Hot Rods Barely legal 63 Mercury

This 63 Mercury appeared in the local car ads. It is the cheapest 2 door full size Mercury sedan with six cylinder and 3 on the tree.

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NzY4WDEwMjQ=/z/beIAAOSwDk5T~weC/$_20.JPG

Do any of you Ford and Mercury experts know how hard it would be to install a 390? I know it will fit but wonder about things like trans, rear axle, springs, brakes and steering? Would they all need to be replaced too?

 

Well, the trans would have to go, as even the V8 three speeds Ford used in those days weren't very strong. The rear end should be a 9", although it will likely be the lighter-duty version. Brakes and steering should be OK, the radiator and front springs will need replacing. But none of this should be either big-ticket or hard to find.

 

Shit it's a cruiser.....cruised for years with a six...ya ain't building a Gasser out of it are ya?

 

It reminded me of the 2 door HT stock cars driven by Parnelli Jones, Joe Weatherly and Roger Ward back in the day.

But you have a point. Nice paint job, lowered, with some cool wheels and tires would make a great cruiser and cheap on gas too.

 

This may be one of those Canada only models. Wikipedia says there were no six cylinder full size Mercuries in 1963, because of the new compact Meteor. The base engine in the Monterey was a 390. But, this is definitely a 63 Monterey six, the first one I have seen.

 

I would be tempted to leave it as is and really hop up the 223.

 

I think a 300 cu in truck six would bolt in... that would take you from 120HP to 170HP for a start.

The engine room:
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTAyNFg3Njg=/z/R1EAAOSwd4tT~wd3/$_35.JPG

 

You may have some trouble fore and aft with the big six. They are great engines produced over a long period of time and the later models had factory dual exhaust manifolds. With that said the early style speed goodies are not there compared to the 223.

If I was going with a 6, I would use whats already in it and try to make a V8 killer out of it..

 

If the same cars came with a 390, seems like worst case you'd need a donor car that you could take motor and trans mounts from when you changed it.

But if it runs and can get out of it's own way may as well cruise it until the six is dead.

 

never seen one with a 6cyl always had FE motors that i recall.

 

That is right, according to Wikipedia the 390 was standard in the Monterey from 1963 on, because they had the new Meteor compact for the economists.

This makes me think the Monterey six cylinder standard was offered only in Canada that year.

(In 1961 and 62 you could get a full size Merc with a six in the US)

 

Trusting Wikipedia can be dangerous. While the 390 was the standard engine in US built full sized Mercurys, the Canadian built entry level Monterey came standard with the 223 six with both 352 and 390 FEs optional. Do not have any other mechanical data but if it is a BW T-85 unless you go crazy it should be OK. Same goes with a small bearing 9" if that is what it has.

 

My Dad bought a new 63 Mercury (Breeze way window) with a 6 cylinder and a bolt action shifter. He thought he would 'upgrade' from a 57 Chev Belair.. The Mercury came from a Canadian dealer in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. That was the last 6 cylinder he owned, he hated the damn thing.

 

You certainly won't kill any collector value this oddball has if you put a 390 in this car, but I think I'd leave the six in it, as well, along with the three-on-the-tree. Why not? It'll be faster with a big V8, but so what? Not Racecar.......