When you have it done like you did do you have the same problems with leftover blasting material coming out even after a good clean up?
Actually, the car is really clean. But i'm sure there will be sand comming out as i bang around. Nature of the beast. I think the guy went the extra mile to clean it.
Looking good Tedley, it would be nice to find a Victoria or Crown here on the East coast as solid as that. I will be following along and enjoying your progress over the winter.
Starting with a clean car sure speeds things up. Sandblaster tells no lies, just pic a spot to repair. As long as we don't get a brutal cold -40 chit like last year, i should be able to get lots done. I hope. I'll post pics as i go. Lots of them.
Played with the ride height. 3 inch blocks in the back and and lowered the frt to get 3 inches of travel but want to go lower. May go with dropped spindles in the end. Also scored a foxcraft shifter. Bought for the the stick because it has foxcraft stamped in the stick. Most i've seen as i remember where plain. Going to rig it to a auto shifter for a little cool factor.
What no y-block? I guess the 351 one is an upgrade though. Glad you not going 302. Apart from the fact there cheep that would be a backward move. Nice car. The 3spd auto is a sideways step but does have added strength.
I've had this 351 sitting for 3 yrs with 600o miles on it....i'm using it.. Not a fan of y blocks anyway. I go with a 390 fe if i had one thou. I have to watch my budget here.
Looks like your making good progress. Lookin' good. A buddy of mine restored his 56 and for the interior he went with bucket seats (GM I think) and one of those small consoles from a Falcon. It fit and looked good like it came from the factory with it. Only problem is finding a good one at a reasonable cost. Kinda like the Merc tail lights.
I got the seats, front and back, from the 64 XL for 4 hun but of course needs covers. Have to find a 63 or 64 console somewhere as well and adapt the foxcraft shifter stick
Managed to get the rt rocker and inners replaced as well as the fender bottom. There was a big ass blob of lead at the bottom of fender from a previous repair attempt. Still have to finish grinding and cleaning up the out riggers underneath
I love all your thoughts so far....great work, and a good start. That car in the picture is beautiful. You my friend, have great vision, and I can't wait to see where you go. Thanks a bunch. New screen saver !! You're doing great !
Well it;s not my vision so much as it's been done already. It does give the car a bit of a merc style which i like for something different. I noticed your avatar. Got one kind of like it as well.
I like that the 351-C fits,I have one and thinking about a 2 door wagon to drop it in. If you need rocker panels there was someone in the S Dakota area making them with the correct drain holes punched in them and got a pair for my sunliner but it was over 10 years ago,might have some merc wagon tail lights I would let go.
I have the rockers already but thanks. The cleavland fits nicely all thou no room for headers. I;m interested in those tail lights if you want to sell,
Well started piecing the front end together. Was dying to see how that 59 t-bird bumper was going to match up. It looked like a fairly natural fit with some pics i've seen on others but as it turns out the hood is a mile off on the curves on top and the edge. So some fabbing is in order. I have an idea what i'm going to do after spending all day making some mock up bumper brackets and dialing it in a bit. I don't want to go too far until i have the fender gaps and hood closing where i want it. But i have a plan now after almost scraping the idea early this morning.
Well i'm not sure if this is the way to do this but it's what i'm doing. Had to reshape the hood edge to make it rounder to fit the bumper as well soften the 'v' of the hood to line up with the edge. I cut the bottom 3 inches off the hood as well the inner structure. I used the old skin pieces and added about 1 inch on the outside edges to near zero in the middle. The inner will have to be made new. I'll make the fender pieces next before i weld everything permanent. to dial things in as i go. i
Looks like you have a handle on it, Tedley. I may have missed it, but do you have any plans for the headlights?
I was giving merc headlight bezels a look but not sure yet. I don't even have stockers right now. My gaps are turning out real nice right now. I have a bit of a gap fetish. It makes a nice car even nicer.
You messed up. It appears you have carter wcfb carbs. those from a buick? you are supposed to have a pair of the holley teapot carbs on that boat anchor LOL. I agree with Tedley the 351 or a better yet a FE.
56 Merc..... These are not Buicks. One Merc assembly plant was near the Carter Manufacturing plant and were used for some reason on the 312's at that plant only. Ford Power Performance kit from dealer parts had the Holleys. Not proven but rumored that a few Fords and Mercs used the WCFB's at the end of the 56 NASCAR season trying to chase the Chrylsers on the longer tracks. Ford won the convertable class with the 260 HP 312 Y-Block. NASCAR mandated all the cars to use the Purolator paper air filter getting rid of the oil bath I assume.
Thanks I learned something new. I once many decades ago installed a carter WCFB off a 322 buick on a Y block. The carb base was the exact same as the holley teapot carb.
Small base WCFB's were used on Studebakers, Packards, all Mopars, Buicks, Oldsmobiles, Cadillacs, Lincolns, as well as Mercs... Rochester small base 4GC's are great too but are too large for dual quads on a y-block......
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