Just Cool Cars: Owning a '40 Mercury hot rod for 63 years
REDONDO BEACH, Calif. -- Back in 1953, Frank Fernandez Sr. spied a hot rod that caught his eye on a car lot near here, a 1940 Mercury that promised speed and beauty.
He was in the Navy at the time, home on leave, and coming up with $400 to buy it wasn't easy. "It was a lot of money at the time," he says now.
But 63 years later, the Mercury is still the pride of the Fernandez family -- and it's looking better than ever.
A three-year restoration starting in 2002 went through every detail of the car, says Frank Jr., who says he used to play inside the car as a kid. The body was taken off the frame and hard-to-find parts were tracked down. The 1947 Mercury engine was dressed up with three carburetors, resulting in a horsepower boost from about 90 to 150. The car was given a stunning candy-apple red paint job.
"It was always great" even before the restoration, says Frank Jr., of La Palma, Calif. Now, "it's more comfortable."
Today, the family takes the car out for display at shows like the one where we found the Fernandez' gathered in Redondo Beach, Calif., where Frank Sr. still lives.
It turns heads everywhere they go. And there's one good reason why, Frank Jr. explains: "nostalgia."