Hot Day In July

Its -20F and high wind chill out there right now so its time to be reminded of summer time hot days when I could take an evening crop tour in the old Merc with the window open. Turn on the  vintage "Eskimo" fan for some cool air. I recorded this way back in July of 2021 but just edited it here on Feb 3 of 2022. 

Engine Lift

Yes, just another boring update on the engine lift I'm trying out on the Mercury flathead engine. Going against the advice and recommendations of the folks on the ford barn forum, I just had to try it out. I can see where the 3 wheel design could be a little unstable compared to 4. So I very carefully attached it and kept the chain hoist attached as well just in case disaster should strike and the whole thing tip over causing injury to myself or wreck a valuable engine.
It reminds me of years ago when most ATV manufacturers were selling three wheeled vehicles. After a few people were injured when these dangerous three wheelers tipped over, mostly due to operator inexperience or careless driving, the 3 wheel design was dropped. And 4 wheelers replaced them. Safer? A bit, yet we still hear of accidents and injuries involving 4 wheelers.
I've been driving one of those dangerous and unpredictable 3 wheelers for maybe 15 years now without incident. In most cases it seems to be the nut that holds the wheel, or in this case, the handlebars, that is the weak link. I'm hoping my luck holds out with the engine lift. So far it looks good.

The M68 Mercury

I thought it was about time for a new youtube video from Roosty6. This old Mercury truck belonged to my uncles and last ran over 40 years ago. Its home now but I have not made much progress on it yet.

I Saved 147 Dollars

At least that is what statistics say and they don't usually lie. The average guy spent $147 on his wife/girlfriend/significant other for Valentine's day this year. So not having any of those I now have some extra cash to spend on something.  Maybe a Phantom drone similar to the one used shooting this amazing snow pushing video shot this January in Washington state.
Or maybe new brake cylinders for the "legendary Mercury"?

In other news, it is raining in some parts of Oregon according to weather forecaster Bud E. Shepherd.
Sask . weather continues above normal temps and below normal snow. I don't hear anybody complaining.

The Things You Find

When you are looking for something else. I figured the bill of sale for the 52 Mercury was long gone but guess what I turned up today? Its all there right down to the serial number. Only thing missing is the mileage.

Surprising to see you could buy a good used 7 year old Mercury for $800 in 1959. Although using the inflation calculator from the bank of Canada that sum would be equal to $6529.03 in 2015. But that $800 was pretty hard to come up with in 1959 as the document indicates a $300 down payment and the balance financed through GMAC payable one year from the date of purchase. Money was scarce raising a family on a small farm in those days.

Starting The New Year Right

Beautiful , unseasonal winter weather. Getting together with family and friends for some outdoor fun and a great meal. Not bad.
Shooting and blowing up things out on the ice. Great scenery with just enough snow and ice to play in but not enough to shovel or start a tractor to move.

Sunshine and smoke out on the ice.

And even got in a few tours with the Merc. Looking good on Jan. 1 , 2016.

The Mercury in Winter

No doubt inquiring minds are wondering just how the rusty old 52 Merc is coming along. So I did a walk around video of it yesterday when I had it out for a winter drive. Just a short run up and down the driveway in the morning before the temperatures got high enough to make the ground wet. Those big old well worn Michelins on the back don't have much traction on the little bit of snow we have.
I cheat a little at starting and use 12 volts to the solenoid by passing the rest of the electrical system. The old six volt system is a little weak on a cold morning after it has sat for a week and the carburetor has drained. I need to work on that but am reluctant to start on it and maybe make it worse.
Anyway, it is light years ahead of where it was this time last year. Sitting out in the snow with a trash filled interior and a non running engine. It starts and drives and that straight piped flathead V8 exhaust sound is music to my ears.

44 Years Apart

Two photos of the same car in the same location 44 years apart. The large one taken this past weekend. The small inset was in the winter of 1970-71. The old Mercury sat in retirement as Dad had been unable to start it no matter what he tried. Burnt valves, low compression and a weak six volt starting system were a bad combination. The exterior and interior were pretty nice but the engine was showing it's age. In the background sits the old shack, grandfather's homestead cabin built in 1903. Beside it the chassis of the 1946 Ford truck being gradually stripped down to the frame to eventually be converted into a very excellent single axle trailer.

CO2 and EMPs

Been running my old CO2 spewing vehicle again yesterday. The 52 Merc needed a road test to see if the timing adjustment and points gap widening helped. I don't think so as it made it almost impossible to start without resorting to a 12 volt battery. I did a re-set  which helped. Drives pretty nice once its running, almost like its 1952 again. Except for the the yellow fields of canola all around.

Apparently old vehicles like the Mercury will survive and operate just fine in the event of an EMP (electro magnetic pulse) that would disable all computer controlled devices. Better get the tin foil helmet too , just in case. More EMP stuff
On the positive side I am helping to reduce my carbon footprint as this week I bought a new energy efficient freezer. After 40 some years the old Gilson was still freezing but running continuous and producing so much heat on the outside that it literally warmed up the room. Fine in winter maybe but a waste of energy and fire hazard in the summer.
Here is the new Frigidaire still sitting in the back of my truck this week.

That flax in the background is starting to bloom nicely. It might turn out pretty well if the hail and frost don't get it. Another inch+ of rain overnight. More than we needed.. I've had the sprayer sitting full of water for a week waiting for suitable conditions to spray the last of the chem fallow. Looks like I waited too long. Cutting hay? Forget about it. Glad its still standing at this point.

Dreams Come True

No, nothing that exciting. For years I had occasional recurring dreams of driving a rusty old car from my youth. Not restored to showroom beauty, just driveable enough that when I pushed the starter button and stepped on the gas it would go. The 52 Mercury my dad drove through the 1960s. The Merc chose to retire in the fall of 69 just absolutely refusing to start in spite of all the usual tricks and remedies. It sat for a few years before my brother, the real mechanic in the family, removed and rebuilt the engine bringing the old car back to life for a while. It went back into retirement soon after and sat rusting away in "outdoor storage".
Last fall for some reason I was inspired to haul the old car out of the bush and start working on it to see if there was any hope of it moving under it's own power again.
Winter in Sask. is not conducive to working outdoors on an old vehicle so it literally took all winter before the day came that the old flathead engine fired up and ran, briefly and with much smoke. That was a giant step forward and inspired me to go further.
A few sheets of salvaged galvanized metal to patch the holes in the floor. Some new (used) tires to hold it up. Blow out the shredded interior with air compressor and leaf blower. Remove the raccoon destroyed rear seat and throw an old horse blanket over the driver seat for some reason made me think of this scene from one of my favourite movies, Pulp Fiction A major exterior clean up with rags, diesel fuel and steel wool had the surviving paint and chrome looking much improved and all at pretty near zero cost.
April 9 the ground was dry enough for a test run. Sunshine, blue sky and the sound of an unrestricted flathead engine running on all 8 (most of the time). Driving a car with no brakes is when you really appreciate that half mile long driveway.  It was literally a dream come true.
Who knows whats next?

More On The Mercury

I'm sure loyal readers have been wondering when I will ever get around to actually trying to start this old Merc . Today, March 15, I was so inspired as it was mostly sunny with the temp relatively warm at 40 degrees. And since I had nothing more important to do I set the wheels in motion for a test start. This old flathead Merc has been sitting in the woods for over 30 years so I did not have high hopes of it actually running. After un-sticking numerous stuck valves I was able to get compression on 7 out of 8 cylinders. Guess that last cylinder is going to need a little more "un-sticking". Rig up a temporary gas tank and set a huge tractor battery in the box to supply cranking power (its a six volt system) and proceed.
Of course I shot some video just in case anything exciting happened.

Put Away The Combine

I think the time has come to unhitch, clean up and park the combine in the shed after this scenic snowscape greeted me this morning . Short days, damp weather and poor drying are not going to let those last few acres of flax  dry in the field.

Funny, I was just thinking yesterday as I carefully picked my way through the field with the tractor and harrows that the last thing we need is more precipitation of any kind. I am literally "losing ground" as can be seen in each consecutive trip over the fields. The ruts I left in the soft ground with the combine a few weeks ago now have water in them which has come up from below. The sloughs that were full of water are now running over to the next one. Today's snow will add to the problem. The municipal pump has finally been shut down this week in preparation for freeze up. The pump, literally running for weeks (months?)  has kept the water level down on one of our major grid roads but heavy winter snow could put us right back where we were by spring.
In other news, in the tradition of Mr Toad I hauled another "classic" out of the woods last week while waiting for the ground to "dry" from the latest precipitation. This 52 Merc has been here for over 50 years and has spent the last 40 or so in outdoor "storage" so it has suffered the ravages of our harsh climate (and raccoons)
It has rust holes in the floor, not quite like Fred Flintstone's car but pretty bad. From the floor up it is not bad at all and should not take much to make into a "runner". At this point I am still in the assessing stage while I clean up the mess inside. It certainly has patina .