Looks like a good candidate. Be sure to check on the wiring. My 51 almost caught fire under the dash with the old original wiring. The cloth and rubber was falling off in big chunks. Reber can get you a replacement better than new with fuses in either 6 or 12 Volt. Put your location in your profile so we know what region of the world you are from.
If you have a good block in it now then all you need is the Merc 4" crank. Blocks are getting hard to find that aren't cracked.
Great car. I am a little bit biased though. I second the wiring comment. I bought a '50 last year this time that was all original and drove it on the trailer to bring it home. The wiring was a fire hazard. That was about the first thing I did.
I ended up ripping the whole harness out of my '51 and replacing it with a harness from Rebel Wiring. The original was brittle with lots of exposed wires; every time I reached up under the dash and brushed against wires the insulation fell like snow off the wires.
Merc block and 8BA block are the same. If your current block is good just get the Merc crank , rods and pistons. If your current engine is in good condition, you might want to just rebuild it to stock specs to have a nice reliable driver. You won't notice any difference by just installing a Merc crank. Get some good flathead engine books and do your research before you spend tons of dough.
Is that the standard air cleaner and carb for a 1951 Merc engine in your post #14 ? The air cleaner looks really heavy on the carb. Any way your 1950 Ford look's like a COOL project !
Good luck that car topper reminds me of the ones my dad rented from u haul for the annual trip to the jersey shore Sent from my SM-G950U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
you were lucky to find a solid one in minnesota! welcome and don't be afraid to ask questions. check facebook; there are some sites that will help!