The blue custom pickup truck is listed on ClassicCars.com as a 1934 Ford, but the advertiser is quick to note, in actuality this truck has been made into something that never before existed.
“Up for sale we have a 1934 Mercury pickup,” the seller says. “Before you pick up the phone and call us, we know they didn’t make a ’34 Mercury pickup. However, if they did, we sure hope it would have looked like this.”
This is a radical but old-school hot rod truck that was professionally built and fine enough to win the coveted Goodguys Builders Choice Award, according to the classic car dealer in Maryville, Tennessee.
I’ll let the dealer tell the tale of how the ’34 Mercury truck happened:
“The truck we have started its life as a ’34 Ford, then Ricky Bobby Rod Shop turned (it) into this sweet ride,” the dealer wrote. “They started with a ’34 Ford cab that was chopped 4 inches. The frame, hood and side panels are made from flat stock that was worked and rolled to fit. The side panels had custom inserts to fit around the engine.”
The engine is a classic flathead V8 from a1951 Mercury, fitted with Eddie Meyer heads and intake, and a pair of Stromberg 97 carburetors. That’s hooked up with a three-speed manual transmission with overdrive. It doesn’t get much cooler than that.
The dealer goes on about how the truck was created, right down to having the Mercury brand embossed onto the tailgate, which looks pretty authentic.
“They started with a repop bed that was shortened and has a custom Mercury tailgate,” the dealer said. “Everything is painted in rich navy blue that has a deep rich shine and is slick to the touch. To keep with the old-school look, the wheels up front are 16×4 from a ’40 Ford and the rears are 18×7 custom Circle Racing wheels with Merc hub caps.
“The inside is done in tan with a bench seat. All the metal dash is painted body color to create the perfect flow from the exterior to the interior. It has a ’40 Ford instrument panel and steering column with a 15-inch ’40 Ford wheel. The pedals are by Kugel. This truck also has the tilt-out front windshield.”
The “Mercury” pickup sounds like a primo piece of hot rod culture, and the Tennessee seller has it listed for $58,995, which wouldn’t even come close to the cost of having the thing built. The provenance of the famous custom-car builder and the Goodguys award just sweetens the deal, and should invoke confidence that the Ford/Mercury is everything the dealer says it is. Even if it never was.
would like to get my 1938 dodge photo on this site please Regards John
That thing is slick. I really like the balance and proportions.