FactoryStock54

GORGEOUS!!!!!!! I love the gold scallops! Fantastic job!

Real nice job!

I also remember trying to build that kit in its original IMC boxing back in the early 70s. . .and royally effing it up. One of the least "idiot-proof" kits ever tooled, I think; the ProModeler kit was certainly a breath of fresh air by comparison. Fine job on that old war horse; especially like your choice of colors.

Happy birthday and "welcome to the club!" I crossed that threshold myself just last month!

Hey, thanks guys! Glad you like 'em! For sheer style and purity of line you just can't beat the 49-51 Mercs! No wonder these cars caught the early customizers' eyes. I wanted to do something a little off the beaten path; most factory stock models of the 49 are done up in gloss black--which, if done right, is absolutely gorgeous--heck! it's virtually impossible to do a color scheme that doesn't work!--but I thought a 2-tone scheme (more typical of contemporary Hudsons) would really bring out the lines on this car. Finding "just the right color scheme" for a car is, for me, one of the most rewarding aspects of period factory stock modeling. Now. . .on to my '63 Avanti in metallic green!

I've loved the AMT 49 Merc kit since I first built it back in the early 70s; since then I've probably built 8 or 9 of them (always getting better but never quite reaching the level I wanted). These two builds are my tribute to this amazing kit and mark the last time (probably) I will build it. The factory stock 49 is done up in a custom two-tone scheme that I thought would really enhance the lines of the car. The top and trunk are Tamiya TS 55 Dark Blue straight from the rattle can (actually should be called "Midnight Blue"--it's way darker than I would have liked); the main body color is a custom turquoise mixed from 5 parts Tamiya TS 23 Light Blue to 2 parts TS 2 Dark Green, decanted from their respective rattle cans and shot through my Badger 360 at 20 PSI (I figured out that one should try to approximate spray can pressures to effectively airbrush this paint). Mercury badge and logo on the hood were foiled after priming and uncovered once the final coat of turquoise was applied--didn't work completely so I ended up highlighting the lettering with Citadel Mithril Silver. I had several complete sub-assemblies from previous attempts at this kit including a very nice interior (two tone blue-ish grays, don't remember which Polly Scale colors I used) The interior has separate door handles and window cranks, photo etch foot pedals and ash trays and MCG instrument bezels. The flat-head V-8 had a pre-wired Preston's Car Parts distributor. I touched up the paint job and added heater hoses. The chasis/underframe was from my first adult attempt at this kit some 15 years ago (the front suspension was still intact except for the tie-rods) I spruced it up, put on a new rear end/differential, replaced the old exhaust system with a well-painted new one, and touched up the gas tank. Wide white sidewalls are from the Revell 40 Ford Standard Coupe and the beautiful stock wheel covers come with the AMT kit. The companion piece to the 49 is a factory stock 50 with Modelhaus grill and tires and F&F 50 wheelcovers. This one was done up in Tamiya TS Maroon with a charcoal interior (Polly Scale Engine Black). I hand-brushed a couple coats of Future on both cars; when the Future was solidly cured I rubbed down with Novus #2. Precise foiling was achieved with a surgical scalpel. Hope you like these.

Hey thanks! Glad you like them!

Beautiful in every detail! Outstanding! Did you use flocking for the upholstery?

Thanks guys!

Just a few quick shots of my just-completed AMT 49 Merc done as a factory stock 50 (more or less). I was suffering from constant indecision about whether to do this as a 49 or a 50, so it lacks the proper 50 fenderskirts and the door handles are correct for a 49 (the 50 had push button handles). Braces on the rear window were removed. Resin 50 grill and white sidewalls are from Modelhaus, the 50 wheel covers are from F&F (the Flucks were kind enough to pop a couple sets of these for me a few years back after they stopped listing them in their catalog--such great folks!). The 50 tail lamps come with the AMT kit. Color is Tamiya TS 11 Maroon straight from the rattle can with a couple hand-brushed coats of Future; interior is charcoal (Polly Scale Engine Black). Engine is out of the box with only a pair of heater hoses added (spark plug wiring is molded in and not too bad all things considered). Engine was painted Tamiya (acrylic) metallic gray with TS black air cleaner, oil filter and generator). Bolts were highlighted with Gunze Steel. I had to add some shims for the front bumper in order to clear the grill. Next up will be a 49 in custom colors (dark blue over turquoise); just started working on the chasis this afternoon. I'll have some better images later when the 49 is completed.

That be one fine lookin' Merc! I especially like the fender-skirt treatment!

Very fine job! (Isn't that a GREAT kit????!!!) Nice, clean build and excellent paint/decal job. I built that kit with the same lettering about ten years ago as well; yours looks better!

My three "boys!" Itzhak (Itzzy) Asher and Oz (posing with Asher) These guys all stay on the ground floor and very seldom get up to my shop on the second storey. I suspect they'd take quite an interest in my models if given the chance!

Great work! Great subject!

I wash my hands with Palmolive dish detergent; gets rid of the grease and is a lot better for one's skin than Windex, especially in the colder, dryer months.

Very nice work; truly a worthy project for restoration. Given the breakage you had to deal with . . . well, I certainly wouldn't have had the cajones to tackle it!

Sweet! I definitely like that shade of red!

Strange, I've never had this problem with (authentic) BMF. I store it flat in my decal drawer (in its original package) and haven't had any serious issues with wrinkling. The Detail Master stuff is nigh on to worthless, at least in my experience.

I remember being sooooo embarrassed by the family's 70 Rambler station wagon. . .seriously boring and totally uncool hunk of steel, but it was reliable as all heck and solid as a tank. . . Later on when my mom's 54 Chevy 210 clunker gave up the ghost we got a used 71 Matador which wasn't a bad car at all; certainly lasted a long time and gave them their money's worth! Eventually, IIRC, it was sold in about 1990 for $200.

Very nicely done! Real clean. Good choice on the color-combo too!

Gorgeous! Simply gorgeous!

Especially nice job on that little engine! Great work overall. (IIRC the original mold for this kit was done by Pyro in the mid-60s).

Thanks--I'll see if I can check out that magazine. There seem to be very few good pix of factory stock '50 Mercs on-line; I managed to find a couple that were clear enough to make some guesses; the rear window on the '50 had no braces like on the 49; on the hood for '50 the MERCURY script was replaced with an emblem (similar in shape to the trunk handle on the '49) and a chrome strip along the front edge. The '50 trunk handle looks like a round medallion as far as I can tell. The molded-in door handles on the AMT kit look like push-buttons so that's OK for a '50 (for the '49 I'll shave them off and replace with a pair from the Monogram '50 Ford pickup). My main concern is how to reproduce the '50 trim, or at least get some kind of close approximation. Thanks again!

Personally I love doing restos, but these two look pretty durn good just the way they are. I agree with the others; clean 'em up and put 'em under glass.

I'm working on a pair of AMT Mercurys; one will be a '49 (two-tone dark blue over turquoise) and the other a '50 (solid maroon). For the '50 I have a Modelhaus grill and a set of F&F wheel covers and fender skirts. The problem is the trim on the hood and trunk; it's quite different from '49 to '50 and I need to figure out a workable solution so that I don't have a '50 with an obviously-'49 hood and trunk handle. Any ideas about how to reproduce the '50 trim?