Projects Just got me a 1956 mercury medalist !

Hey ya'll!
I was fortunate enough to pick up a beautiful 1956 Mercury Medalist a couple months back. It was missing the original 312 Y block and transmission when I obtained it. I recently just bought a 352/C4 combo from a 1965 Galaxie 500 that I plan to drop into it. I've read several threads on here about this swap and it sounds pretty manageable. Does anyone have experience with this particular swap and if so could you shed any insight on what I'll be getting myself into? Also I'd love to hear any great stories about this car if anyone has ever owned one.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

Looks in good shape. Its been decades but I think the motor mounts need to be reversed and thats about all that is required for the engine. Trans, I don't know.
If you ever want to replate those bumpers, you might have to rob a bank..

 

Sorry that I can’t help with the engine swap, but just wanted to say that’s a great looking vehicle. Good luck and what a terrific find!, Dang..... I love those old 2-door sedans!!!

 

Haha yeah the bumpers bother me. They're in good shape so I was going to look into having them rechromed.
I've read a couple suggestions on flipping that mount as well, just haven't confirmed that yet. I really appreciate the comment!

 

Thank ya sir!
I do as well, can't wait to cruise!

 

don't you just love it when a guy buys a cool car and the first thing he does is join the HAMB?
Cool car!

 

Hah, I've been creepin' for a while. Finally decided to join the party!

 

That is what I figured, welcome!

 

I myself have never done a FE / 56 swap, but I did do a 430 MEL / 55 swap at age 15. If that MEL will fit, the FE should be a snap. I have seen the FE in many 55/56 and it looked like a easy bolt in. Best I can do.






Bones

 

I don’t remember ever seeing a two door
Post of that year, what a score !!

Rich

 

Thank ya sir!

 

Old Wolf should be able to tell you about the FE swap. I think that's his favorite swap into that era Ford.

 

Ford put a 352 FE engine in 58 fords so it should be a bolt-in swap. In 1964 I test drove a black 56 merc tudor sedan exactly like yours...was considering buying it. Had a 312/3 speed. Didn't buy it.

 

My first car was a 56 Montclair 9 passenger wagon. I paid $50.00 for it. It had sat for a couple of years but all it took was a new battery to get it started. I did spend $20.00 and bought a new Holley carb for it. Drove it my jr and sr years of high school. The auto trans died after about 20 miles ..... Swapped in a 3 spd out of a 56 ranch wagon. Should have bought the whole car and dropped my 312 in it instead.

Hindsight !!

 

You bring up a very good point! That sounds like a hell of a swap at the age of 15, super cool!
Thank you for the advice

 

From what I've read Ford only made this model for 1 year and the run was about 11,000 total.
Much appreciated!

 

I didn't realize they started in 58. This 352 came out of a 1965 Galaxie 500. I wonder what the differences are?

Maybe this is the 56 you passed up ha?

 

Very nice! I think the bumpers look fine.

 

Haha that's a great story! I've always wanted a wagon personally. That would have been a pretty sweet setup.
Ya live and ya learn right? This board sure helps with that!

 

Don’t remember for sure, but I think the 352 (and all FE engines) gained a third engine mount boss and drilled attachment point in 1965.

 

I think the radiator gets moved forward too, maybe in front of the core support? Been too long!

Dave

 

I am a long time ‘56 Merc admirer. The Medalist was Mercury’s “advertised Price Leader” for ‘56 with minimal equipment. Not commonly seen even when new.....and I was there ...

In that era I was in grammar school (12 yrs old in ‘56) and I walked home from school, passing a combination gas station, garage/body shop operation along the way. I started hanging out there after school and sometimes on Saturdays (6 day work week in those days).

Neither the owner nor guys in the shop objected to my being there, and I would find small tasks I could do to help them out.

The point of this story, however, is .........the shop would occasionally buy a wreck and repair it as time permitted. I well remember a ‘56 Medalist that showed up one day, black like the OP’s, and was parked in a corner of the shop with an unusual type of damage. The leading edge of the roof was crumpled.....as best I can recall, no damage to fenders and hood. I remember being surprised to see a salvaged forward roof section showing up and then grafted onto the Medalist.

Eventually it was finished and disappeared.......to the best of my recollection, it was the only Medalist I ever saw in person, but it stuck in my memory.

Very cool car you have there.....looks very sound.....best wishes with it!

Ray

 

Car looks like it’s in nice shape...before ya dump that 352 in there get it on a stand, order up an aluminum intake, pull the pan, valve covers, etc , clean it up and re gasket it..much easier to do now..I could this this car with some magnesium look 5 spokes, a little rake, and a healthy exhaust note..

 

Great looking car! Just be aware that the C4 will be the weak link behind a healthy 352. My mom bought a near new '65 with that combo when I was a kid and I quickly found out it would easily fry the tires. Think the C4 lasted about a month. It was repaired under warranty by the dealer who had a little "chat" with me in private when we picked it up. Needless to say Mom wasn't too happy with me when she figured out what happened.

 

Thats not c4 in your pictures, its cast iron case cruiseomatic.Just fine transmission behind stock fe.

 

So, trans should bolt on right in existing rear crossmember, only minor mods might be needed.

 

I'm not sure, but that could have been Batman's ride when he was in high school.

 

You're already ahead of me! That was going to be my next question. Not ever hearing this engine run, I'm trusting the random dude off Craigslist that this setup is fine and ran when he pulled it 5 years ago. However I obviously don't know. Should I crack it open to see what I've got, maybe have the transmission gone through as well?

 

Start with a compression test. I've dealt with a few FE engines and found that if the compression is good, there's no need to dismantle the engine. Timing gears and chain, water pump, oil pump and fuel pump ought to be replaced or rebuilt if you suspect 75,000 miles or more. They are pretty stout engines and if not abused seem to last a long time. I'd probably swap the intake for an aluminum one while the engine is out because they are damn heavy and hard to pull when in the car. The first one I did was a 352 in a '55 Ford and even though I was young and dumb, there were few problems with the swap.

 

That is a really nice car..
Good for you..