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56 Merc getting ready for Toledo


Irvin Arter Jr.

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Interesting location for the spotlights. If they were real, and had handles, would you reach under the dash to use the spots?

Spotlights and a foreward rake, and I was hoping to forget that the early 1990's ever happened!

.........and I figured some kid coming back from the war in the late 40's invented "the rake". Oh well, guess I was wrong.

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Irvin , that Merc is smokin' , black and the chrome look good..Chad back in the day they used "dummy spots"

Sure, I know they did (well, in what I would concider the "golden era" of customs, real Appleton 112's and 552's were what were used pretty much exclusively), but still, if you look at your photo, they are mounted in a way that the actual body of the spotlight faces in the same position (towards the windhsield/cowl) as a "real" spot would face in its resting position. The bracket is mounted just below the windshield stainless trim, not on the fender with the lense of the spotlight facing down in the opposite position, looking onto the hood and upper fender. If they were mounted a little closer to the corner of the windshield (moved outward just a few inches) on that car in your picture, they'd look even more convincing.

Dummy's were put out in the mid 50's to work on cars that didnt allow the space and layout for the real deal with a handle passing through. The dummy's (with the exception of the Kustom Kraft appleton 112 knock offs) have always been much smaller, and more "egg" shaped than real spots, and never quite had the look that the real Appleton's gave to the early 50's customs. In fact on Richard Glymphs 1:1 1959(?) T bird he recently built, he took the handles off of a set of real Appleton 112's so he could have the real deal on a later body style, as the dummy's just look, well, "dummy".

Im not trying to be rude or start a pissing match, but Im a spotlight fanatic. Ever since I got my first real (i.e. 1:1 scale) Appleton 112, spots are one of the first thing I look at on a custom (after the lines of course). You see very few cars these days with the real thing (its very hard to put real appletons on a mid 50's mercury, and if you can find the right brackts, the right hand one sells for $1500, just for the bracket! but they do exist), but the dummy ones can at least be placed in a location where they look somewhat convincing.

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That correct Chad! I am mounting the handles under the dash. I should have the photos later this week. I had them mounted correctly and did not like the placement so I modifying them differently, kinda kustomizing it my way. I like the look better. Sorry you don't get the rake thing it's just what I like. It's nice to see young guy's like you take an interest in Kustom history! Keep up the good work.

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Yet another winner Irv, hope that you can finish it for Toledo but I am sure that the Toledo future contest entrants will not find it to be a good idea..... I am kind of happy I won't be going :lol: At least it gives me a good excuse :wink:

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I figured some kid coming back from the war in the late 40's invented "the rake". Oh well, guess I was wrong.

Nobody ever said Irv 'invented' the raked look; it's more of a trademark of his building style. He builds his models on a rake....many people wish you would step on one. :wink:

Back on topic - looking good, Irv!

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