O.T. 1949 Mercury 2 door coupe.

Lou from Wi. · Jan 20, 2011

Does any one have or had one of these beauties?
when I was in service I needed a car so my pal had a 1947 mercury coupe that had to be pulled to run. Took it to a Ford dealership after looking at this beautiful 49 maroon and started the 47 a block from the dealership, then drove it on the lot and left it running. The salesman said we could deal. After signing all the paper work and using the 47 as down payment, I was off to Nellis A.f.b.Las Vegas Nev. from Anderson Ind.Well I was chuckling about getting the better deal when along about Albuquerque NM, Noticed the heat gauge needle went to top end of the hot side.
On a mountain top filling station, I bought a wrench .pulled the heads,looked down in side the cylinder walls, Yep Cracked. Both sides. ( 7 in all) total. Well I limped it to the base and into the hobby shop. As you all know, Military pay don't go far enough to buy a new short block. Story was. I got it back to Ind when I had enough leave time coming and traded it off on a 53 Chev 4 dr. I now know it doesn't pay to try and horn swaggle a salesman. Ya come out on the short end of the stick.When your young ya try and beat the odds .Doesn't work out that way. Still would love to have the 49 Merc Back today.Haven't seen any in the wrecking yards. Two of my favorites was the 49 merk and the 1950 Hudson Hornet W/O.D.Remember em????
LOU

Rusty wheel · Jan 20, 2011

I remember them. MY dad had a 49. Called it a turtle back. I remember it rode like sitting on a cloud. I think it might have been a 4 door, I don't remember that.

Lou from Wi. · Jan 20, 2011

Rusty/Yep it did ride that way. Just finished going on flebay. only 2 listed. Both were chopped. What a waste. Heck of an asking price, just like the Hudson on Fleebay. Should have bought one and kept it show room new. I could have retired with a heck of a nest egg. LOU

DCM · Jan 20, 2011

Putting together a 49 F1 half ton that I brought home running with a donor 50 Ford truck, to make a long story short I went through 5 flathead V8s before I found one that was not cracked, it was a car model,so after switching the waterpumps out and pulleys I turned it into a truck engine,they had their problems but when you found a good running one they were hard to beat. I think I read there were 12 million made.

Anonymous-0 · Jan 20, 2011

49-51s are cool, and mostly unavailable .. So i settled for a 1969 mercury marquis convertible , owned her sinec 1974,, police intercepter heads 429/4v with aftermarket edlebrock carb delivers well over 370 hp ... black/black only 320 thousand original miles, and NOT for sale at ANY price ..,My ride is a wonderful Statement of Powerful Elegant AMERICAN Abundant secure living that was very commonplace in this mans Beloved AMERICA

Goose · Jan 20, 2011

I gotta admit it, once when I was stationed in North Carolina, I had a '48 Cadillac. Nothing to jump up and down about, but it beat walking.

I was coming into Havelock from New Bern one evening when the rear end began to go out on the Cad. I coasted onto a used car lot and traded on the spot for a '51 Dodge. The salesman revved the engine on the Cad a few times, but never tried to drive it.

Had kind of a mixed ending. The Dodge turned out to be a good car. I never saw the salesman again, but I got it second hand that he was a Marine 1st Sergeant moonlighting as a car salesman and he swore revenge if our paths ever crossed in the line of duty. I was a Buck Sergeant at the time.

Fortunately, our squadron deployed to the Middle East aboard an aircraft carrier a couple of weeks later and all of our cars were put in a secure compound until we returned after 8 months.

As I said, I never saw the 1st Sergeant again.

Fred Martin · Jan 20, 2011

This is as close as I can come to a 49 Merc...Bought a 50 Ford coupe in California and drove to new duty station, an old WWII tincan in Newport, R.I. I think it was 1960. Blew the engine on Xmas eve and had a fellow come, tow it in and put another engine in it. Went out payday to pay for it and he handed me a bill for EIGHTY DOLLARS! He put a 49 Merc engine in it. I drove it back to Ohio and raced a buddy who had a 50 also. That old Merc engine would fly, he couldn't beat me...thanks for the memories. ohfred

Crem · Jan 20, 2011

My first vehicle was a 1951 Ford pickup but my first car car was a 1950 black and red Merc with dual exhausts and fender skirts. I had a pair of dice hanging from the mirror and I thought I was cool. By the way, Crem is merc spelled backwards.

Anonymous-0 · Jan 20, 2011

I know of a guy building a 49 Merc streetrod. Chopped top, frenched headlights, along with some other old style rod features. All powered by a 327 Chevy.

gene bender · Jan 20, 2011

I bought a 49 Merc rite before my 16th bday in 51 and D ad bought a new 51 Hornet what a car the Hornet was.

Lou from Wi. · Jan 21, 2011

Sure as shootin remember the great draw back with the Hudson, was Every one was basically griping about the SUNKEN FLOORS. Said the floors will rot out.Didn't want em for that reason.If those folks who thought about it now with all the sunken floors.they would accept it now that it has become the norm. Only goes to show what sales hype is responsible for now a days.Cheap reclaimed mental. Plastic, and Bondo repairs is the norm. I wonder where the Body men that leaded and shaped the features are now. I Know ,= DEAD from all the lead fumes and poisoning.I get to thinking what a wonderful feeling it is to sit in a comfortable seat with leg room to spare, rather then cramped in a sardine mental.plastic shoe box,that has a whole bunch of electronics that fail right & left. I'm glad My life is fast coming to a conclusion so I won't have to look and listen to the new plastic overpriced cars and other items. Any way I did live in the times of goodness and self made comfort. Won't live to see it again. My departed friend always said, "NEXT LIFE" & "If it smells ,It sells" Those sayings go with almost everything sold today .Still nice to think about yesteryear's well built items.Thanks for the post. I DO REMEMBER !!! Regards LOU.

Lou from Wi. · Jan 21, 2011

Elegance will not be forgotten.Keep the vehicle forever. Some time I would love to see pictures of all the vehicles from that era that you guys still own. Maybe some day huh? Regards LOU/

Lou from Wi. · Jan 21, 2011

Goose, Looks like you lucked out twice lol.
LOU.

Lou from Wi. · Jan 21, 2011

The Mercs were beauties . Loved em all.More reliable then any pretty girl. lol

Lou from Wi. · Jan 21, 2011

I owned one. Nice truck but slower then a chev panel my friend had. Still a great truck though.

RBnSC · Jan 21, 2011

Dad had a 51 ford F6 flatbed dump truck.We put 7 rebuilt engines in it before we got one that wasn't cracked. It was a great truck.
Ron

Anonymous-0 · Jan 21, 2011

HA, so we meet again after all these years! lol,

larry@stinescorner · Jan 21, 2011

LOU ,in the town of somerville nj , not far from us ,in the summer every friday night all of main street is closed off for a car show. Fiftys music plays up and down the street and the whole street on both sides is full of old cars. There is a guy there with an old mercury ,takes up 4 spaces ,has cones and caution tape behind him,and once and a while shoots fire from his dual axhaust, the name on the back of his mercury is GREAT BALLS OF FIRE.

jgilles · Jan 21, 2011

My Dad, who passed away last year was fond of telling me stories about the 49 Merc convertible he bought new after he got out of the Army. He served in WW2 and that car was his way of living life to the fullest after the war. He started dating my Mom when he owned that car. Flathead V8 & 3 speed with overdrive. My understanding was that he and that car were quite the thing in our small town. The car was hit in the rear by a drunk driver and totaled while my Dad was stopped at a traffic light. He then bought a 51 Merc convertible but he said it just wasn't the same as the 49.

dbernie · Jan 21, 2011

Well, I just bought a 1949 2-ton Chevy truck, AND a 1960 Mercury Comet. Does that count? Close--if ya put the two together...

Crem · Jan 21, 2011

dbernie,

My older brother bought a 1960 Comet new. About a year later he had it on a lake while ice fishing and it went through the ice. He even put it in park and turned the key off before he jumped out as it was sinking. A day or two later they had to look a little to find where it went through. They pulled it out, dried it out, repaired it and he drove it again for a number of years until he bought a 65 Comet 2dr hardtop.

Mike (WA) · Jan 21, 2011

Never had a Merc, but here's my Hudson. Its a '48, with '51 Hornet 308, dual carb engine (Hornet didn't start until 1951). It was customized in the early '50's- main feature is a 4" section job: a 4 inch slice was taken out of the body, in the red portion, about 8 inches above the rockers.

dbernie · Jan 21, 2011

Crem--
now that's a good fishin story.
hope this 60 Merc is as dependable...
dan

Anonymous-0 · Jan 21, 2011

My dad hd a 49 Mercury when he and mom got married. Bought it new. Toreador Red. Probably same as yours.

My moms cousins painted Just married on the car with Bonami. Stripped all the wax of and you could see the words after.

john d · Jan 21, 2011

Briefly had a 4dr '50 Merc. Upgraded to a '56 Oldsmobile. Wish I had both of them now!

tg in VA · Jan 21, 2011

There's a guy in Danville, VA who has made molds and makes fiberglass '49 Mercury bodies as a business. I believe his last name is Wentz.

O.T. 1949 Mercury 2 door coupe.

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Similar threads