1950 Mercury Coupe — Candy Apple Red Custom with Flathead V8 and Dual Carbs The 1950 Mercury Coupe holds a specific and well-earned place in American automotive history. When Ford introduced the redesigned Mercury line for 1949, the result was a low, wide, fastback-style body that custom car builders immediately recognized as raw material worth working with. By 1950, the design had been refined slightly, and the coupe body style — with its long roofline, wide rear glass, and smooth flanks — became the foundation for some of the most celebrated customs of the era.

Ike Uyeda, Sam Barris, and most famously his brother George Barris used the 1949 to 1951 Mercury coupe as the starting point for cars that defined what custom culture meant in postwar America. The 'shoebox' Mercury, as it came to be known, was not just popular — it was the template. This particular 1950 Mercury Coupe has been built in that same tradition: a serious custom with real mechanical upgrades, a finished undercarriage, and a presence that is immediately recognizable to anyone who knows the history of this body style.

Why This Car Is Special The 1950 Mercury Coupe was the preferred canvas of the early custom car movement for good reason. Its proportions were already lower and longer than most American cars of the period, and the body responded well to the nips, chops, and modifications that builders applied to it. This example has not been chopped or sectioned — it wears its original roofline — but what has been done is thorough and cohesive.

The Candy Apple Red paint with subtle flame detail, the Edelbrock-equipped flathead V8 running dual carburetors, and the painted undercarriage tell you this car was built by someone who paid attention to the whole package, not just the parts you see at eye level. The upgrades are practical where they need to be — alternator conversion, power steering, upgraded shocks — and expressive where the build calls for it, with gold flake dash work, a custom wood steering wheel, and chrome spotlight mirrors that put this squarely in the classic kustom tradition. Features - Flathead V8 with Edelbrock intake manifold - Dual carburetor setup - Dual exhaust system with chrome tips - Alternator upgrade replacing original generator - Power steering - Lowered suspension - Upgraded shocks - Painted undercarriage - Whitewall tires - Custom chrome star hubcaps - Chrome rocker panel trim - Chrome spotlight mirrors - Chrome bumpers front and rear - Custom hood ornament - Candy Apple Red paint - Subtle flame detail paintwork - Custom wood steering wheel - Custom gold flake dash panel - Upgraded gauges and tachometer - Aftermarket AM/FM stereo - Power windows - Cloth bench seats front and rear in gray and burgundy - Seat belts front and rear Mechanical The heart of the 1950 Mercury Coupe is the flathead V8, and that engine is very much present here.

Ford's flathead V8 had been in continuous development since 1932, and by 1950 the Mercury version displaced 255 cubic inches and produced around 110 horsepower in stock form. That number goes up meaningfully when you add what this car has: an Edelbrock intake manifold feeding a dual carburetor setup. Edelbrock was producing performance intake manifolds for the flathead as far back as the 1940s, and their dual-carb setups were a staple of early hot rod and custom builds.

The result is a noticeable improvement in throttle response and top-end breathing compared to the single-carb factory configuration. A dual exhaust system handles the exit side of the equation, and chrome tips exit cleanly at the rear. The original generator has been replaced with an alternator, a practical upgrade that provides more reliable electrical output and supports the power windows, stereo, and other modern accessories without stressing the charging system.

Power steering has been added, which makes a meaningful difference in a car this size. The suspension has been lowered for a cleaner stance, and upgraded s