Frame Off Restored Convertible 350 V8 TH350 with A/C

One of the greatest cruiser bodies of all time, the '49 Mercury stands head and shoulders above its contemporaries. About the only cooler way to go than a chopped top is a drop top like the one you see here: A bright tangerine custom with a white top and interior, wide whites, wire wheels - this is the car to cruise the Miracle Mile!

You have to start outside with this dropped cruiser. The stance is just right; far from stock yet high enough to clear all obstacles. Up front you'll find original, re-chromed headlight bezels, the mammoth toothed grille and a re-chromed bumper. New headlights hide under their hoods while classic pin-striping rides on the edges of the hood and fenders. Clean windshield trim surrounds the new glass, framed left and right by dual old school spotlights. The side profile is amazing with the faux lake pipes at the bottom, fender skirts out back and the long, low profile mere inches from the ground. While much of the trim has been shaved the door/quarter panel spears, fuel door surround and hood “vents” were kept for character. The car looks fantastic with the new white top up, and especially great with the top down! Shaved wide whitewall radial tires on chrome wires with spinner center caps complete the exterior - is there a more classic look?

Open the solid doors and get in. You're treated to wall-to-wall pearl white vinyl, typical in feel and pattern for 1960’s hot rods. The body color dash holds more pin-striping and a brace of VDO gauges and the requisite tissue dispenser. Of course, dispensing tissues loses its appeal after a while, but the hidden Clarion CD player behind won't! A GM tilt column sports custom billet knobs and stalks and is topped by the white steering wheel with its bow tie shaped center ring. The carpeting is done in orange with white piping, again in the classic hot rod tradition. Custom door panels in white with orange carpeting at the bottoms hold the power window switches; the original, re-chromed door tops are back in place. There's plenty of room to spread out on the dual power front seats, there are flip-out cup holders in the armrest, and the big back seat is good for full size adults. Open the trunk and see the interior styling found its way in - orange carpeting, white side trim and even a white spare tire carrier are back here! Quality rods like this one stand out by their attention to detail!

Underneath you'll find clean sheetmetal covered in undercoating. There's a '72 Nova front end with disc brakes, a rebuilt turbo 350 transmission, a new exhaust system with glass packs, new brake hardware, fresh fuel system components and, of course, orange neon. It's not much to look at, but (a) it'll protect the floor pans and deaden sound wherever you go and (b) the car sits so low you can't see underneath anyway!

Open the hood and check out the docile Chevrolet 350 inside. There's a nice burble from the exhaust at idle, and there's plenty of torque, but it's no race car - this is a vehicle to be seen in, after all. Edelbrock valve covers and a polished aluminum air cleaner dominate your initial view until you refocus on the polished stainless firewall and radiator covers. Flexible chromed hose covers and finned spark plug covers add sparkle and look period correct. There's a Professional Products polished intake manifold and Edelbrock carb setup for fuel and a Mallory distributor and Taylor wireset for spark. The battery's moved to the trunk, there's an electric pusher fan up front to keep the temps down and a new brake booster and master cylinder on the firewall for sure stops. All wiring is hidden, further enhancing the car's clean look. Some flash, adequate go power and a nostalgic feel? Superb!

Ready for a heavyweight boulevard bruiser? This one gets it done with solid equipment, a super cool tangerine pearl paint job and a big time old school vibe. Some customs are built to look at, some are built for reliability over all else, and some hot rods, like this one, are meant for both. Hot in their day, cool as custom cars in the 60’s and a rare sight today these monster Mercs are hall of fame rods!