For those that are interested, I'm headed to Opel Engineering tomorrow, video camera in hand to film the '58 Mercury Super Marauder motor that we're putting in the '55 F100 that's here on the dyno. I'll post the movie when I get back and we get it loaded on the computer. Here's some photographs of the truck and motor before the rebuild and the truck went to paint.
Stick or automatic? If it's a stick, I'm interested in those details of the conversion. Did the 58 have Marauder on both valve covers or do you have 2 of one side?
It's an automatic (700R4) thanks to the help of Pat at Wilcap. But on the '58-'60 MEL's you could go stick just by using an FE bellhousing and 390 flywheel with your favorite transmission. The '58 Marauder had the long "M" and the decal on both valve covers, '58 only. We have both covers, as well as new decals. We'll have the movie on tomorrow. The dyno sheet came back with 430.2 Ft/lbs. of torque (corrected) at 3500 rpm and 341hp (corrected) at 4200 rpm. It makes 404.1 Ft/lbs. or torque at 2300 rpm!!! This thing is a real torque monster! It makes 4xx ft/lbs. all the way up to 4500 rpm! Should be a real tire roaster.
So Opel does your motors? The 392 I got was built by them...I can't wait to hear it run! The one I have has never been fired so I am kind of nervous.
Opel does all our motors. They did the machine work on the 302 in my '36. Wait til you see the motor all together and pretty!
Ted @ Opel is a pretty respectable guy. I have heard nothing bad about that shop. I would take my stuff to him if he was in my neighborhood.
Here's a little update on this one. The owner had some troubles with his business, but we're back on track. We're final assembling the frame now, and hope to have the cab on by weeks end or Monday. How can you go wrong?:
I just realized someone might think we're skimping and using a junk power steering reservoir. The power steering reservoir is supposed to be black. We're waiting on the one that's going on here to come back from being stripped. We've got a couple from the other MEL engines we've had. It's always good to have mock up pieces.
Well...not to hijack your thread, but I am debating chopping mine a slight amount, like 2" or 2 1/2", probably no more...kind of sick of the top-heavy look...and since I'm an engine & drivetrain guy, not a body man or fabricator, and will pony up to have someone else do it for my lazy ass, I'm doing my homework & looking around, so to speak. I've seen some very bad F-100 chops, and met some people responsible for them...trying to avoid the headache...not that I'm putting y'all on the spot or anything!
We could chop yours. We've done several. Check out our website and look in the photo gallery. My Essex, Back Seat Betty, Helen Wheels, Shoebox Mags' Superbox, '26 Dodge Jimmys' '26 Dodge (that was redundant), BTBMikeys' '29 Coupe. We're getting ready to do a '37 Coupe and we'll be doing the Salt Queen later this summer.
You know what this truck is screamming for? Ford trucks in Canada were sold as Mercury's, they make Mercury tailgates and factory badges. A friend of mine got some for his '64 truck they are really cool. CBB
The tailgates are a bastard to find, and are usually rotted heavily when you do. I occasionally run across them, or more accurately, other people who have them for sale. The emblems are a little easier to get, depending on the year wanted. The quality of your guys' work is pretty well documented, I'd say, no doubt of it...I was curious as to whether you had done a '53- '55 cab in particular. Many of the ones (F-100s) I've seen have a downward slant...I don't know why. I've heard a number of explanations for it, none of which made much sense to me. I've looked at my two fairly thoroughly and haven't seen a logical reason why it would have to be that way....but, I'm not a body guy. I will say that I've seen a few that looked really good, so it can be done. At any rate, I shouldn't have jacked the thread. I've been thinking for a while about coming up & discussing it with you guys, so I'll do that in the spring rather than here.
Back in the late 50's a buddy of mine that raced stock cars in Canada bought everything to change his 56 big window over to a Mercury truck. Its just the tailgate and grill emblems and a few other things, I havent seen one since. He had the tailgate chromed then painted everywhere else dark blue so just the chrome Mercury letters stood out. Very cool truck with factory T-bird dual quad 312 in it
Wow, have I not posted here in a looooong time. The owner is a doctor, and discovered one day that there was a nice gentleman from the DEA in his office. The gentleman informed him that members of his office staff had been pilfering out of the drug cabinet and selling the stuff. So the truck was put on hold while he sorted that mess out. But we're full steam ahead again. Just got the truck back from the painter, and it looks awesome. On to wiring and final assembly.
The Jalopy Journal
