My50merc

Fall adventures from Fargo

2012-01-16T23:33:00.005-05:00

So, the project has been on hiatus, but things are coming together.

1. Our house in Philadelphia sold, which means that the project is close to continuing. Of course I have to get everything packed.
2. I connected with a bunch of great guys in fargo, a car club called the Suedes. They are pretty cool guys to hang with and we share similarities in cars. I hope to get to meet more of them before the spring. Here is a pic of Eyeball 32 roadster...1st one i have ever driven in and it is NICE.

3. Sarah and I got an apartment, with a garage to store the merc and all my parts n stuff.
4. I have tried to make the most of my fall hunting parts.

5. I attended the Twin Cities Roadster Swap.

Portland has a cool bar - O'Kelly's

2011-12-08T00:21:00.000-05:00

Went to portland for a work trip...found this place on a little walk i took. I really like the decorations. Lots of old signs, gas pumps, and the decal on the door was pretty cool.

Tuck Fire.....not good

2011-12-05T23:44:00.000-05:00

My buddy Tuck, whose shop I pretty much called a second home during college and a true source of inspiration burnt down to the ground the week after thanksgiving. The wreckage, almost everything was lost, but the rebuilding has begun. Part by part.....

There was so much lost...it hurts to look.....

Auction Treasure - First ND auction..lots of good stuff

2011-09-17T00:08:00.000-04:00

I will save you the story..lets just say 3 hours each way to spend a day in the middle of a field with 50 old guys i never met trying to buy old rusty stuff. Can't wait for spring!!!

Watertown South Dakota...great car show

2011-09-10T23:50:00.000-04:00

I was invited by some of the suedes to go to the south dakota watertown car show. It was a great time with some really great cars and people. Makes me want a camper....really...really BAD...

Enjoy.

Junkyard Flattie....believe

2011-08-27T23:56:00.001-04:00

So, one weekend I get a wild hair and shoot down to Tucks place. We decide to scope out our local Super Secret yard. What do we find?.....well

1953 ford sedan with the flathead still in it. All complete and looked untouched. It still had the ford spark plug wires as well as the aircleaner. So, we torch it out, get it home and tear into it.

Come to find out that it has some sticky intake valves. Nothing a torch some time and some special sauce can't fix (what is special sauce? -> ask tuck...only he knows the combination). Freed up the valves and 1 hour later....check it out...

This is so much fun...saving good old stuff. One week later tuck had the heads cleaned and other parts...then started to paint it...stupid killer color rootbeer base with a candy clear I think.

Ugh...well...its been awhile...too long

2011-07-22T22:00:00.003-04:00

so...where do i really start...

too long I have taken to update you all on the being that is my car...

So......here's the deal. I am on hiatus...for awhile. I figure about 3-4 months until I can get my car back to MN...

Wait.. did I say MN...you betcha.

I am moving back to MN (well technically Fargo, but its pretty much the same) and that is what has kept me away from updating you all.

here is a video of a recent thrash with the help of Jeff - recycled 40 ford - yeagle and don-the deliverer-haring helping me get the merc started.

it runs - but i have to button up some leaks and other minor pieces...

First attempt at running the merc
My merc is running

My score. More to come!!

2010-11-27T20:06:00.001-05:00

I recently went to a junkyard that is rumored to be crushing the cars they have because (as usual) the city is threatening - which is completely stupid considering its location. I will be going back soon so let me know if you are looking for something, I will make sure to save it.

Because really this is what is important. We need to keep this stuff, most of it is original design, one off thoughts and unique. Automotive design has really died, the only company doing anything interesting is Audi - (which started its life in racing and true to its form).

So...back on track - some stuff - seriously let me know if you are interested in anything!!

Bryan

Been Awhile - but still busy

2010-10-24T13:58:00.000-04:00

It has been awhile since I have updated everyone on this project. Alot of little things are now starting to come to fruition.

I have done the following:
Seam sealed the entire top side of the floor - from trunk to firewall.
Painted the entire floor as well.
Installed a new Master cylinder, though if I need to will replace it, though it is a dual diaphram 7 in power system.
Welded into place the 5 gallon air tank
Put in a mock-49 dash to help set the dash pieces in place and wired
Set up the wiring harness placement, though I haven't yet started to wire it
Fabricated the fuel filler tube and surround
Installed a holley carb to get it running, but will eventually replace it with an edelbrock
Removed the entire windshield glass and rubber moulding, and door panels

So..now it can stop, shift, turn, and move up and down

Still so much to do, but one step at a time.

Front Seats Mounted

2010-08-12T23:20:00.002-04:00

I haven't updated for awhile..although a lot has happened. I have been focusing on the floors and the other night I replaced the rear seat area. I will have pics in a later post along with the final rear seat placement.

However, tonight I made a major milestone..for me at least. I fabricated up the lower seat risers for the front thunderbird bucket seats. I have some finishing to do, but this is HUGE..now I can sit it in!!

Why stop there? - New Rear Floors

2010-07-24T22:25:00.000-04:00

Yeah..well..once you get started..it is hard to stop. The rear floors were a bit weak as well - and I had a pretty good idea of how I was going to do it..so the next day - out they came. Spot weld were drilled out and I left enough flange on the original floor to weld to. Came in handy.

Step one - cut out the old floor - only 25 spot welds

Step two - make patterns

Step three - weld them in

New Front Floors

2010-07-23T22:20:00.000-04:00

I just couldn't look past the rusty front floors and think to myself.."put in all this work..then try to weld front seats to that...so they had to go...two days and alot of fitting...all said and done..not bad for my first time.
Step 1 - cut out old floors

Step 2 - pattern new ones and bead them up

Step 3 weld them in.

Major Update - The body is BACK

2010-07-12T22:41:00.000-04:00

Well...after the shifter being put in..and knowing what I have left to do on the body..I figured it was time to get the body back on the frame. I have the bushings for the body, and the rest is ready. So, on monday my buddy jeff, (who also helped me take the body off the frame) came over and helped put it back on.

There was one hitch..with the new rear suspension, I was going to need to rework the rear floor..so a little cut cut and it is done.

Also, with the bags all the way down it will ride about 7-8 inches off the ground. The top of the car is only 60 inches high. The ride height will be around 11-12 inches.

Thank you Lokar - Shifter installed

2010-07-04T10:30:00.000-04:00

In June I attended the NSRA in York PA car show. There are always vendors there selling the latest and greatest car parts. I was looking for a quick easy solution allowing me to use the existing column shift to shift teh new automatic transmission. Lokar makes a kit but everywhere it was about 60 bucks. One vendor had it for 45 I picked it up. With some slight modifications (hand bending the rod) to make the shifting work. It is now able to shift through all the gears - P-R-N-D-3-2-1.
Pretty quick and easy. It may look wrong..but it shifts perfectly.

The hard part - #1 Driveshaft and Exhaust

2010-06-20T11:26:00.000-04:00

Alot has been happening, but I haven't had time to update all my fans out there. I am to the point in this process of having to "send out" tasks. The driveline is incomplete without a drive-shaft. These things aren't rocket science, but if done poorly too many things can go wrong. So, I decided to call out to Florig Equipment in Conshohocken and after taking some measurements I dropped off some parts and three days later - picked up a the central piece to making this car run. You can see it in the middle

Also, the other large part of this process is exhaust. Well - I don't the tools to bend up my own exhaust and felt that it would be easier and quicker to have a shop do it. Well - guess what - not all shops do it. Luckily for me, the local midas at the end of my block has some really cool guys and they agreed to take it on.

It is a complete dual system including stainless steel mufflers, and 2 inch exhaust throughout. I chose 2 inch because I wanted a quiet car and it is more traditional than 2.5 or 3 inch.

What's it worth??

2010-04-29T10:47:00.003-04:00

I often get strange looks from my "professional" friends when I talk about old cars, working on engines, and going to car shows. I understand it, I don't know if they do all the time, but that's okay. That's why it is MY hobby, interest and some would call obsession.

So..last night i get this email from a guy i met recently at the Carlisle Show about these pieces that I have been looking for. They are simply used to open the doors for a car. Well - these are more than that..they are the coolest designed pieces ever. Yeah EVER!!!

From 1946 through 1948 the Lincoln company made a car called the Zephyr. Yep just like todays, however, this was a top of the line car, came with all the bells and whistles. Anyway, they were in limited production and often sold to only those who could afford them at the time. It was a two door coupe. Well, I got my hands on three of these buttons and I still can't believe it. Totally ripped up right now!!!

Check them out.

Rhinebeck NY - Adventures in Treasure Hunting

2010-04-29T10:42:00.002-04:00

I am finally going to a show this weekend that I have been wanting to go to for a long..long. time.

Rhinebeck NY is in a quiet area of NY along the hudson river and a good 4 hours from me. Well I talked a buddy into going with me and we are planning on makeing it a 1 day trip, and get this - we plan on leaving at 3 am...yeah..3 AM.

This car stuff is fun for exactly this reason. I get to travel and see areas that I would normally not, meet strange people and find some cool old junk.

Loongg Winter

2010-04-29T10:26:00.005-04:00

You know..it is really hard to motivate yourself to work outside when it is cold. It is even harder when you don't have heat in the garage. So - that being said. I ripped it up the other night (in 50 degree weather) and got 4 major components started.

1. The fuel pump needed to be mounted to the frame and line run to the engine - DONE

2. Exhaust needed to be started from the SBC truck manifolds - DONE

3. Dimensions needed to be taken for the driveshaft - DONE

4. The rear axle trailing arm mounts needed to be welded solidly to the axle - DONE

Now onto RHINEBECK.

Radiator Hoses Installed and Mounted

2009-12-03T17:18:00.005-05:00

The radiator I am using in this car is an aftermarket one. I did some research and found that a late 70's early 80's Dodge truck radiator had similar dimensions to the original radiator. It also fit the original crade really well. I had to trim off the side just a bit to fit. It is also great because it has the outlets in the right place for my SBC engine.

I had to play around with finding the right hoses, but it didn't take long. Plus it helps when you have an autozone at the end of your block.

Transmission Cooler Lines

2009-12-03T17:06:00.005-05:00

One interesting project I had to tackle recently was the mounting of the transmission cooler lines. This wasn't incredibly difficult, except that I wanted to make it clean and easy to get around if I had to remove the starter.

I also wanted to flex my fab skill by making up a fancy bracket for the lines to run on. To accomplish this I made a paper template and then transferred it to steel. I incorporated the threaded mount tab for the flywheel dust cover (because I do not plan on running one) which worked out perfectly.

I have to say though..taking your time when you are bending tubing and checking-rechecking to make sure the measurements are correct before hand makes a world of difference. The transcooler line is 5/16ths diameter and the rubber line is used to reduce engine flex which could weaken the fitting, causing a leak.

I like to think that this accomplishes everything I hoped it would and now simply have to mount the cooler itself.

Now onto the radiator hoses and fuel line.

Chassis Update

2009-11-15T23:35:00.000-05:00

The weather this weekend was great. I got to spend a bunch of time on sunday messing around with the brakes, fuel and transmission lines. All this little stuff takes so much time, especially when there isn't anything to reference.

I got the brakes all run..until I get the body back on the frame can I plumb it to the master cylinder.

I am running a stock TH350 automatic trans and the next hurdle is to run the cooler lines. So I fabbed them out of wire I had. Cheap and ease to do. Now I just have to get the pieces, bend them up.

Also, the next issue I am having is how to run the electric fuel pump. It is a red holley high flow pump and the directions state to mount it lower than the gas tank and use gravity to feed it, as it is designed to push, not pull. WELL...my car isn't designed to allow for that, unless I mount it three feet ahead of the tank.

Any ideas are welcome.

Also here is the current picture as it sits
.

Front Suspension - Done

2009-11-10T22:11:00.000-05:00

Well, as with most things so far in this project..I have taken too long to do the little things.

So this past weekend, the weather was great and I got the front shock mounts relocated, squared up and welded in. Not an extremely huge ordeal, but still a good exercise in measuring, planning and execution.

Though not "pretty" they will be plenty functional. The kicker is that the shocks are are the stock pieces just moved.

Newest Acquisition - Gotha Intake

2009-11-02T17:31:00.000-05:00

Not many people really know why I like "old cars", sometimes I don't, but then something comes along and it lights a fire. A guy I had done some business with gives me a call out of the blue about his health and how he is looking to get rid of some of his parts because he is going, "under the knife".

Of course not great news, but there really isn't much of an alternative.

Long story short, he shows me this intake and when I saw what was on it, I darned near fell over. He said the magical words..."gotha" and my blood jumped...

You see, gotha is an old speed company who is no longer in business and their stuff is pretty rare..

Check it out. It is a Mercury flathead intake with two adapters brazed on. Pretty sweet...

Chassis Update

2009-10-29T23:40:00.000-04:00

I have been taking my time doing chassis projects because I want to make sure that I do them correctly. I have since reassembled the frame and purchased a new repop gas tank. They are pretty nice I have to admit. I plan on running the fuel pump externally and have started to run the brake lines and air lines for the rear bags.

Here you can see the frame, with the repainted steering column and the relocated front shocks. I will have them done and welded on soon. Also, there is a 49 merc dash that I plan on building for it as well. One piece at a time right?

Like a new man

2009-10-29T19:40:00.000-04:00

Have you ever felt that way...something happens and you get a renewed feeling. Inspiration and possibility abound..well. In my distorted little world getting my frame blasted did that. For the first time, everything is clean. The guy did a really nice job and now I got a bug to get everything cleaned. He sprayed it with a thick black epoxy primer and off I go.

up and down in motion…..

2009-07-28T19:16:00.001-04:00

i hope this works…not sure what will happen with the sound..so be careful..it is just my compressor kicking in…

the car going up

the car going down

It goes up and down

2009-07-28T19:16:00.000-04:00

FINALLY…got my rear suspension dialed in…it has been a long time since I have given any updates..so my apologies..

But I got the trailing arms in, squared up, figured out the rear shocks, panhard bar is in and the bags set up.

Welded in the cross bar and the bag mounts and tonight it went up and down..

Next thing to do is tear it all apart..rotate the frame and finish welding the bottom sides of the frame that I couldn’t get to earlier…then off to the blaster..

The while that’s happening I plan on redoing the lower a-arms with an integrated shock mount. Shouldn’t be too hard..

Here is some pics..

from the front..with the bags inflated

The panhard bar prevents side to side sway with this type of suspension..this was a whole ordeal..but I got it figured out and it is pretty sweet.

X stinguished - i reframed my thinking

2009-03-11T19:14:00.000-04:00

Yeah, so it has been awhile, and I am sorry for that..but lets just say thanks because it is ON!!!

I consulted with my chief design engineer..aka friend about this chassis and came up with a much better plan.

I cut it out..what is it..glad you asked

Then things got crazy..tubing..measuring, cutting, grinding, welding…measuring…measuring..more measuring..

I think this suspension is going to be fun…

check it out

The toughest part was making the front pieces…now..i still have some structural steel to add, but it works great.

This suspension is used in NASCAR’s cars and it originated from 60-72 chevy half ton pick up trucks..still lots to do, but this was a MAJOR step.

2008-11-30T19:14:00.000-05:00

Framework - plans taking shape

So I had some time off this week, being Thanksgiving and all, so I had a chance to get to the metal yard and pick up what I needed to start my frame work. I picked up some steel tubing, mostly 2×4 and 2×6 with some plate as well. I think I will need to head back there again shortly to pick up some more stuff. Anyway, I got to work on the first part.

The rear crossmember. Rusted out and bent, it needed to be replaced. In addition to that I also needed to get the rusted bumper bolts out of the frame. So I went to work.

The rear crossmember is 50 inches and so when I got the metal I made sure to have them cut it to specification. It worked out perfectly.

With some prepping and my welder all warmed up it went in perfectly. Though you can’t see it, there are 4 bumper bolts that I had to remove from the frame. They were a royal pain.

My plan is to run a trailing arm rear suspension, simliar to nascar and so I will need to stiffen up the center of the car as well as take care of some of the rust issues. I plan on cutting out the center member hump, once I get every other brace welded in and the arms positioned. For now though, I have the center pieces in place. It reall stiffens up the frame.

Eventually I will have a 2×4 cross member running width-wise connecting the two outside rails and used as a locating piece for the front of the arms and I will probably run plate along the inside of the frame as well.

Bare Frame

2008-10-26T16:09:00.000-04:00

The work has begun on the frame. I have removed the body bushings (small rubber disks cushioning the body and reducing the squeeking. Most are hard as a rock from years of weather and climate so those will definitely have to be replaced.

As well I have started to clean the frame and assess areas that need to be strengthened. I should be able to make quite an impact by welding some well placed braces and connection pieces.

Starting with this frame certainly makes me appreciate new metal as most of the frame has pitting.

I haven’t made a decision just yet regarding the rear kick up area of the frame and when I do I will post on my progress.

I have picked up driveshaft but haven’t had time to get it cut down quite yet.

Lift off!!

2008-10-22T19:13:00.000-04:00

As I continued to dig into this project, I knew early that I needed to get to the frame to make sure that everything is strong. With so much of the parts running outside of the car like fuel lines, brake lines, exhaust, it would be a wise choice to start with a bare frame.

So, with a little help from another mercury owner I build a wooden buck to store the body of my car.

As with everything in this project having another person there to help makes things a whole lot easier. So my friend sawzall came over and we got it going.

The process wasn’t as hard as I thought, though I have a new appreciation for the “frame off” restoration process. I had to spend the afternoon cutting all the bolts free from the frame, moving the car to set it up, cleaning the garage and building the buck.

It was all pretty fun actually, but I think that now the hard part is coming. I looks like I might move in a different direction with the rear suspension opting for a trailing arm style, popular with NASCAR guys. As well I will be doing some significant bracing and welding of the frame as I have found some weak points.

All in all it took about 2 hours and most of that was set up and jacking the car up. With a little ingenuity and time it worked flawlessly. Now I can get to the fun stuff.

Next up is getting a drive shaft and pulling the drive train together. Stay tuned.

Fabrication Nation - It starts with a tape measure

2008-08-20T16:09:00.000-04:00

Well, sorry for taking so long to update you, but my site is going through some weird problem with an internal server error. I cannot seem to upload pictures very easily.

Anyway I kind of found a way around it so that should work for now.

I have been pretty busy in the garage lately. With some more help from my friend Jeff - I got some pieces bent up so that I could start to fabricate pieces and move forward with undoubtedly the hardest part of this project - the grill.

The Desoto Grill swap is nothing new to custom guys, but until you do one, you have no idea what goes into it. Alot of measuring and take this word of advice from me - PAY FOR GOOD PIECES so that you do not have to work through all the rust repair and fit issues.

Feeling Nostaglic

2008-07-10T16:08:00.000-04:00

It happens you know…looking back..thikning how easy something was..then realizing that at the time you thought it wasn’t..some pics from my first car.

Rebuilt the flattie and ran it around the block…i learned alot from that car..don’t miss it, but wish I could have done more with it before i sold it.

it was pretty sweet

Trunk Boxes

2008-07-01T19:11:00.000-04:00

I have been off of work for two weeks as a vacation before starting my next position. As such, I have big plans for the car. My buddy Jeff is coming up on saturday and I plan to hammer out some major work so look for an update.

However, the last two days I have been working non-stop in the garage.

Yesterday I really got a good start on the trunk and did some much needed welding and clean up.

Here is the boxes for the two sides of trunk. They fit really well. I will hard weld them in when I get the fit better. The passenger side is for the air compressor and the driver side is going to be used for storage of anything I need (extra distributor, tools, and stuff like that). I also plan on making tops for them so that they open and close.

Passenger Rear Section

2008-06-11T19:11:00.000-04:00

I cut this away a few weeks ago, but only now have gotten around to taking a picture. I tell you, this car is really teaching the true value of an original car. This rear part of the fender is where the inside wheel well connect to a small channel and then to the outside of the car. This small channel also allows for the rear fender to bolt to the body through the use of cages nuts (which is an exclusive ford design and one that they should hit over the head for doing…but I digress). So, as with the drivers side, this area has to be completely fabricated and made new. So, I have struggled to get the inside piece to weld fully, but I am finding and learning what battles to pick. Enough undercoating and POR 15 and that will never be an issue. The next step is to make an outer piece and weld it in, beign carfeul not to warp the side of the car as well as drill holes to mount the fender to. Shouldn’t be too long before this part gets done.

Drivers Side Fender

2008-06-11T19:09:00.000-04:00

That is the truth. In the last 2 years, I have only come across 2-3 that were actually usable, and so I held on to the best one I had. Of course, when I went to get it sand blasted with some other parts, I found out I had more on my hands than I was ready for. Seems to be a little thin in an area on the top that I will have to replace…but how is that any different.

Anyway, I had to get it in primer so that it wouldn’t rust on me. Just a quick shot to get it covered, I will worry about it looking good once it is on the car and I plan on body working the entire car and that is when I have to worry how it will look.

Trunk Panel - Update

2008-03-19T19:09:00.000-04:00

I recently updated a number of changes I have made and forgot to add this one. The way the trunk floor is set up I had to measure out and will have to fabricate quite a bit yet. So, I got the largest part of the project done awhile back - though it isn’t officially done yet.

The center piece will still need to have some reinforcement put into the panel with a bead roller, I just haven’t had time to get out to my buddy’s shop to do it. It will cover the gas tank and need to be removable for any servicing that needs to be done to the rear axle or underside of the car. Not a bit step, but every little bit helps. Fun, Fun, Fun.

Here it is with the beads rolled. Next step is to secure it to the brace with some screws.

And finally installed. I predrilled holes about every 4 inches or so and used self tapping metal screws to hold it down. I will put a soft gasket type material as well. Now I have to work on the side boxes to store the air compressors and mount the tank.

Custom Fabrication - Rear enclosure

2008-03-18T19:08:00.000-04:00

I am not quite sure how I am going to do this, but I sure am glad that these old cars have so much space in the trunk. I am going to custom build two enclosures to go behind the rear wheels that can serve the purpose of storage and hold my air compressor for my front airbags.

Here is a picture of the passenger side which will hold the air compressor.

Another nice thing about an old car is that you can use it literally as the notepad for your project.

Now all I have to do is figure out how I can make one without having to weld up all the individual pieces.

Pa Dunka Trunk

2007-12-29T19:07:00.000-05:00

Yeah….well, I have been trying to get as much done this week as possible. Having this kind of time off is really helpful. Even more so..is having other car guys off as well. I have been working mostly on the rockers, floors and patches. I ran into a problem with the rear door, but got that fixed. Yesterday, my good buddy Sawzall came over and helped fabricate the basis for the trunk.

This area was really weak because the lower trunk latch piece was rusted away as well as the entire floor was gone. So…we went to work.

Prepped the area for the welding we were going to do required the trunk to be attached and permanently fixed by some spot welds. Though the trunk needs to have the latch figured out yet, it had to be there so that we can see what needed to go where.

I will let the pictures speak…and yes Tuck..there is a really nice compartment for my guns….

This will be a great functional area, with a spot for the much needed tools and spare tire, the air tank, air compressors and storage for the road gear. I will let the pictures do the talking. I have plans to fill in the small pieces around the wheel wells and add more welds to certain areas. In counter clockwise rotation……

The big picture shot. There is a section welded to the original floor on top of the crossmember..

Drivers side wheel well

Rear area. Small notch is for the original gas tank filler tube to fit through.

Back lower trunk panel

Moving onward to the passenger side. The 1×1 square tube really strengthened the rear section….

Rear passenger side wheel well. There is little flanges on the fender panel that will allow a piece to be fitted to the area rather nicely…

This is how it worked. One long piece of metal fit under the car. Measured something like 68 inches long and 13 inches wide. This piece has been welded solid to the lower trunk latch and will be ground smooth and serve as a base for the outer spacer piece that runs the length of the car and connects to the two rear fenders.

This is the filler panels that both sides needed. I will fully weld them and smooth them out some. But no one will see this and I will make sure to undercoat all these areas to prevent further rust issues.

This was a big step in the completion of this project and one that I couldn’t have done by myself. Thanks Jeff.

Rocker Panel Update

2007-11-25T19:06:00.000-05:00

So, I have been welding alot. Notice I didn’t qualify that as good welding, because certainly the pictures below show that. I put more heat into those pieces that was probably needed. Oh well - no one is going to see them anyway.

Here is the rear part of the inner rocker panel and floor piece. This was rotted away and was causing the door to not be supported. so, about 5 patch pieces later I have something a little more solid. I will have to put a relief cut into the pillar piece to get the rocker panel to slide into it.

Here is the lower side of the inner rocker panel. It is attached to the wheel well and should work out as a good mounting point for the rear fender.

Here is the other side of the door. This piece is often rotted all the way up to the seam and is an integral piece of strength. I replaced this pretty easily. It fit between the gap in the door and the body.

Lastly, in my attempt to find all the pin holes, and rusted through areas I went a little crazy with my scraper. Probably my favorite tool of all. I complete cleaned the floor of all the rubberized undercoating and dusty dirt left on the floor. This was a pain, but now I can be certain that the floor will be clean and not smell old! I plan on seam sealing evertyhing then covering it with POR 15 - black of course.

Mercury Hood Project

2007-11-21T19:05:00.000-05:00

As you can tell by now, this car is going to be a big project. Or I should say a number of small projects. Rocker panels, suspension, and now the hood. Seems like everything I have is a bit on the “rough” side. It is giving me plenty of practice and I am starting to think my new nickname should be cut-n-grind.

So, now the hood. I got this hood when i bought the car. It is originally from a 51 as can be seen by the imprint of the front lip chrome piece that was removed a long time ago. As as can be expected, I have my work cut out for me. Behind the trim there is always more rust than you think. So, I measures up some pieces awhile back to replace the front lip. I will reinforce it later.

So, here it is on the car. The eccentric bolts for the hood are 5/16th’s fine thread with a shoulder on it. I had to get 4 of the 6 on to make it workable.

With it on, I can say now that it officially will not fit in the garage length wise.

A close up of the front lip area with the patch panels in place.

I marked these off with a metal awl, then removed then and started cutting.

This is what lies behind the rusty lip. There is an inner brace structure that is rusty as well, however, most of it I cut away and shouldn’t have a problem reinforcing it.

Pieces welded in. I have more work to do. Much more. There will be a decent amount of filler on this piece and I am okay with that. This is my first shot at this stuff and I expect to get better with more practice.

Rocker Rust - One step closer to the end.

2007-11-17T19:04:00.000-05:00

I have been busy with alot of stuff lately, and have only been able to work on the rust problem in this car on a limited basis. However, I am particularly happy in the last few days, I have been busy welding and grinding away and getting closer to making the repairs this car needs.

i had some help a week or two back from Sawzall with making patch panels and offering some help in the planning of this project. Starting on the drivers side, I cut away alot of the inner rocker panel and forgot to take pictures. However, I have the pieces pretty much welded back in and the rocker is almost in place.

Here is the look from the ground:

From the top

Inside rear post

Inner Rear Wheel

There is still more to do as can be seen from this picture above.

Steering Wheel

2007-11-10T19:03:00.000-05:00

I planned on running my accessory steering wheel but in the meantime I needed something to move this car around with. I happened to have a stock mercury wheel that wasn’t in the best condition. I got to messing around with it the other day and cleaned up the horn ring cover and inserting a piece of blue plexiglass. Just a little custom trick, but cool none the less. I plan on putting an led light in there somehow so that it glows at night.

Rocker Panel project

2007-09-26T19:02:00.000-04:00

Got to tear into the car some more, trying to get the hard part started. This car, as you have seen, has rust issues. Kind of all over the place including pretty much the lower 5 inches around the entire car.

I got to cut into and remove the entire outer rocker panel assembly. Previously I trimmed the outside, but this time I dug deep and separated them from the inner rocker panels at the spot welds. I think this should be a fun and soul cleansing experience, if I can get it done without screwing something up.

This is the Drivers Side front piece below the door. Notice the damage to the cross member. Not quite sure how to deal with that yet.

This is the Passenger Side front piece. Same issues here.

This is a picture from below. This is one of the cross members that need attention. All in all there are three braces extending across the body.

Home at last…

2007-06-20T19:02:00.000-04:00

Well, alot has happened since my last update.

I bought a house and moved in. It has a great big garage and that means I could finally get my car home to work on. Getting it home wasn’t hard, jeff again helped me by towing with his truck and we didn’t run into any problems. But how much fun is that!!

I did find out however that I have a leak from my rear end. The seal for the third member didn’t do a good job - so of course that means that I have to pull the axles, pull the third member out and reseal it. YEAAHH..

Here is a pic of it sitting at home in my new garage. Notice it just fits in the garage without the front clip...my measurements indicate that it won't...so..I will have to figure something out..

Radiator Install

2007-04-10T16:28:00.000-04:00

Well, it has been awhile since my last update…man that kinda sounds like an intro to AA.

Anyway, I ordered my new radiator and couldn’t be happier with it. A 1980 dodge truck fits into the stock radiator brace with only some trimming of the side pieces. Took me about 15 min to trim it up and test fit it. I will drill some 1/4 inch holes to mount it tight and work on the lower radiator hose fit but it looks good to me.

This will allow me to fit the inner fenders and front sheetmetal pretty easily and should cool this engine effortlessly.

Here is some more pictures of the side and fitment. Pretty nice I think.

Moonlighting no more…

2007-04-10T16:27:00.000-04:00

Well, it is officially a 1 year anniversary. Jeff mentioned this to me and I was shocked that it had been that long. So, Yeah, I got this car about the same time last year and cannot believe it is this far. Today I got the front airbags finally completely installed and plumbed. I also got some steel wheels for the car - but might pick up another two when I get the chance (87 lincoln towncar).

Jeff helped me out a bunch today and I can’t thank him enough. For aesthetics we put on the front fender and rear quarter panel. We also got the alternator issue figured out. It is slow progess on this front end as I have replaced everything. Still have to tighten down those up-right bolts.
Below are a bunch of pictures of the first sun it has seen since the drive home. In the last picture you will see Jeff’s 47 Chevy Coupe.

Full Car Shots

2007-03-31T19:00:00.000-04:00

I noticed that I have alot of pictures of parts of the car, but no full car shots.

So, here you go.

and one more

Tom and Jerry

2007-03-31T16:26:00.001-04:00

The other week the weather was soo nice, that I got the urge to rip into the center of the car. Do some interior work, mostly cleaning, but it needed to be done.

I ripped out the headliner to find 2 garbage bags full of padding- filling and a tenant who had been there long before me.

In my “about me” page, i talk about a dead cat that i found in the trunk - but in this car, I found his friend. Kind of a Tom and Jerry kind of thing.

I like to think that he is waving to me.

Rust Issues

2007-03-31T16:26:00.000-04:00

Well, as I started to rip into the interior I also got around the under side of the car. What I found is an extensive amount of rot. Rust repair will be needed everywhere. Take a look at the inner rocker panels, outer rocker panels, rear section of the floors, kick panel areas as well and body mounting points.

I will need to get some square tubing to help support the car when it comes time to tackle this stuff.

Disk Brakes

2007-03-31T16:25:00.000-04:00

I finally got the uprights installed, though not completely done, however, this is a big step. I got the new spindles, rotors, calipers and hoses sorted out just last night and rough fitted together.

Look for more pictures soon.

Like a Glove…

2007-03-20T16:28:00.000-04:00

I just had to do it. I took the new rear thunderbird seat home on sat, cleaned it up with simple green and then sprayed it down with a vinyl protectant. Then I had to get back to see how it will fit…and wouldn’t you know it…

Like a GLOVE…I cannot wait until i get some of the metal work done on this car and start to put this in…It will RULE!!!

Enjoy

Airride Parts

2007-03-17T16:25:00.000-04:00

I ordered a bunch of parts online for my front suspension air ride setup and have been waiting patiently for them. They are finally here. Now, I need to get some more fittings to pull it all together but here it is.

5 gallon tank with 4 - 1/2 inch ports

1/4 inch air line - 100 ft

2 - Air pumps from a Buick

1 - Paddle valve with a dual needle gauge.

Installing a new Front Suspension

2007-03-09T16:24:00.000-05:00

I decided that I would try to install a common low-rider practice of air-bags instead of springs. So follow along below and see the process.

Removing the original A-Arms, both upper and lower

Installing the lower A-Arm spacers and plates

Installing the upper and lower pieces and the A-Arms, lower bump stops, air bags before putting the newly rebuilt upright spindles.

The Old Shop

2007-01-28T18:28:00.000-05:00

When my wife and I moved into the city we rented an apartment with a 1 car garage. It was a typical philly row house and we shared what was an open bay 2 car garage with another tennant. So, basically we got one half of it..

Well...I guess that is when things started to get moving because I had a place to store parts, work on parts and generally tinker...but of course..not enough room.

I stumbled on this picture and thought to share it. Let me say that this was about 6ft 2 inches high..barely enough room to walk..but I certainly enjoyed it.

Dash preparation

2006-12-01T16:23:00.000-05:00

This is a 1949 Mercury Dash that I have converted to be used in my car. It is a bolt in replacement. I have used a rattle can color that i liked and laid a lot of clear coats. Also, just for those interested, a speedometer cable mated from the stock speedo to the TH-350 trans is a 65-72 Chevy truck.

Here is a picture of the dash in bare metal with the gauges mocked up. Wish I could keep it this clean all the time or have it chromed. That would RULE!!

I am looking for some pieces of trim so keep your eyes open and let em know.

Steering Wheel Restoration and Accessory Wheel

2006-10-09T16:22:00.000-04:00

One of the reasons I even bought this car was for the accessory wheel. Much sought after it is a gorgeous design and my plans are to properly restore this wheel.

However, This is a short term replacement stock 49-50 wheel with some minor custom modifications.

Check out the pics….

This is the wheel as it sat in the car for over 56 years

This is it after I removed it, cleaned, primed, painted and clear coated.

Here is a stock 49-50 Mercury Steering wheel which will do for now.

The custom piece I made for it - clear blue plexiglass.

Engine and Transmission Installation

2006-10-01T16:20:00.000-04:00

1970 Small Block Chevy v8 engine and TH-350 race ready transmission.

I traded another guy some carburetors for a used 350 out of a truck and bought the trans from another guy in NJ. With some used parts, got them put together and added some parts including an intake, carb, exhaust, waterpump, flywheel, torque coverter and a new oil pan. Check out the pics…

Rear Axle

2006-10-01T16:19:00.000-04:00

I got this axle on trade from a guy in New Jersey. It is from 1965 Mercury Country Squire Wagon. Witha 3.00 to 1 axle ratio, I found quickly that I needed to get it rebuilt. A few hundreds dollars later I got this new clean axle with rebuilt axles, center gear section and new brakes.

Check out pics…

My 50 Merc - A new project

2006-05-11T17:38:00.000-04:00

So...I was cruising through Ebay and I came across a posting for a 50 merc sedan in long island. I come to find out that it is owned by a guy I have met before. So, I concoct this idea to buy it, store it in a buddies garage and do some work to it.

Well..as luck would have it, I got in WAY over my head..

I had to cajole a friend into helping me pick it up and get a car dolly...

buy wheels to replace the ones on it for towing...

raise the money, send the money and then get it home...and remember..it is in LONG ISLAND...so that means bridges..lots of tolls and New York drivers...

Here is a pic coming down the NJ turnpike...

Here it is backed into its resting spot..

So join me as we start to dig into this beast...