Page 86 - PC Living Jan-Feb 2017

HOW WE ROLL1951 MERCURY MONTEREYpart in the 1986 Sylvester Stallone movie, “Cobra.” Henry searched for years to nd an especially nice Mercury that he could restore himself. Ten years ago they nally found theirs near St. Louis, Missouri and drove it home. The condition was “so-so,” he says. The car came with paperwork documenting its history, including records about the person who owned the car from 1972 to 1994 after buying it at a junk yard for $50. Originally, a Mercury Monterey’s base price was $2,325 when bought new. Today, after exten- sive modi cations, it is precisely the car Henry envisioned - “With a hopped up engine, gorgeous paint, and a new interior.”Muscle car a cionados will recognize the Day’s Mercury as a “lead sled” which, in automotive speak, is a phrase used to describe production cars that undergo certain modi cations, including hav- ing the roof “chopped” and their bodies smoothed by the application of molten lead to conceal joints and repair damaged body parts. This method was common in the era before plastic body ller and berglass came into existence. “Sled” refers to the requisite lowering of the cars. Headlights, taillights, radio antennae, and license plates are recessed,a technique called “frenching.” All factory trim, emblems, and badge work is removed as these are considered undesirable distractions from the car’s smooth lines. Lead sleds are known for theirstylized appearance, although not necessarily for speed. Not so for the Day’s “lead sled.” It is both sleekly stylish and seriously built for speed. Henry and Jo Ann enthusiastically describe their drag strip experiences with the Mercury and their other cars. They have raced all of them at Breakaway Dragway, an 1/8 mile concrete and asphalt drag strip in northern Bay County that operated from 1991 until its closure a few years ago. Local car clubs from all over the Florida Panhandle competed there in bracket racing competitions. Bracket racing, Henry explains, allows all cars regardlessof engine type to race, as it factors in a handicap between predicted elapsed time of the competing cars over the length of the race. He modestly says they “did real well racing our cars” and estimates their time anywhere from mid seven seconds to eight seconds in a straight-line acceleration be- tween two competing cars on the drag strip.Jo Ann points out that Henry’s need for speedis not limited to four-wheeled vehicles. He was a three-time world-champion tunnel hull boat racer in the late 60s to mid 70s. A 35-foot Fountain Sport Boat docked behind the home, designed for speeds in excess of 100 mph, makes Henry’s eyes twinkle. He can vouch for the boat’s capabilities, he remarks. Jo Ann is proud of her veteran 82nd Air- borne Paratrooper husband, and the very thought of him jumping out of an airplane seems to fallCONTINUED ON PAGE 8886 • January - February 2017 • www.PanamaCityLiving.com