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buddy rice 1949 Mercury Coupe

Led Sled



Meaning behind name:

Owner: Buddy Rice(The Indy car Driver)

Make: Mercury

Model: Coupe

Year: 1949

Photos By: Chris Fesler

MoreInfo

Why build?:

To Drive and have fun

How long did it take to build?:

4 months

What's the history of the vehicle or any special notes?:

This car was bought for Buddy after winning the INDY 500 in 2004, that’s right he could have picked any car and this is what he wanted. This car was purchaised and taken straight to Pioneer to get the crazy sound system and interior you see here. Well for most people that would have been enough but Buddy wanted a car that would stand out and not be like all others so he took the interior/system complete car to Fesler to have them rebuild the complete car. This is not the way you usually want to build a car but Fesler was up to it so first things first they spent a week just carefully removing all the system and interior. Then the build, they stripped the car down to nothing, sent the engine out for a full rebuild and makeover with all new parts. shaved everything on the car and smoothed everything else out, put a new Mustang II front end on the car with a full Air Ride Technologies Air system, custom build dash with new Bonspeed gauges and Vintage air vents, shaved the drip rails, welded the side skirts in and made a custom rear bumbper/roll pan all smoothed out with a full one piece weled up front end with frenched headlights, and a custom front welding in bumper and buick grille. Then sent the car out to be painted BASF black with a flating agent in the clear to protect it. Then the car came back to Fesler for the insane assembly that had to be done in a week so the car could debut at the Fontana Indy Race for Buddy and Argent. The car was worked on around the clock to get the new Buick Nailhead supercharged engine, Hueghs Tranny and Currie rear end along with the new Baer brakes and Wheel Vintique custom built billet wheels. the interior and everything else was put together and the car shipped out at 2am the day before the race. as you can see he now has one very cool merc like no other on the road.

BODYDetails

Hood:

Smoothed

Grille:

Custom

Bumpers:

Molded to whole front end,rear bumper removed and custom roll pan fabbed

Add On Accessories:

Shaved Door handles,marker lights,antenna and drip rails,

Body Mods:

Front clip is one piece, headlights frenched in, markers saved and bumper removed and custom made metal front clip, rear bumper removed, custom roll pan fabbed, cadi tail lights fabbed into rear and sides all smoothed and weled up. All molding removed

Who Did Your Body Work?:

Fesler & Gary Sharp

ChassisDetails

Chassis:

Stock

Inches of Lift or Drop:

Full Air Ride Tech air suspenion

Spindles:

Mustang II

4-Link:

Compressor Model and Brand:

Viair 450C

Valve Info:

Big Red from Air Ride

Air Bag Info:

Air Ride Technologies

Other Mods:

Mustang II custom built Front clip,Custom Sway bar,Air ride Tech tanks,lines and fittings,Dakota digital air gauges

DrivelineDetails

Torque Converter (Stall Converter):

Hughes

Transfer Case:

Hughes transmission

Axle Brand or Size:

Currie

Gears:

4:11

Transmission Builder / Shop:

Hughes transmission

EngineDetails

Make:

Buick

Cylinders:

8

Engine Modifications:

EGGES rocker arms,ISKY valves,Fesler built Oil Pan,Full Magnaflow fesler built exhaust with headers,ENGINE is built with ARP Rod bolts, head studs, main stud kit, Cloyes timing chain set Felpro gasket set, Total Seal hellfire piston rings, BU401 Performance Cam, Eagle connection rods

Engine Add Ons:

MSD Distributor,MSD Plugs and wires, boost timing master, street blaster coil and wire set with plug sockets, WEIAND supercharger polished,Stinger battery,Air mobile radiator and fans

Chrome and Polish:

WEIAND supercharger polished

Engine Builder / Shop:

RPM

InteriorDetails

Dashboard:

Painted Flat black

Gauges:

Bonspeed

Steering Wheel:

Colorado Customs

Console:

Custom built

Head Unit:

Pioneer

Amps:

Pioneer

Speakers:

Pioneer TS-C160R components,TS-W256C subs,GM-D510M and 480W amps,AVD-W6210 monitor,head unit ADX-P8DVD

Video System:

Pioneer

Stereo Installed By:

Pioneer

Shifter:

Column shift

Seats:

Black Leather tea Seats

Describe the Upholstery Material / Color Scheme:

Full Black interior,with leather,custom console full pionner stereo system,Suede headliner

Other Interior Mods:

Vintage air system,Camaro column,Lokar pedals,Custom built Fest=sler Gauge bezel

Upholstered By:

Pioneer/Fesler

PaintDetails

Color:

Flat black with clear

Paint Type:

BASF

Painted By:

Gary Sharp

WheelsDetails

Front Wheel Type:

Fesler FS-905

Rear Wheel Type:

Fesler FS-905

Front Wheel Size:

20x9

Front Tire Size:

BF Goodrich G-Force 285/30ZR20

Rear Tire Size:

BF Goodrich G-Force 285/30ZR20

PhotoGallery