Projects All The Twos: 1962 Mercury, 352cui, 2bbl, Too Many Doors.

That sound is not uncommon in these old cruisomatics.
Im pretty sure its coming from oil pump cavitating and so far i have not notice it to be any sing of broken parts.
Atleast two of my mercs do it pretty often when start in cold and been sitting some time.

 

Thanks. It sounded like something bouncing off gear teeth. I was properly worried! I couldn’t really work out what I could have done

So far so good



Thought spring was here but they gritted the roads the last two nights so maybe I was a bit optimistic getting the Merc ready.

 

After my generator started making a nasty noise and I then messed up the commutator whilst removing the front bearing and then the recon generator I ordered arrived damaged and it’s replacement arrived damaged I finally got a working generator.
Blipping the throttle when warm caused it to almost die, closer investigation showed the damper had last its dampiness. Fortunately I’d got one lying around as they seem almost impossible to find.


And now we seem to have a functioning car again it decides to snow and drop below freezing so the gritters will be out

 

Washed the Merc and went for a drive. New larger front sway bar seems like a huge improvement.
Nice to be in an old car again after 5 months of crap weather.

 

Filled the tank today, first time since fitting a phenolic spacer to try and improve the hot starting issue. Fired straight up after paying, so pretty happy with that.

Found a little friend, if it wasn’t for the modern pumps it’d be a nice pic

 

The bush between the shift lever on the transmission and the rod has disintegrated. I can’t find one specifically for the 62 Cruise-o-matic. I’ve been told that B9AZ-7343-A for a C4 fits but it looks different and the book says 1965 on. Any ideas?

 

Think outside the box a bit about thingss like door hinge bushings, cluch and brake pedal bushings, manual trans shifter or throttle linkage bushings. Or maybe even some generic hardware store bushings.

Were the originals rubber or plastic with a metal insert, or bronze, nylon, delrin or some other funny plastic matrial?

 

Thanks

The original was rubber but it’s really thin, maybe 1/8”, perhaps I could just go with a sleeve and penny washers.

 

Changed the steering box in an effort to remove the slop from the steering.


And popped to the pub to see what it’s like. Definitely better. Think I need to do an alignment on it to dial it in better.

 

Having a bit of a heatwave here at the moment, think it hit low 90s yesterday. Took my Dad to a local cars and coffee which meant crossing town in rush hour. It sat in stop start traffic with the AC on for 30 mins, temp gauge went almost to the end of the scale but didn’t overheat which gives me a bit of confidence in it for the rest of the summer. The AC is icy cold too, don’t know how I coped when I had cars without it!


De Dion from 1903 I think.

 

"The AC is icy cold too, don’t know how I coped when I had cars without it!-"-so" mad dogs and englishmen -etc."--is a lie??!!

 

No but usually involves beer or gin!!

 

Decided to get on with hopefully the last bit that’s causing the woolly front end, lower arm bushes. The Merc ones are silly money so copying @FrozenMerc and replacing the complicated double front bush with a single one.

Managed to get a splitter that fits the truck sized lower ball joint without buggering it as it’s new.



Arm removed.


That’ll explain the wandering and nasty turn in then;



Need to get the other side off, then weld a sleeve in to take the round Galaxie bush.

 

Inserts welded into both arms to take the single round rear Mercury/Galaxie bush. I went for the rear instead of the front Galaxie bush as it takes the larger bolt used by the original bush.

 

Bushes pressed in

 

Hello,

Here, across the ocean, we have not seen many 4 door later model Mercury Sedans, But, the other day, I spotted one easily, it parked next to us in a store parking lot. Great for photo ops…

1963 Mercury Monterey

There are some old cars rolling around in the coastal locations, as if it was 1963. In all of the cars parked in a popular grocery store parking lot, this 1963 Mercury Monterey hardtop sedan was the coolest in the lot, bar none. It had the one thing we all wanted in a sedan top. A perfect opening for a surfboard without racks or opening the trunk.

Yes, the interior seating would be as if it was a limousine with the friends in the back. Ha! But, one would not get the exhaust smoke rolling back into the car with the window open, like in some old station wagons. Or would it? Rolled up to the top or as close as a flat surfboard would allow.

A 62 year old car out for a cruise and some shopping on a sunny day. All of the “coolness” with the modern conveniences to ward off the “warmth of the sun…” AC vs cell phone helper. YRMV

Jnaki


On this day, if the 1963 Mercury drove down to the ocean, it would have melted into the water color along the shoreline. The sun was out for once and the ocean had the tropical color of blue that fit the comparison… YRMV

 

I’m off to France in a little over a week in the Merc. This’ll be the longest trip it’s done since the 1970s.
I’ve ordered a spare fan belt and have got spare fuel pump, coil, condenser, rotor arm and cap as well as the usual fluids. Anything ive missed??

 

Points too? Flat fixing materials, small compressor, empty or collapsible water jug.

 

Thanks, I’ve got points and I did buy a lug nut wrench and turned a bit of steel down to make a jack handle as they were missing. Tyre pump is in the other car. I’ll move it over and pop a water bottle in too.

 

Maybe an extra starter solenoid for your kit?

 

Thanks. I’ve got one of those push button bypass things in the tool kit, and as it’s on the inner fender it’s super easy to bypass.

 

Basic route on the way there.

 

Just in Portsmouth to get the ferry to France.
Merc in front of the last landing craft tank from D-day in the UK. This one put Shermans onto Gold beach.

 

Maybe a stiff bristle brush to clean the Citroens and Renaults out of your grille.

 

The Normandie Beach Races are on this weekend so there were a few HAMB friendly cars on the ferry.



Stopped off to see a friend for lunch near Laval and now sitting enjoying the sun in a Chateau near Angers which is a pleasant change from yesterday's journey which was rain and 40 mph winds. Electric wipers are definitely a good invention!

 

Made it to Angouleme. Found a parking spot!



It's an epic race meeting with a huge variety of cars from Bugattis to Group B most aren't HAMB friendly so just a couple of pics. The circuit is like Monaco and because it's all in the middle of town you get a great atmosphere and all the amenities of a city centre.

 

Hey . . . Your car is longer than the parking stripes. Are you sure it's safe to park there?

 

Found another small parking space



This is the hotel that Shelby stayed at when he won Le Mans with Roy Salvadori and Aston Martin. They also used it with the GT40s.


This is from the year where they all broke but I can't put 1966 photos due to the HAMB cut off

 

Sadly the event was cancelled midday on Sunday after a passenger of a car on a run died after the car rolled over.

The VHRA Speed Trials on Pendine beach in Wales was also being held on the same weekend, only the awful Welsh weather stopped that on Saturday, with everyone getting 2 runs in on a much much better day weather wise on Sunday.

 

Oh no that's terrible news