Today’s car is a 1951 Mercury two-door Sport Coupe owned by Fred and Jocelyn Mather, which I photographed at the El Segundo Main Street Car Show in El Segundo, California. Known as Wicked Rose, it is finished in Black Cherry with a maroon and black leather interior and powered by a 283 cubic inch small-block Chevrolet V8 equipped with FiTech Go Street electronic fuel injection. It is backed by a GM 200R4 four-speed automatic overdrive transmission and a Ford 9-inch rear end with 3.73:1 gears. Four-wheel power disc brakes with a dual master cylinder provide the stopping power, while an air ride suspension gives Fred control over the Mercury’s unmistakable lead sled stance.
The 1949 Mercury introduced an all-new postwar design by E.T. “Bob” Gregorie, Ford’s longtime styling chief, with a lower, wider body and fenders integrated into the body rather than the separate fenders of earlier cars. The basic design continued through 1951 and quickly became a favorite of customizers, who found its long body, rounded roofline, and broad sheet metal ideal for chopping, lowering, and reshaping. The extensive use of lead body filler to smooth those modifications helped give these customs their enduring nickname: lead sleds.
Fred had always wanted a 1951 Mercury, and in 2019 his son finally convinced him to go for it. He found this one on eBay in Kansas and bought it sight unseen, hoping that when it arrived he wouldn’t find the rust often hidden in an old car. Instead, Fred says the Mercury arrived remarkably solid and essentially stock. His original plan was simple: chop the top, paint it flat black, and drive it. What started as a relatively modest project, however, would eventually become something much more.
Fred’s simple plan didn’t stay simple for long. He wanted the top chopped four inches, but with one important requirement: retain the original 1951 rear window rather than substitute the smaller rear window commonly seen on chopped Mercurys. He also wanted the front vent windows and rear side windows to remain functional. The chop was initially handled by an old-school customizer in Wildomar, California. From there, the Mercury went to Jack Fields of Kraftsman Auto Works in Torrance, who worked with Fred to complete the customization. Together, Fred and Jack took the project well beyond his original plan, transforming the stock Mercury into the custom that would become Wicked Rose.
Jack retained much of the Mercury’s original character while giving it the classic lead sled treatment. The original grille was modified by removing the directional lights and bumper guard extensions, with pieces from a third grille used to fill the remaining gaps. The original side trim and bumpers were retained with subtle modifications, while frenched headlights and 1959 Corvette taillights further transformed the body. Modified 1957 Cadillac Eldorado hubcaps feature custom molded heads of Mercury, the Roman god, a detail repeated in the center of the steering wheel. A pair of original Appleton spotlights completes the traditional custom look.
After nearly two years of work, Wicked Rose was completed in 2022, and Fred wasted little time putting the newly finished Mercury to the test. Its first major outing was the 2023 Grand National Roadster Show, where it earned second place in the Radical Early Custom 1949–1954 class. Fred and Jocelyn then began enjoying the Mercury at other shows and events around Southern California, including the Seal Beach Classic Car Show. Unfortunately, they would have only a few months to enjoy the finished car before everything changed.
Everything changed on the drive home from the Seal Beach Classic Car Show. Fred and Jocelyn were stopped at a traffic light at Sepulveda Boulevard and Madrona Avenue in Torrance when Fred noticed a car approaching rapidly from behind. Realizing it wasn’t going to stop, he tried to move the Mercury into the intersection, but the car struck them from behind at what Fred estimates was about 40 mph, pushing the Mercury into the vehicle ahead. The impact caused extensive damage to both the front and rear of Wicked Rose, and the car was declared a total loss only a few months after Fred had completed it.
After the accident, Fred wavered over whether to rebuild Wicked Rose. He had another project underway, a Ford shoebox, and initially thought he would part out what remained of the Mercury and move on. But friends kept encouraging him to rebuild it, and after about a year of going back and forth, Fred finally decided that Wicked Rose deserved another chance.
Fred originally planned to have Jack Fields rebuild the Mercury, but Jack was busy with Fred’s Ford shoebox and other projects. Through a friend, Fred met Mario Camarena of Classics and Customs in Anaheim and asked if his shop could take on the reconstruction. Although they had never tackled a project quite like Wicked Rose, Mario estimated it could be completed in about six months. The goal from the beginning was not to redesign the Mercury, but to faithfully recreate the custom Fred and Jack had built, with Fred choosing only to tweak the Black Cherry paint slightly. Nine months later, Wicked Rose was back in her full glory.
When I caught up with Fred at the El Segundo Main Street Car Show, he had gotten Wicked Rose back only two weeks earlier. Looking at the finished Mercury, it is difficult to imagine the extensive damage shown in the accident photos. The body lines, paint, and details that defined the original build have all returned. It was good to see my friends Fred and Jocelyn back with Wicked Rose, and Wicked Rose back where she belongs.
With two shows and two wins since her return, Wicked Rose is once again a beautiful example of the classic Mercury lead sled, equally at home at a custom car show, Cars & Coffee, or cruising the streets of Southern California. After everything this Mercury has been through, I have a feeling Fred and Jocelyn are going to enjoy every mile they put on her.
Thank you for riding along with me and for being part of the Frank’s Cars in the Hood community. Frank
The Reincarnation
