Pics of a newbie's unibody project...
Pics of a newbie's unibody project...
As you can see I've got a lot of work to do! This is what it looked like in December of 2005 and very little has changed. I'm looking forward to gaining a lot of knowledge here on Slick 60's and posting pics of my progress.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
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- Posts: 10
- Joined: July 17, 2006, 7:01 pm
- Location: houston,tx
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- Posts: 165
- Joined: August 14, 2006, 2:44 am
- Location: Washington State
It could be worse!
The rear tailight pockets look pretty solid! Everything else is more than fixable.... keep us posted!!!
Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15.13
- Johnny Canuck
- Posts: 8288
- Joined: April 9, 2006, 11:14 pm
- Location: Edmonton, Alberta.
Hey that looks familiar, the rust not the truck. Mine was in that condition and I got it going. You can see the before at the old site at
http://groups.msn.com/slick60sfordfseri ... lls66.msnw
and at
http://groups.msn.com/TNSlicks/wills66.msnw
To see what it looks like now go to the pictures in my album here in willy3486
[img][albumimg]311[/albumimg][/img]
http://groups.msn.com/slick60sfordfseri ... lls66.msnw
and at
http://groups.msn.com/TNSlicks/wills66.msnw
To see what it looks like now go to the pictures in my album here in willy3486
[img][albumimg]311[/albumimg][/img]
Thanks for the comments, everybody!
I've always liked Mercs and the first time I saw that giant 'M' on a truck I just knew I had to have one. The funny thing about this truck is that it sat for about 5 years between the time I first saw it and when I finally bought it. There used to be two of them sitting on the side of the road. Twins. Both red and white Mercury Custom Cabs.
My friend tried to convince me to buy one but I was still in university at the time and cash flow was an issue (to say the least!). I pondered it a while but ultimately decided it wasn't in the cards. I never did get a hold of the owner as I was convinced he'd want big money for it. A while later I noticed one had been sold. The second one disappeared some time later and I naturally assumed that it too had been sold.
Fast forward to the fall of 2005. I was finally making a decent buck and started getting the itch to finally buy a project. I spotted another uni. A green Merc, no drivetrain. The guy wanted $500 for it. Again I ponder. Again the object of my desire gets snapped up.
In December of 2005 my friend called me and announced he had found a truck for me. A red and white Mercury unibody. It was a Custom Cab with a chrome grille and bumper, he said. I asked where he had seen it. He described the location to me. "You mean the one we looked at on the way to that football game?" I asked. "Could be," he said.
We went and looked at it and sure enough it was the very same one I had seen years earlier. The owner told me the trucks had been owned by two brothers who had a plumbing business together. Mine had a pipe rack on it at one point! He also told me that the other one had been sold to someone who came up from the States with a car hauler. The buyer would have taken both trucks but he didn't have enough room on the trailer. Lucky me!
$250 later and she was mine. The seller said someone had offered him $375 for the tailgate alone.
I've always liked Mercs and the first time I saw that giant 'M' on a truck I just knew I had to have one. The funny thing about this truck is that it sat for about 5 years between the time I first saw it and when I finally bought it. There used to be two of them sitting on the side of the road. Twins. Both red and white Mercury Custom Cabs.
My friend tried to convince me to buy one but I was still in university at the time and cash flow was an issue (to say the least!). I pondered it a while but ultimately decided it wasn't in the cards. I never did get a hold of the owner as I was convinced he'd want big money for it. A while later I noticed one had been sold. The second one disappeared some time later and I naturally assumed that it too had been sold.
Fast forward to the fall of 2005. I was finally making a decent buck and started getting the itch to finally buy a project. I spotted another uni. A green Merc, no drivetrain. The guy wanted $500 for it. Again I ponder. Again the object of my desire gets snapped up.
In December of 2005 my friend called me and announced he had found a truck for me. A red and white Mercury unibody. It was a Custom Cab with a chrome grille and bumper, he said. I asked where he had seen it. He described the location to me. "You mean the one we looked at on the way to that football game?" I asked. "Could be," he said.
We went and looked at it and sure enough it was the very same one I had seen years earlier. The owner told me the trucks had been owned by two brothers who had a plumbing business together. Mine had a pipe rack on it at one point! He also told me that the other one had been sold to someone who came up from the States with a car hauler. The buyer would have taken both trucks but he didn't have enough room on the trailer. Lucky me!
$250 later and she was mine. The seller said someone had offered him $375 for the tailgate alone.
- Johnny Canuck
- Posts: 8288
- Joined: April 9, 2006, 11:14 pm
- Location: Edmonton, Alberta.
I was just going to paint the steelies and run 'em without caps for a while. I was thinking of going with chrome reverses and wide whites. Eventually. Though Merc dog dishes would be sweet.
I've got some motor issues to work out first. The bad cylinder in the pic is really bad. It's already 20 over and would probably need another 40 on top of that to clean up. I'll be needing a sleeve or a different block.
I'm pretty disappointed in that block actually. The other five cylinders are really clean. I don't think there were too many miles on the rebuild before it was parked. Pulling the head revealed an exhaust valve with a hole in it, which I think explains the buildup of goo in the #4 cylinder.
I was hoping to avoid a motor swap for the time being. Just get 'er running and go from there. I may need to find a 292 somewhere though...
I've got some motor issues to work out first. The bad cylinder in the pic is really bad. It's already 20 over and would probably need another 40 on top of that to clean up. I'll be needing a sleeve or a different block.
I'm pretty disappointed in that block actually. The other five cylinders are really clean. I don't think there were too many miles on the rebuild before it was parked. Pulling the head revealed an exhaust valve with a hole in it, which I think explains the buildup of goo in the #4 cylinder.
I was hoping to avoid a motor swap for the time being. Just get 'er running and go from there. I may need to find a 292 somewhere though...
- FORDBOYpete
- Posts: 850
- Joined: July 21, 2006, 8:30 am
- Location: East Central Florida USA
Big M
I don't envy ya all the work ahead But on the other hand, when ya "gitterdun" lots of folks including me will envy you. . . . .
You'll know your Slick as a true "Love". . . .And that's what makes these Slicks So Special.
It's a love affair with what might have been roughest, most beat truck in the world, but when you're done. you have the best, sweetest Ride around
not to mention the best feeling of all, "I did it My way. . . . "
FBp
I don't envy ya all the work ahead But on the other hand, when ya "gitterdun" lots of folks including me will envy you. . . . .
You'll know your Slick as a true "Love". . . .And that's what makes these Slicks So Special.
It's a love affair with what might have been roughest, most beat truck in the world, but when you're done. you have the best, sweetest Ride around
not to mention the best feeling of all, "I did it My way. . . . "
FBp
Change is the Only Constant
It will be a lot of work but I'm looking forward to the challenge! However, I will be having a pro handle the floor repair. My friend referred me to a coworker who does body work. He's going to install my floor, weld in the new cab mounts, build me some rockers, and fix some rust holes in the bed. Then she'll be solid.
I have done minor body work before but I want that welding done right. The rest I can do myself. I think I'll try my hand at saving my driver's side fender:
What do you guys think? Is it salvageable?
I have done minor body work before but I want that welding done right. The rest I can do myself. I think I'll try my hand at saving my driver's side fender:
What do you guys think? Is it salvageable?
- mikecarson
- Posts: 596
- Joined: July 9, 2006, 5:59 am
- Location: Richland, Texas
- Contact:
My opinion? Buy a replcement. I believe by the time you get done, a good used fender would be cheaper, if you add up the hours required.
Mike C
64 CC, Crown Vic project
62 CC
67short 94 F150, 433W
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive body, but to skid in sideways - body worn out and screaming: Woo Hoo, what a ride!"
64 CC, Crown Vic project
62 CC
67short 94 F150, 433W
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive body, but to skid in sideways - body worn out and screaming: Woo Hoo, what a ride!"
- Johnny Canuck
- Posts: 8288
- Joined: April 9, 2006, 11:14 pm
- Location: Edmonton, Alberta.
I'd look south (Southern Idaho, Utah, Southern Washington, Oregon, California) for a good Ford Uni sheetmetal body. My buddy and I road-tripped to Denver to pull a rust-free running '63 LWB big window out of Denver he got for a good price. He might even sell that one to you, then you could use the VIN tag, Merc hood sail panel, emblems and tailgate to make a good Merc.
I bet I have seen a dozen nice sheetmetal Unis in California, on Ebay in the last year go for a song, like this one http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1,1&item=170011415312&ih=007&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT.
By the time you get all those parts and bodywork done , you are gonna wish you'd done that to start, trust me.
I bet I have seen a dozen nice sheetmetal Unis in California, on Ebay in the last year go for a song, like this one http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1,1&item=170011415312&ih=007&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT.
By the time you get all those parts and bodywork done , you are gonna wish you'd done that to start, trust me.
It's a race.. Will hell freeze over or will JC finish his truck first. Stay tuned..
I've thought about that. I don't really have the resources to pull it off. No space to stash a parts truck, no car hauler or a truck to pull it, and not a whole lot of time or money for a road trip to the States.
I guess I figured it'd be a wash; any money I saved on rust repair would be eaten up by transport costs...
I guess I figured it'd be a wash; any money I saved on rust repair would be eaten up by transport costs...