreros. There were very few early style customs being built in the late 70's, so I wasn't too concerned about it not being period perfect. I'm sure my Merc wasn't near as nice as the convert that Joey posted, but it got a lot of looks back then. Mick
Too bad that engine compartment doesnt know what the fuck it is doing. Stick with a theme for christsakes!!!
There are some variances here for sure... Canadian heads and what looks to be a PM7 intake interrupted by Demon carbs, an awkward generator snout, modern plug wires, etc... In any case, customs should have their hood closed anyhow...
Lost me with the paint (ok, and the carbs and other stuff Ryan just listed too; most pretty easy to change), but that is still one stunning car.
I wasn't going to comment about the color but you guys started it. As a 4 decade plus finisher I can truly appreciate the vision it took to get it there. As photographed, I can only detect 1 minor glitch in the surface but I'm keeping that to myself. Is it right for this car? In 2015, hell yes. It still screams traditional kustom. Were traditional kustom to be a living person he's dressed in a fresh perfectly tailored Armani suit. I would love to see the same effort in a smaller flake or metallic but then it wouldn't be as dark as it is in the photos if that were he case, perhaps not in person either. I didn't get even the slightest whiff of lowrider . Under the hood? I'll bet it runs nice and Ryan nailed it about kustoms and closed hoods. When it is open there's stuff just as nice as the the rest of the car, perfectly period or not. Sometimes it simply doesn't matter, just like in this one. Stunning...
Imagine for a moment a beautiful girl jumps in your bed. You wouldn't immediately look for faults to point out. Would you. ?? Sometimes its best to shut up, smile, realise she aint a 10, but very nice. Enjoy the moment.
This car is drop dead gorgeous. As Ryan said, the paint is a surprise. As I clicked on the larger pics I was surprised also by the large chunks of metallic, bordering on fine metal flake. But this car is a tribute car to the late 40's customs as far as I see it. As the owner requested – "take the dated old man style out of it". This the builders accomplished with style. I don't see this car as a "period prefect" late 40's custom. This is a 2015 recreation of a "look". The bumpers look great, and in my opinion, if they were any closer the great lines helped by the molded splash aprons could be diminished. Hell, he doesn't even run Appleton's, looks like Utilities to me. The other '40 Merc shown in one of the replies sure looks like Micky Ellis's car. (I guess Lurker Mick is one in the same.) Saw this Merc at a L.A. Roadsters Fathers Day Show years ago and it had a crowd around it all day. Very few traditional customs were being built then, and the people who knew all about old customs talked positively about Micky's custom. It was period looking without going to extremes to achieve the look. It sat level without the front bumper sitting high in the sky. Both these cars capture the essence while at the same time have a fresh look. 'Nuff said. Manuel Reyes
I guess I see some critiques but mostly positive responses, no? It is and is not really traditional, or maybe it's better to say it was done with an eye toward that vs a dedicated trad only build. Hence the questions or criticisms. I personally could care less if it's disciplined traditional in every way. It's stunning and extremely well executed. I wouldn't refuse it at all, and I'd bet at any gate in any vintage only rod show it wouldn't get refused either.
Lots of crit? I only see a couple of calm opinions to the contrary of the car. Most of the responses are positive. I think maybe you should read this thread again or maybe find another forum for such an attitude?
It is a beautiful car, without question. I love the color. The metallic/flake looks a little big for my taste, but if I saw the car in person, I might not even think that. Again, it's beautiful. The only thing I would change if it were mine, would be the bumpers. I don't dislike the ribbed DeSoto style bumpers on most cars, but I think the front bumper interrupts the flow of the Merc grille. Maybe I'm the only one that would think that. Maybe it's just the angle of the low front quarter shot that sees the horizontal grille bars angling downward only to be stopped by the straight lines on the bumper. From that perspective, I think smooth bumpers would flow better. That's just my observation, not intended to criticize the builder at all. They did an awesome job.
I wouldn't have thought the paint would work, but I sure do like looking at it! A few changes to the engine compartment would make the car damn near perfect.....and awesome backdrop for the photography!
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