"I kept calling the guy every couple months," says Gaglio, who lives in Parsippany and is co-owner of Parsippany Fuel Oil. "He kept saying ‘no,’ but I kept calling him.
"One day he calls me–his name is Joe Bucco, he lives in Somerville. He said he was moving to Florida. I was there in half an hour.
"It cost me $5,000 extra, but I got it back. Actually, when I sold my ’49 I got $5,000 extra for it, so it worked out okay."
The Mercury is actually more one-of-a-kind than it appears. The body is a 1951 Mercury Monarch, though "chopped" (the roofline lowered; note the bunkerlike, low-rise windows) and "channeled" (the interior lowered into the chassis to compensate for the loss of headroom).
Apart from that the Merc’ is a crazy salad…
The taillights are from a 1954 Mercury.
The grill is from a 1955 DeSoto.
The hubcaps are from a 1957 Cadillac.
The steering column and steering wheel are from a 1976 Monte Carlo.
The body sits on a 1978 Oldsmobile Regency chassis, including the suspension, the engine, a 405 cubic inch Olds V8, and the drivetrain.
The Regency gives the Merc’ power windows and door locks, air conditioning, and cruise control.