Eloy Ortega's 1949 Mercury

Eloy bought the Mercury in 1979. In 1985 noted customizer Donn Lowe of Lowe Kustoms chopped the top on the car. The work was done in Colorado Springs, before he moved to Oregon. Photo courtesy of Eloy Ortega.

Photo courtesy of Eloy Ortega.

Photo courtesy of Eloy Ortega.

Photo courtesy of Eloy Ortega.

Photo courtesy of Eloy Ortega.

Photo courtesy of Eloy Ortega.

Photo courtesy of Eloy Ortega.

Eloy's Mercury as it appeared in 2019. Photo courtesy of Eloy Ortega.

Photo courtesy of Eloy Ortega.

Photo courtesy of Eloy Ortega.

Photo courtesy of Eloy Ortega.

Photo courtesy of Eloy Ortega.

Photo courtesy of Eloy Ortega.

Photo courtesy of Eloy Ortega.

1949 Mercury Coupe owned by Eloy Ortega of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Eloy has owned the Mercury since 1979. In 1985 noted customizer Donn Lowe of Lowe Kustoms chopped the top on the car. The work was done in Colorado Springs, before he moved to Oregon. The car was in grey primer when Donn told Eloy it soon would be ready for him to pick up. "Because I didn't know when I could have the entire car repainted locally, I asked to shoot red primer over the gray," Eloy told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama in 2019. "He graciously reshot it in red before pickup" Eloy drove it less than a year before a full repaint after adding Buick sidetrim and changing and frenching the Buick taillights. "Sadly it sits in my garage," Eloy told Kustomrama in 2019. Due to serious health illness, Eloy had driven it less than 100 miles in the past 8 years.