new 49 owner

D

diamondx

Junior Member
Just acquired a Ford '49 coupe. Flathead 8 with MERCURY heads -is that correct ? Solid body car with interior cloth all bad. Complete and un-restored. Got all the hinges and latches unstuck and working. Working on the stuck engine now.
 
Congratulations on your coupe. Mercury heads on a Ford engine is not "correct". If they are on a Ford engine they will reduce compression, not necessarily good. If they are on a Mercury engine it IS good, especially if it is a sound engine.

We like pictures.
 
Would there be Mercury engine in a Ford from the factory ? Original owner told me everything is as it was when bought new. How do I upload pics ?
 
diamondx said:
How do I upload pics ?
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Under the message reply box click on "Go Advanced". Then Below the message box click on "manage Attachments" box . The attachment box will appear, "Choose photos from computer, click "upload". You can click on "preview Post" to see if your pictures posted. They can't be large, I usually use 600x400 pixels size.
 
Here is a pic. Thanks 40Ccpe.
 

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The 255 CID engine was optional but it was not as much a regular option as it was an option for police cars and emergency vehicles. It is rare to find one in a Ford car or pickup. It's been a lot of years since that car was manufactured and a lot of things can happen in a long period of time. You won't be able to tell if it is a Mercury or not unless you can either pull the oil pan and check the crank shaft cheek width or pull a head and accurately measure the stroke. It's just too easy for stuff to have been bolted on to know for certain otherwise.
 
39topless said:
You're lucky to find one with a V8. Many of these came with the FH sixes.
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Nothing wrong with those FH sixes. My Dad had a '50 coupe with the FH6. It actually outperformed the V8s of the same vintage. I drove it quite a lot in the late '50s.
 
Gonna go ahead and pull the intake and probably the heads. Any preference on where to buy a gasket set ? 24 bolt heads. My dad has some eldebrock aluminum heads from his days back when he was wrenchin'. and a 3x2 intake and a 4 bbl intake.

Thanks.
 
diamondx said:
Gonna go ahead and pull the intake and probably the heads. Any preference on where to buy a gasket set ? 24 bolt heads. My dad has some eldebrock aluminum heads from his days back when he was wrenchin'. and a 3x2 intake and a 4 bbl intake.

Thanks.
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Some of the least expensive gasket sets can be had from Auto-Zone.
 
Best gaskets are good for OEM heads. A person may need thicker copper ones for the aluminum if they have ever been milled. A person should check and make sure you have at least .050" clearance between the piston and the top of chamber.
 
Pulled the heads - not looking good there. Probably going to put the car up for sale - do not have the time to rebuild or replace the engine at this time.
 
I have a 1950 Ford that I enjoy very much. I like driving it and love the overdrive on the open roads. Nice car to go on tours with. The coupe's are one that everone wants. Good Luck with your Ford
 

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Sorry for the condition of the engine but you may want to rethink selling your car. If you have a place to store it, keep it until the demands on your time allow you to resume your project. I believe most people on this site have regrets about selling cars that they would love to have back once their situations changed.
 
I did that with a '50 Merc 30 years ago. Still kicking myself. Those shoe boxes are getting harder to find and expensive when you do. Take it from many of us. Keep it.
 
deleted a message from "thehebbs@xxxxxxxxxx" if you catch this post - pm me.
 

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Thanks for the advice on keeping the car - I know about regrets - I had a 70 SS Chevelle when I was 16 and sold it - what the heck was I thinking !
anyway , I guess it may depend on what someone else is willing to pay for it.....
 
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