Mercury Tailgate
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 185
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From: St. Paul, MN
Mercury Tailgate
I have a rather beat up Merc tailgate that my Dad acquired years after he got the truck. Recently I took a picture of the Mercury logo and blew it up to full size on my computer and printed it. Then I laid the photo over some reflective tape and cut out the letters with an X-Acto knife to make decals:
The photo above was taken with a flash and shows off the reflective decals.
The results are rather stunning. I think someone looking for a Merc tailgate could buy a new 'blank' tailgate and get a pretty good substitution by making decals like I did.
I think I will do the same to make reflective color on the hood spears and the centers of my hubcaps.
The photo above was taken with a flash and shows off the reflective decals.
The results are rather stunning. I think someone looking for a Merc tailgate could buy a new 'blank' tailgate and get a pretty good substitution by making decals like I did.
I think I will do the same to make reflective color on the hood spears and the centers of my hubcaps.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 16,135
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From: Burbank, WA
That's a great idea. I don't know who sells a blank tailgate, though. I haven't seen one in any of the major catalogs. The other issue is the Mercury tailgate has a wider center panel with two skinnier panels on the sides, where the Ford gate has 3 equal size square-type panels. You'd have to down size the letters to make them fit. I'd thought about doing just this, but having the Merc letters hand painted on, or air brushing the Mercury head emblem instead.
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2008
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From: St. Paul, MN
Wayne,
I wonder if a tailgate made for a 53 would work? Look at LMC trucks part number 49-8322: '53 blank tailgate
I wonder if a tailgate made for a 53 would work? Look at LMC trucks part number 49-8322: '53 blank tailgate
FTE Legend
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: northwestern Ontario
There was a post on here in the last week that had a link to an outfit who were reproducing the Mercury tailgate and I believe there were a few more things as well, I'll have to do some digging and may be able to find it or someone else may remeber the post.
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From: St. Paul, MN
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2002
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From: Saskatoon SK Canada
There are three different styles of flareside Mercury Tailgates. 1946-1950, 1951-1952, 1953-1968.
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Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 16,135
Likes: 4,735
From: Burbank, WA
Wayne,
I wonder if a tailgate made for a 53 would work? Look at LMC trucks part number 49-8322: '53 blank tailgate
I wonder if a tailgate made for a 53 would work? Look at LMC trucks part number 49-8322: '53 blank tailgate
I've come up with an idea that will save me the trouble of trying to find and restore one, anyway. ;-)
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 185
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From: St. Paul, MN
reflective hood spears
Having been rear-ended three times (not in my old truck) by people distracted by their cell phones has made me leary of driving without being extra visible.
The reflective tape on my tailgate looked so good that it got me to thinking where else I can use it. My latest is to do the lettering on my hood spears with red reflective tape:
With my camera flash it changes colours:
In real life it is very bright!
The reflective tape on my tailgate looked so good that it got me to thinking where else I can use it. My latest is to do the lettering on my hood spears with red reflective tape:
With my camera flash it changes colours:
In real life it is very bright!
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 185
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From: St. Paul, MN
how to
I imported the images into AutoCad and traced the edges. (A person could use any graphic program, not necessarily AutoCad.) I printed the outline characters full size and laid them over red 3M Scotchlite Graphic Film (reflective material) and cut out the characters with my X-Acto knife.
Next I will do my hubcaps
I'd need a Ford F1.
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2008
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From: St. Paul, MN
I think we can make that happen, I just sent you a PM.
New User
Joined: May 2011
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I Am currently restoring a 1951 M1. My original tailgate was really messed up. The top and bottom rolls were dented and kinked beyond repair causing a big twist in the gate. I decided my only option was to buy a tailgate for a 51 f-1 and cut the center out and weld in the center from the mercury gate. I also had to use approx 2 inches of the old gates outside squares to get it to match. The stamped squares in the gate lined up really well and with little blending it was perfect. The only difference between my gate now and the original is the outside squares which dont extend quite as far to the outside as they did before. But it does look original. A friend of mine with a 52 M1 didnt even know the difference. He thought i found a place that actually made a new Mercury gate. I'll try to get some pics up soon.