So, we’ve saved the best for last with Nathan G’s auctions! Don’t get me wrong, the other cars are all cool, but this Merc is a clean driver. It’s going to need some work, but this one isn’t a major project! It’s flathead V8 runs well, the transmission shifts great and it can be driven as is. And as an interesting and fun bonus, the glovebox door was signed by famed car customizer, Gene Winfield. If you’d love to give this Mercury a good home, you can find it in Breckenridge, Minnesota and be sure to bid on it below! And if you are looking for a ’51 Mercury Coupe to customize, Nathan’s other Merc might be the one for you.
As with their father’s other car, Nathan’s family doesn’t know much of this one’s history. They do believe it was cosmetically about 30 years ago, so while it looks great at a distance, Nathan notes that there are some imperfections once you get up close. He also found some rust bubbles behind the passenger door, so you will want to take a closer look at the photos below to get an idea of its overall condition.
Under the hood is flathead V8 that separated these from their Ford siblings. The Mercury specific 1CM V8 offered 112 horsepower in 1951 and, a respectable for the time, 206 foot-pounds of torque. These cars were pretty much factory-built hot rods, which made them the perfect candidate for customization. In ’49, Barris built the first lead sled out of a Mercury Coupe, known as the Hirohata Merc. That one would eventually receive an OHV V8 swap, but it initially ran its stock flathead. This one could use some detailing to look it’s best, but it runs just fine as is.
The interior appears to be fairly original. It’s going to need some attention to be a comfortable cruiser, but an upholstery kit and some detailing are about all it needs. I for one would surely love to know the story behind Gene Winfield’s signature on the dash. Did Nathan’s Dad take the glovebox door to a show to get it signed or did Winfield see the whole car at an event? And imagine what the conversation might have been like!
There is definitely some work to be done here to make this an exceptional car, but it seems like a great place to start. The all-important chrome is present and the paint actually looks good. The rust bubbles are a bummer, but if you can get some color match paint mixed up, you could fix it and have it looking great. You’ll also want to refresh the brakes, as Nathan notes that under hard braking, it pulls to the right. Chances are it just needs some adjustment, but it might not be a bad idea to rebuild them anyway.
While you could modify this Merc into a sweet hot rod, this one really should stay as close to original as possible. Nathan’s other ’51 Mercury would be a better option for going the custom route, which you bid on here. With just a bit of work, this one could be a really nice driver and would be a nice sight at the typical car show. So, if you’d love to have this one parked in your garage, be sure to bid! And leave any questions in the comments below.
- Location: Breckenridge, MN 56520
- Mileage: 25,285 Showing on Odometer
- Title: Clean
- Engine: 255 Flathead V8
- Transmission: 3-Speed Manual
- Exterior Color: Green
Bid On This Auction
newfieldscarnut bid $11,005.00 2019-12-23 14:38:02
IntheBarn bid $10,101.00 2019-12-17 11:15:10
Auction your car here on Barn Finds for only $99!
Now that’s how a 51 Merc should look! Who can complain about a little touchup/cleanup to do on a 70 year old icon like this one. I can’t speak to how many of these I’ve seen chopped and cut up over the years, it’s incredible to find one in this condition. I wouldn’t do a thing to it other than the little touchup, fix anything that needs touching and take it for a drive.
I wish I could convince my wife that we need this as a third car. Looks like the one in Rebel Without A Cause with James Dean. What a beauty.
A nice Merc in above average condition. I’d leave it original as there are enough that have been rodded. Freshen it up where needed and drive it. I like the wheels, they’re a good look on a black car. Visors always look sharp on ’50s cars, too.
Makes me want to get some Vitalis and a two-tone sports coat and cruise to the A&W.
Well, maybe not, but this car has presence and the buyer will not be disappointed.
Nice find.
An iconic car for sure!! In way to good of shape to be molested by a hot rodder!!! I could see hot rodding it if it were a rust bucket and half the parts were missing!!! Perhaps if it were cut up or molested when you got it!! When this car was made there were a bunch of them and the value wasn’t seen!! Now these are scarce and shouldn’t be cut up due to that fact!! Save it for what it is!!!
not sure i liked the tone of your voice when you said “hot rodder”. hmmm.
WOW, a Virgin!!! Do not fingerprint this Merc with custom crap.
Only time I like Virgins
When I saw this, it reminded me of that Stallone film in 1986 called Cobra. The car in that was a 1950 Mercury so the grille was different but it looks like the same car (minus the hood scoops of course). Dean Bryant built the car for Cobra.
Its cool to have the autograph for the builder of vehicles from Blade Runner and Star Trek but it seems out of place on a 51 Mercury…
This is a nice car though that doesn’t seem to need much to be a nice driver.
Yes by all means leave this car stock like it is. These are just to hard to find in stock shape. Redo the whole inside or just fix it up some to your liking. Rebuild the brakes a must for safety. Clean and seal the gas tank. there’s bound to be rust in it. replace the brake fluid the trans. fluid and the rear end fluid. feel around in the trans. and rear end oil in the bottom of your drain pan for metal chips. If there’s a few tiny ones I wouldn’t worry about it. A lot of bigger ones might be a problem. But I’d still drive it anyway you’ll hear it if it starts to go bad Other than clean up the engine bay and detail the engine that’s all I’d do to it. Then down the road I’d go Later JIMMY
And don’t forget to get a red windbreaker jacket to wear like James Dean.
I still recall George Kennedy driving and
destroying a bottle green version of this
car in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot with
Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges. What a
shame, that one was a virgin too before
Warner Brothers allowed them to wreck
it. Been almost 50 years now, and my
heart still breaks whenever I watch that
movie.
Gene Winfield is very high on my list of car builders but I still don’t know why you would chop one of these Mercurys or a Hudson for that matter. They both had the lowest roof lines of anything made before or since. For pure good looks the ’49 is still my favorite but this a great looking car.
What a really nice looking Mercury. My uncle had two of them . Both were green . My friend in Summersville,W.Va has a 2 door and a 4 door. He was needing a couple of pieces and I told him about the two my uncle had and they were over the bank where my grandma lived at. He asked me to check on the.Which I did and they were gone. Come to find out. My cousin gave them to a junk dealer. We almost fought over that. I told him he was stupid and the next time to keep his mouth shut. THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL CAR. I would love to own it. Maybe some day I might. hahahaha
this still around??
I want all the people who left comments to know this 1951 Mercury has found it’s new home . My plans are to keep this 70 year old new life and keep it on the road. Thanks