The Ford Barn

funrunr · 10-20-2025, 08:12 AM

Hello, will a 1948 Mercury front clip fit into a 1948 Ford. Can anyone here tell me if the two are interchangeable?

Seth Swoboda · 10-20-2025, 09:21 AM

The Mercury car is longer from the firewall forward. So no, that will not work.

1942deluxe · 10-20-2025, 09:22 AM

To my knowledge, no. The Mercury wheelbase is longer than the Ford by several inches from the firewall forward.

rockfla · 10-20-2025, 09:34 AM

I can tell you for certain the front seat in a Mercury is ALSO wider, not sure IF that width is in the overall body width or not BUT I do know it is wider!!! I have a 46 and we tried using a front seat out of a 47 Ford but it was narrower.

Tim Ayers · 10-20-2025, 09:37 AM

It has always amazed me that from '39 forward, how a Mercury looks similar to it's Ford counterparts, but almost nothing is transferable. Mercury models are longer, wider, have a added body line, etc. that make them different. The amount of tooling that was required to make the Mercury different from a Ford is quite remarkable.

funrunr · 10-20-2025, 09:49 AM

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Thank you all, good information.

petehoovie · 10-20-2025, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by funrunr

Hello, I have a 1948 Mercury front clip for sale and someone asked me if that clip would fit onto a 1948 Ford. I couldn't give an honest answer because I've never tried that. Can anyone here tell me if the two are interchangeable?

GB SISSON · 10-20-2025, 10:50 AM

Find me a cowl and I'd build a phantom 'Sportsman'. That's a beautiful front clip.

rockfla · 10-20-2025, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

Find me a cowl and I'd build a phantom 'Sportsman'. That's a beautiful front clip.

How about a whole coupe? I'll move mine to you IF you like!!!

funrunr · 10-20-2025, 12:49 PM

The clip and chassis has been sold.

GB SISSON · 10-20-2025, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockfla

How about a whole coupe? I'll move mine to you IF you like!!!

Hmmmmm, pm sent

I do not think I have seen the subject of the ford sportsman show up even once since I'm been coming to the barn. Maybe me and a couple others suggesting that Ol Bob Brown was a miracle worker when ya see what he produced in that home-spun shop of his. Any barn members own one?

mercman from oz · 10-20-2025, 05:53 PM

Regarding the question, "Is the front clip of a 1942-1948 Ford and Mercury interchangeable", the answer is yes and no??
Please read on:- Over 50 years ago, I visited a property where the owner had a nice 1946 Ford Sedan and a rough 1942 Mercury Sedan in his back yard. The first photo is how the 1942 Mercury looked when I first saw it. They are extremely rare in Australia and I have only seen one other example. Knowing how rare the Mercury was, he was going to make a nice 1942 Mercury out of these two cars. He removed the front clip of the Mercury and took the rest to the dump. He then removed the front clip from his 1946 Ford and added the 42 Mercury front clip, but then noticed a problem, the front wheels were not central in the wheel cut-outs? For us who are familiar with these models, we realise that the wheelbase on the Fords is 114" while the Mercurys wheelbase is 4" longer at 118". The extra length is ahead of the firewall. I lost contact with this original owner, but some years later, I did see the car for sale. Please refer to second photo. I regret that I did not take a photo highlighting this problem with the wheel not being central in the cut-out, but only took a head on shot. Back then, taking photos was not cheap, and one had to be selective.
So there you have it, the front clips will bolt on either model, but the problem is that the wheels will not be central in the wheel cut-outs. Regards Mercman <><

Kens 36 · 10-21-2025, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

Hmmmmm, pm sent

I do not think I have seen the subject of the ford sportsman show up even once since I'm been coming to the barn. Maybe me and a couple others suggesting that Ol Bob Brown was a miracle worker when ya see what he produced in that home-spun shop of his. Any barn members own one?

Here is a photo of Alan Egelseer's "1941 Mercury Sportsman" that he created. It is in Wisconsin. Sorry for the poor picture.

Ken

rockfla · 10-21-2025, 09:47 AM

Here are TWO of the subject matter year. The first - Black one was taken in 2005 from the Ron Thorne collection on my way to the 05 Breckenridge Western National The second - Green one was taken at the 2009 Central National meet in Auburn IN.

petehoovie · 10-21-2025, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kens 36

Here is a photo of Alan Egelseer's "1941 Mercury Sportsman" that he created. It is in Wisconsin. Sorry for the poor picture.

Ken

petehoovie · 10-21-2025, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockfla

Here are TWO of the subject matter year. The first - Black one was taken in 2005 from the Ron Thorne collection on my way to the 05 Breckenridge Western National The second - Green one was taken at the 2009 Central National meet in Auburn IN.

Bob NH · 10-21-2025, 10:30 AM

I can tell you all for sure a beautiful 41 Ford front clip will not stretch onto a 41 Merc coupe ! 4" seems to the extra length on Merc frame. Too bad as the Ford fenders were almost like NOS !

T Scott · 10-21-2025, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

Hmmmmm, pm sent

I do not think I have seen the subject of the ford sportsman show up even once since I'm been coming to the barn. Maybe me and a couple others suggesting that Ol Bob Brown was a miracle worker when ya see what he produced in that home-spun shop of his. Any barn members own one?

As far as I know Bob (junior) is still carrying on the tradition. He's pretty much a one man show but certainly has the capabilities that his dad had along with specialty fixtures and profilers for turning out Sportsman body parts such as complete wood deck lids and the like.

GB SISSON · 10-21-2025, 05:00 PM

Good to know. Maybe I will pull off on the Alger exit next time I'm heading north on I-5. Not too often a young man follows in Dad's footsteps these days. And those were big shoes to fill. Did ford actually make a Merc Sportsman, or were the ones pictured phantom one-offs?

petehoovie · 10-21-2025, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

Did ford actually make a Merc Sportsman, or were the ones pictured phantom one-offs?

1948 Mercury Sportsman CLONE...
https://classiccars.com/listings/vie...rg-texas-78624

10-20-2025, 08:12 AM	#1
funrunr Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Belleville,MI Posts: 1,478	Mercury vs. Ford Hello, will a 1948 Mercury front clip fit into a 1948 Ford. Can anyone here tell me if the two are interchangeable? __________________ Thank God this is only a hobby! Last edited by funrunr; 10-20-2025 at 12:58 PM.

10-20-2025, 09:21 AM	#2
Seth Swoboda Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 4,211	Re: Mercury vs. Ford The Mercury car is longer from the firewall forward. So no, that will not work.

10-20-2025, 09:22 AM	#3
1942deluxe Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Albion, PA Posts: 1,100	Re: Mercury vs. Ford To my knowledge, no. The Mercury wheelbase is longer than the Ford by several inches from the firewall forward.

10-20-2025, 09:34 AM	#4
rockfla Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Jacksonville FL Posts: 5,164	Re: Mercury vs. Ford I can tell you for certain the front seat in a Mercury is ALSO wider, not sure IF that width is in the overall body width or not BUT I do know it is wider!!! I have a 46 and we tried using a front seat out of a 47 Ford but it was narrower.

10-20-2025, 09:37 AM	#5
Tim Ayers Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: NJ Posts: 7,227	Re: Mercury vs. Ford It has always amazed me that from '39 forward, how a Mercury looks similar to it's Ford counterparts, but almost nothing is transferable. Mercury models are longer, wider, have a added body line, etc. that make them different. The amount of tooling that was required to make the Mercury different from a Ford is quite remarkable. Last edited by Tim Ayers; 10-20-2025 at 10:02 AM.

10-20-2025, 09:49 AM	#6
funrunr Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Belleville,MI Posts: 1,478	Re: Mercury vs. Ford Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Thank you all, good information. __________________ Thank God this is only a hobby!

10-20-2025, 10:50 AM	#8
GB SISSON Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Orcas Island Washington Posts: 6,202	Re: Mercury vs. Ford Find me a cowl and I'd build a phantom 'Sportsman'. That's a beautiful front clip. __________________ Owner/Operator of 'Jailbar Ranch' on the side of Mt. Pickett. Current stable consists of 1946 1/2 ton pickup turned woodie wagon with FH V8, 1946 Tonner Pickup with 226 H six, 1979 Toyota landcruiser wagon, now wearing 1947 Ford Jailbar sheet metal. 'Rusty ol' floorboards, hot on their feet' (Alan Jackson)

10-20-2025, 12:49 PM	#10
funrunr Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Belleville,MI Posts: 1,478	Re: Mercury vs. Ford The clip and chassis has been sold. __________________ Thank God this is only a hobby!

10-20-2025, 05:53 PM	#12
mercman from oz Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Queensland, Australia Posts: 12,568	Re: Mercury vs. Ford Regarding the question, "Is the front clip of a 1942-1948 Ford and Mercury interchangeable", the answer is yes and no?? Please read on:- Over 50 years ago, I visited a property where the owner had a nice 1946 Ford Sedan and a rough 1942 Mercury Sedan in his back yard. The first photo is how the 1942 Mercury looked when I first saw it. They are extremely rare in Australia and I have only seen one other example. Knowing how rare the Mercury was, he was going to make a nice 1942 Mercury out of these two cars. He removed the front clip of the Mercury and took the rest to the dump. He then removed the front clip from his 1946 Ford and added the 42 Mercury front clip, but then noticed a problem, the front wheels were not central in the wheel cut-outs? For us who are familiar with these models, we realise that the wheelbase on the Fords is 114" while the Mercurys wheelbase is 4" longer at 118". The extra length is ahead of the firewall. I lost contact with this original owner, but some years later, I did see the car for sale. Please refer to second photo. I regret that I did not take a photo highlighting this problem with the wheel not being central in the cut-out, but only took a head on shot. Back then, taking photos was not cheap, and one had to be selective. So there you have it, the front clips will bolt on either model, but the problem is that the wheels will not be central in the wheel cut-outs. Regards Mercman <><

10-21-2025, 10:30 AM	#17
Bob NH Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Meredith, N.H. Posts: 816	Re: Mercury vs. Ford I can tell you all for sure a beautiful 41 Ford front clip will not stretch onto a 41 Merc coupe ! 4" seems to the extra length on Merc frame. Too bad as the Ford fenders were almost like NOS !

10-21-2025, 05:00 PM	#19
GB SISSON Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Orcas Island Washington Posts: 6,202	Re: Mercury vs. Ford Good to know. Maybe I will pull off on the Alger exit next time I'm heading north on I-5. Not too often a young man follows in Dad's footsteps these days. And those were big shoes to fill. Did ford actually make a Merc Sportsman, or were the ones pictured phantom one-offs? __________________ Owner/Operator of 'Jailbar Ranch' on the side of Mt. Pickett. Current stable consists of 1946 1/2 ton pickup turned woodie wagon with FH V8, 1946 Tonner Pickup with 226 H six, 1979 Toyota landcruiser wagon, now wearing 1947 Ford Jailbar sheet metal. 'Rusty ol' floorboards, hot on their feet' (Alan Jackson)