Just bought a '51Merc

WABOOM said:
No it isn't. It was a "rust belt" car though.
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Given the rock salt used in Minnesota to melt the ice and snow on the streets during winter months, I suggest that Minnesota is a "rust belt" state as well - one of the worst in fact....
 
petehoovie said:
Given the rock salt used in Minnesota to melt the ice and snow on the streets during winter months, I suggest that Minnesota is a "rust belt" state as well - one of the worst in fact....
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Absolutely. I know all about it. If you live in the Twin cities Metro, rust starts happening on the undercarriage of every make of car almost immediately.
 
19Fordy said:
You got yourself a beauty. Congrats. Great color. Is it stick or automatic? Please post more photos of interior, etc. Also, post where you live in MN. Lots of Merc owners on HAMB also.
Ford made 157,648 model 74 like yours.
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Automatic transmission.
I live in city of Ramsey.
Here's a few more pics.
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First time I recall seeing rubber sill plates on a Mercury.
Suspect that this was late production as some '51 and earlier years were Aluminum.
This was probably due to Korean war restrictions that limited the use of Aluminum, Chromium as well as other materials.





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A lot of stuff can get changed over the years. The sill plates can get damaged easily so I can see why they might have been changed. I don't think those are OEM but I could be wrong. The 6 passenger coupe aluminum sill plates are available but not for the 4-door sport sedan. I've found some good ones out there though. The Brown & Tan trim is pretty much same as one of my cars.

No overdrive with the Merc-O-Matic. It didn't need it with the tall rear axle gears they had. RPM at 70 mph should not be all that bad for an automatic car. You can get copies of the Owner's Manual for the 1951 cars. The Lincoln Mercury overhaul manual is a very good reference for repairs but you have to make sure the copy you get has all the 1951 updates. There was also good manual available for the Merc-O-Matic transmission as well but it is a separate item. Accessory manuals for them list available accessories from Lincoln Mercury.

One of the Early Ford V8 Club members is in process of putting a book together for the 49 thru 51 Mercury cars.
 
Ok thank you. I actually need to replace the rear end. It needs a rebuild. It has a loud clink. Sadly, I don't think I'm going to be able to find one in 8 days. I might not be able to bring the car to Back To The Fifties at the fairgrounds.
 
WABOOM said:
Ok thank you. I actually need to replace the rear end. It needs a rebuild. It has a loud clink. Sadly, I don't think I'm going to be able to find one in 8 days. I might not be able to bring the car to Back To The Fifties at the fairgrounds.
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The loud "clink" might be coming from the u-joint as opposed to the rear end - much easier to repair/replace the u-joint....
 
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