|
|
Post by octanefam on May 8, 2010 14:58:06 GMT -5
I will try to make this short as possible just pretty d**n excited at this moment!!! So I just recieved a phone call from my Grandmother offering me my Grandfathers 1963 Mercury Meteor!!! I don't know a lot about it but it's in really good condition and the car was orginally my Great Grandfathers car. Car has not been driven for probably at least the last 10 years or so could be longer. There are a lot of questions that I still have to ask my Grandmother. I will try to attach some photos that I took last summer with it sitting in the garage. I'm in Washington State and the car is in Northern California so it looks like I'm taking a road trip sooner than I thought. Good thing I got a big truck and access to a 24' enclosed trailer!!!! I just want to start a list of things that I need to do to the car as far as getting it started once I bring it up to WA. So please let me know what I need to do as my post mentions complete newbie to restoring and owning an almost 50 yr old car.       Thank you Todd |
|
|
|
Post by arie on May 8, 2010 17:24:38 GMT -5
Very very nice car. Enjoy it. Am sure that there is lots of information that some of us will share with you.
|
|
|
|
Post by johnc118 on May 8, 2010 20:24:11 GMT -5
Awesome looks like a true survivor!
You may want to rethink the enclosed trailer.unless its made just for hauling cars.
Uhaul dolly will work fine or the full car trailer.
Change the oil, check water level in rad.
Drain the fuel tank and flush. I would probably pull the tank and have a radiator shop clean it.
Fresh gas and a 24F new battery.
Check the wiring for frays and then remove the coil wire and crank it over for 15 seconds, allow to sit another 15 seconds and repeat the cranking. this will oil up the motor. You may wish to do this until you see the oil pressure gauge move.
Once this does move, a little bit of 87 oct gas in the carb and crank with the coil wire in place.
Be sure and use a lead substitute in the gas and a oil with ZDDP, Castrol Racing oil is good. This will help keep bearing from galling.
If it starts five gallons the cleaned tank and repeat until the car runs on its own, then you can see where you are at.
Believe it or not many times the old gaskets in auto-lite carbs are fine.. If not its a very simple carb to rebuild with a kit.
Good luck and keep us posted. thats one sweet assed car!! You are one lucky person!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by Meteorgirl on May 8, 2010 21:28:43 GMT -5
Awesome car.
John has pretty much summed up all the things you should go for a successful first start and run. If you can’t find the Castrol racing oil, plus it's kinda expensive, use any diesel rated oil like Pennzoil Long Life Gold or Shell Rotella T as they have all the Zinc that engine needs. Just look on the bottle for the API spec and make sure it says it still meets SH, SK or SL as well as the new SM spec. If it just says SM, DON'T USE IT. The SM spec on it’s own does not have any zinc in it. Most all diesel oils still have zinc because it’s required for many of the Cat, Cummings and Volvo diesel specs. Do not use any modern synthetic oil. The info we have is that there is no big brand synthetic oil that contains any zinc. Of course you can always use additives that contain it but why spend the extra cash if good oil is still available.
|
|
|
|
Post by Meteorgirl on May 8, 2010 21:36:04 GMT -5
Oh, and don't take the comment about the gas tank to lightly. Ask anyone that has restored an old car and NOT at least flushed and rinsed ouit the old tank about the myriad of problems that keep popping up everytime a piece of crap thats sitting somewhere in the tank or old lines comes loose and fouls the carb needles or metering circuits.
Advice. put a good inline fuel filter in the line. Before the pump will keep any crap from the pump and carb. Between the pump and carb will at least keep it out of the carb. If the car has an original fuel pump that has a screw on fuel filter canister, you're in luck. Those work good, just replace the element before firing it up.
|
|
|
|
Post by 62meatier on May 8, 2010 22:19:05 GMT -5
Well, at least I know what my 62 looked like on the inside at one point. Nice car, I wish mine was in as good of shape.
|
|
|
|
Post by w2zero on May 8, 2010 22:54:09 GMT -5
Great looking car. Were in WA are ye?
|
|
|
|
Post by octanefam on May 9, 2010 1:47:50 GMT -5
Great looking car. Were in WA are ye? I'm in Puyallup where are you at? As far as the trailer yeah it's an enclosed 24' featherlite car trailer so that's what we will use. I'm still in the process of getting more info from my Grandmother on the car so more details will follow. It either has 21xxx miles or 121xxx miles I'm going with the 121xxx but I will ask her tomorrow when I talk to her. We will be draining the fuel and sending the tank off to cleaned and flushed. Are there any other good websites to access more information regarding the Meteor's? What is the the difference between the 2 door sedan and the 2 door sedan "custom"? Thanks |
|
|
|
Post by ca on May 9, 2010 2:31:17 GMT -5
quote"Are there any other good websites to access more information regarding the Meteor's?"
most everybody on this site owns a 62-63 Meteor. i assembled mine from lots of boxes full of parts and most here have completely rebuilt every part on their car PLUS we have a member(arie) that useta build Meteors on the assembly line= hard to find a better source of info but i'm sure there is some info out there somewhere. if you are askin value wise kind of info then you're gonna be disappointed cause there isn't a huge Meteor following out there so they don't command a lot of money and most peeps never heard of one. you will get compliments EVERYWHERE you though!!!
custom trim ... uhh i forgot but someone will chime in with the info. mines a 62 custom and my nephew has a 63 custom.
very sweet lookin car! looks like that heater hose may be weeping/shot and wondering what the wiring connection is near/under the air cleaner on the drivers side. resistor? amplifier? timing retard unit from 60s/70s? anybody else know?
|
|
|
|
Post by ca on May 9, 2010 2:36:49 GMT -5
oh yeah, hope yours isn't stored too close to a beach area. mine was and the salt in the air didn't do the bottoms of the cylinders on a fresh rebuild any good at all= pitted and have burned 4 pistons over time.
|
|
|
|
Post by octanefam on May 9, 2010 8:06:26 GMT -5
Car lived most of it's life in Redwood City always garaged and then has been in at the cabin east of Sacarmento(sp) for the last 20 years and hardly driven while there. When I took the pictures I wasn't looking for rust as i didn't know I would be getting it so soon!
As far as the value goes yeah i have noticed that there isn't alot of command for the car but I don't plan on selling. I just wanted the car to stay in the family!!!!
Thanks for all the great information so far keep it coming.
Todd
|
|
|
|
Post by arie on May 9, 2010 8:25:37 GMT -5
John has given a lot of good advice. There are a couple of things to add to them. Before starting the engine undo the fan belt and spin the generator, waterpump and power steering pump around by hand to make sure they are free. Other item you might do is that before you try starting it is to pull the plugs and squirt a little oil in the cylinders. Turn the engine over and let it sit over night and then try to start it.
|
|
|
|
Post by johnc118 on May 9, 2010 8:28:27 GMT -5
Ground wire for the coil?  Is that the power steering hose running up and over the motor? |
|
|
|
Post by arie on May 9, 2010 8:28:43 GMT -5
CA it looks like someone has added a resistor to the system.
For the power steering it may be the system that increased the RPM's when steering was cranked over. Haven't seen that system in use for years
|
|
|
|
Post by w2zero on May 9, 2010 15:09:09 GMT -5
Puyallup! Minutes away from my dump in Ruston where the politics are almost as toxic as the old smelter site. Another site that has a lot of tech for the Meteor is the Fairlane club site. The 62/63 Meteor is built on the 62/65 Fairlane platform and shares a lot of parts. www.fairlaneclubofamerica.com/ |
|
