Great picture! The loadamatic and Overdrive were my concern as well. I do have a centrifugal advance distributor from GMC bubba I may try to use later on however. Yes! That's it, ha!
So, I actually finally got the car running but I can't seem to remember my password to get it loaded to You tube and then here . But, she runs!
Looks so good man... amazing how that paint came out. You going to drive this to the drags? Lots of parallels with my shoebox from last year! The wheels are going to look great!
I'm gonna try! It totally looks like your Ford! It's funny, when my dad first got it the paint on the front fenders was worn smooth down to the grey primer just like your's was. I will remember it forever! So this happened over the 4th of July weekend! She runs...not well, but she runs!
I was so pumped from hearing the car actually run that I spent the next day (Sunday) working on the brakes. They were non-op and I had been fighting to get the cover off the MC. It didn't really look all that great from the outside so I went ahead an ordered a new one a couple weeks prior just in case it was beat. I'm glad I did because it was a shit show inside...rusty, muddy goo! So once I got the MC swapped and the brakes bled it was just before dusk so I decided to see if she'd drive... I think the speedo or the overdrive is what is clicking? I'm pretty stoked! This was the first time I'd ever actually driven this car - not counting the time my dad tried to teach me to drive it in a parking lot when I was about 12 years old. We bucked around for a bit and I gave up because I thought I was going to break it, ha!
It's nice to have good friends, especially when they are gracious enough to offer assistance, expertise, and equipment. My friend Chris has a well equipped shop with his own tire mounting and balancing equipment. He was nice enough to spend his afternoon teaching me how to mount and balance my new tires for the old girl! Thanks again man!
Damn man, I am trying to figure out which thing to drool over, that car is gorgous, but that house/farm set up is just plain awesome. My wife would kill for a place like that. Anyway, love the story, going to look great with the new shoes!
Great Merc, great backstory. This past November, my wife and I inherited from her father's estate the '41 Chev coupe in my avatar, which he'd owned for 30+ years. Think about him whenever I start it up. Keep that car, and cherish your memories.
Thanks man! We were very fortunate to find this place a few years ago. It was the only place we looked because after we saw it we HAD to have it, ha! Thanks man! And to you as well! Thank you! It's so funny you posted. My father was 1/2 Greek and his nickname for me was always Hesso (sp?) or "little shit" in Greek! Man I'd like to but I'm not sure I'll be able to work out the bugs by then?! We are so damn busy with family and everything else it's gonna be tight!
Hahahahaha! In Spanish it means "the bone". I was given that nickname a long time ago from a Mexican buddy. In Spanish it sounds like my name, Wes (Wes-O).
So, with the tires mounted I decided to spice up the wheels a little bit. I hope to run some Caddy sombreros as mentioned earlier so I really only concentrated on the lip that will show. I preped the wheels and put them in the ol' fresh air paint booth and gave them some color! I'm really happy with the color. I slapped the wheels on and man what a difference! It needs to come down quite a bit but I'm really happy with the look!
Man.. I dunno it looks awesome just like that!!! Everyone lowers their car- you can't cruise farm fields when it's in the weeds!
I like it too! It won't be slammed, that's for sure, but the back will come down (maybe with sand bags for now) just a bit! It's got a hotrod rake right now, ha!
throw some parts in the back! sand bags work.... or narrowed banjo dragster axles like I hauled to the drags haha- then you sell them and it pays for your trip!
So, that brings me pretty much up to date. Now to work out the bugs. I have only driven it up the street and back and it keeps dying once it warms up so some carb adjustments are in order, which I'm working on a bit today. As an aside, I brought home my dad's toolbox and have spent the last couple evenings trying to get it organized. I did this a few times as a kid and he could have the whole thing wrecked within an afternoon of working on something, ha! Infuriating at the time but makes for good memories. He always told me I'd miss him when he was gone and he was right! Anyway, it's much easier to work on stuff when you can find the tools! There are also some strange clicking noises that need to be addressed as well. I think I may unhook the speedo to see if that may be it? I probably won't get that lucky though . I'm registered for the Hot Rod Hill Climb again next month and it would be a kick to take the merc but I know nothing about this car so that may be wishful thinking. Oh and a little pizazz...
The Jalopy Journal
