Projects 1951 mercury build

Thanks Bob and I know it will be done right too. Chopnweld. I am going to have the lights made into the 52 caddy bumperetts. Matt is doigna hell of a job on them and should turn out sweet. Stay tuned for more pictures. I am getting more and more excited to see this thing done. I get to come home in 28 days and that is first thing I want to do ......well ok maybe not the firat but it ranks in the top 4 haha.

 

Nice call! Let me know what you here on your merc bumpers from Eastern R&C. thanks!

 

I saw your bumper, it's really cool.

 

Well the firewall is in and I like the way it turned out. Next Jim is going to start with the inner fenders and finish up the engine bay. Nice work on this thing!!! got 26 days till I see this car. HELL YEA by that time it should be alot further and hopefully will have quarters on it.

 

I can imagine what is like to watch this from far away! I am sure I will be able to hear your reaction to the car when it happens! This will be a merc to remember!

Call me when you get to town if you have a spare minute!

 

Nice are you building a show car or a driver?

 

Yea Iam going to drive this but I am building a show car. I want to try and get this car in car in a magazine, but I will be driving it. I just want a very nice car that is done right and I will not have no problem with it for a very long time. When this car get done the builders are going to show it for me till I get back home, and then I will drive the snot out of it. I thought about a show car only but hell at this point I just want to see it done so I can drive it. lol

 

Well fellow hambers seems like Jim and the crew has been a very busy team. They got the firewall completed and set it back on the frame "AGAIN" and now they are moving on to the engine bay. They have the bottom of the car complete and in primer. We want to try and keep the same look and roll of the fenders to flow inside to the inner fenders as well. Hopefully the trans mount and engine mounts finally get fabbed in. Jim has the mock-up engine in it now so he is kicking ass. Only 20 days and I finally get to see her. I can not wait it has been over a year since I have seen my car. It will be a welcome break from where I am at now!!!!!

 

Matt has also been moving along nicely. He has the bumperetts fabbed up and the lights are mocked up on them. I will have some more pictures of them when have the lenses made, but I will post one that we think will look bad ass on the car.

 

Damn those are sick! Absolutely sick! That dude just keeps getting better.

 

John i love your choice on the 51 Caddy bumperetts . I also like the shape for the len Matt has come up with.

 

Hey John,
I got see your seld in person on Thursday before they put it on the chassi-it is better in person!!! The detail and workmanship is sick! Everything flows. They have really thought through every detail. No hidden stuff each aspect done nicely. You will be a very happy camper! You need to give this car a women's name, so when you say your going to see "my honey" people won't think your crazy about being excited about seeing a car.

 

Thanks man yea everybody is doing a great job, and I an glad to see it coming together so nicely. I am just glad that I met such nice people that can put up with my shit because as we all know there are so many little tweeks that can be done on these cars and I am constantly thinking about them as the build go on. However it all seems to work out and the whole crew pulls it out. I am going to take them all out to lunch when I get there. I only have a few weeks till I see her. HELLLLLLLLLLLL YEAAAAAAAAAAAA


Rick thank you on the caddy lights. Yea that was a spur of the moment thing, but it is going to fit right in on this car. Thank you all for the inputs too. I have been looking at everything mercury related on the hamb and my head is swimming in thoughts of sleds.

 

just a little bit more done. Jim got the tranny mount done and I have to say I never thought a tranny mount could look cool. haha I can not say it enough that I am so very pround of all the effort going into this car from everybody. Thank all of you for the suggestions and the pointers they are much appreciated.
Now he starts the motor monts. I had a set made but they are to wide for the frame rails so he has to put his magic to work again, yeaaaaa. I will keep all informed as to the happenings.

 

Got a little bit more done on the merk. They have the seam sealer applied to the inside and working on getting the engine bay completed. Just a few pictures. I am finally getting to leave this hell hole for some needed rest. I have been here 9 months this time and on a 7 day a week 12-14 day shift, so some cold beer and a hot woman will be very well deservered. I am going to go see my car and take a lot of pictures so will be posting some more of them and even the beers. I may even post some pictures of the hot woman.

 

Well I had a good vacation and the car is coming along nicely. Here are a few updated pictures. We have the quarters installed and the new motor mount made.

 

here is the picture of the motor mount.

 

Impressive looking motor mount assembly. Looks like a lot of thought and work went into it.

 

Yea I did not like it at first but Jim made it so we could have a srtaight shot to the rack. Once I seen it in person it looked cool as hell. Once everything is in you will not see it , and it will look like the motor is floating in the car.

 

Well Jim has worked his magic again. He was not happy with the front end work so he decided to replace the front headlight area and do it right. He also has began making the skirts anf them flushing them in the quarters. We are going to run the flare of the skirt all the way back. Next is the engine bay.

 

Mmmmm....looking NIIIICE!!!

 

John: I just noticed in one of the pix in Post #140 that it looks like you are using the original 51 rear glass?

 

no we are going to put in a 49-50 back glass. We are just waiting on the suround to come from CA. Matt has it at his shop and is shipping it when he finishes the bumper. The roof fix is next on the list. We got to get ride of that nasty looking junk on that roof.

 

Well it has been a while since I have posted anything so here I go with a long but interesting update. I am at the point in this build that I am ready to have this car done. This is my feeling because I was feeling that the car was just never going to get completed. I explained this to the builders also. I think they could feel it too. However I am not one to let it go, because this is a dream of mine and I will see it through. Well with that said the show must go one right? Well I went on vacation and went and seen my car. I was very happy with the metal work on the car, but just didn't feel right while in the shop. Something was off, and I could not pin point it. I have spent way to much money in this car and seem to not be getting anywhere in any desent anount of time here. I was informed that the money that was alloted for the build was gone and they needed more money, hummmmmmm...... When I first talked to this shop (Eatern Rod and Custom), they told me that they would bill me in phases during the build. Ok I can deal with that to easy. Then when the car arrived at the shop and they backed up and said they had to build me by the hour on this. Ok again no problem. It all started out real good. I asked about a ball park figure because if it was to much I would scrap it and look for something else, but they assured me on a ball park (10-15K) and said it would not go over the higher end quote they gave me. So we decide to get started during this time I got laid off and had to put the build on hold, and they worked with me. When I returned to work I informed them to start back on it. I was then informed that the money that was alloted was gone due to changes in the build that I requested to be done. I then asked how much more was going to be needed to complete the metal work and gave me another quote (8-10k) again.
Now keep in mind that the first quote was for metal work to fix the roof, metal work to fix the front fenders and headlights, the floors, tranny tunnel, wheel wells, trunk area, and rear quarters. Oh I almost forgot they did charge me (5K) to do the fenders before all of this. Now the first money is now gone and I still had no roof done, no quarters done, and no floors done. After they said they needed more they said it would cover my changes which include: swap dash to 55 merk, engine bay, firewall and make all gaps the correct for a judged show.
Now lets jump back to when I was there on vacation, and they told me they needed more money AGAIN.... The roof was not done, the gaps, the engine bay, the front end (more to follow on this), dash was not in, and hood had not been even fitted on the car. The pictures show what the car looks like now. So to say I was pissed is an understatement!!!!!!!!!! In all of this the guy that was working with me through all of this left the company. Don't know why and it is none of my business either. So I told the new guy (Paul) that I was ready for the metal work to be done and was very firm about that. I eplained to him about all the noted email traffic about the builds and he informed me that it was going to take a lot more to get this car done. Shocked and pissed set in deep...... I then said ok then I will pay you on each portion that we get done, and I want a quote on it before it begins and what it is going to cost, and stick with that part till it is completed. We agreed that they would build it that way and both parties were happy. Well that was shorted lived
I called Paul to ask him if he had gotten a quote for me on just doing the engine bay and fitting the hood. Now this thing has no engine bay in it, and it needs to be fitted with chassic mounts, radiator mounting and rolled inner fenders.I was going to have the rear hood rounded as well. My jaw hit the the floor when he gave this quote (10-12k) my words to him was "HOLY SHIT." Now if anybody is doing the math here we are well over 30K and still growing!!!!!!!!!! Well needless to say I had to cut the cord, because I felt like I was getting bent over and ridden dry. Yea I know of you are say duhhhh why did you wait that long?
Well I think the builder Jim is one hell of a metal fabricator and hell of a nice guy too. I wish he would let me put him in a shop and let him go to town. This man is great with metal, but the shop has got me pertty pissed.
Oh yea it gets better, I explained to him that I was just going to have my car moved from their shop (EASTERN ROD AND CUSTOM) and have it taken home till I could get back on it. Just can not foot them quotes anymore. Well I had a freind go and pick my car up and he said that Paul was very rude and he told him that he was going to charge me for helping him load my car. WTF. He said the guys helped for about 20 mins. After all was removed from there. I called about the monies left owed to me and some parts that were missing. They owed me 1400 for nonfinished work that was charged to me. Paul gave my wife the run around about the check getiing signed and other things. Today she recieved the check, and can you believe it. they charged me amost $400 to gather the parts for my car. AGAIN WTF
I know several of you have inquired about getting this shop to do work for you, and now I will ask all of you to please stay away from this shop. The fab man is great and if he left I porbably would follow him but nothing good towards the shop.


see next reply for further details of the move

 

Well the caris back in North Carolina, but NOT AT EASTERN ROD AND CUSTOM. I have taken the car to ROD CRAFTERS and have Larry Shoaf is doing the work now. He is starting on the roof first and boy it is need of some help. After a closer look it is all wacked up and he noticed this right off. He did say he could fix it and offered several options. So lets see where it goes. I wish Jim would talk to this guy and try and get a job with him. I think he would be alot better. He does alot of older cars and plenty of metal owrk to keep Jim busy. Jim if you are interested please give him a call. I think you will like it alot better.

 

Keep the faith. If you want to talk about how much I have in mine so far, PM me, it does add up. But when you stop feeling good about who you are using it's right to cut the cord. Your Mercury will be awesome when you are done.

 

Sorry to hear that John; but glad to hear that you are okay. Was worried something happened to you in that rugged place you were stationed. Keep going if you can!

 

John, ER&C called me recently. Based on your build, I thought it might be a shop to use after I got screwed by a POS on this site from SC that had my 50 Merc for 10 months, charged me, and did a fraction of the work. In the end, I moved my 50 Merc to my shop in GA and there it sits unfinished. Decided not to work with ER&C on a hourly rate. Trying to sell the 50 Merc now because it freaks me out just looking at it and the money a POS screwed me out of this year! This POS even left my Merc out in the weather and all the brand new pristine sheet metal I bought is F**kin RUSTED!

I feel your pain John. Step back, take a breath, and watch EVERYONE very closely that is spending your money.

 

When I started reading this post I thought to myself ,does this guy realize he is going to have 250,000 invested in building this car,after I read the last post,No

 

Man what a ride!! PLACES LIKE THAT GIVE GOOD SHOPS A BAD NAME!!