Page 85 - PC Living Jan-Feb 2017

1951 MERCURY MONTEREYHENRY'S "NEED FOR SPEED" BY LAURA ROESCHPHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL BOOINIHenry Day is a dis nguished gentlemanwith a calm voice and a con dent and relaxed presence as he speaks about his lifelong passion for ne automobiles and a penchant for fast cars.The faster the better, according to his wife, Jo Ann. “He has a real need for speed,” she chuckles. We are standing in the middle of their immaculate garage admiring their car collection. All around us are beautiful examples of hot rod muscle cars, or “resto- mods,” cars that have been restored and modi ed so that their exterior is classic in appearance, but their mechanics and interior completely modern. The Day’s car collection is All-American. Well, except for the 1984 Pantera, but that’s another story.The most eye catching is a sleek 1951 Mercury Monterey two-door coupe. Looking at it in pro le, it appears to be “hunkered down,” ready to launch when the light turns green. The look is intentional. The roof has been chopped four inches and with a 525 cubic inch 600 horsepower Cadillac engine and 1979 Cadillac Coupe De Ville suspension,it easily reaches 87 mph in eight seconds on a 1/8 mile drag strip. The hood corners have been rounded and front and center is a Gremlin grill. Its interior includes all possible modern amenities, in- cluding Lexus seats of luxurious leather and suede.Most of the wrench-turning maintenance is done by Henry, and Jo Ann is no stranger to turninga wrench when smaller hands are needed. Themirror-image paint job is the work of local Elliott Brothers Paint and Body. Of all the cars owned by the Days, the Mercury is likely Jo Ann’s favorite. “The car’s ride is so smooth; it feels just like gliding down the road,” Jo Ann explains. Henry loves them all, and is constantly trying to gure out how he can make them go faster.Henry vividly recalls riding in his friend’s 1949 Mercury Monterey in the 1950s. It looked much like the Mercury the Days now own.Movie bu s will recognize the Mercury Monterey coupes from the 1955 movie of teenage angst, “Rebel Without a Cause.” James Dean’s “cool fac- tor” was certainly enhanced by the 1949 Mercury he drove in the movie. The distinctive looks of a 1950 Mercury Monterey also played a prominentwww.PanamaCityLiving.com • January - February 2017 • 85