No real update today. Spent Saturday at the last Maxton event. And Sunday I just wasn't that motivated. All I have gotten done is a little painting on my engine. The valve covers and valley pan look pretty sweet. all that's left to do to them is a little black striping around the letters and the ribs on the lower grey area.
Got a little done on the Merc. I stripped down one fender skirt and got it primered. Then I started cleaning up the fram and getting it ready for paint. I also notched the rear crossmember. I took one inch out of it the i cut a wedge out of each site and bent the lower piece back up. After I finish welding it it should look like a factory piece again. I also removed the old shock mounts so I can relocate them for the air ride set up.
I didn't get as much done on the car this weekend as would like to. I welded up the rear cross member and part of the rear notches. I finished up most of the fab work on my intake. I still need to weld in the back plates on each log, make the balance tubes and the coolant lines to the thermostat housing. before I can weld up the rear plates onto the loges I will have to shorten each log by about 1 inch because the distributor is almost touching one of the logs. I took a little time yesterday and cleaned up and painted several engine parts and mocked them up to get an overall look at the engine. The motor is NOT complete right now...Just mocked up. But I must say...It looks DAMN nice. In the pic with the carburetors sitting on the intake. The carb plates are just sitting on the intake..I took another inch out of the top of the risers before I welded them up. I also cleaned up the bell housing and gave it a coat of paint.
I finished cleaning up the frame and got most of it painted. unfortunately I ran out of paint. So I currently only have one coat on it. And I was not able to get the lower A arms painted.
The paint on the frame is Tractor enamel. Its a tough paint. should resist chipping pretty well. I am going to pick up some more of it and give the frame about 3 more good coats.
Oh cool. Should hold up well. I powedercoated the frame on my 56 but the 60 f100 got the por15 treatment due to fuends and time.....looks good. Either way your car is coming along well.
Are you going to replace the bushings and ball joints while you got it stripped down? I decided to go ahead and replace mine and I was sure glad I did. When I started to press them out, that 55 year old rubber just fell apart. Glad I didn't start driving it only to find out how bad they were.
Lucky for me the previous owner already rebuilt the front end...but Im going to replace the tierod ends at least...Im thinking of going thru the whole front end again.
Good idea, it'll be a hell of a lot easier with the bare frame. Are you going to use A-arm spacers to lower it?
It is soo much easier to replace all the bushings and what not when its all torn apart. Thats what I am doing now. Then the motor and trans gets dropped in. Any progress pics yet? Im anxious dangit!! lol
Its been slow going here lately...and Its dark by the time I get home from work...makes it a little hard for pics. I have been working on my intake. Last night I made the water tubes. Tonight I am going to start on the Thermostat housing. I Still need to make the Balance tubes, clean up the welds, and drill and tap the carb mounts. I also still have to shorten the back of the intake logs and make the rear backing plates with vacuum line.
Here's a picture of my old 56 Mercury.. If your wanting to put a windshield your going to have to lean the a pillars out about 3/4'' at the top.
I have started Fab. work on my Thermostat housing. I still need to drill the sides for the 1 inch pipe, make the back plate, grind down the center hole (once I remove the center) and then weld it all together. I will also have to cut down the water tubes I welded to the intake.
Just about finished up the thermostat housing. I short-tend the back of one log but still need to do the other one. Tonight I will be adding the back plates to both logs, adding the water tubes to the thermostat housing, and adding the balance tubes. I should the thermostat housing and the intake finished this weekend. for some reason I cant get any of my pics to upload...Ill try to upload them again a little later.
I finished the thermostat housing, and the balance tubes on the intake. I started working on the rear suspension. I have not made much progress here lately.
The Jalopy Journal
