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Hot Rods Help. Looking at a 50 Merc 4 door in the Morning!

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 32coop, Feb 8, 2016.

  1. 32coop
    Joined: Apr 20, 2009
    Posts: 131

    32coop
    Member
    from Australia

    Hi,

    As the title says I'm going to look at a 50 Merc in the morning. What should I be looking for or asking about?
    The car is supposed to be all original. 255, 3 speed etc. I will be checking out the rockers and all the bottom areas of the car as I would any. Is there any place the rust out like wheel wells, door bottoms etc..?

    Im hoping this car is going to be my solid drive around car to get me and the family to rod runs while i toil away on my 35 ford 5 window (replace floors and all the other rust it has in it).

    Thanks in advance Aaron.
     
  2. COCONUTS
    Joined: May 5, 2015
    Posts: 1,161

    COCONUTS

    Check the level of rust, if any, along the seam of the upper and lower quarter panel.
     
  3. Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Joined: Apr 20, 2008
    Posts: 4,670

    Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Member

    Inner and outer rockers, door bottoms. Lower front corners (if quarter window seals allowed water in. Rear window glass lip, drip rails, rear pan. Also typically lower/rear front fender corner (though easy fix)
     
  4. Squablow
    Joined: Apr 26, 2005
    Posts: 17,388

    Squablow
    Member

    My '51 has real nice skins but the floors are toast as are the inner rockers, floor braces, and the bottom corners of the cowl. Surprisingly little is reproduced for replacement panels for these cars, the floors, rockers, and inners that are sold seem to be a very poor fit (although they are cheap).

    A nice complete running car is getting to be tough to find, and even the 4 doors have a strong following and aren't cheap anymore. Be sure to post pics, curious to see what you've found.
     

  5. 32coop
    Joined: Apr 20, 2009
    Posts: 131

    32coop
    Member
    from Australia

    Thank you for the replies. I'll take some pics and post today.
     
  6. williebill
    Joined: Mar 1, 2004
    Posts: 3,274

    williebill
    Member

    Old body man told me once to always check the left side more carefully than the right side. His theory was that the splash from oncoming cars on dirt roads rusted the left sides quicker. That's why he said I'd always find more NOS RH stuff than left. That was back when I could find NOS sheetmetal for 49-51 Mercs.
     
  7. 32coop
    Joined: Apr 20, 2009
    Posts: 131

    32coop
    Member
    from Australia

    image.jpeg
    This is the car. Looks good from a distance. A little to much rust for me, while we live in a rental at the moment.
    Not something I could get in and drive with the kids in.
     
  8. 32coop
    Joined: Apr 20, 2009
    Posts: 131

    32coop
    Member
    from Australia

    Thank you guys so much for your replies.
     
  9. roddin-shack
    Joined: Apr 12, 2006
    Posts: 2,512

    roddin-shack
    Member

    Looks pretty good from that angle. Where was the rust? Larry
     
    Pinstriper40 likes this.
  10. Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Joined: Apr 20, 2008
    Posts: 4,670

    Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Member

    Sure looks good and complete at 20 feet.

    Is it relatively mechanically sound to the point that you could drive as is/enjoy for the season until you're out of the rental-or the price point where you could afford to farm out the rust to a shop for a couple of weeks w/o going over budget?

    Can't be too many 49-51 Mercs to choose from down under?
     
  11. Squablow
    Joined: Apr 26, 2005
    Posts: 17,388

    Squablow
    Member

    Where was it rusty? Looks really clean to me, although I know how the outsides of these things can look real nice and the underside can be wasted, from personal experience. Any more pictures? Also curious, how much does one of these things go for in Australia?
     
  12. HOLLYWOOD GRAHAM
    Joined: Apr 11, 2007
    Posts: 1,437

    HOLLYWOOD GRAHAM
    Member
    from Ojai,Ca

    Being in Aus. you don't have the anti 4dr mind set as we do here in the U.S.. Here, 4dr.'s go much cheaper than a 2dr.. Looks good from the picture but if you seen a lot of rust than keep looking.
     
  13. 32coop
    Joined: Apr 20, 2009
    Posts: 131

    32coop
    Member
    from Australia

    Yeah I couldn't get right under it but I could feel the the b pillar was just sitting unattached to the frame. Holes in the trunk floor. Passenger side rear wheel arch was toast.
    Could get it to turn over. So unsure. I was pretty annoyed cause they said rust free. Now I didn't think that was going to be the case. Just not that bad.
    I'm going to ring a few places to get a ball park on rust replacement. But I think I'm going to pass.
    It was so complete.
     
  14. 32coop
    Joined: Apr 20, 2009
    Posts: 131

    32coop
    Member
    from Australia

  15. 32coop
    Joined: Apr 20, 2009
    Posts: 131

    32coop
    Member
    from Australia

  16. 32coop
    Joined: Apr 20, 2009
    Posts: 131

    32coop
    Member
    from Australia

  17. 32coop
    Joined: Apr 20, 2009
    Posts: 131

    32coop
    Member
    from Australia

  18. Squablow
    Joined: Apr 26, 2005
    Posts: 17,388

    Squablow
    Member

    That's too bad. It's certainly a pretty car, but if your intent is to buy a driver to focus your efforts on a long term project, this one probably isn't it, hate to have two big projects and none to run, unless the price is so great you could just take it somewhere and have it fixed.
     
  19. 32coop
    Joined: Apr 20, 2009
    Posts: 131

    32coop
    Member
    from Australia

    As for price the guy wanted 27k. But was negotiable.
     
  20. Squablow
    Joined: Apr 26, 2005
    Posts: 17,388

    Squablow
    Member

    That's about 19K US, seems very high for one with a lot of rust although I'm sure they're much harder to find there than here.
     
  21. 32coop
    Joined: Apr 20, 2009
    Posts: 131

    32coop
    Member
    from Australia

    I guess they're trying to recoup some of the cost associated with bringing it in.
    I can't remember ever seeing a 4 door in Australia. I missed a really good looking 2 door a lot more expensive just last week.
    Oh well the search continues.
     
    Squablow likes this.

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