Thread: Survivor Mercury

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A friend up the road brought this '51 Mercury 2-door sedan home this evening. It's a true survivor, having had one re-spray in the past 64 years. 24 stud flathead, three on the tree, original interior. Sweeeeeeeeet!
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That is a sweet ride!

It's funny to realize how big those cars were. but dang.. some of them were real lookers.

That is one very cool car which if mine certainly wouldn't be getting modified.

Originally Posted by Whiplash23T

That is one very cool car which if mine certainly wouldn't be getting modified.

yes .. please dont slam it or chop the top ... that`s the first stock one iv`e ever seen .

The owner plans to leave it just as it is, perhaps replacing a few pieces of glass that are cracked and fixing the headliner. Maybe drop the rear an inch or two with some lowering blocks but nothing drastic. It'll stay flathead powered, with three pedals and three forward gears. He got it from an older guy who's owned a salvage yard for forty or fifty years, and he kept select cars that were too good to crush for his personal collection. My friend got a '63 Impala convertible last year that has a louvered hood and a 396, but otherwise is stock. It's going to California soon...

Bloody gorgeous!

You obviously mix with the right type/class of people.

Do you have any photo's of the '63 Convertible Roger as that sounds like a damn nice motor vehicle too ? Was that from the same elderly Gentleman ?

I have the softest spot in my car lovin' heart for one of these................my first car was a '51 Merc two door. It's amazing that was turned into a wrecking yard, but not that uncommon back when I guess. When I tell some of the younger guys I bought mine for $125 they think I stole it................but when it was just an 11 year old used car that was market. Thanks for the memories Roger......

After the war-and moving to the share crop farm ( Dad was a mechanic that was sorta like enslaved to work on trucks at Ford dealer during WW2, couldn't join military as he had a critical occupation) the 1951 Merc was first new car for Frank Clayton Family------Dark green, 3 speed OD, 2 door, radio, spotlight, cruiser fender skirts (but no continental kit) I was 10-and I did all the work on that car-chage oil, filter, grease,spark plugs (Champion H 10) points, condenser-got my drivers license at 15---had the harmonic dampner bust off while racing somebody on PROM nite junior year , the night before Mom and Dad was to go to Great Lakes Naval to see older brother graduate from boot camp----------------

One of my buddies, Don Spencer, had a white '51 with a 303 Olds/Hydramatic in it. I pin striped the deck lid one day over at Jerry Gara's house (Dayton, Ohio, about 1959). Jerry had a '49 that I taught him to drive in.

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If this were 1953 that Merc would be king of the street except for meeting an occasional Oldsmobile or being surprised by a Hudson Hornet. My cousin drove one of these and in spite of the bulbous body it could really haul around almost anything on the street. Riding with him at the age of 15 I thought the Merc's acceleration was amazing. Now if you look up the stock specs on a '52-'53 Oldsmobile it makes the 2015 Camaros look like all out race cars! Just recall the expense and effort to put dual carbs, headers, 8:1 heads and dual exhaust on a late '40s Ford flathead to "maybe" achieve 200 HP and even use a Merc 4" stroker crank compared to the ease of approaching 280 HP on mild 350 SBC! Even so it is the availability of modern computer controlled fuel injection that evidently makes it possible to get both HP and improved mpg on modern street cars. Just remembering!

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Originally Posted by Don Shillady

Even so it is the availability of modern computer controlled fuel injection that evidently makes it possible to get both HP and improved mpg on modern street cars. Just remembering!
Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Yep, computer controlled fuel and spark, plus roller cams have turned it into a whole new ballgame.

Thanks for bringing up the Hudson Hornet. At one time, that flathead 6 motor was a force to be reckoned with on the NASCAR tracks.

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That is a super nice survivor! Thanks for sharing it Roger!

Originally Posted by Whiplash23T

Do you have any photo's of the '63 Convertible Roger as that sounds like a damn nice motor vehicle too ? Was that from the same elderly Gentleman ?

The convertible had been put away in the barn, but was out today awaiting the ride to California. Yes, it's from the same elderly owner of a salvage yard. Stock 396 under the louvered hood. Just another survivor.

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Roger, let me know if this retired yard owner has any other survivors. That is another fine ride!