Rod & Custom Feature Car
Steve Silver
Scottsdale, Arizona
1951 Mercury Coupe
Chassis
Aside from lowering via the old standby-modified springs fore and aft-the chassis beneath Steve Silver's '51 Mercury coupe remains stock, from the drum brakes and steering to the control arms and rearend.
Drivetrain
As with the chassis, the engine and overdrive three-speed transmission are of stock nature. That said, the Flathead V-8 has been treated to a few niceties, such as Offenhauser aluminum heads, Edelbrock dual intake with a pair of Stromberg two-barrels, headers, and a set of Smithy's steelpack mufflers. The electrical has been converted to 12-volt, and an extra-capacity system 24-gallon stainless fuel tank allows for some extended driving time.
Wheels & Tires
The Merc's rolling stock consists of standard 15-inch steel wheels mounting a quartet of Cadillac sombrero hubcaps and BFGoodrich Silvertown bias-ply whitewalls, courtesy of Coker Tire.
Body & Paint
Rod Palmer's Arizona Street Rods (Phoenix) deftly handled all the bodywork and accompanying modifications, numbering well over 20 in all, as well as final paint. Beneath the deep black you'll find a nosed hood with rounded corners, decked trunk lid, shaved handles and emblems, '53 Buick side trim replacing the original stainless, molded grille shell with '52 DeSoto grille fit (with added teeth), '54 Mercury taillights, restyled bumpers, flush-fit skirts, and of course, the icing on the cake, a nice 3-inch chop.
Interior
For the interior, Steve had Vic Kitchens Custom Upholstery in Lake Havasu, AZ, create a very stylish setting. Using two-tone black and brown leather, Steve says the theme was mimicked from the famous Hirohata Merc. Carpet is Mercedes Saffron fine-tuft, while the headliner uses a Desert Camel UltraSuede material. Other notable interior appointments include Vintage Air A/C with custom-made vents, Pioneer sound system, Dakota Digital instrumentation, and a cut-down (3 inches) stock steering wheel.