New To Me

rusty6 · Dec 12, 2017

Just took delivery of the "new to me" 53 Mercury this evening. Thanks to a facebook friend for spotting it for sale I now have a parts car
for the 52 I've been driving. The problem is now that this 53 appears in better condition body-wise than the 52 I've been driving. I don't
think I can part it out

(

JD Seller · Dec 12, 2017

Rusty I have had that happen several times. The "Parts" car/truck/tractor turned out to be in better shape than the one I currently had.

Sprint 6 · Dec 12, 2017

Had that happen to me with a non runner garden tractor I bought for parts to keep the one my Grandpa bought new alive. The parts tractor is identical, little rougher looks wise, but is probably better mechanically. Had it running 30 minutes after getting it home. Now I have two, kind of handy not swapping implements all the time. But if grandpa's ever needs a part from the other one, well, I'll only have one runner then.

rusty6 · Dec 12, 2017

Its getting to the point that all these old Mercurys that are left are too good to part out. Of course most collectors want the two door coupes, sedans, convertibles and they will use a plain jane 4 door sedan like this one for parts. Or at least they did.
Got many hours of cleaning and fixing ahead of me but its not work, its play. Stay tuned for the unloading video.

jeffcat · Dec 12, 2017

How in the world did you end up with Nash hubcaps? All kinds of neat junk shows up in those old trunks. Good gravey don't junk it Please!

fixerupper · Dec 12, 2017

Nice find. It looks too good to be junked. I bought a corn head for the parts and ended up putting it on the combine and running it. My old head was parted out and hauled away.

rusty6 · Dec 12, 2017

(quoted from post at 20:39:45 12/12/17) How in the world did you end up with Nash hubcaps? All kinds of neat junk shows up in those old trunks. Good gravey don't junk it Please!

Guaranteed this one is a keeper. I originally wanted the front fenders and hood to replace the rusted out fenders and dented hood on my 52. But this one is looking too good to molest.
And those are Meteor caps. You've likely never heard of a Meteor but they were a Canadian only Ford. Same idea as the Monarch was a Canadian only Mercury.

shaun wallace · Dec 12, 2017

Mercurys seem to be unique for just about everything on them. Friend of mine restores Fords Mercurys Lincolns and has some Edsels. Has fun finding good parts for them.

rusty6 · Dec 12, 2017

(quoted from post at 21:05:53 12/12/17) Mercurys seem to be unique for just about everything on them. Friend of mine restores Fords Mercurys Lincolns and has some Edsels. Has fun finding good parts for them.

Yes, I don't think there is much Ford sheet metal that will fit the Mercs.
And just so its not totally off topic of tractors, thats my new JD 2140 I used to pull the car off the trailer. 3 on the tree was stuck in reverse and the back wheels would not turn.

Philip d · Dec 13, 2017

Great find!

CCer · Dec 13, 2017

Get a copy of Hemmings Motor News. There are old parts sources/yards in the southwest U.S.A. that would sell you good, straight parts,and ship them.

Jim in NC · Dec 13, 2017

Very nice addition to your museum Rusty. I have no doubt that you will make the most of it!

1970-1655 · Dec 13, 2017

I remember the Meteor very well. My first car was a 1963 Mercury Meteor S-33 hardtop. We are in southern Indiana, a long way from Canada. One rainy December evening I had a guy pull out in front of me and I took to the ditch to avoid hitting his kids in the passenger side. Flattened the roof down to the dash.

I keep looking for another 1963 2 door hardtop in decent shape but nothing so far. I found 1 in Texas and emailed about it but never got a response. Saw it listed again recently.

Goose · Dec 13, 2017

Looks too good to part out.

BTW, back in the day, I had a '52 four door I was all over the country with. It was one of my favorite cars, next to a '57 Merc four door hardtop that I had later.

wvfarmboy · Dec 13, 2017

i would get it running and drive it, flat motors sound great.

Russ from MN · Dec 13, 2017

We bought a new Monarch in MN in 1976!

KEB in GCMS · Dec 13, 2017

Nice looking car! I would have a hard time parting it out also.

cumminspuller · Dec 13, 2017

Like others have said it's too nice to part out. Good looking car!

rusty6 · Dec 13, 2017

I've located parts for these 52-53s already but the shipping was usually more expensive than the parts. Especially big items like a front fender or a hood. So I've never pursued it. When I saw this complete car come up for sale I figured it was good value for the money. You shop a little on ebay and see the price they are asking for some of those shiny bits and I know this was a good deal.
Unfortunately the video from last night's unloading turned out way too dark and my editing software does not seem to support the format so I have not been able to lighten it up , only the still pics. But here it is anyway.
Unloading The 53

Fredwi · Dec 13, 2017

Just a lucker, Mn craigslist has some 1962 and 1964 two door hardtops and one conv.
very nice car, I did not see any nice 63's. FredWi

1970-1655 · Dec 13, 2017

There is an ad in La Crosse, Wisconsin with a '63 hardtop. I sent him a message the day it was posted and no reply from them.

SweetFeet · Dec 13, 2017

Rusty6,

Pretty cool... you have too much fun.

Gary Mitchell · Dec 13, 2017

Wonderful Picture Rusty! gm

Married2Allis · Dec 13, 2017

Neat picture. Looks like a movie setting for Walking Dead. lol

rusty6 · Dec 13, 2017

(quoted from post at 11:23:34 12/13/17) Wonderful Picture Rusty! gm

Thanks Gary. I almost deleted it because the original was so dark you could hardly see the car. Gopro cam has no flash. A little enhancement from an adobe program lighted it up almost like daytime.
Back to cleaning this morning and its looking a little better all the time.

ericlb · Dec 13, 2017

thanks to places like mac's now you'll just have to fix both of em

RedMF40 · Dec 13, 2017

I'm one of your neighbours to the south. Years ago picked up a '67 Mercury pickup in Utah, kept it for a good many years. MERCURY was embossed on tailgate and all the other badges were similar. It was an M100 as opposed to a F100. It was a rust-bucket when I bought it, and even more so when I sold it, but I got a lot of enjoyment out of that truck, and seeing the reactions of those who thought they were looking at a typical Ford pickup until they saw the strange lettering.

centash · Dec 13, 2017

Meteor hubcaps. Ben

rusty6 · Dec 13, 2017

(quoted from post at 15:05:55 12/13/17) I'm one of your neighbours to the south. Years ago picked up a '67 Mercury pickup in Utah, I got a lot of enjoyment out of that truck, and seeing the reactions of those who thought they were looking at a typical Ford pickup until they saw the strange lettering.

Yes, Mercury trucks, Monarch and Meteor cars tend to confuse the folks South of the border. Even a few of the younger ones up here now.
And yes, those are Meteor caps that came with this 53 Merc. The "dog dish" or poverty caps are actually preferable . Those big full disk wheel covers look good but are notorious for flying off and getting lost while driving. I've only got one original left for the 52 so I'm running Meteor/Ford/? economy caps on the 52. Now this 53 has a full set of Meteor caps that just need a little shining up.
I was a little over dressed today in this picture but it helped keep the dust off me.

Mark - IN. · Dec 13, 2017

Please don't take this as an insult to you or your Mercury, but for as much as you like or expect from it, I would take the C or K series 67 - 72 Chevy/GMC setting in the tool crib. Its setting kind of low, so I'm guessing two wheel drive...C series. I used to have a '69 K-20 Chevy with a 292, a Dana 60 front, Dana 70 rear and 200 weight STP for gear lube in the four speed manual because I had a couple of broken teeth in second gear. I should have never sold that pickup. Could pretty near climb a tree in creeper. Your Mercury, OK. To each his or her own. Enjoy it, but enjoy the pickup...

Mark

rusty6 · Dec 13, 2017

(quoted from post at 19:16:49 12/13/17) Please don't take this as an insult to you or your Mercury, but for as much as you like or expect from it, I would take the C or K series 67 - 72 Chevy/GMC setting in the tool cribcreeper. Your Mercury, OK. To each his or her own. Enjoy it, but enjoy the pickup...
Mark

Yes, old Blue , the 71 GMC 1500 was a good truck in its day. Could still be a nice driver if someone wants to do a little bit to it. Was running when parked a few years back but I think it had a few sticky valves from stale gas last time I tried to start it. Body is excellent on it. I've got a good running 71 C10 in the big shed. 250 six and three on the tree. A bit of cab rust but it will cruise down the highway just fine. Front disks on both of them. Coil rears on the C10 and leaf on the 1500. They were some nice trucks but as you know, I'm crazy about 52-53 Mercurys.

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