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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Blackout 42 Mercury

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Posted By Discussion Topic: Blackout 42 Mercury     lubker 10-25-2011 @ 8:53 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 6 Joined: Mar 2011 I just purchased a 42 Mercury with window glass code K(Nov 41). This car has painted steel trim in the windshield rubber groove, painted door handles and painted mild steel trim on the hood and upper body. The Mercury emblem under the hood has been left off and the holes filled with plugs. It has no trim around the side windows. The original blue color had been repainted a tan as per Fred Killian's reply in 42 "blackout" Ford correspondence V-8 Times(last issue). This car is a sedan coupe. I would like to see it restored as what I think it is; any thoughts on this one? wrosenkrans 10-26-2011 @ 7:13 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 134 Joined: Oct 2010 I am not an expert on this, and will defer to those who are, but we have a '42 Ford Tudor that also has the "K" code glass. Based on the serial number and production rate, we estimate the car was built during the last week of regular production at the end of Dec, 41, and therefore probably embargoed. The car has none of the blackout features and we know it to be original. Did the early war history of the Mercury follow that of Ford, or we they handled differently? Wayne & Barb '42 Super De Luxe Tudor 41-42fordadvisor 10-26-2011 @ 10:08 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 110 Joined: Nov 2009 I don't know a whole lot about 1942 blackout models but the following is a little more information then what was in the last v8 Times. New car sales were banned on January 1,1942. All cars built after that date were blackouts. All chrome trim except bumpers and a few other trim parts were replaced by painted metal. Done with a lead time of only a few months. Blackout models were only built for four or five weeks as production was being shut down. Ford car production and I believe Mercury production ended on February 10, 1942. All unsold 1941 and 1942, including the 1942 blackouts, were stored to be sold through ration boards for the duration of the war. The sale of these rationed cars began on March 2, 1942. I have never seen a 1942 Mercury blackout model or even a picture of one. So I don't know what trim was still chrome or painted. The 1942 Mercury had a lot more bright trim then the 1942 Ford Super Deluxe. I am curious about the blue being painted over tan as only chrome outside trim was painted over tan. You could try writing a letter to Rusty Davis in Michigan who is the advisor for 1942 Mercurys, he may have more information. Fred Killian lubker 10-26-2011 @ 7:05 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 6 Joined: Mar 2011 Fred--thanks for info--The trim that is painted on the Merc. is a tan color. the whole car has been repainted a dull black but inside of the trunk lid and the inside of the doors was painted tan over the blue--a very hasty low quality paint job that flakes off very easily. If I post the serial number--perhaps someone could narrow down the production date? If anyone wants pictures I can also post--provided I can figure out how to do that. 41-42fordadvisor 10-28-2011 @ 8:23 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 110 Joined: Nov 2009 1942 Mercury serial numbers start at 99A-446,701 the last serial number is 99A-539426. I think that your car was originally painted blue. Someone may have painted it tan and then black sometime in its life. Makes me think that someone may have painted the whole car tan including the trim. Ford would not have done it this way if it is a true blackout model. If this is truly a blackout model it would be worth restoring because it is a blackout model. But either way you have one very rare car as Ford only made 4,942 Mercury Sedan Coupes. The two blues for 1942 were Fathom Blue a very dark blue and Florentine Blue a very light blue. If your car was a blackout model the body and fenders would be blue and just the outside trim would be tan. Fred Killian 41-42fordadvisor 11-03-2011 @ 5:54 PM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 110 Joined: Nov 2009 I have just received a letter form Will Clements who lives in New Mexico and wrote me about blackout models.Will owns a 1942 Mercury Town Sedan with blackout trim. The 1942 Body Parts and Chassis parts books list trim parts with bright zinc trim. Other companies had painted trim on their last pre war cars. Ford Motor Company was alone in using zinc plated trim. Will wrote that the finish of the trim on his Mercury is weathered but was definitely zinc plated. There are some scattered pieces of stainless and chrome pieces on his car. The majority of the grille, all the side trim, half of the fender trim and all dash trim was stamped of plain steel and not stainless. The front vent window frames and fixed division bars have zinc plating as do the outer windshield trim pieces. There was never any side window trim or any mounting holes. The back window trim was not used and the window sealing strips do not have bright edges. A lot of the confusion over the finish of the trim items has stemmed from the fact that bright zinc plating changes color and luster dramatically over time. When brand new it can be mistaken for chrome at a short distance. With exposure to the atmosphere, zinc plating weathers to any of several shades of dark or light gray. This could be why someone painted yours tan to make it look better. From what Will wrote that it looks like your Mercury may well be a blackout model. I wish you good luck in its restoration no matter which way you decide to restore it. 42 Mercury 11-06-2011 @ 3:00 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 3 Joined: Nov 2011 We have the '42 Mercury blackout sedan Fred mentioned. Ours has January windshield glass, but the other glass is late '41 production. Ours also has the holes filled instead of the MERCURY emblem below the hood; our holes are leaded. We always wondered about that. Almost all of the blackout Super Deluxe and Mercury cars had no window trim and no holes for it. Our car is Village Green, except where somebody was spraying primer. As for restoration, that's one rare piece of Ford history you have. Will Clements 42 Mercury 11-06-2011 @ 8:45 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 3 Joined: Nov 2011 I'm collecting material and photos for a V8 Times article: the real story of the blackout 1942 Ford and Mercury (and Lincoln?) vehicles. If you have one of these cars, relevant information, or photos, I would like to hear from you. Will Clements Albuquerque, NM lubker 02-13-2012 @ 4:58 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 6 Joined: Mar 2011 I took the 42 blackout mercury to the Turlock swap-meet with a $2K price tag on it--no bites. I bought it as a parts car (I have a 46 Merc. too) I would really like to see someone restore this car as a blackout car and I am very willing to negotiate. lubker 02-14-2012 @ 4:27 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 6 Joined: Mar 2011 Serial number on my blackout Merc seems to be SN on my 42 Mercury seems to be 99A-53120?

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