Rick Dore Pink Mercury USA.

Rick Dore Pink Mercury USA.

It did not take long after the first post was models to come out and that customizers sharp eyes hit the Mercury eight. The engine was now a flat head V8, a must have, and they used full instrumentation, and a 8 tube radio was an option. Sam  Barris built the first “lead sled from a Mercury eight, a very famous car. 

My good friend Rick Dore are very much a customizer who knows what to do with a Mercury eight. Born in New York, Rick had a passion for all things automotive from a very early age. Influenced by the classic coachbuilders like Figoni & Falaschi, America’s pioneering customizers, and the amazing concept vehicles dreamed up in that era, Rick has created an unmistakable style of his own. His early career was spent in Arizona, where he styled and built a large collection of top award-winning custom cars.

 He  and his friend  Keith Dean took just 6 month to build this one. And no flat head 8 here, they used an 05 Chevy 350 that produced some 300 hp, over the double to the original, remember this is a Lead Sled”. Borla’s stainless exhaust created the good sound. The top as as usual chopped, and the nose smoothed and corners was rounded, and the hood tot his trademark little scoops, and the head lights was of  course  Frenched. The bumper was all custom with integrated bumper horns from a late Cadillac.

All the interiors was made in Leather, with lots of had built panels, armrests and seats, and that standard Mercedes wool carpet..

Colorado Custom provided 15×6 wheels with the usual Cooker radials. What was something very new way of working was that he took a completed 1980 GM chassis for the car to rest on, and he added air ride by Grunion. As usual it went on the show circuit soon after it was done, I saw it first at Sema show Las Vegas and at once made a deal to shoot it in Arizona. All Rick’s cars are made to be drivers and we had so much fun that sunny afternoon outside Phoenix..