Projects Bought a Mercury on purpose

One of the heads from my $200 marketplace “rebuilt” 283. Not bad. Valves look good. Will get my machine shop guy to check the guides.

Crank looked great. It’s getting checked.

 

Surface looks fresh machined.

 

More like it was hit by a whiz-wheel...

 

Both
Cleaned up the old gasket
Heads appeared to have been surfaced

 

There are bolt-on transmission side mounts to use SBC front mounts in a 55-57 Chevy with a later trans so you wouldn't need the tail shaft mount. Guys use them when they swap out Powerglides/Turboglides for newer transmissions without swapping out the original engine. They'd be easy enough to make, bolts to the bellhousing bolts.

The engine in my '57 has front mounts and a tail shaft mount, and I added some of those bolt-on center trans mounts to it but didn't run them down super tight, they act just like those Y-block steady rests shown earlier. It might be overkill (or bad engineering on my part) but it hasn't had any issues yet.

As long as the flathead goes into something, I'm happy with that. They're more fun in a light, early car than in a big 50's sedan anyway.

 

Visited the machine shop with the 283.
Crank is perfect. Block needs bored.
No big issue. But……….they are booked solid

Shouldn’t post this but my wife brought up the hemi again.
Arghhhhhhhhh
So after getting back from the machine shop I dug up my hemi crap.

Did another thread asking a few specific hemi questions.

Decisions decisions decisions.

the machine shop is booked up for about 6 weeks. Race season starting.

might just see how this fits in the parts car at the house to see what I’m up against.

while I’m waiting.


I guess this crap is cheaper than drugs

 

Hemi will fit in your merc!

 

Cool.
I’m kinda on the fence for on the road quick and doing the hemi or Y.
But since my machine shop is booked, I might just check.
I have another complete 331 I might just fit in my parts car. I could mock up and build mount, check for steering link issues……
I’ve looked at the small block mopar bells.
Might just pic one up.
im thinking on keeping it 3 pedals. But that’s not written in stone either.

 

I'd want a smooth, powerful custom. Hemi could do the trick while being a vintage engine.

Devin

 

I was thinking 3 pedals too. I have a 50 olds 3 speed but I was having a hard time finding a 50 olds/37 la Salle adapter at the time, so I went with a turbo 350. I still might do it one day.

 

Engine will be vintage.
I’ve also got an FE. But I know I could finish this 331 for the $ it’d take to do the FE

 

I’ve got a truck early hemi bell and FW.
Clutch fork is on the passenger side.
I’ve located a 833 bell and trans.
Hmmmmmmm
I’ve got 2 complete 54 and 55 Chrysler autos. Couldn’t give em away.
In my stash of parts I do have a good th400, a buildable th350C

 

just for spits and giggles. Possible to hook up one of the ford top loaders I have with this or an OE mopar small bell?

 

Mmmmmmm

 

SQUIRREL!!!!!!
Someone had to stop him! Too many choices! 283 and be done with it!

 

Yep.
I guess this is what happens when you “organize” the. shop
But it’s probably an even race right now.
Took a couple caps off the Y. It looks great.
It would run as is after a clean up and gaskets.

 

Gettin there
Spot was about 3/16 thick on filler.

just about there. Just a little fine tuning left.

 

roughing out the front of the fender and splash pan

 

Thanks for the pics. Too bad I don't get to see/observe in person. But it's helpful. .
Marcus...

 

Sr class progress.

I like to map out highs and lows with a marker.

fender is ironing out
Still got more to go

students we’re introduced to a shrink disc

 

A shrinking disc is something I haven't thought about in a while, thanks for the reminder, I need a new one.

 

Your kids are doing an amazing job. I used to live for my auto shop classes.

 

Anthony, you're a pretty sharp guy so rather that give you an answer based on my opinion I'll say this. I know you understand alignment settings and what a few degrees of movement does to correct things. Now, take the spindle support and install just the King Pin in the 2 bosses. Stand the upright vertical as in it being installed in the vehicle. Notice the king pin angle. Now turn it upside down and move the Top mount eye inboard far enough to get the King Pin back to the angle it was at in the other position. Now you understand what's at hand.
Kustom guys have been destroying steering geometry for generations for the sake of Looking Kool. Anyone can bend parts enough to get the Tires pointing forward enough to go straight. Going around corners and returning to center is another issue. A lot of people think a Hot Rod don't need good driving manners as long as it Looks Kool. I happen to disagree. There also can become safety issues with doing the Upright flip. Then there's a Tire Scrub and ware issue that jumps into play that some will say don't matter, again I disagree. Looking Kool can be done and also work well and be safe if you're willing to understand the issue at hand and fully understand what you're doing. There's also a steering term that 80 percent of home builders don't even know, it's Ackerman. Most I Beam Hot Rods never even get this addressed. It comes into play in every 4 wheeled vehicles out there. When it's Wrong few even know what's wrong but when its Right, man is it a pleasure to drive.
Gets down to basic Math and Geometry. You can't dispute the facts.

 

I’m smart some days. Just not the ones that end in Y.
That thought came up after seeing a camber mod used on shoeboxes in some threads on flipping uprights.
Kinda sounded smarter until ya digested the thought.
It also came up with a guy here locally that is flipping his and shortening the upper A arm.
The fabricated ones look sketchy.
And folks have lots of miles on em.
I guess I’ll mess with lower springs and cruise it.

 

Going from memory (that's a dangerous thing today) I believe the lower spring plate is riveted to the actual A-Frame arms. If you like the ride of stock coils you can drill out the rivets and use 3/4" bar stock making a spacer and bolt it all back together. I think that lowered the car 1.750 and kept you in adjustment range of the stock Cam bushing.

 

Dang I’m glad a friend of mine visited the scrap yard before I did today.

not sure if 352 or 390. 64ish. Has the breather on the intake.
Scrap yard killed everything but the block, intake and heads but at least we saved this. Word was someone dropped off a 64 galaxy. No sign of the trans was found. Was told it was a 4 speed car
I guess we should be thankful for what we saved.
Plans are for it ending up in a chopped 50 ford coupe with a FMX

 

If it had a 4 speed on it look for a pilot bushing in the crankshaft, however it looks like the remainder of a Kickdown linkage on the intake. I don't think 64 was throttle cable yet.

 

Has a manual bell.
Scrap yard killed it.
Trans was the old bolt pattern.
The block breather tube could be what you may be referring to.

 

The blue on the FE indicates 1966 and up, I always thought, but that is not so, 352's ARE blue, 390's are gold.

 

It’s been messed with.
Intake casting number starts off with C4
The heads are older