Pietro Dal Mas' 1949 Mercury

Pietro Dal Mas' 1949 Mercury is a traditional custom built in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The story began in 2002, when Pietro bought the Mercury from his grandfather. It wasn’t long before the classic sedan began its transformation. Photo courtesy of Pietro Dal Mas.

Pietro's Merc as it looked when he bought it from his grandfather in 2002.

Wanting a traditional custom car, Pietro fit the Merc with black steelies and fake white walls shortly after buying it.

Inside, the Merc was freshened up by painting the dashboard and window moldings the same color as the car. The steering wheel was painted bright white, and a shifter fit with a Dennis McPhail shiftknob was installed on the floor.

The Merc as it looked in 2004, after Pietro had installed a set of 1949 Ford hubcaps.

In March 2007, the old flathead was rebuilt with parts from Patricks Antique Cars.

While rebuilding the engine, Pietro decided it was about time to restyle the Merc further as well. The doors, trunk and hood were shaved for handles and emblems. The turn signals and window wipers were removed. The hood corners were rounded, the headlight were frenched and the car was lowered a little bit more.

The second version of Pietro's Merc was painted satin black with a bright red interior.

Beauty rims were installed to dress up the shaved Merc.

In addition to painting the dashboard and window moldings bright red, Pietro changed the steering wheel, extended the shifter and put some Mexican blankets in the car.

By May 2007, the wheels on the Merc had been painted bright red.

Pietro's Merc as it sat in January 2009, during the top chop.

The Merc as it sat in December 2009.

After the top was chopped, Pietro decided to swap the old Mercury flathead for a Chevrolet 350 smallblock engine.

Pietro's merc as it appeared in February of 2025, after he laid down his first-ever flame paint job. Painted in his own garage and inspired by Jimmy Hervatin's Lit' Up Truck, the flames helped turn the once-satin black Merc into something truly personal. Photo courtesy of Pietro Dal Mas.

Pietro Dal Mas' 1949 Mercury is a traditional custom built in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The story began in 2002, when Pietro bought the Mercury from his grandfather. It wasn’t long before the classic sedan began its transformation.

The Beginning

Pietro had a clear vision: a traditional custom, built with a nod to the style and spirit of the 1950s. He started small, installing four black steelies wrapped with 1949 Ford hubcaps and fake whitewall tires. The factory mirror came off and was replaced with a sleeker peep mirror. Inside, the dashboard and window moldings were repainted to match the exterior, the steering wheel went bright white, and a Dennis McPhail shift knob found its way onto the floor-mounted shifter.

Waking the Flathead

By March of 2007, the Mercury’s tired old flathead had had enough. With help from a friend and parts from Patrick's Antique Cars, Pietro rolled up his sleeves and rebuilt the motor in a garage. While the hood was open, he decided it was time to step things up. The doors, trunk, and hood were shaved clean. Off came the turn signals and wipers. He rounded the hood corners, frenched the headlights, and dropped the stance even more.

Going Lower and Bolder

By the end of the month, the Mercury wore a fresh coat of satin black. The interior got a bold twist, with the dashboard and moldings now painted bright red. Beauty rims dressed up the wheels at first—but just a few months later, Pietro pulled them off and shot the wheels the same bright red as the dash, giving the Merc a tougher, more unified look.

Chopped and Changed

Then came 2008, and with it, a bold new chapter. Pietro decided to chop the top and convert the four-door Merc into a sleek two-door. Without access to welding gear or the tools needed for such a big job, he sent the car to a local shop. There, the rear doors were welded shut, fender skirts were added, and the corners of both the doors and the trunk were rounded to match the earlier bodywork.

No More Shops

The experience left a lasting impression, not in a good way. After a series of frustrating problems with the shop, Pietro made a promise to himself: no more sending his car out. From then on, everything would be done in-house, by his own hands.

The Heart Transplant

Back home, he swapped out the Mercury flathead for a Chevrolet 350 small-block. The body was lifted off the frame during the swap, giving him the chance to rebuild and repaint the chassis. He added ladder bars and air bags in the rear, and up front, dropped spindles from Fatman Fabrications, 1-inch lowering blocks, and disc brakes. A set of Firestone 6.70-15 wide whitewalls wrapped things up in classic style.

Built, Not Bought

Over the years, the Mercury continued to evolve. Pietro added a custom grille built using 1955 Chevrolet bumper guards and a 1950 Ford grille section. A custom splash pan was fabricated, and he began working on a tuck ’n’ roll interior. The stock transmission was swapped for a manual five-speed with overdrive from a Chevy Blazer, giving the Merc better highway manners. Out back, he installed custom taillights, and the wheels were dressed with Cadillac Sombrero hubcaps fitted with Oldsmobile spinners.

Flames and Final Flourishes

In early 2025, Pietro decided it was finally time to add some personal flair. "I thought it needed some art on it and make it more like mine, not just another cool black Merc on the corner," he told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama in 2025. Inspired by Jimmy Hervatin’s recently built Lit' Up Truck, Pietro fell in love with that particular flame style. Even though he had never painted a car before, he rolled the dice and laid out a flame job himself, staying true to his vow to never let another shop steal his money or touch his car again. The result? A Merc that’s not just custom, it’s his custom.