this frame is all stock with the fatman bolt ons and bags. everything fits really well, i was quited supprised.
Right now I have a front steer Camaro sub with a 350 engine that uses the driver's side dipstick! I'd use all the Camaro components, including the steering column, so that shouldn't be an issue (I think/hope?!) and any Camaro headers or exhaust manifolds oughtta work...another bonus.
"Right now I have a front steer Camaro sub with a 350 engine that uses the driver's side dipstick! I'd use all the Camaro components, including the steering column, so that shouldn't be an issue (I think/hope?!) and any Camaro headers or exhaust manifolds oughtta work...another bonus." Got a good welder?
On my last 49 i used early firebird ,nova rear steer drum brakes. the wheels fit perfect, the brake booster made the drums awsum. The stock rebuilt rad never overheated, the 350 fitted like it should. All i had to make was a ****** cross member,real easy. I would do it again without a worry.
If Tommy uses a front steer, he welds a round bar under the fender lip to keep the tire from catching and bending the lip when going to full lock turn. I understand the radiator mount is a little more difficult too. The dodge truck radiator slides in the Merc mount perfectly for the rear steer install. I think it's moved forward a bit though. Ol Blue
I know a guy with a '50 Merc sitting on a 1972 Chevelle 4-door ch***is (4-door Chevelle/LeMans/Cutl***/Skylark ch***is are a few inches longer than 2-doors from 1968-1972). It took him a little cutting, but it sits LOW and rides and drives like, well, a '72 Chevelle. The track width is perfect for the body. If you can find a 1968-1972 Grand Prix ch***is you get the same suspension and frame, but with a 2-inch longer wheelbase that is exactly the same as the factory Merc. If you find a good, cheap donor it's cheaper than adding stuff to the original frame, and it'll sit lower without any frame notches or anything in the rear. If you CAN'T find a good, inexpensive donor, then by all means spend a few grand for bolt-ons for the original frame. And by the way, he used the original Mercury radiator support, just cut the front of the GM frame and welded a piece of channel accross to bolt it onto. The radiator is out of a junkyard Chrysler of some sort. He's been driving the car for about 10 years now with no problems.
god , i hate subframes....99% of the time you can spot them a mile away, and in my opinion, have ruined many an otherwise kick-*** kustom...with all the aftermarket stuff available today (power steering kits, disc brake lits, etc...), the necessity for subframes has been p***ed by...completely 80's / 50's ....my 2 cents......
There's one running around here like that, too...riding on a 70 Chevelle station wagon ch***is. It's kinda crude, but in a COOL way, and I like it for what it is...I was just wondering about other alternatives, and the possibility of using what I've got on hand.
A Rodder magazine (not Street Rodder) did an article in the mid 80's on putting a Merc on a 73-74 4 door Pontiac LeMans, said the body sat down and channeled on the frame, push it back until it stopped and you're there, similiar to above you had to move the rear end 2 inches. I kept the mag somewhere in my mess, always wanted to do a swap "someday". Can't remeber how they hooked everything else up, will hafta look fo rthe mag.
Hack. Sounds like you totally have your mind made up about using the Camaro stuff to be ahead of the game, but really what a ton of work for a ****ty looking return. Yes, you will have the modern ammeneties, but its a bunch of work and as ChopMerc says, you can spot one a mile away. Bob, remember @ Lead East those 2 black Mercs that park by the hotel entrance, killer kustoms, but 1 has a subframe and 1 doesnt? Easily the non subframed car blows the other away, just looks natural. My 50 that I just sold is on the stock front end, drives great and wasnt rebuilt. If it was Im sure it would be even better. Dont discount the stock Merc drums either, they are HUGE and just throw power to them, they will stop on a dime. Gl***guy tows a bike trailer with his Merc, stops extremely well with no fade issues that I know of. The blue 4 door you posted pics from (on ebay) is absolutely awful. I am sure looking over the fender toward the ground one would be able to see the top of the tire, those wheels stick out so far its nuts. Why make a kustom look like a 4x4?? I dont get it. My next project that Im going to pick up this weekend is a 49 on a modern floor/ch***is. Its on Ford stuff, and the track looks awful. Its going to be a driver/beater so I really couldnt care less, but my 50 looked dead on with the stock front end. Ill have to try and use some parlor tricks to correct it somewhat (flare fenders, backspaced smoothies) but if it were a Mercury I really cared about, I would have never sought that result. I couldnt disagree more with what Tokyo said, working the stock frame is VERY inexpensive. First off, the ball joint kit IMO is junk. A guy I know had his shoebox done in Rod and Custom or Custom Rodder...one of em...with the Jamco kit. He said its nicer to ride in now, but didnt seem like "Holy ****!" It hardly seemed "bolt in" from the pics either, seem to remember clearance issues etc....$2000 is ridiculous as well. The flip side...if you want the easiest/cheapest way to have a modern riding Mercury. The Fat Man fab power steering adapter bracket is $60. Get yourself a readily available (and off the shelf) F100 power box and hook that stuff up. Rob a junkyard booster/master/pedal and run the stock drums OR if you wish, get your spindles machined and get the disc kit if you desire. You may have the Camaro stuff in front of you, but I guarantee between supplies and stupid odds and ends you will be WAY more into having an ill fitting/looking subframed car than you would taking the (much easier, less laborious) route of just hopping up the stock frame. Not to mention your sheetmetal/core support bolts right back in. Done. The motor mount kits are readily available on ebay, Opies32 or some ****. I bought some kits from him, EXCELLENT quality and a price that cant be beat. Best thing is teh SBF kit is weld in, the SBC kit is bolt in. Couldnt be easier. Thats just my .02......I figure if there is a cheap, easy way....why even mess around entertaining anything else? If ya need any websites etc to find some of the stuff I mentioned just shoot me a PM and Ill get em for ya.
My just bought Merc has stock brakes with a late model cylinder/booster and stops very well. Also has a sbc/th350 which fits nicely, only real nasty I can see is there is very little room for the headers against the stock steering box. The Jag swap still sounds interesting though.
Your points are VERY well taken, sir! As I said earlier in the post, the Merc frames LOOK to be pretty beefy...strong enough to handle a mild small block Chevy for sure...I just wasn't sure that it would be feasable to add the things I really want (power steering, Chevy V8, etc) to the stock frame. I could live with the drums, but would deffinitely throw the F-body brake booster, master cylinder and pedal on it to gain power brakes. My desire to use Camaro/Firebird stuff came not only from the fact that I have the stuff on hand, but also because I've owned a dozen or so second generation F-body cars, and worked on a several dozen more. I know those cars inside and out and I'm totally familiar with them. Above that, I also think that those are some of the nicest driving cars any automaker ever produced, and thought that it would be really cool to build a Merc that drove equally as nice. In essence, a 79 Z28 wrapped up in a Mercury body! But, you are correct...using Camaro stuff might produce a car that's easily pegged as some sort of backyard abortion, and that would kill the total "coolness" of building/driving a custom Merc in the first place! Knowing that there are bolt-in SBC kits, and a proven way to add power steering to the stock frame kind of changes the game. I will look into these things, and I still have a good drivetrain on hand that I can go ahead and use. Will a 70-81 Camaro/Firebird rear axle fit these cars...or is it too wide as well??
How many floor swaps have you done on a Merc? I dont mean that in a "challenging dude on an internet forum" way I mean like, damn, that sounds like a few ambitious weekends. If you can get the car done in a few weekends god bless lol! I look at my 49 and MAN it looks like a ton of work went into this thing. If you have any pics of either Id love to see em in progress. One of the biggest pains in the *** is getting everything setup from the firewall forward, which you still have to do and I think may have been one of the biggest points about NOT doing a frameswap going. Reguardless of if you are swapping frame/floors or subframe, you will still be in the same spot. I just dont see the logic in either, unless the floors are really super rotted. Its also not like its dealing with an, I dunno, 1928 Vauxhall Boattail or some ****, its a Mercury, and it has one of the best supported aftermarkets going due to its popularity.
Chris, That was my sarcasm...i think that the fatman spindle kit is great..I will be doing it. But jamco is another story... the power kit is ridiculous and so is the ball joint kit both because of the price.. I vote to keep the stock ch***is as I think it works just fine and LOOKS right.. just to be clear. tok
I like the way you think. and you can pick up a decent Jag with motor problems for less than $300, yank the front suspension and rear end, sell off a few parts and crush the rest. It'll end up costing nothing. I actually got my last one for $100....
LOL my bad, Im an idiot. Yeah I cant see the attraction to them either, and the look of the stocker setup is so nice. Are you going to lower the spring pockets? Did it on my 50, made a world of difference.
on mine i used stock rear dump sbc manifolds. i had to grind the left one for clearance. it doesnt hit the box. btw it is the f1oo power steering box conversion. and that works really well too
My 50 that I just sold is on the stock front end, drives great and wasnt rebuilt. If it was Im sure it would be even better. Dont discount the stock Merc drums either, they are HUGE and just throw power to them, they will stop on a dime. Gl***guy tows a bike trailer with his Merc, stops extremely well with no fade issues that I know of. chris your rite about the brakes. i thru in a gm booster ,master and hangin pedals. this car stops great. tows a camper too . and its heavier than it looks
Not sure what they're off I got the car with the small block already in and I'm not that familiar with them but they are a kind of log shape and exit at the rear, the rear bolt p***es through the manifold and has a kind of collar on it to seal. Will take some pics of the bay next time I work on it, the mounts look kind of simple, look like some kind of stock Chevy mount dropped onto a welded on flat 1/4 plate.
Stock spindles, didnt flip em, gets em low but I dont like the idea or time involved. Just lowered the control arm spring pocket. Should have whacked a coil while I was in there but its plenty low as is.
I used a short coil and dropped the spring pockets. Had to drive it on blocks today, to get the floor jack under it!........OLDBEET
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