Rod & Custom Feature Car
Jim Gilbert
Parkersburg, West Virginia
'53 Mercury Monterey Convertible
Chassis
A big-block '70 Nova subframe, including shocks, springs, and disc brakes, was added to the front of the original Mercury 'rails. In the back, a '75 Granada rear was added, along with a monoleaf spring from Durant Enterprises.
Drivetrain
Jim decided on a drivetrain package consisting of the popular 350/350/9-inch combination. The small-block engine is a 290hp GM crate motor running a single Edelbrock four-barrel and intake manifold and a pair of Springfield Street Rod two-piece chrome-plated valve covers. The '66 TH350 automatic is operated by a '63 Galaxie shifter. The 2.79-geared rearend comes from a '75 Granada.
Body & Paint
If there is anything simple about this exterior, it's the paint. Jim shot the DuPont Chrysler Radiant Red, free of graphics, to let the body mods do the talking. The convertible top was chopped 2 1/2 inches, and the stock scoop was reduced and brought forward with a handmade grille. The frenched headlights match the '66 Pontiac Bonneville parking lights with modified bezels and handmade Plexiglas lenses. Jim molded the Plexiglas around a wooden bowl using a heat gun (burning five bowls in the process, his wife Connie confessed, but the finished product looks great). A '57 Chevy bumper was modified to match the contours of the Mercury hood and fenders and wrap around the '56 Chevy grille. The '56 Packard taillights, minus the backup lights, were a perfect addition in the rear. Jim narrowed the '48 Buick rear bumper and flattened it to fit flush with the quarter-panels. John Wright's Custom Chrome Plating in Grafton, Ohio, handled the chrome work.
Interior
By now you've figured out that Jim has a knack for building a custom, but it's on the inside where Jim's talent really shines, proved by the way he completely reimagined the Merc interior as a four-seat sports car. He replaced the homely stock dash with the flat dash from a '56 Packard, trimmed it to fit the cockpit, and filled it with Amega blackface gauges from Haneline. The steering wheel is '62 Cadillac modified with a Mercury head center cap. A '63 Thunderbird console was the starting point for a one-off hand-fabricated centerpiece, and the armrests are from a '57 Pontiac. Jim replaced the front bench with '65 T-bird buckets covered in tan vinyl stitched with 1-inch pleats. The stock rear seat was upholstered to match. The boot for the convertible top was made from the same material, and it matches the color of the top.
Wheels & Tires
General Tire P205/70R15-series radials with 1-inch whitewalls were mounted on 15-inch solid disc wheels from The Wheelsmith, with '57 Cadillac wheel covers to add the final touch.