Sam Barris' 1949 Mercury

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Sam Barris' Mercury at the 2009 Grand National Roadster Show. Photo by Marc Wöltinger

1949 Mercury owned and built by Sam Barris of Barris Kustoms. Sam bought the car brand new late in 1948. In order to buy the car he sold his 1940 Mercury Kustom. Sam drove the car around as a stocker for a few months, figuring out how to chop it. Sam's Mercury was built in the newer shop on Atlantic.

The Sam Barris Merc is known as being one of the first chopped 1949-1951 Mercurys. According to The Rodders Journal 29 the car was not the first chopped 1949 Mercury, since the Ayala Brothers were chopping Louie Bettancourt's 1949 Mercury at the same time, but Sam's Mercury was finished before Louie Bettancourt's Mercury.^[1]

Sam gave the Mercury Fadeaway Fenders by removing the hump out of the doors and the downturn out of the rear fenders. This treatment gave the car a smoother body line. Coincidentally the same Fadeaway Fenders treatment was also done by Gil Ayala on Louie Bettancourt's 1949 Mercury that was done at the same time. The front fenders on the car was molded to the grille surround. Two grille surround pieces were used to create a symmetrical grille opening from the bottom to top. Two 1951 Ford grille bars were used to make the grille. The headlights on the car were frenched using the stock rims. The taillights were also kustom made by Sam. Before Sam started the chop, he shaved the door handles, filled the grille shell seams and nosed and decked the car. The car was also modified with side trim from a 1948 Buick. The fender skirts on the car were also built from scratch by Sam.

According to George Barris the car was chopped 4 inches. Sam left the b-pillars straight, but he removed the drip rails and rounded the door corners. In order to fit in the car, after the top was chopped, and the head room reduced, Sam cut off the seat tracks and hardware before he welded the seat frame directly to the floor.

The car was painted dark green metallic.

After the chop, the interior was redone by Gaylord. The interior was finished in white Fabrilite with green piping and a Monterrey steering wheel.

It is worth noting that the Sam Barris Merc didn't have Barris crests on it.

The Mercury was entered at the 2nd Oakland Roadster Show in 1951 where it won 2nd prize in the full custom class.

In 1951 Sam sold the car to Bobby Orr of Muscatine, Iowa. Right before Sam sold the car, the car was featured on the cover of Motor Trend December 1951. After Bobby Orr bought the car, the car was never seen at any show or in any magazine.

April 1st 1957 the Sam Barris Mercury was sold to Tommy Lee of Ringwood, New Jersey. When Tommy got the car, the stock engine had been replaced by an Oldsmobile engine. In 1958 Tommy rebuilt the driveline and equipped the car with a 1956 Buick Nailhead engine and a 1937 LaSalle transmission. Tommy Lee also rounded the hood and deck lid corners on the car. Tommy owned the car until 2004 when John Mumford acquired it. Tommy Lee helped John Mumford to undo the corners he had rounded on the roof and deck lid decades earlier. John Mumford sent the car to Roy Brizio Street Rods for a full restoration.^[1]