Merc 53

Well I sprung for the tires first, because the old ones would not even hold air so I could not even roll the car anywhere. The wiring harness looks in good shape except for a couple of small spots missing insulation and a few lugs that need to be replaced. However I will take your advice and check it out thoroughly and not assume anything. The advice about penetrating oil on the spark plugs was a good one. Half came off easily, the other half were troublesome. I've loosened them a bit and am letting them soak in more penetrating oil before I try to get them all the way out. Pe

Wow, lots of very helpful info from everybody. I am extremely grateful for the advice and information. I've ordered a shop manual off ebay. Pulling the plugs today and take a peek inside and add the mystery oil (and putting the plugs back in so the rats don't poop in the cylinders). My father modified the car a bit, converted to 12V and put an electric radiator fan on, and added an AC compressor for airconditioning. There seems to be an electric fuel pump below the tank, I'm assuming it's not stock as it's 12v. I will assume the gas has all gone bad and will remove the tank an

I have inherited a 53 Mercury Monterey convertible that I want to bring back to life. At one point in was in perfect running condition, but it has been sitting for 20 years. Paint job is still good, Interior is good (except for mildew on the upholstery that seems to clean up relatively easy). The tires were completely decayed and would no longer hold air, I have replaced those. The engine compartment is where the problems lie. It was a home for rats, lots of them. I have largely cleaned out the rat nests and gallons of rat poop. They seem to have done little chewing damage to wires except in