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Mercury Memories
Courtesy of:
Hawaii Motorbeat Monthly
By
Paul Maddox
An older guy named Justin Putnam who
lived a couple houses away from us in the late 50's built a classic
Merc in the shed under his house that was proof to me that you
didn't need to be in California to create real rods and customs. His
'49 got chopped, shaved, painted and stuffed with a full-house Merc
flattie in a dirt floor shop in the middle of nowhere, USA. That
motor produced a snap, crackle and rap that could never be
duplicated by a big overhead-valve V8. It was an inspiration to my
youthful hot rod dreams.
50's hot rodders all knew that the
Mercury flathead engine was stronger than the Ford version. Partly
legend and partly fact, the Merc was the motor of choice before
overhead valve engines came along. But for most rodders, a Ford body
was favored due to its cleaner lines and lighter weight. I was one
of the odd ducks who preferred the '40 Merc over the multitude of
'40 Ford coupes and sedans most guys built. It was unique and
quirky; and when I saw one for sale in 1960, I had to have it.
"At night we ride through mansions of
glory in su-i-cide machines." That Merc was what Bruce Springsteen
was singing about in "Born to Run". Under the louvered hood was a
331ci Chrysler hemi with a 4 barrel carb that ripped teeth out of
the old '39 floorshifter cluster gear with stunning regularity.
There was gobs of torque, heat and weight up front. The brakes were
bone stock and totally overwhelmed. It ate clutches alive and swayed
like a drunken sailor going around corners. Loud, fast and scary as
hell, it was a teenage boy's dream.
I traded it for a stock '56 Lincoln
when I joined the Army and was sent to Fort Dix, NJ, for basic
training. But I had a thing for Mercs way before the Black Beast. I
remember asking to sit in back when a friend's Uncle took us all for
a ride in his new 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser. I wanted to be
there when the back window opened and closed. Wow! That car also had
the first factory designed elongated fender skirts ~ which created a
small industry making Turnpike Cruiser skirts for other cruisin'
customs of the '50s. And the best looking application for those
skirts was the 1949 thru 1951 Mercury 2-door sedan, which is still
the absolute icon of American Custom Cars.
Mercs had style but weren't really
known for performance. But they were doing OK on the budding NASCAR
circuit down south; and in 1964 they got 'youthful' with the Cyclone
Comets and decided to go drag racing. V-8s in 'economy' cars. like
the GTO, were happening and the motors got bigger and more powerful
in a hurry as Ford, GM and Chrysler fired up the wunnerful muscle
car wars.
Mercury created B and A Factory
Experimental Cyclones with Bill Stroppe for selected drivers to
campaign ~ including a pair that Lincoln-Mercury dealer and Hawaii
Raceway Park track owner Jimmy Pflueger brought in for Earle
'Safari' Char to drive. (Next month we'll debut our new 'Legends'
series with lots more about Earle 'Safari' Char)
In 1966 Merc created the first factory
built flip-top, fiberglass Funny Cars ~ and I got to see 'Dyno Don'
Nicholson blow the body off his brand new ride at Irwindale drag
strip that very same year. But that, and tales of Lions Drag Strip,
are another story...
Maybe next month. Aloha ~ PM
Hawaii Motorbeat Monthly
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More from Paul Maddox at:
www.hawaiimotorbeat.com
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