This weekend, partly out of boredom, I went looking for a vintage car on my local CL. I'm looking, right now, at "dead" or orphan branded cars and trucks. I really like Mercurys, and they can sometimes be cheap, and this weekend I found a nice '61 full-sized Mercury 4 door sedan.
So my question is: how hard would it be to "update" the engine and transmission in this car while retaining a degree of the stock look? In other words, would / could I add, say, a late model P71 drivetrain to this car (since it's WAAAY pre-OBD I or II) or do I just go with a crate engine and mod as needed?
Suggestions as to FORD-brand engine that would give decent power / performance /fuel mileage? I'm guessing the transmission in it now is a Merc-o-matic 2 speed automatic...without electronic inputs/controls to the transmission, (IF I don't use a much newer engine and it's associated "brain") I would assume I would need to stay with a slightly newer but still "classic" Ford transmission like a C4 or C6?
5.0 and T5? use megasquirt to get it running
complete donor P71 may not be a bad thought.
JFX001
SuperDork
2/20/12 8:58 p.m.
I'd go with a 5.0 and AOD. Mustangs, Lincolns (bonus for LSC), Grand Marquis etc. Up to what, '91-92?
The more I think about using a donor P71, the MORE daunted I am that it's a good source for parts. I mean, don't modern cars have all those different ECUs and BCUs that run, among other things, the instrument panel?
I thought of the 5.0 and a later than '61 automatic, but wondered if there was something like a 5.8 that might be better? To keep mileage "reasonable" I figured I would stay away from the "big blocks" unless that is how the car is currently equipped. I would want to keep the automatic for the stock appearance in the interior versus a T5.
I want it to stay (somewhat) stock /from the factory looking...updating for safety as well as speed.
you need a BBF I would use a 460 paired with a c4 or c6 trans.
oh wait you said fuel mileage...
Mod motors are really wide, and don't fit between the shock towers of most early fords. My vote is freshen up the engine, and add MSD's new Atomic EFI. Totally reversable, which may help resale value.
ddavidv
SuperDork
2/21/12 6:05 a.m.
'61 Mercury? Sweet baby jeebus, you can fit anything you want in there. Original engine would likely be a FE, which is a big block that eventually became the 390/428. Weighs a ton. The only halfway decent trans that goes behind one of those is a C6, which weighs another ton. Everyone I spoke to who has a 460 curses the fuel mileage even with an AOD trans, but they do make the torque you want. Not sure a small block is going to really do it; I make the same argument to my truck guys that you want torque, not HP in a boat like that.
Raze
SuperDork
2/21/12 6:22 a.m.
The real question you should be asking yourself is why haven't you bought the car yet and posted pictures?
Everything else is just shop talk...
The car pictured is a '61 Mercury. The one I'm looking at is in much better condition, pretty much looks showroom. It does look more and more like re-conditioning (if possible) might be the way to go, and updating when needed. Still not crazy about a largish engine and 2 speed transmission, but having driven an SS 396 Chevelle with PowerGlide, I guess it's not really all that bad...except for fuel economy.
http://jacksonville.craigslist.org/cto/2848298216.html
