Check out this fully restored 1954 Mercury Monterey!
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So-called "contemporary" customs have gone through many phases in the past two decades, from the "dipped" monochromatic look to the pastel-painted, tweed-interior fad to recent styles with big-inch billet wheels and airbag suspensions. While aspects of each trend linger, we're seeing more traditiona
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Like many young lads in the 1950s, Bill Layman fell under the spell of the burgeoning hot rod and custom movement. He may have been hooked harder than most considering his dad's Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, body shop specialized in customs and hot rods. From the time he turned 12 in 1953, Bill spent mu
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The 1949-51 Mercury is the quintessential custom car. Thousands of them have gone under the knife in the last five decades, so it's a little surprising to discover how little aftermarket support there is for these beloved 'sleds. It's a particularly disheartening discovery if you happen to be buildi
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There have been hundreds, perhaps thousands, of different taillights adapted to the quarter-panels of custom '49-51 Mercurys through the years. Some designs are natural fits; others aren't so memorable. Selecting the right style can make or break the appeal of a custom's posterior.
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Though it would be hard to prove, we're willing to wager that there are more chopped '49-51 Mercurys today than there ever were in the '50s. In fact, we're pretty sure chopped versions now outnumber those with stock lids, and sometimes wonder if any original e
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Check out the Classic Mercury that we install a power steering conversion kit on!
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A Subtle Slice Makes John Dusckett's Merc Twice As Nice
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Wood is one of nature's most versatile materials. You can burn it for heat and energy, whittle it to make utensils, or carve it into boards from which all kinds of things can be built. Manmade steel has similar versatility. It can be cast, forged, rolled, or stamped to form a countless array of tool
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Rounding the hoodline on a '49 Merc
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Overseas IndianThese photos of Petri Terho's proud-looking '52 Pontiac come to us all the way from Lahti, Finland. The car's subtle-but-significant body modifications include a tasteful 2-inch top chop with an early-'50s Chevy rear window, a modified '56 Chevy rear bumper with a '51 Kaiser license g
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D.F. Metalworks crafts a Vette-suspended big-block Merc 'vert
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Ron Box's Toasty, Tasty North-of-the-border Custom
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New York contractor Phil Krasnoff had known what he wanted for a long, long time-a '50 Merc that'd rival the likes of those built by the masters. Unfortunately, Phil thought his dream was all for naught. The legends of the custom world-Barris, Cushenberry, Hines, Farhner, Thompson, Bailon, Jeffries-
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Believe it or not, there was once a time when rods were rods and customs were customs, and never the twain should meet. Even the builders stuck to it; rodders stripped stuff off to go fast, while customizers tacked it all on to look good.
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When a guy builds his first chopped Mercury at the age of 19, it's a pretty good indication that he'll be someone to keep an eye on in the custom car community. David Wolk is that type of person. His first Merc-a mint green cruiser dubbed "Dave's Nifty Fifty"-garnered plenty of attention and numerou
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