Yahoo Autos ICON 4x4's Jonathan Ward Is Building an All-Electric '49 Mercury
"This is gonna be a really neat one," says Jonathan Ward, coyly, during one of his semi-frequent video tours of the Icon 4x4 shop. The camera, which the Icon 4x4 founder is holding as he narrates a walkabout through his Van Nuys, California shop, pans to a misty green '49 Mercury Coupe, partially disassembled but remarkably solid and seemingly all-original.
"It's gonna be a pretty disruptive one," Ward says. He's not kidding.
This '49 Merc is being prepped as a full plug-in, battery-electric vehicle, with dual motors providing what should be an ample amount of power. It's part of the Icon Derelict series, where Ward and his team of master crafters stuff modern drivetrains and technology into solid but unrestored survivor bodies.
"The idea is to build a Tesla killer with some style and charm," Ward says.
This project Merc is just one of dozens of odd, unusual, and amazing vehicles you'll see in this video. Ward's shop is home to his company TLC, which restores and modifies Toyota Land Cruisers, and Icon 4x4, which started out focusing on first-gen Ford Broncos but now includes all kinds of vintage projects.
Go ahead, watch the full tour, and see how many old, oddball cars you can spot. You're gonna need all your fingers, your toes, and probably a bunch of your coworkers to count 'em all.
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