Traded my shoebox project for this 1951 Mercury a few months back, the goal was to bring it back to life, last titled in 1989 it had been parked for a long while. Slightly customized prior to my owning it, the owners shaved the truck, customized taillights and ditcher the side trim. I got the car as a roller and in pieces, with roughly 2-3 months of season left I started on it and went to town. I had a significant amount of help of a a buddy and fellow board member on here who helped me get it together from welding, bodywork and tips and tricks throughout getting it built. Ordered and gathered up parts to update it and get it on the road on a budget while keeping alot of the purchases between some of the smaller hot rod vendors and such. Big thanks to Butch's Cool Stuff, Night Prowlers, Fatman, Rebel Wiring, Speedway and quite a few others. Here goes nothing, here's how it arrived:
Went right into the updated of the rear end, the original was missing the leaf pads from the axle and needing an entire going through so I decided to go another route, used a 1996 S-10 Blazer rear because it was the same track width as the stock one. I did not keep the aluminum rims on the rear, just didnt have any steelies to bolt on!
In epoxy primer and will stay this way until I decide the body mods are done and get a paint idea in my head.
That looks good so far. From experience with one of those (had one for 32 years) you are going to need a C notch plus raising the driveshaft tunnel along with maybe making a bump for the third member to have some room between it and the floor. I about wore my driveshaft in two having it rub on the support brace at the back of the floor tunnel.
Finishing touches and its first maiden cruise to a local cruise night that was the first of many at the end of the season.
It rides really well, the front is sitting too low though. There are lowering blocks inbetween the lower control arm and spring pocket that combined with a cut spring is killing the ride. I took the blocks out (pics to follow)
Finished pics (waiting to decide on grille choice so it will stay empty for now, I think I'm gonna ditch the bumperettes though)
Blocks pre & post shots (had to go for a better ride) no new photos of it without the blocks yet but it did level the body out in a nice way, no more hot rod stance!
It's a 1976 Dodge D-100 pickup radiator for a 318 V8, it was a direct replacement just slid over the the outside of the stock core support and had to drill some holes in the "C" channels of the radiator and I ran some bolts with rubber washers/bushings in between both sides. There were probably about 5 different ways that people may have looked at the radiator and said "well you can mount it this way....." and got it in there just fine. I just though my way was easy.
Taillights are on their way out! I absolutely hate them but wanted to drive it this year. I am on the hunt for the almighty packard tails, or chrysler? boomerang tails, or a set of 50-ish caddy tails where the drivers flipped up for gas...something like that. BIG & BOLD they will be. If I could find the quarter sheet metal with or for any of those it would be a blessing! I dont want to do something extremely simple when I do make my choice. I dont plan on chopping it, and the door handles are probably gonna stay because the doors open and close like the day it rolled off the dealer lot and the handles function perfectly, not to mention the lock and unlock by the key, - I have never owned a car that did this, it was always leave a vent window unlocked, etc etc, haha
I have the 55 desoto grille, just waiting to find 2 extra left & right teeth to replace the dagmars and see if it will fit in the opening without molesting it, the grille is so nice that I dont think I have the heart to chop it up knowing that somewhere out there someone is searching for a non molested grille.
The Jalopy Journal
