vulgalour
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 7,078
Club RR Member Number: 146
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Restlessvulgalour
@vulgalour
Club Retro Rides Member 146
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I don't quite know what to make of this one. It's a 1950 Mercury, called Restless, with both a lot of traditional modifications and a really unusual paintjob. It appeared at the 2015 Motorama in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. I'd like to know more about it rather than making any sorts of assumptions about what the intention of the build was, what sort of history it may or may not have, and that sort of thing.
What it did highlight is just how personal modifying is. The 1950 Mercury is an 'easy win' design wise, you don't really have to do much of anything to them out the box for them to look good. They've been around long enough that there's a sort of standard set of modifications to do to them now. Remove a good amount of chrome, do some body-colour matching, chop the top a bit, lower it, polish until good and shiny. Perhaps it's how prescribed a lot of the modifications to these are is what makes this one stand out so much. The paintwork isn't designed to make the lines look better, the door mirrors are much more modern than some of the other styling would suggest, the massive front bumper that's bodycoloured with hints of satin silver seems odd... and yet...
It's not beautiful, not in the conventional sense. It doesn't feel like it fits in with a particular era either. It's not a beautiful 50s kustom, not a wacky 60s exercise in overstyling, not a glittery discoball of the 70s, hasn't the techno-graphics of something from the 80s, or the pastel shades and bodycoloured smoothness of the 90s. Nor does it have the gigantic chrome wheels and weird colours of the early 2000s, or the edgy trying-to-be-stylish moody dark shades of the 2010s. Instead, there's a bit of all of those eras all smooshed in together.
What's really strange is that it works. Something about the sample-book look of the thing, the way it's picked up bits of other established styles here and there and just mashed them all together into a mood board of a car works in a way it shouldn't.
I don't know if I like it. I know I don't dislike it. I respect the person who built it and made sure this car exists and if anyone can tell me anything else about it, I would definitely appreciate that.
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Nope.
Doesn't do it for me.
That could have been a really nice Traditional Custom, if they stuck to one theme.
But it has a modern rear view mirror inches away from a trad spotlight, bodycolor pianted dagmars, and a shaved rear bumper.
And the paint seems to have as many styles and ideas crammed into it as well.
Kinda like when a cool traditional car ends up with a lot of store bought billet parts on it.
Takes away from what it could have been ( for me personally... )
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I can appreciate the amount of effort that’s gone into this, but to my eyes it’s ended up being a bit ‘plasticky’, I’m sure that it’s not, but the colour mix makes it look that way, to me anyway Not that I’m ever likely to own something like this
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Restlessfr€$h&m1nt¥
@freshandminty
Club Retro Rides Member 99
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I could be wrong but I suspect it’s a demo vehicle for a company to showcase the different styles they offer, so for prospective customers they can show them different panels to suggest which one they could choose for their car.
A bit like a rolling swatch card or carpet sample book.
If that is the case then you can only judge the quality of the finish rather than the overall look.
If it’s a privately owned car and someone wanted all kinds of random patterns and styles on different patterns then that’s his prerogative but agree with above then imho it doesn’t work as a whole.
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"Owner Trevor Downing did the paint job himself featuring House of Kolor paints. The result speaks for itself. A lot of custom body work such as a 1956 Caddy front end, shaved and decked hood and rear trunk, blended quarter panels, and a 3 1/2” chop top provide the canvas for the paint work. It is no slouch either with a 454 GM big block under the hood. Suspension is a combo of coilovers up front and airbags in the rear." From : speed.academy/2015-motorama-custom-car-motorsports-expo/
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"Owner Trevor Downing did the paint job himself featuring House of Kolor paints. The result speaks for itself. A lot of custom body work such as a 1956 Caddy front end, shaved and decked hood and rear trunk, blended quarter panels, and a 3 1/2” chop top provide the canvas for the paint work. It is no slouch either with a 454 GM big block under the hood. Suspension is a combo of coilovers up front and airbags in the rear." From : speed.academy/2015-motorama-custom-car-motorsports-expo/Or in English, he cut the roof down, put some filler in the quarter panels & sanded it down, took the badges off the bonnet & the boot, painted some pretty shapes on it, put a bigger engine in & lowered the suspension a bit. Just in case anyone was wondering 😀
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Restlessjohnthesparky
@johnthesparky
Club Retro Rides Member 6
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May 28, 2020 10:24:04 GMT
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/\ isn’t that what we all do to a greater or lesser degree. I’m sure that’s a fairly stock response from non car people when you describe most of what we do It doesn’t look terrible, the roof looks ok from the photos (having read Dez’s thread and starting to understand the complexities I’m a little nervous to commit to that and out myself as the noob I am ) The front is well executed, big engine is never a bad thing, coil overs and airbags..... for me it is a little fussy and contrived, reminds me of an apprentice piece (which is pretty much what’s been said above) but since I’m happy that I fitted some coilies to a scruffy Astravan I’m no real critic
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May 28, 2020 10:27:52 GMT
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Yeah, it’s nothing if you say it quick Bit like changing a wheel.......🤣
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stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,832
Club RR Member Number: 174
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Restlessstealthstylz
@stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member 174
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May 28, 2020 11:47:37 GMT
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It looks like somebody read "the history of customised cars" webpage but Photobucket had cut the links for the photos and they weren't sure which mod fitted to which era.
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time
Part of things
Posts: 152
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May 28, 2020 11:47:47 GMT
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Not keen on the back window, Looks too big And the wrong curve for the car ? I admire the skills of the builder though
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May 28, 2020 11:52:03 GMT
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I think the whole thing would suit a darker main colour, those graphics would look better over a candy red?
I like the overall sled style, but I'd want matt black!
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,712
Club RR Member Number: 34
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RestlessDez
@dez
Club Retro Rides Member 34
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May 28, 2020 12:30:15 GMT
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Looks like a 90s build that’s been tarted up to make it more in line with current trends. It’s A very long way from stock though in many respectS, If I get time later I’ll go though and point it all out for those that don’t know.
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May 28, 2020 12:45:16 GMT
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More : To customize his 1950 Mercury, Trevor Downing took his mother's lace and embedded it into the car roof and side panels. The car's name, "Restless," harkens back to his youth when he idolized James Dean and was "all over the place."
It certainly is that.
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May 28, 2020 12:51:58 GMT
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vulgalour
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 7,078
Club RR Member Number: 146
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Restlessvulgalour
@vulgalour
Club Retro Rides Member 146
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May 28, 2020 13:49:06 GMT
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The extra reading links very much appreciated, especially since it gives some background on it and gives us some more shots of the work. Sounds like it just might be a fox-free build, and I've a lot of time for that sort of thing.
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May 28, 2020 16:59:44 GMT
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I can't say it does a lot for me but there's an awful lot of careful work gone into that!
Now, in matte black . . .
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May 28, 2020 17:38:08 GMT
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Different strokes.
I like it just ‘coz
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May 28, 2020 17:53:05 GMT
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I really like the bodywork, it looks like the roofchop has given it good proportions, and there is nothing about the details id change, even the modern door mirrors work for me at least in the first picture, but painting it white doesn't work for me, and the rest of the paint looks well done with skills, but just a bit misplaced.
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qwerty
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,409
Club RR Member Number: 52
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Restlessqwerty
@qwerty
Club Retro Rides Member 52
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May 28, 2020 18:18:55 GMT
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I dig it in a strange way. I'm not a fan of the mirrors and the front lights but I've got to say I quite like the mad paint. Bit different innit. Its like the builder couldn't decide what to go with, so went with it all.
Tom
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