Richard Dabbs' 1951 Mercury

1951 Mercury owned and restyled by Richard Dabbs of Melbourne, Australia. Photo courtesy of Richard Dabbs.

A photo of Matt Townsend with the Merc after the top had been chopped. The Merc was advertised for sale on The HAMB in 2012, and Richard bought it from Matt. "Not long after that, I convinced Matt to come to Australia to chop it," Richard told Kustomrama in December of 2022. "We did most of it in one week, and I finished off some of the internal work." Photo courtesy of Street Machine.

About 4 inches were taken out of the A-pillars during the chop. The rear pillars were cut horizontally, and Matt and Richard removed about 5 inches before welding it back together again. Photo courtesy of Street Machine.

Richard's Merc as it appeared in 2022, after he had completed the build. Most of the modifications on the car are period correct to 1954. Up front it received 1954 Mercury headlights, a 1950 Mercury grille surround, and a shortened 1954 Ford grille with 1951 Ford bullets. Photo courtesy of Richard Dabbs.

The rear of the car received 1954 Mercury taillights and a 1954 Mercury rear bumper. Photo courtesy of Richard Dabbs.

Photo courtesy of Richard Dabbs.

Inside, the car was fitted with a 1951 Lincoln steering wheel and a tuck and roll upholstery by Adrian at Kooltrim. All the dash knobs were made by Richard. Photo courtesy of Richard Dabbs.

The trunk was also fully upholstered and accessorized. Photo courtesy of Richard Dabbs.

"It was always my dream to have a Caddy-powered Merc, so I sourced a 365 out of a 1957 Cadillac and fitted it with a Hydramatic behind it." Underneath, the car is all restored stock mercury, all powder coated and painted. Photo courtesy of Richard Dabbs.

1951 Mercury owned and restyled by Richard Dabbs of Melbourne, Australia.

Chopped by Richard and Matt Townsend

The Merc was advertised for sale on The HAMB in 2012, and Richard bought it from Matt Townsend of Townsends Customs & Hot Rods in Riverside, California. "Not long after that, I convinced Matt to come to Australia to chop it," Richard told Kustomrama in December of 2022. "We did most of it in one week, and I finished off some of the internal work." About 4 inches were taken out of the A-pillars during the chop. The rear pillars were cut horizontally, and Matt and Richard removed about 5 inches before welding it back together again.

Caddy Powered

"It was always my dream to have a Caddy-powered Merc, so I sourced a 365 out of a 1957 Cadillac and fitted it with a Hydramatic behind it." Underneath, the car is all restored stock mercury, all powder coated and painted.

1954 Period Correct

Except for the engine, most of the mods on the Merc are pretty period to 1954; 1954 Mercury headlights, 1950 Mercury grille surround, 1954 Mercury taillights, in custom housings cast by Richard, and a 1954 Mercury rear bumper. The grille is a shortened 1954 Ford unit with 1951 Ford bullets welded on.

Custom Upholstery

Inside, the car was fitted with a 1951 Lincoln steering wheel and a tuck and roll upholstery by Adrian at Kooltrim. All the dash knobs were made by Richard.

The paint and bodywork was performed by Conders Restoration in Ballarat. Cadillac Sombrero hubcaps, Firestone 710-15 3 1/4 Inch Whitewall Tires, and genuine Appleton 552 Spotlights wrapped up the build. The Appletons was restored with the help of Chris at Polyking. Completed in 2022, Richard's Merc received the D'agostino Crystal Award at Nostalgia lane as part of the Sydney Hot Rod Show.