In the 1950s , it was not rare for finished customs like the Buddy AlcornMercuryto be remodified and updated to keep pace with quickly changing automotive fashion . This was especially dead on target if the fomite changed hands , since the new possessor usually felt compel to put his own stamp on the car .
The Buddy Alcorn Mercury , a 1950 Mercury , was originally complete for an unsung owner in 1952 by Gil and Al Ayala . The two brothers performed the initial restyling , let in the top chop shot , round hood and deck corner , and doorway deal and chrome removal . The top was chopped four column inch in the front and a full 7 - 1/2 inch in the rear , achieving a tapered slope with almost fastback proportion .
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The Mercury ’s signature tune doorline hump was reworked into a smooth " full fadeaway " body line , rearward poop panels and taillights from a 1952 Olds were grafted on , and the car was finished in a deep maroon color .
Buddy Alcorn then bought the car and brought it to Barris Kustom Autos in 1955 , where Sam and George and bunch updated it with new trimming , taillights , and a mystifying eggplant-colored paint occupation .
The 1950s ' near customizers were highly skilled at blending spot and pieces from various auto into a cohesive new design . There was no rigid template for all of this , no professional design degrees imply ; these self - teach decorator simply bank on their own inborn intent intuition .
The Alcorn Mercury apply trim pieces from a variety of cars , each cunningly blended into a harmonious whole . The headlight bezel are 1952 - 54 Ford / Mercury particular , which were exceedingly popular with customizers for their " frenched " visual aspect .
The grille ginmill is a narrowed 1952 Olds item with two extra teeth added . The front bumper is from a 1951 Mercury , and the rearward bumper is a 1952Fordpiece with mold - in exhaust outlets . Both bumpers sport 1955Pontiacbumper guard .
A 1955Chevytrim spear forms the upper section of the side trim , while the lower part is an inverted 1953 Dodge bit that borders a hired man - formed pocket adorned with 1954 Mercury teeth . Taillights were take from a 1955 Plymouth , and hubcaps are 1956 Mercury unit of measurement modify with bullet centers and color - describe pigment . To the reference of the Ayalas and Barrises , none of these additions and alterations looks tacked - on .
The Alcorn Mercury , like other pre-1956 customs , exhibits an unbelievable amount of skilled parturiency , which was one of the rationality this style of custom almost became extinct . Traditional customs were falling out of fashion as the fifties progress and Detroit ’s dreamboats get low and sporty .
For about the same cost , a car enthusiast could purchase a new 1957 model refreshing off the showroom floor , lower it , perform a few simple trim barter and give it a wild impost blusher problem , and terminate up with a car with as much ingathering as a heavily modified seven - year - old Mercury – with a fraction of the clock time and try .
Buddy later trade his Mercury to Barris employee Dick " Peep " Jackson for Jackson ’s gently customized 1957 Ford . Jackson updated the Merc with a pinstriped two - tone rouge strategy , then trade in it away for a 1957T - Bird .
Although it was one of the best - execute custom of its metre , the Alcorn Merc ’s fashion had fallen out of favor . The car sat on a used - car dealer ’s caboodle , change hands a few more times , then deteriorate as it seat outdoors exposed to the elements for many year .
take down Barris collector / restorer Kurt McCormick acquire its remains in 1998 , then embark on the grueling renovation process . The job was completed in 2002 , and aside from mechanically skillful updates and a few modern tool comforts , the Alcorn Merc appeared as it did in its original Barris pattern .
