Here is my Dad's 53 Merc we are working on together.
Link to photo album: http://s967.beta.photobucket.com/user/rjpajer/library/1953%20Mercury%20Monterey
It has the original 255 Flathead, backed by a 3-speed manual with OD (original as well). It was converted to 12v and has Vintage Air on it as well. Custom paint color and custom covered stock seats. Still has manual brakes and steering. And it is heavy, about 3700 lbs.
Currently we are rebuilding the Flathead as it had a bit too much blowby out the draft tube. Here is a bottom end shot of the engine:
The 3 main bearings still bugs me, I'm used to seeing 5 on V8s. Very simple engine, kinda nice after messing around with newer cars. Edit: fixed image links.
Interior shot:
Engine when we first got it: 
Edit: fixed image links.
Gorgeous car and really cool project to do with your dad. Enjoy and keep us updated!
It's refreshing to see one that's not chopped, nosed, flamed and frenched.
Nice car.
ST_ZX2
HalfDork
11/7/12 5:42 p.m.
Handsome. Much classier than a similar vintage Chevy (and I like those too.).
Thanks, it is a bit different than the usual cars out there.
The carburetor is rather unique, nicknamed "teapot" since the fuel bowl is above the throttle body. Supposedly this was to combat the fuel getting hot and vapor lock. Mercury used them more than Ford.
You need to get one of the cutdown Chevy distributors for the 255 Flathead. I picked up RPM drive ability and almost 2mpg in 28 roadster. It was unbelevable how good a Flathead will run with a good spark curve.
It has a Pertronix conversion kit in it. My dad wants to keep it looking mostly stock so he wants to keep the distributor it has. Maybe it could be recurved to help out.
A few more updates. Spent quite a bit of time cleaning stuff, 60 years of dirt is fun to remove from the front suspension.
3-speed MT with OD
Front suspension and drum brake after some cleaning and painting
Here is a close up of the front suspension. Interesting to see a SLA suspension with king pins, no ball joints. There are grease fittings on every moving point, almost 30 on the front end. Previous owners did lube it but didn't clean off the excess grease, which combined with Georgia clay to make it hard to remove. Much cleaner now.
81cpcamaro wrote:
It has a Pertronix conversion kit in it. My dad wants to keep it looking mostly stock so he wants to keep the distributor it has. Maybe it could be recurved to help out.
One last try to convert you, get a black distributor cap and just keep the stock one in a box if you want to go back to stock.
It is a night and day difference in the livability of the motor. Plus you get the correct curve all with no worrying about aftermarket carbs on a mercury motor and the reverse advance valves that are unobtanable and the old carb meaning of vacuum.
http://www.lindertech.com/bhrs/flathead_chev.htm
Have fun with the car.
Some more updates after a bunch more cleaning and painting.
Rear Axle now clean and painted. Dirt wasp condos evicted.
Engine compartment, now waiting for the engine to get finished.
Taillight with new backup lenses, old ones were yellowed and cracked. Much better now.
Is your Dad keeping the blue dots or will he swap the taillight lenses later?
He is keeping them for now, kinda a nostalgia thing for him (he has fuzzy dice on the rearview mirror too, despite me giving him a hard time about them).
Ha ha, worried about the distributor being stock but he's got blue dot tail lights..
But really, I have a soft spot for blue dot tail lights. I should hate them but they're cool with me. Then again, so is an aftermarket distributor. ;-)
It may be more of he has the stock distributor and doesn't want to buy another one since it works good enough for him. He prefers his car to be stock, but this one already had the Vintage air, blue dots and other stuff done to it. A/C is a nice thing here in Georgia, too.
Finally some updates on the Merc. Took a while to get the engine back from the machine shop. It is together now and resting in the car. Hopefully it will be running either this weekend or next.
Engine with fresh paint, color is Detroit Diesel Alpine Green which happens to match the original Mercury green.
Added the pulleys and draft tube.
Here is the hard way to align a clutch, wasn't able to find an alignment tool, car uses an odd clutch spline (thanks Mercury).
Here the engine and trans are back together, ready to go in.
And here it is back in its home. Still have a few more parts to put on.
Flight Service wrote:
that thing is stunning
QFT. Seriously it looks very classy
