Customs 50 Merc Restoration Project--The Beginning

Bought this 50 Merc from a guy in TN in August 2010. Seller told me it was a driver (flattie/3sp) that needed some driver side floor repair and inner/outer rocker repair. Not much was needed to return this 60 years young classic to it's former splendor. HotRodTim delivered it to me late one rainy Friday night. My heart sank when I looked at the Merc on the trailer through the rain and parking lot lights...the Merc needed much more repair than the Seller disclosed. I was in for a frame-off restoration to bring the Merc back to life.

So, I have started the frame-off restoration project....

 

Looks pretty good from here!

 

I am now a couple of weeks into the Merc's disassembly in an effort to determine exactly how much rust repair is necessary. Interior, both rear quarter panels, and all front sheet metal have been removed.

 

Looks are very deceiving...look at the four rust albums in my profile. Those pix tell the real story and how much work is in front of me.

 

You got some work ahead of ya. Seen a lot worse than this one brought back to life.
Good luck with the project.
Butch

 

i've seen much worse. if you paid accordingly it's not a bad deal.

 

Brought the front sheet metal to a local Media Blaster shop on Thursday. The shop will clean up the parts and epoxy prime them. Also received new rear quarter panels from CARS, Inc. late last week. Need to get them in epoxy primer because it is really humid down here. It won't take long for the rust to form.

I will also bring the car to this shop so that the bottom 10% can be media blasted. Need to work from something more than rusty sheet metal that is left.

 

I am embarassed to say "I was sleeping at the switch" on this deal and paid WAY MORE than I should....

This is not my first frame-off restoration, but it was not my intent to work the Merc to this extent. The Seller re-assured me it was a SOLID car!

 

Sorry to hear you paid over the odds, but I imagine I am not the only one here jealous of you having the car. What are you going to do with it? Just repair it or is it asking you to make it's roof a little more shapely?

 

Good luck on your Merc,sounds like you're all ready on your way to making a pos a cool ride, I think any time a hamber gets screwed over on a deal and backs it up with photos, the dudes name who screwed you over should be posted to let others guy know who he is..................

 

The positive side is, you now possess a Merc that is a very desireable car. Other peoples interpretations of cars, are rarely the same as your own. Good luck with your project, keep the pics coming.

 

Not sure that I am going to "cut the roof". Already have a custom chassis enroute from Cali that is based on a Merc chassis. This chassis is notched, bagged, and clipped (FatMan Fab) by SlddnMatt via ChopnWeld. RacinMan will deliver it to me in the next week or so.

 

I hear ya, but it is as much my fault for trusting a "Poser". He said he was a GearHead...I pride myself in being honest and not just honest enough to close a deal.

The seller is not a HAMBer, but be advised: don't buy anything from a Michael L. that is from Portland, TN.

 

Wow, that is one hell of a nice car. It is ALMOST as sweet as mine..



Seriously, that is a very decent car...good luck with it and holler if you need anything.

See ya, -Abone.

 

Here in the northeast, that's all very typical for cars even half that age! Looks like you're well on top of it though.

Subscribed!

 

aaa joe, i sent a message to the guy in palmdale that had the 51 coupe but havent heard back from him yet. it was up on ebay again and didnt meet his reserve. if i hear back from him i ll let ya know.

 

Nice score

 

very nice just put a pic up of what u want it to look like and get to work

 

Thanks, Matt. I also looked at the listing, but never followed thru. Wonder what he set for a reserve price?

 

By Wisconsin standards that thing is rust free

 

despite what you think that car is solid, it is a 60 year old car and you are going to have some spots that need fixed. You should look up what other people have brought back from the dead and you'll start to rethink how "bad" your car is

 

Beautiful car!

 

Thanks guys for all the support. That is the best thing about this site, all the positive vibes not only coming from 60 years young Merc's, but all the HAMBers out there.

 

Gotta love those Mercs...Glad to see you're gonna save it.

 

Joe, I took a look at those folders you posted, and I have to agree with some of the other guys here. And, I am only saying that because I think bashing this seller and posting his, albeit vague, name and hometown on the internet as a dishonest seller is pretty wrong. You seem like a nice guy, and I'm sure this car is going to turn out well, but if he told you it needs inner/outer rockers, you are at the same time going to replace the bottom A pillar, lower cowl and rear wheelhouse bottom, which logically rots out with it. A lot of what are in those pictures are minor tiny holes. Unless the car had no interior and you had given the guy a little extra to take a zillion pics or go over it inch by inch, nothing other than the major inner/outer drama seems worth blasting a dude on the webernets.

I had sold my late great aunts 73 T-byrd on ebay a few years back. Car had like 11k miles and my parents wanted it out of the driveway (they just bought the house) Well, long and short I tried my best to answer all the questions and the fool in Iowa who bought it (after calling me eleventy-billion calls in 2 weeks...once slurring and drunk) called me IRATE about "rust". Turns out he took the entire interior out and found a few small holes, and one or two in the trunk, again...under all the mats/carpeting. I wasn't about to disassemble the entire car, photograph it, and resassemble it so I could make $0 trying to help out family and they get $2000 for "an old car".

I can't wait to see what you do with the car, and wish you all the luck, but I think you are really painting an unrealistically bad picture of the seller with this car and your photographs. I would kill to start with a Merc that nice!

 

i dont know what you paid for it, so its hard to say. but my 2001 chevy pickup has alot more rot than that!! i will probly never in my lifetime get to start with a merc that solid, good luck with it..

 

It was never my intent for this thread to be all about Seller bashing. I need to focus on what to do next....cuz this ain't gonna be no 5 year build.

 

Looks like a real solid car to start with. Mine looked pretty nice until my body guy stripped all the paint off.

This isn't paint on the quarter:

 

Thanks guys, for setting me straight on a righteous Merc. Tomorrow, I will pick up some sheet metal from the Media Blaster. More pix to follow....