Features 1948-52 "style" customs with modern suspensions and drivelines

hey skirv... did u build your merc,, or buy it out of mississippi?... looks just like my buddys he sold last year??? just wondering,,beautiful car

 

Pretty similar to how my build started (way back in 1999). I have always been crazy about customs, but it was back before 'period correctness' became the latest fad. Add to that, the fact that my car was nothing more than two frame rails and a completely gutted shell of a body with 99.9% of all mechanical pieces of the car missing. Since I had never built a car before and planned to build as much of it by myself as I possibly could, it was already going to be a severe challenge to figure out, so I decided it was far easier to install modern parts that I was more familiar with than it would be to locate all the right combination of old parts and figure out how to modify them and make them work together.

 

I did a thread on the wheel I adapted to my '78 tilt column: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=120327&highlight=steering

After those photos were taken I painted the light half of the wheel a creamy off-white. Looks great - I get compliments on it and no one can figure out what it is because the center is so different than stock.

 

Thanks, saved the link for next year. That's exactly what I need to do.

 

Does anyone know why '52 is the cutoff year for theese cars? It must not be fat fendered cars or '49-'51 Fords and mercs wouldn't fit.....
'54 Fords and Chevys are a lot like '52's, so why are the excluded? I'm trying to learn here but can't find the answer anywhere on the net or in what few books I've read about early customs. I love this style of cars but there really isn't much info out there about them. I know someone on here can fill me in......

 

It was more centered around the type and extent of modifications that changed, not so much the body style of the cars. It was just the natural progression of customizing. The "more is better" mentality took hold. Modifications became more extensive and bold along with paint jobs after the 48-52 era of customizing. Modifications were considered more tasteful during the 48-52 era by those that are mostly attracted to that style of custom.

 

Realistically I would stretch this time frame up until 1955. There were still a number of well known cars being "tastefully built up until that time. I mean the Buddy Alcorn Merc was built in 1955.

But I think what really kind of brings it to halt for a lot of people in 1952 is the fact that it was pretty much this time period where guys were starting to redo what are today iconic cars and usually not for the better. Oakland started judged car shows in 1950 and it became a neccesity to continually update your car to compete in these types of shows and building had become more for garnering points than improving the looks of a car.

 

I think '52 is a bit early based on the show pictures I've seen. I've seen old pics of '53 - '55 customs that still had the same vibe. I always describe my car in person as a '51 influenced by '50-'55 customs. So I try not to be super picky on this. Look at some of the show pics posted by folks of various events held back then.

Edit... Buddy Alcorn Merc, great example!

 

It's the same old story, once something gets popular it also starts to get fucked up....
Being on the east coast seems to make a big differance too. Even the few fat fender "customs" my dad and his friends had in the early 60's had canted quads and molded painted bumpers with wild metalflake paint. To me they weren't very smooth like the cars from cali. The cars they built were late 50's early 60's cars and mostly mild customs they drove every day.
My dad worked part time at a paint shop that did Corvettes from all over the east coast because the owner was one of the first guys around here to work with glass. This led to everyone selling their customs and putting a wrecked vette together. Than they started building those stupid volkswagon kit cars...
In the 70's I started hanging out there with Joe's son, by this time street rods took over. One day in 75 I was looking at a september 1975 Rod Action, there was an article about the Falconer coupe, that car blew me away...Buddy gave me the mag and I still look at it. The article was call "History Class" the funny part about it was the author called the builder Harry Westyguard.....

 

.....at the time it was owned by a guy named Mickey Sanders. It had no bumpers skinny whites and chrome reverse wheels with baby moons. It was running an early Olds ohv V8, 41 Caddy trans and a narrowed '48 Caddy rear. The chrome ports the exhaust came thru were some ugly cat eye looking flat things...
I knew then someday I would build a car in this style.
I didn't even know he was Harry Westergard until the car was restored and went to the museum in Reno.....

 

Think mine fits here. 350/350/10-bolt, disk brakes front, rear four link, power brakes, airbags front & rear, frame notch.

 

Pretty close....maybe some skirts.
That car is beautiful....

 

Nice car!

 

Here's that earlier/different brand steering wheel onto later model GM tilt column info some folks were asking for. If cafone wants it removed, I will make it go away.

This is my dad's car. Here's the wheel that was in the car when he got it. YIKES


He wanted this 60 Plymouth wheel in his car so I went to work. It was fairly easy.


First, I cannibalized the factory GM wheel shown in the first photo. I cut it apart with a saw then turned it on a lathe until I was left with just the splined sleeve shown below. I've done this several times. These oem steering wheels can be had on the cheap.


I then bored the center of the Plymouth steering wheel to fit the splined sleeve. I did this on a drill press. The diameter of the sleeve was determined by the size of a drill bit that I already had. I test fit the sleeve in the bored steering wheel. This is the backside.


I then beveled both the wheel and the sleeve for welding purposes.


Here's the topside at this point showing the sleeve in place.


I put the wheel in the car before welding and lined everything up. I marked the position of the sleeve to the wheel with a sharpie, pulled the wheel out, tack welded the sleeve to the wheel, and did a final test fit to make sure everything was lined up and centered. I pulled the wheel for a final time and finish welded the sleeve but I forgot to take a photo of that. I just have this tack welded test fit photo.


Here's the finished deal mounted in the car with the horn button installed. We are in the process of making some other changes also. The first two photos are actually of the console I am making for him but show the wheel with the colum painted to match.

 

very cool....
most of us are here to learn something new. that idea can be used for almost any steering wheel. thanks

what kind of car is that, I see it has spots so I'm guessing it's a custom.

 

Nice and slick Skirv!!

 

how about another one.

 

Sorry I missed our question. It's my dad's 51 Mercury, not mine in my avatar. It's a custom, chopped etc.

 

I guess my 51 Chevy will fit the bill for this thread...350/350 68 Camaro rear MII fatman ultra low front & bagged. Working on a Carson inspired style top for it now.

 

39 ford convertable. maverick rear with 57 t-bird leafs and blocks. mustang II from a mustang. vette 350 and 350 trans. channelled.

 

Skirv, can we see a photo of it?

 

your car is stunning, just beautiful from the back....
can't wait to see the top. noone posted a carson style top yet.

 

from what you originaly asked

all cars from 48-52 which have modern drive trains, didnt say it had to be a led sled or any individual form or design,

so here is my 50 chevy 3100
air ride front and rear, lay frame, 1995 chevy s10 chassis with 79 el camino rear, 75 camaro front, 350/350t, flat black, 50's corvette wheels, 4 link rear

 

Exactly what I was looking for. Your car is perfect.......
This thread if finally what I was looking for from the beginning!! those last 2 cars are perfect....

 

thank you very much. nobody in my neighborhood payed any attention toit until i layed the paint on it. i get visitors whenever its outside getting "tweeked".

 

Here you go, cafone ....
You requested a Carson top?

 

we're looking for cars with the early custom look....chopped, smoothed, nose in the air wide white wearing lead sleds
but that is a bad ass pick up.....

 

WOW!!!! That's waaaay cool. how about some photos from the front and back.
It's so low and long, the top is great, thanks for posting it.....

 

Special Ed, I just checked out your albums.....that car really was junk when you started...you are very talented. I've never seen one in person......
Your chevy is also a beautiful car.

 

Sweet!