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Mercer series 5 Raceabout Body Details sought


hddennis

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Guest stude8

I have this photo of a Mercer roadster taken at Harry A. Miller Meet about 10 years ago or so but it is an earlier Mercer than series 5. Just thought it might be of some interest.

Stude8

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Guest stude8

Just found this image taken at the Mercer Centennial Meet at Roebling, NJ in 2009. It was listed as a 1922 Mercer series?? but a roadster.

Stude8

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Thanks for those pictures Stude8. I mentioned the Series 5 Raceabout because as far as I can find it is the only other car that has the drastically cutdown sides and very high back bucket seats that were used in the 1914-15 Maxwell race cars. Since none have survived I was hoping to get construction details from surviving Mercers.

Howard Dennis

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Howard, I have some detail photos and some measurements that I took from Morris Burrows 1922 Series 5 Raceabout (ex Vince Galloni) in 1980. Purpose was and it to make the same for a Series 6 for which I have to make chassis side rails (which are missing). The Series 6 Raceabouts were actually built on the 115" Series 5 Chassis frames, so what I will be doing will not be correct as it will be a similar 115"series 6 frame that they never built. (Ralph Buckley gave me chassis blueprint).

There are two original Series 6 Raceabouts that we know. One is in Portugal. The other was bought from Vince Galloni in the late 1930's by John Boyle's father and uncle, and it is arguably the very best of all known Raceabouts, for performance, and because it is the only one with good four wheel brakes. It has just had some work done to get it running so prospective buyers can know what it is and how good it is. Jerry Gebby raced a T-head, owned an L-head Raceabout, and serviced a few 6s for customers. He expressed the opinion that the Six were best of all to drive. I haven't spoken to John Hancox in the last few days, but I expect he will be going shortly to help Carol sell the car. It is probably the last Mercer ever made, and the fastest. Ralph Buckley said that no L-head had ever reached 100mph that he knew of; but John Boyle went through a police radar a few years ago faster than that. We should be able to get measurements from that one soon, and definitive digital photos.

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What are you looking for in terms of details or are you looking to make an (exact) replica? The body is made of wood and sheet metal (no surprize there). The firewall is wood, 3 pieces. The floor is also made of multiple pieces of 1" thick wood, I think is ash. The floor is soild under the seats but only covers the frame rails forward of that. (Has a rabbet on sides to accept the removable floor boards.) There is a wooden hoop (probably steam bent but could be formed with glued up strips) just forward of the dash the reinforces the cowl. There is a ~1.5" diameter horizontal metal pipe (iron plumbing) that is attached to the wooden hoop with special aluminum castings on each end. These castings have a flat surface on the aft sides that serve as bolting surfaces for the walnut dashboard. The sheet metal is 3 peices; the cowl to the vertical strip (half round metal) that would be the front edge of the doors (although does not have actual doors). the second and third pieces start at the vertical strip on each side of the body and wrap around to form the seat backs on each side, There is a piece of wood more or less vertical that fills in the acute corner where the sheet metal meets between the two seats. The seats are staggered so the driver has elbow room on the inside. There are angle iron brackets on the inside of the seats and on the back side of the firewall where it meets the floor. Is this what your were looking for?

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Thanks 21 Raceabout, that helps. I'd also like details on how the seats are constructed, cushions, upholstery in seating area, how attached to body etc. Do you have any details on how the top attaches to body, both fabric & bow sockets, how it folds behind body , what holds it in the down postion.

Thanks,

Howard Dennis

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Howard -

The upholstery is all leather. The seat sides and backs are one piece for both seats, and is held in place by the snaps on the top edge of the body (outside}. Is plain and filled with padding, no special pleats. If you see a picture of an L-head Raceabout you will see the snaps from the outside. The cushions are also simple without any pleating. The cushions are held in place by an angle iron strip on the front edge. The cushions are basically held in place by the padding on the back of the seat pushing against the cushion forward against the angle iron. The angle iron is only about 1/2" high and screwed into the floor boards.

Top? Any top on a Raceabout is aftermarket. Real sports cars have no doors, no top, 300 cubic inches and 4 on the floor!

If you would like photos let me know.

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  • 2 weeks later...

hddennis,

My 21 raceabout is sitting in pieces waiting for cleaning and paint. It would be very easy for me to get dimentions on virtually anything you need. If you are interested just drop me a PM. I just picked up my fenders last weekend so I think I have all the body pieces (and no need to worry about scratching the paint).

TM

Edited by Trained Monkey
poor grammar (see edit history)
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