For just the right mill, John went to legendary engine builder/racer Carl Kearnan of Burketon, Ontario, to assemble a stout Y-block packed with a speed shop full of go-fast goods. Getting started, a 312ci block was massaged to 334 ci and filled with all the right bits from John Mummert, including a fresh stock crank linked to H-beam rods topped with forged aluminum pistons getting bumped by an Isky stick. Up top, reworked ’57 Thunderbird ECZ-G heads make plenty of seamless power, especially when matched to a Mummert aluminum intake and an Edelbrock 500-cfm wearing a custom-finned aluminum air cleaner. A Mallory ignition lights the fire while exhaust roars through a set of custom headers with 2-1/4-inch exhaust and Smithy’s mufflers, all by Jackson. Other neat details include a custom wiring harness by Steve Marsden of Goodwood, a Mummert mini-starter, and an Optima battery. A Mustang five-speed from Summit Transmission in Hanover, Ontario, links to a custom driveshaft to move the goods.

When it came time to address the body, John started by having it and all related panels acid dipped. What came back was nearly perfect sheetmetal, void of any rust or prior damage, making it a perfect canvas for Jackson to begin a number of mild custom modifications on. Starting in the front, the bumper was shaved with guards and teeth removed, the upper grille was stretched, and the hood was shaved and peaked. John then grafted a ’54 Mercury hood scoop in place, complete with a ’56 Lincoln grille bar, while Jackson added ’56 Lincoln Premier headlight doors and modified trim. Moving down the side, ’56 Lincoln fenders were adapted and combined with ’54 Mercury fender flares accented by ’55 Mercury trim, while John rounded the door bottoms and added custom side mirrors. To add flair, Jackson tunneled a pair of modified ’47 Lincoln door buttons in place while crafting the custom fender skirts complete with ’57 Lincoln interior star trim. Out back, the rear bumper was shaved with guards removed and treated to a stretched ’49 Chevy license plate guard. Custom-designed ’57 Lincoln stars by Metauro were then added to a set of N.O.S. Lee accessory taillight lenses to accent the matching trunk emblem to wrap up the updates. From there the body was metal finished with all gaps set by Vic and Mike Lefebvre along with John. Terry Riste of Goodwood then massaged the body perfectly and laid down the vibe with House of Kolor Teal pearl accented by Connery’s subtle coating of Butterscotch Kandy to the roof. The noteworthy sparkle came from the team at The Plating House of Canada in Concord, Ontario, who handled all exterior plating and polishing, with the final icing coming from the brushes of Rollie Guertin.

John started with a ’56 Oldsmobile dash filled with factory gauges while hiding dials from Stewart-Warner in the glovebox to monitor the vitals to bring equal glamour to the interior. Steering moves through a ’55 Mercury accessory wheel to a modified factory column while gear changes click thanks to a custom stick. Cool details include a custom console, ’55 Packard power window switches, ’56 Lincoln door handles, and ’50 Pontiac speaker grilles in the rear deck. For plenty of comfort on the long hauls, the factory seating was recovered by Sheldon Smith of Scugog with yards of roll and pleated butterscotch leather accented by teal Italian Corduroy leather with custom gold piping, all sourced through Steven Manchee. Smith then crafted all related interior panels, including the headliner and complementing chocolate carpeting. John’s already been laying down plenty of miles, and we must agree that this is one Mint Merc!