Hell Dr. I dont call it side tracked.... I call it "being open to change" ... a term I learned from my wife.
I finally tracked down the last owner who had it on the road in 1965. Fellows name was Stan Galigan of Kelowna, B.C. . He graduated in 62 and drove the car to high school. In 65 he parked the car and went to work in Ontario. When he returned in 68 he and his wife divorced, she got the car and house and Stan moved on. I tracked his last address to a trailer park but then also found his obituary. Would have liked to have shown him the car and talked with him. His grown kids live in the area so I'm going to pack up the license plate and the change I found under the back seat and give it to them.
I also found a local hot rodder who graduated in 65 and remembers the car very well. He had tried to buy it at one time and it wasn't for sale.
My welder stays too hot for filling trim holes without warping or burning though ( partly gun, partly gunner) So I improvise by hanging nails and welding on the nail itself. It melts the nail into the hole real nice and clean.
Added some goodies while the price was right. and a non Merc bumper. I've traded some stuff for a pair of 50- 51 caddy caps that I'll pick up tomorrow. I've been pulling dents on that rear passenger quarter on and off this last week and making headway. Time, patience and I'll most likely move to the front fenders to smooth out the signal light forms for a break.
I like those skirts. The '49 shape with the '51 bottom lip is nice. What is the bumper from? Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Man, you're working so fast on this car ur making some of us look bad! Lol nice car and nice work on her! Keep at it. NRM
Thanks Nash, Just playing when I can and the budget allows. There are definitely some big dry spells coming do to the for mentioned and the all superseding honey do list.
2 days of pulling, stretching, picking and shrinking and its taking shape. Another day or two maybe, but its getting there.
Well, after a faint moment sitting on the fence, I'm back into it. I've picked up some goodies including the tail lights that will get frenched, 54 headlight rings and bezels and some front signals that will get installed after the front is smoothed. Next month should see the arrival of the drive train and pre 65 bucket seats. Keeping momentum has been hard with lots of external things going on but we're back in the saddle again.
You said you got some front signals to install....will they get installed in the ends of the Olds grille bar? Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Please don't add square-ish shapes to a front end made up of curves. The grille bar needs to be shortened a bit so there is clearance between the ends and the shell. The bumper guards are visually obstructing the horizontal flow of the grille bar. With them removed, the front will look lower and wider.
Agreed Krusty40, all three items I was going to address on the Merc...as well as cutting the Olds grille bar in the center and angling it to match the hood "point" (as seen from above)...that way it'll fill the cavity much nicer AND look like it was 'planned' instead of just plopping it in. And yeah, it'll need rechroming at that point... Amazing the Merc was in that kind of shape for Canada and snow country...!!! Nice work so far... R-
Thanks for the interest and observations. I'm sure as I progress there will be plenty to things that folks would do differently, better and more traditionally. The marker lights have a commonality with the taillights I have planned, I'll just leave it at that for now. I have played with the idea of converting the grill pots into marker/signals so thats still in play as well but not written in stone. Roger your comments ebfabman, thanks.
I kinda like the turn signals, they don't look out of place and they are something not seen on other Mercs. Isn't the whole point of customizing trying things, looking it over, living with it for a while, changing it, or not?
Thanks Tiki. I kind of look at it this way, what would a kid do on a limited budget back in the day? He would have gone to the wrecking yard and found what would work for him and use it. I'm sure he'd peak the grill if he could afford to get it re chromed, if not he'd use it as is. Not all Merc's ran with 57 Caddy hubcaps and desoto grills. The lil magazines of the day were filled with different ideas on their back pages and readers rides. I just enjoy building and building for my own pleasure. I post, not because I think I'm a great and important builder but as a reminder of where I was and where its going. My skin is thick and water runs off my back. Life's to short to worry about conforming to rules in order to enjoy it.
Exactly. I like what you're doing so far, and that you're not falling into some pre-designated formula for what makes a Merc a 'kustom'.
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