Projects My 1951 Mercury Restoration Part II

Awesome. Cant wait to see. Are you still going to put the stainless around the windshield? it makes a world of difference in my opinion

 

Yeah either the stock stainless or some press-on stuff. The shop that I used for the wing windows did a big hard sell on my to do flush-mount front glass, meaning the glass is cut to fit in front of the lip... I didn't want to do it but I didn't want the car to sit there anymore and I wanted to drive it. So I might redo that and cut new glass for the front this year.

 

Sounds like a good plan unless you like the way it looks.

 

I would prefer to have glass done like factory-style but I will probably put on press-on chrome for now and redo it right before I do my interior (not sure when that will be).

 

Came across this pic of Jesse Jame's Merc, looks like I can go much wider with respect to radiator... Any rule of thumb? Do I need to leave a slight gap to the body to avoid heat transfer? Like less than an inch?

 

That has got to be the ugliest thing about jesse's merc, the little spreader bar and that big ass aluminum radiator...

Looks like you can gain a lot more in radiator size, there are a lot of pillow blocks under your radiator as it is. I would say keep it an inch undersized from the opening and you shouldnt have any heat problems and it will also avoid scratching the f out of your paint when you put it in.

Also, I saw good results from a guy on here that painted his alum radiator with an rustoleum epoxy appliance black spray can. He said he held the spray can under hot water for 10 minutes and then sprayed his scuffed radiator. No overheating issues or different temp readings, and the paint sticks and looks like a amazing after driving the car for awhile now. I recommend painting that bright alum radiator if you go that route, it would kill your cars great looks that you have worked so hard on re-styling.

 

I haven't followed this whole thread so don't know what engine your using. I have a 351 Cleveland with FMX auto trans. The radiator that fits almost perfect came from a 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner 7.2L 440 cid Core size – 17 ½” X 26” X 2”
Three row Up & Down flow 1 ½” Inlet; 1 ¾” Outlet with oil cooler. I had to cut 1/4" off one of the mounting flanges. I was very pleased. I hope this helps

 

Yep his rad is way too bright for sure.

Thanks guys my rad is small 22 wide maybe 19 tall... I have a ton of room on the sides and I think I can go much bigger.

I have a SBC now, plan to go LS1 (6.0 based engine with LS3 heads, carb'd) in the near future too.

 

John, your message file is full so I have to post to your thread the info. You might want to empty some of your messages.......

Ill look tonight to see if I have an extra set. You are the 4th person this year looking for a set of vent windows. I just sent Matt a pallet of parts. If I knew you needed some I could have sent them with the others this morning. I will see how close a set of rear 4 door ones are and let you know. They might be close enough to modify for a choped top set.

 

Sounds like a fellow HAMB'er can part with a set for me, thanks in advance!

 

Had to run to work today (Saturday) forgot something... spots are little tight needless to say I ran into the building and ran right out so I didn't get a ding from that marvelous looking Honda...

 

It was super nice out today, drove around a lot. I actually drove 85 miles round trip to my friend's house Intmd8 to check out his '57 Brougham. Car did well but I still need to improve the radiator/ shroud setup, temps wouldn't drop enough to my liking when I got stuck in bumper to bumper traffic for 4 miles on I94...

Pic of the Mercury checking out Marilyn down town on Michigan Avenue...

 

Been a bit of a hiatus on finishing the car, I haven't had the extra dough to spend on the car...

So I got another set of wing windows from Arkie and DrDave, and they mailed them right to Matt Townsend in Riverside CA for me.

I made the templates he needs to make the new set of wing windows (the first set I had done were done all wrong, and looked awful.

cardboard:


trimmed to fit driver's side:


inside driver's side:


had some gap, used tape to create a better edge:


and these templates go out to matt tomorrow via mail:

 

Where I am with the car... Well it's a good little driver. I'll be getting back on the driver's glass now, first step is for Matt (slddnmat) to modify a set of stock wing windows and send them to me. I'll pop those in and then put in the main door glass which is ready to go.

As much as I want the next thing I do to be the grille, I think I need to attend to some mechanical stuff first. The steering rack needs to be rebuilt and my master cylinder is weeping. Nothing dire but I know they need attention. I also want to swap in a new radiator. The current setup is old and it's about 80% of where I want it to be. I could tell yesterday when I drove to my buddy Intmd8's house (42 miles one way) that the car was fine but when I sat in very slow traffic the car didn't like that. When the fan kicked it on it would cool it down to 195-200. I know by some Hamber's standards that sounds great but I want great reliability.

I poked around my radiator today. It's

18 tall
26 wide
2 thick

The opening is almost 29 wide. Looks like I can kick the radiator forward 2-2.5 inches.







I think the builder spaced up the radiator assembly to fit the beauty cover:


AC lines run between radiator and body opening on the passenger side:




My plan on the radiator is to find & buy/ or have custom built a radiator that can handle 450 hp and that will fill at that opening better.

I also eyeballed a Mark VIII electric fan that I picked up from my bud Jim, and it would more than fit... In fact it won't cover the entire radiator and opening but that's okay, they are rated for 3000 cfm.

 

Matt @ Townsend Fabrication is working on my wing windows!

 

Miss Sheebias will look the same for a while until the new wing windows arrive from Matt, I do the grille and the 2-3 mechanical maintenance items I have.

I will go with 1953 and older 'caps when I have the grille down, should look like a different car.

I went for a long ass cruise today, took some pics at the house... the driver.

 

great car.

 

Thanks Jim. I went and visited a friend in Villa Park, and by my house I was thinking, I wonder if I could lower my car more... So I took a few pics of the car over a typical speed bump on the North side...





I think I can go at least an inch lower overall.

 

Any lower and it will probabaly scrape on the rebound.

 

If its not too late, I would mark on your cardboards where the bottom pivot hole is.

Awesome paint job by the way.

disregard that comment on the pivots, I saw them looking at the pics a second time.

 

I think another inch would be great, as long as it still retains that backward lean.

 

How much did you chop at the front I have a set of 49 vent
for 3 inch chop PM me .
TwoChops

 

Radiator selection yet?

 

Thanks Mike and Bill, Matt Townsend is doing up a second set of wing windows for me right now, and he has my first boogered up set as a reference.

Mike, I think I can fit something like a 19 tall by 27.5-28 wide, gonna do something soon.... summer is coming. I was talking to Greg B on the phone and am gonna buy an air deflector from him which might free me radiator-wise.

 

Oh I have some different hubcaps coming too... hopefully they will be worth restoring!!! Not sombreros!

 

Lyons?

 

Really like your ride. What hub caps are you gunna run?

 

I hope like

 

Nice!

 

The way they bulge out calls to me, we'll see in person!'