1950 Mercury, New GUy

I am ex-Army here as well, bought my Merc on ebay while I was in Iraq, and have been playing/building/fixing ever since. If you have any questions or need help finding something, give me a shout. Happy building!

 

Thanks man, I think ive got most everything figured out for the build. I'm sure I'll run into my smaller details when I get back state side and start working on the body. I'm just stumped on the bubble skirts and front bumper. Do you know if there are any other makes of car that I can steal a front bumper from that will still look good and original. The mercury front bumper seems to be like gold rite now.

 

I have '49 Lincoln bumpers on mine.
Then it is a '49 Lincoln. lol

 

To anyone following my build. I have decided on a couple of parts. Once I receive them I will post photos and a descriptions of how everything works out for me.

460 cu inch big block ford By Brent at B2 Motorsports LLC
TKO 600 5 speed Transmission
Ford 9" rear, narrowed, 35 spline axles, 3.73 Locker
17.5 inch Mickey Thompson Sportsman Pro's
Gambino Kustoms weld on Front Stub
(complete Boxed front end with disk breaks and Coil overs)
Gambino Kustoms weld on Rear Half
(Boxed rear with 4 link, adjustable Coil overs, rear floor sheet metal and tubs)

5inch chop
shaved door handles
Manual door Poppers
Frenched lights
canted B pillars
Body black primer
Under carriage Linexed

Interior: Brushed Sheet metal paneling
Original Dash
Bucket seats (still shopping for the rite height and look)
Dog bed in the back

I wanna thank Johnny at Gambino for being so Helpful with all of my armature questions. So far looks like the build is on track to being completed by December 1st.

Fingers crossed, that Christmas cruise with Gramps downtown Chicago keeps feeling closer and closer.

 

My car is not a race car but I drive it hard on occasion.

What is the full size of those tires? I personally think the pro street look looks bad on our cars. You could just run a set of M/T 28x10.5 stiff sidewall slicks if you are serious about hooking at the track. I've had a low 9 second car and I help a buddy with his 10.5 door car (2002 Transam WS6) that is stock suspended and runs low 7's.

There is this car that hits the Hot Rod Power Tour:



I like all chopped 49-51 Mercs but this one is a stretch for me, due to the big tires, no skirts, and overall look.

My start:


Where I am now:

 

Thanks for the advice, the rear end set up I have now has 17.5 inch wide
MT tires from side wall to sidewall. I got the entire set up with 4link tires wheels, disk brakes and a narrowed 9" for 500 bucks from a friend. I'm planning on dropping the car low and putting bubble skirts on the back, most of the pro street rear will be hidden, I agree that the look of the big tires on the mercury is not very appealing and I plan to hide them as much as possible. I'm going to keep the stance of the car leadsled through and through with white walls in the front. I have a 600hp big block ford being built that I want to hook up with. Other than that I want the look of the vehicle to be a fairly traditional chopped mercury. Frenched, shaved door handles, 5 inch chop with slanted B pilars. I am keeping the front corner windows as well, and after the project is ready for paint I plan on having the entire car painted in a 20% gloss black, I dont want a full matt black, I still want enough gloss that the curves and lines of body still stand out. Thanks for your advice, and the Merc photos. Those are some sweet cars.

 

Welcome...Thank you for your service to our country.
Great project.

 

Pro Stock John, I love the direction you took your car. Its looking great. What engine did you go with? Flathead or Something new?

 

So what is the full size of the tire? Are we talking like a 14" rim x 31 x 17.5 or something? There are a few MT tires that are 17.5.

FWIW my car is non-metallic, gloss, dark blue. It's not matte black (in case anyone thought it was).



Mine came with a cammed SBC, long tubes, duals, TH350, tight converter, and I'm guessing a 8.5" 10 bolt with like a 3.50 open diff.

I plan to change the engine out to a carbed LS engine this year but I have other items on the car on my punch list to address first.

 

I'm currently deployed I havent seen them in person, here is a photo of the rear end and tires, I'm looking for a 35 spline 3.73 chunk to go in it. The chunk wasnt included in the 500 dollar purchase.

I believe they are 15 inch wheels, 31x17.5 inch tires

 

I like the chop on your car as well.

 

[I'm not a fan but don't want to come across in mean way].

I'd be concerned about how much you'd have to tuck the wheel/ tire combo so it does not rub against the body. I'm running Diamondback white walls that are basically 28 inches tall, and you plan to run 31" tall tires. I'm wondering if you'd have to tuck the combo in an inch or two.

FWIW you don't need that much tire to hook the car, we hook a 1800 HP car with a set of 315 MT drag radials. Plus the combo will be so heavy with the BBF I'd think you'd hook with a 28" drag radial. Diamondback I think can make custom drag radials.

There is this car out there too, not a HAMB-friendly car either [I don't like the how the back wheels are set up and also tucked], but I think it was built recently:

 

Welcome from NC and love your car!

 

This is Matthew Fox's (from the tv show Lost) 1950 Merc. It has a 502 BBC. Not hamb friendly, but sounds similar to what you want. Plenty of pictures here:
http://www.hotrodsandhobbies.net/webgallerys/Fox's '50 Merc/fox_home.html

 

Pro Stock John, I'm not a fan of that car, I've seen it a couple of times while searching for inspiration but something about it just dosent do it for me. Again I like the covered or hidden back tires, that car I feel looks too new. It almost looks like it should just be made out of fiberglass.

I realize I may not need so much tire but 500 bucks for the entire set up has me working around what I may or may not need. I had eveverything measured out and it will be able to fit with room for the suspension to move. I may go with a shorter tire but keep a similar width. I can always make things smaller if I feel the need to later when money is less of an issue.

At some point I would like to put a blower on the BBF, but again that would be down the line, I'd like to build the car stucturally now capable of dealing with any growth I may decide to put into the car later on down the line.

Currently my big drive is to get it on the road and get to chicago to take my Grandfather for a cruise down memory lane, But also have the car moving in the direction I want to go with it.

Again thanks for the advice

 

Well if you got that all for $500 you can probably sell it all again for $500. you basically have what looks like highly narrowed rearend from a pro street car. I bet folks on the HAMB might like that for a 30's street rod.

To make that 4 link setup work you'd have to do other fab work to make it all work, plus I think you'll have to get some coilover shocks.

Best of luck keep us posted.

 

To each his own,but i'm NOT a fan of ProStreet,chopped Mercs. Seems like a mixed up build. I would suggest,if you are gonna build a Hot Rod Merc,don't chop it. There's a few in the HAMB Merc Club that are Hot Rodded. Hate to see that DeSoto grill wasted on a Pro Street car. Enough complaining,haha
You will want to make your quarter panels removable,if you are gonna put such large tires on the back. Mercury frames are pretty stout,so you should be able to just back-half it. A 460 will be plenty of power to scare you. I think I have a pic of one...hang on,i'll look.

 

This is the look I'm shooting for, I dont know who's this car this is but I like his style. I do not want to do the B pilar the same way tho. It looks like he just put glass over the pilar instead of actually doing the work to angle it. I still want the B pilar to be exposed and have the front corner windows but I love the chop and how low the car sits. Basically want this with some nice sized tires to hook up with.

 

Here's the pic I was talking about...I know,it looks nothing like that one,haha

 

This Merc has been hard-topped. The b-pilar has been removed along with the rain gutters. The quarter glass is usually removable,sliding out. Not a bad looking car. Those mirrors gotta go! Sorry,had to say it! haha

 

oh yea mirrors definetly have to go!

I love my DeSoto grill too, no worries its not going to waste, I found a DeSoto front bumper as well. Its off a 52 mercury, do you know if it'll give me any issues fitting on 50?

 

[Here's the pic I was talking about...I know,it looks nothing like that one,haha]

Yea thats kinda far off from the look I'm going for but it helps to look at others to get an idea of what I'm getting into with that rear end set up, thanks

 

Shouldn't be hard to find a stock front bumper just have to network and poke around. Best of luck on the build.

 

I had a dream like that and still do. Bought it in 79 for $25 . Now "Black Magic" is just one of the family. Build it the way you want, I did. Good luck and if Grampa helps , its going to make it that more special.

 

[Build it the way you want, I did. Good luck and if Grampa helps , its going to make it that more special]

Thanks man I apreciate it and nice car!

 

Lol ... It is pillarless. ie: NO B pillar at all.
Plenty of nice mercs around done like that.

 

gene Winfield has a DVD on chopping tops .the video show 3 different ways to chop a merc.you should get it if you plan to chop your merc. you will love you will learn a lot of tricks from the old master . it jGene's shop we have had quite a fee mercs come in to be fixed after a botched chop job. Good luck with your project.

 

Thank everyone for the advice.

So had a Detroit Locker going in it, I dont want to go full locker due to the dirveability issues but I have 35 spline axles already and they are limiting my options. Either sell the rear set up and get something smaller or drag tires and make noise in the turns with the locker.

I like the 35 spline only due to the fact that I am hard as hell on anything that I drive, and I want to build this car with room to grow. One day would like to put a blower on Mercinator's Big Block. Or build a new Big Block Blown Ford engine myself in my garage.
Still building this car for both daily driving, cruising and drag racing so I did some research.

Apparently ther is a new option for 35 spline lockers from Mosier called a Wavetrac. It supposedly drives like a Posi, handles like a Posi, But locks up like a spool or locker in the straights. Its expensive but sounds like the ticket.

i was quoted $400 for the Detroit Locker, $900 for the Wavetrac

I looked on some forums to see how this thing runs, I haven't found anything bad other than it being over priced. It does come with a no bullshit lifetime transferable warranty tho. So this is the way I am going.

If anyone has any experience with this rear end set up I'd love to hear their point of view on the wavetrac. Other than that I'll be posting a how it works out once it is set up in the car.

 

No longer going with the Wavetrac.

Stange engineering has a similar set up for way cheaper and runs a 10% military disount.

Mosier 9" chunk: 2070
S Trac 9" chunk: 1800= 1620 with discount

Both come with a similar warrenty, and the 600 hp engine I'm dropping in shouldnt put a dent in the 35 spline rear end set up.

 

After four long weeks and endless searching for a decent price on shipping the mercinator is finally at my house!!!!

Cant wait to get back from deployment, put a lawn chair inside it where the drivers seat is supposed to be, grab a bottle of jack and get hammered making engine noises like a five year old haha

I'm sure my homeowners association is thrilled with me rite now haha.... Fuck em!