1951 Mercury - Ruggiero Merc - Bill Ganahl - South City Rod & Custom

Built by Bill Ganahl’s South City Rod & Custom, Rogers’ Merc started with humble beginnings. “I wanted a thirty thousand dollar flat black Merc custom,” he said…”That’s how we started out. But once things got rolling and Bill and I began to collaborate and dream, the project took on a life of its own. I’ve never really done things half speed so it’s not too surprising we went all in. We saw the possibilities of what it could be and Bill was the man to take it there” said Rogers, a financial advisor on the San Francisco peninsula.

Ganahl, a second generation hot rodder, spent many years as an apprentice working long hours at Roy Brizio Street Rods, honing his craft. He was introduced to traditional hot rods & customs at a very young age growing up in Southern California. His daily driver to and from Brizio’s shop all those years was a ’50 Ford sled. Indeed, it’s as if he was born to build THIS car. He’d be the first to admit however, he had a lot of help along the way.

Upon first glance, the Merc’s perfect, radical 4-inch chop grabs you and won’t let go. The top and forward-slanted B-pillars were artistically executed by Matt Townsend (Townsend Customs & Hot Rods). With that critical step done, Ganahl added the evil ’53 DeSoto grille, ’50 Merc rear window, ’49 Merc dash and laid in the ’55 Ford side trim featuring Packard spears. The rich, mile-deep candy blue House of Kolor paint was sprayed by Joe Compani.

The engine bay, long ignored by most custom stylists is just as beautiful as the car’s sleek exterior. Ganahl hand fabricated a complete set of engine compartment panels to house the painted and lettered “Chevrolac” (Chevy small block with custom made Caddy valve covers). Underneath it all is a full Art Morrison chassis. And get this – it drives just as well as it looks, requiring nothing more than a “pinky on the steering wheel” according to Ganahl. He should know – he DROVE the Merc 60 miles from his shop in South San Francisco to Pleasanton for the show! We’re guessing the ride back home across the San Mateo Bridge was a sweet one with the Custom of the Year trophy riding shotgun on the period-perfect blue & white tuck & roll upholstery.

When reflecting after the big win, Ganahl summed up the project simply, saying “We tried to build a classy, subtle Merc custom that didn’t have flaws. One that could be driven long distances. That became the ultimate focus of this car.” Mission accomplished Bill!

As for the car’s plans? “Oh I’ve got big plans for the car,” said owner Nick Rogers. “I plan on loading up the family, and cruising the El Camino to go get ice cream.”

Fellow finalists for the Goodguys 2013 Mother’s Custom of the Year Award included John D’Agostino (’40 Cadillac), Tony Cuevest (’49 Merc), Don Kirk (’40 Ford) and Jeff James (’54 Chevy).

Pat Ganahl is a legendary journalist and mainstay in the hot rod world, so you can imagine how much his son Billy must know about kustoms. Billy works at Brizio Street Rods during the day, and finished this ’51 Merc in his spare time to debut it at GNRS.



Pat’s nickname is Too Tall Ganahl, and we can see why in this shot of him admiring his son’s work. The look on his face tells it all. A proud father he must be.



The white valve covers and original Caddy air cleaner really pop against the deep blue paint.



A ’49 Merc dash was swapped in and the interior was tastefully dressed in dark blue and white.



Just like the Model A pickup, this car pushes stance to the limit without going too far. Some cars would look ridiculous this low, but the Merc pulls it off.



When people evaluate a chop they are looking for a flow from the front to the back of the roof. This car nails it. Kustom fans will always have their “perfect Merc chop” and I suspect this car just jumped to the top of the list for many.

This unbelievable 1951 Mercury Coupe was designed & built by the best custom car builders, fabricators, painters, & interior craftsmen of our era. The vast majority of the build was performed by Bill Ganahl and his team at South City Rod & Custom. The perfectly proportioned top chop and early fabrication work was done by Matt Townsend of Townsend Customs. Body and paint work was performed by Joe Compani of Compani Color. Interior work was done by Plante Interior Co.

Finished in a gorgeous custom-blended Candy Midnight Blue with an interior stitched in Dark Blue and Vanilla Shake tuck-and-roll custom upholstery. A hidden Alpine stereo and amplifier with 4 JL Audio speakers and an 8-inch subwoofer deliver high-end fidelity to the interior.

No expense was spared throughout the build, and no detail was overlooked. The car sits atop a custom built Art Morrison Chassis which was fitted with a 4-Link rear, Accuair adjustable air ride suspension, Disc brakes, and a Ford 9" rear end with Strange axles. Underneath the hood is a 1949 Cadillac-themed ZZ4 crate engine with a bat wing air cleaner, mated to a 700R4 Automatic Transmission.

In addition to the four main craftsman of this vehicle, finish work was provided by Sherm’s Custom Chrome Plating, Quality Restorations custom 1949 steering wheel, Gonsels CNC trim, Red Line Gauge Restoration, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Strange Axles, Vintage Air A/C, Accuair Air Ride System and Airbags, Billet Specialties Front Runner accessory system, Sanderson Headers, and Smithy Mufflers with a ceramic-coated flanged exhaust system crafted by Jack Stratton. Power steering and Power windows were also added.

Wheel Vintiques steel wheels in Candy Red are finished with 1949 Sombrero Hub Caps and BF Goodrich bias ply whitewall tires. Thousands of hours of labor were put into this build. Far too many details to list in one ad.

What sets this highly customized Mercury apart from other custom cars is the pedigree that this vehicle has earned in only six years since its completion. The 'Ruggiero Mercury' has won first place in every show that it has entered, from its debut in 2013 at the Grand National Roadster show, to the 2018 Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance. The car earned invitations to Pebble Beach, The Good Guys Top 8 in Scottsdale Arizona, and the Carmel Concours on the Avenue.
Among many others, some of the notable awards include:
‘Custom of the Year’ at 2013 Good Guys in Scottsdale Arizona.
'1st Place in class' at the 2013 Grand National Roadster Show.
1st Place 'Best body & paint work execution' at the 2013 Grand National Roadster Show.
1st Place 'Custom D’Elegance Award' at the 2013 Sacramento Autorama.
1st Place 'Hot Rod Class' at 2015 Carmel Concours on the Avenue.
'1st Place overall' at the 2015 Pacific Grove Concours.
1st Place 'Heavy Hitter Award' 2016 & 2017 Gambino Customs (First & only repeat winner).
‘Best in Class’ 2018 Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance.
‘Perpetual Award Winner for Excellence in Design’ 2018 Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance.

It has been featured side-by-side with The Barris Mercury, one of the most iconic and valuable Mercurys in the world. This pairing occurred by invitation at the 2015 Pebble Beach Custom Car Forum which featured legendary builders and historians Sam Barris, Pat Ganahl, and others.