We all know that the notoriety and prestige that surrounds a Mercury Eight is next to untouchable. Especially in the case of a ’49, Mercury’s can arguably be regarded as the sled equivalent to deuces and the hot rod as far as symbolic cars go.

The Barris Brother’s revolutionary “Hirohata Merc” along with the Mercury’s appearance in several classic films including Rebel Without A Cause and American Graffiti undoubtedly left an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of both men with an itch to kustomize and women with a love for big body cruisers.

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We hear lots of talk on both sides of the fence, the Merc is either adorned for its iconic grandeur or scorned for the hype that surrounds it. Either way, the ’49 has its place on the throne as a timeless heavy hitter and despite its publicity and fame, coming across one is rare. In the case of the ’49 that the folks at Classic Car Concepts have in their possession, considering it’s untampered condition, we’d have sooner believed the siting of an alien and ghost eloping to Atlantis to be married by a pig with wings, over the existence of such a pristine and well preserved car. Read on and learn more about the Mercury they’re waiting to bring back to life.

Rod Authority got a chance to speak with Bobby McCurdy, designer and fabricator over at Classic Car Concepts. He gave us full details on how they came across the ’49 and what state it’s in. He tells us, “We were at the Goodguys event in Scottsdale walking through the swap meet area…there was a sign that read ‘street rod shop going out of business.’ 30+ years worth of tools, equipment, and parts has to go…the following Monday three of us from the shop went to go check it out.”

Bobby continues, “We immediately noticed a collection of old 40’s straight 8 Buicks that the proprietor had stashed away and a couple of VW’s…We spotted a Merc and were instantly intrigued.”

This next part is the kicker, despite the rarity of a ’49, what’s even rarer is finding one that hasn’t had any prior customization or fabrication done to it. This is what Bobby and his boys beheld before them, “First thing we noticed is that it wasn’t chopped, a rarity these days with that style of car. Next thing we noticed was how relatively straight the car was for being 64 years old. Upon closer inspection some repairs had been done such as rocker panels, fender bottoms, and trunk floor, but these were done professionally and with attention to detail.”

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Bobby adds, “The entire car appears to have been media blasted at some point and the exterior sprayed with a sealing primer…There is no major rust left anywhere on this car…save for an even layer of surface rust inside of the car and on the undercarriage, nothing that a quick trip to the media blaster can’t cure.”

So let’s recap because we were at the edge of our own seats writing this – a 1949 Mercury heavy hitter automobile, unchopped, professionally mended body, mummified like a gorgeous looking corpse, an even layer of surface rust that the grit level of a cotton ball could obliterate, and that’s not even all. Check it out.

Bobby continues, “When we looked inside we found that the dash, front suspension, and almost all the trim was there. The trim upon further inspection needs a lot of attention due to the fact that it was inside the building when they had an unfortunate fire a few years ago. The factory rear seat and rear glass with trim were also inside. Not to mention, the original ’49 Merc factory hub caps were in there as well!”

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After seeing this once in a lifetime opportunity, the guys at Classic Car Concepts struck a deal and between the three of them rounded up enough to constitute a deposit to hold the vehicle. They picked this car up with the intention of building it for someone who’s been dreaming about owning a Mercury in such a condition as this one.

When Classic Car Concepts came to us with this story we knew we had to get the word out, so, if you or anyone you know has been in the market for a pristine ’49 that is both structurally sound and maintains original factory integrity this is the unicorn to hop on folks. For more information visit the Classic Car Concepts website, below we’ve also included their contact information. This is an undeniable piece of history and in the case of historic cars we believe that time capsules are meant for the road in order to remind each and every person of a grander time, the golden age of the automobile.