honestly what can I guy do to make this ugly turd cool. Now what I would like is a 50's custom cruzer without spending $50gs. Just remember I'm looking for ideas. It has the original flathead merc engine 3 on the tree. Stock ride height with aftermarket skirts on rear. Basically a stock car... I just want it cooler
paint looks good so, nothing radical planned I would guess - certainly is not a ugly turd - do some lowering, maybe Caddy hubcaps, some pin striping, etc - see if '54 Merc tail lights will work - my first car was a '53 Merc - V8 Flathead - 3 spd with overdrive, which is great to have.
Read about the Aerostar coil interchange. Basically $100 worth of parts from the parts store and an afternoon gives you a 3" lowering with a really nice ride.
If the V8 on the hood isn't clearcoated you can take off pinstripping painted on with EZ Off oven cleaner and a 1/2" paintbrush cut to 1/2" of brush. Be gentle, it always worked for me and others here.
Slam it, paint those skirts to match and find some hub caps for the front. Put some nice sounding mufflers on it or just take off the stock mufflers and run it open. It sounds GREAT if you just ditch the mufflers on a flathead. Great start to a cool custom and certainly no ugly turd! Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Nothing wrong with that, a little cash and some spare time, and you got yourself a cool cruiser. Do it right, and you'll get sick of people trying to buy it from you.
If it were mine, in addition to lowering it, I'd get a quart of paint mixed up to match to repaint the hood and the fender skirts. I'd weld up the holes for the hood emblem where the V8 thing is now and I'd open up the hood scoop using round rod to create the opening, maybe with a peak in the center. Dual carbs and headers on the flathead wouldn't hurt either.
HAMB'er Eric H nicely finished the Merc scoop on his Shoebox Ford, extending it forward for some much needed overhang. Similar job on a Merc. BTW, those early Mercs were cool to begin with!
A friend of mine has a 53 Merc I customized about 20 years ago. Lowered, nosed and decked, painted the stainless on the hood scoop, lower front bumper and rear bumper and taillight housing. Chrome was bad and was cheaper to paint the chrome rather than rechrome. Always liked the 52 -54 Merc and Ford.
It's a 2 door, so to start, you're on the right track already. First things first; you have to hit the basics. That's nose, deck, shave and lower. Instantly, that will make the car better looking. If you want to go further, then shave that antenna and that badge on the quarter. I'd keep the skirts. A set of WWWs and a better hubcap and you're basically there unless you want to really start cutting the car up. Other than that, make the car a good runner. Invest a few bucks in just going through the car; carb, an electronic ignition conversion, converting to 12v... drive it and enjoy. Cool car, definitely something to work with
Will not disagree with you there.. The only reason I bought the car was for the flathead. I do like it it's a blast to drive buy the green is... Also why I call it the turd ( green turd to be exact).
All good, you're onto customizing 101! Nosing means you take the emblems and badges off the hood, and decking means you take the emblems and badges off of the trunk lid. Frenching means you recess/tunnel something into the body. Nosing, decking, shaving and lowering are the 4 basics to a custom car. Virtually every mild custom will have these done
I like the grille treatment. (clean, just the way it is) Agree with: shaving hood and deck, lose the door handles. Keep the skirts, match 'em with the body color when done. LOWER the rear with block kit, or better, flatten the rear springs (de-arch) by taking them apart and pushing them the opposite way every 1.5", on a press. Before you do this, draw an arc on a table (or cement floor) and match each leaf to it. My pretty wife did mine on the front of my F100, easy job. GREAT suggestion on the front coil springs (Aerostar) Just be sure the back's a little lower than the front. A 'rake' with skirts becomes very "Cobra", yuck... (B picture, starring Sly Stallone and one (2) unfortunate Mercs!)
Nose,deck,and shave it. Lower it 3",get some Caddy or Olds wheel covers and a set of Deluxe Champions with 2.75 whitewalls. I also think the bullets need to return on the front bumper. Sent from my SM-G900R4 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Hello neighbor......I like what youre doing. And the flatties still in there! Cool! I have a 52 Mercury myself and live just down the road from you by Sparta.....
What he said....turd....dude it's a 2 door Merc...far from a turd and a car that takes minimal work to make a nice little mild Kustom
What about floor pans for one of these. The out side of the car isn't bad but the floors are kind of sketchy. I've looked around and found the ems? Pans. Is there any full floor pan available for one or do you gotta piece it together?
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