I have been a custom guy since I first customized my '53 Chevy in 1958, followed by a '63 Ford Galaxie in 1964, but my dream had always been to customize a '49-51 Mercury in the classic early-'50s ...

So this is how it was done back in the day, huh? Clean '51 Merc coupe—the essence of the slow ride—given the once-over: chopped, frenched, lowered, filled, smoothed, painted a deep grape hue…that was ...