The Hirohata Merc is a 1950s

custom car A custom car is a passenger vehicle that has been either substantially altered to improve its performance, often by altering or replacing the engine and transmission; made into a personal "styling" statement, using paint work and aftermarket ...

, often called "the most famous custom of the classic era". Setting a style and an attitude, it had a "momentous effect" on custom car builders, appeared in several magazines at the timeDeWitt, p.70 and has reappeared numerous times since, earning an honorable mention on ''Rod & Custom''s "Twenty Best of All Time" list in 1991. The impact may be measured by the fact that, after more than fifty years and numerous owners, it is still known as "the Hirohata Merc".

Construction

Constructed in 1953 for Bob Hirohata, it was designed and built by

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...

and Sam Barris, assisted by Frank Sonzogni.Jalopy Journal
Accessed February 14, 2018 It started out as a 1951 Club Coupe.Barris.com
Accessed February 14, 2018 Nosed, decked, and shaved, the top was chopped four inches in front and seven inches in back, and the vertical B-pillar was reshaped so that it curved forward at the top. The rear window had its posts removed, and was raked steeply forward, requiring a new roof piece to be fabricated. Side trim was replaced with that from a 1952 Buick (the spears), augmented by

grille Grill or grille may refer to: Food * Barbecue grill, a device or surface used for cooking food, usually fuelled by gas or charcoal, or the part of a cooker that performs this function * Flattop grill, a cooking device often used in restaurants, ...

teeth from a 1952 Chevrolet (three per side) and functional scoops. The front wheels are fitted with traditional sombrero ('47-'51 Cadillac) hubcaps. Skirts were added, fitting flush. Three '51 Ford grilles were used to custom-fabricate one, and the bumper was fitted with dagmars. Barris used a vee-butted windshield, a very common customizers' trick in that era, rather than a one-piece windshield, which was available on the '53 Merc. He added Appleton spotlights, frenched the headlights (which were fitted with '52 Ford rings), and added '52

Lincoln Capri The Lincoln Capri is an automobile that was sold by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company from 1952 until 1959. A full-size luxury car, the Lincoln Capri derives its name from an Italian island in the Gulf of Naples. Introduced as a premi ...

taillights. The exhaust pipes were routed out through the rear bumper, beneath the taillights, and a pair of radio antennae were frenched into the rear quarter panels. The Hirohata Merc was painted in two shades of green, a total of thirty coats, which were applied by Junior Conway. The interior was upholstered with tuck-and-rolled naugahyde. The dash, seats, and headliner were white with dark green inserts, matching the exterior lower body color (below the Buick spears).

Later changes

Hirohata later replaced the original Mercury flathead engine with a transplanted

Cadillac The Cadillac Motor Car Division () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) that designs and builds luxury vehicles. Its major markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac models are distributed i ...

engine, creating the nickname "Mercillac" ("merk-ill-ack"), in the fashion of rodders of the period, who in the same way created Fordillacs and Studillacs. In 1955, the Merc made an appearance in the film ''Running Wild'', for which it was painted gold over the original ice green. Hirohata sold the Merc, and the car changed hands several times. It was eventually purchased by Jim McNiel for $500 in 1959; McNiel used it as a daily driver for years, then placed it into storage. Ultimately, McNiel restored the Merc to her original configuration. The paint was done by Hershel "Junior" Conway at Junior's House of Color.

Magazine appearances

* ''Hot Rod'' March 1953 *''

Motor Trend ''MotorTrend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949. Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles published ''MotorTrend'' until 19 ...

'' March 1953 *''Rod & Custom'' October 1953 *''Trend Book 109 Custom Cars 1954 Annual'' *''Rodding and Re-styling January 1956'' *''Trend Book 143 Restyle Your Car'' *''Rod & Custom'' August 1989 *''

Road & Track ''Road & Track'' (stylized as ''R&T'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. It is owned by Hearst Magazines and is published 6 times per year. The editorial offices are located in New York, New York. History ''Road & Track'' (often ab ...

'' August 2004 *''Trend Book 133 Custom Cars 1957 Annua'' *''The Big Book of Barris''Kustomrama: Bob Hirohata's 1951 Mercury
Accessed February 14, 2018

Notes

References

*''Rod & Custom'' Magazine, 10/53.
jalopyjournal
*DeWitt, John. ''Cool cars, high art: the rise of kustom kulture''. Jackson : University Press of Mississippi, 2001. (a
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Construction

Later changes

Magazine appearances

See also

Notes

References