This is the Custom Cars issue with a Merc that wore out 3 sets of lake pipes in one year. Different car. As this one is unchanged since the early 80`s. As the car we are talking about, haven`t seen it in Salina since the show had moved there. I`ve been to all of them. Unless I am mistaken. Wouldn`t be the first time. There are more than a few Merc`s with this paint scallops layout. There`s a gold one in Michigan. I`m a lso away from my photo collection.
I have a hard time imagining someone going to the trouble of making an exact replica of a non-famous car. The BJ description calls the car "BruiZer". The KoA placard on mine says "BruiseR" with the R reversed. I'm still waiting for the title. Apparently there was a typo on the title with an extra digit in the SN. Title had to go back to the state for a corrected title. There's a few things that were done on the car that don't seem to be the quality I would expect from a Barris build that make me think it might be counterfeit. I didn't pay a Barris build price for the car so no harm, no foul. But if it's not a Barris car I'll take the badges off. Not a big fan of "tributes".
That BJ listing comes under the heading of dazzle them with brilliance or baffle them with bullshit. Reading it sounds like who ever had it for sale then took an old custom and redid it to the point where people who saw it in magazines or at shows years before wouldn't recognize it. Truthfully there isn't one feature or mod on the outside of the car that one can actually identify it as a specific older build by. It has the right basic parts but not one thing that distinguishes it from 30 other Chopped Mercs when you get past the paint job. One hell of a nice custom Merc that few if any would get their undies in a knot if you did a few things to make it your own. I'm like some of the others, I kind of remember it from a few years ago but have no idea why. Quite possibly because it was in show coverage from some show.
I hate to break it to you, and I'm sure this will start a flame-war, but George Barris never built the highest quality cars. All of George's builds are cool looking, but not built to the level you see today from the big shops. The best Barris builds I've seen were done with Sam's attention to detail, prior to his passing in 1967. From Larry Earnst's Chevy to the Hirohata Merc, the best in that era were Sam and George Barris. ~Peter
There are a crap ton of cars out there that had minor work such as the headlights frenched or being nosed and decked at Barris's shop over the years that had a lot of work done elseware.
The Jalopy Journal
