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Merc 53

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  1. 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. Peering into one of the cylinders the piston top looks rusted some. I'll look more thoroughly when I get all the plugs out but I'm guessing I may need to pull off the heads to clean up the rust and see the true condition. Off in the distant future, is it advisable to paint the engine to protect it, or just clean it up?
  2. 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 and fuel lines to be cleaned/replaced, rebuild the carb, and clean or replace the fuel pumps, replace fuel filter. Where do I get a carb rebuild kit that handles gasahol? and what do I use to clean the gas varnish out of the tank and system? I'm hoping I can determine if the rear main seal is rope or rubber lip from the service manual. Even if it's rubber I'm getting the impression I should keep a close eye on the oil seals after I get it running. What all does 'going through the brake system' entail beyond draining and refilling and bleeding the lines? Never done brake work before. Thanks for the tips on wiring harnesses, currently it looks pretty good, just a few spots chewed down to the bare wire. Will pull the oil pan and clean it all out. Where do I get gaskets for that? Again thank you very much all for the help, I feel much more confident about this project now! bk
  3. 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 a few places, but some of the air ventilation hoses are breached. I will get a new battery. The chrome on the bumpers and other pieces has a lot of pin holes and some flaked off places. They need to be rechromed but I'm not sure how to go about that properly or where. What I'm mostly concerned with is what do I check mechanically before I try to start it up. Should I take the carb off and clean it out, should I assume the gas tank and lines are fouled from sitting so long and need to be cleaned/replaced. Should I take the plugs off and scope the cylinders for rust. Should I change the engine oil and transmission oil (it's an automatic). Check the radiator? water pump? Differential? etc. I would like to not do any damage when I crank the thing up. I want to restore this to driving condition. Any and all advice is welcome. I'm new to vintage restoration, but I rebuilt a few carbs and a rotary engine in my youth. I'm located in Santa Barbara, about 100 miles north of LA. Thanks much for your Wisdom and Experience. bk
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