1959-'60 Mercury engine source

[MrObsessive]

I picked up a VERY cleanly built 1960 Mercury Parklane two door hardtop recently, and it'll be another one of those "must do" projects that I'd like to restore and add some extra detail. What I'd like to know is if there's an engine source out there for this era Mercury that could be used? I'm not up on Merc engines for these years, and I'm in the dark as to what was what back then.

Any thoughts folks? Thanks in advance!

[Ace-Garageguy]

'58 through '60 Mercs would likely be equipped with 383 or 430 MEL engines (Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln). '59 and later also got a version of the FE engine, though there were some Y-blocks delivered in Mercuries through 1960 also.

There are a fair few FE engines around in 1/25, as I'm sure you know.

Nice Y-bocks in Revell's '57 and AMT's '56-'57 Fords, some others.

Here's more about kit-sourcing the MEL from Tim Boyd and me...

http://cs.scaleautomag.com/sca/modeling_subjects/f/30/t/100228.aspx

 

Edited September 11, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[MrObsessive]

Thanks for the info Bill! I have plenty of the FE engines in my stash to choose from, I've also have the '65 Lincoln kit that I'll check out.

Appreciate it!

[Mercuryman54]

Yep!! The 65 Lincoln engine would be correct MEL. Also I would have to look but the AMT 1958 Edsel probably have a correct MEL engine. Most all were externally the same.  All the different cubic inches was done internally. The Edsel engine is newer and more detailed than the 65 Lincoln. 

Dennis

[dodgefever]

Lesser Mercs were available with an FE, but the Park Lane came with a 430 MEL as standard.

The AMT '58 Edsel has an FE, which also looks rather undersized compared with FEs in other kits.

[MrObsessive]

Thanks for the replies fellas! Looks like I'll be rounding up the engine out of the '65 Lincoln to turn this into more than a curbside.

Here's the '60 in question.........meant to post these before, but now just loaded them onto Fotki.

As you can see it has a couple "issues".......the fender ornaments are missing, and the person that had it before, cut out the fender skirts (very cleanly I might add). I kind of like the look without the skirts, but I can make new ones and maybe make them "removable" if need be.

As far as undercarriage detail, a tweaked '60 Ford (newer tool) should work as the chassis and floor pans are very similar. These are getting oh so hard to find anymore that aren't total glue bombs!

Thanks again for the advice!

Edited September 16, 2017 by MrObsessive

[gtx6970]

Nice one.

 

I've got a clean convertible for someday project.  Just need to find stock tail.light lenses

[StevenGuthmiller]

Nice one.

 

I've got a clean convertible for someday project.  Just need to find stock tail.light lenses

Funny how these '60 Mercs always seem to have been built with those ugly "balloon" tail light lenses, even when the rest of the model was built stock.

 

Steve

[gtx6970]

Quote

Funny how these '60 Mercs always seem to have been built with those ugly "balloon" tail light lenses, even when the rest of the model was built stock.

 

Steve

Thats the way mine is. All stock except the tail lights . I'll get to it one  day here soon, at least I hope so .

 

 

Edited December 2, 2017 by gtx6970

[Mark]

Thanks for the replies fellas! Looks like I'll be rounding up the engine out of the '65 Lincoln to turn this into more than a curbside.

Here's the '60 in question.........meant to post these before, but now just loaded them onto Fotki.

As you can see it has a couple "issues".......the fender ornaments are missing, and the person that had it before, cut out the fender skirts (very cleanly I might add). I kind of like the look without the skirts, but I can make new ones and maybe make them "removable" if need be.

As far as undercarriage detail, a tweaked '60 Ford (newer tool) should work as the chassis and floor pans are very similar. These are getting oh so hard to find anymore that aren't total glue bombs!

Thanks again for the advice!

Looks like you've got '62 wheel covers also.

[MrObsessive]

Looks like you've got '62 wheel covers also.

Aaah, I wondered about those........not being up to all the details on '60 Mercs, I thought that different models had different covers. No matter though! I'll run across the proper ones as time goes on, and also a proper set of wide whites which were still en vogue for '60.

Funny how these '60 Mercs always seem to have been built with those ugly "balloon" tail light lenses, even when the rest of the model was built stock.

 

Steve

That's one of the main reasons I snatched this one up as soon as I saw it! EVERY time I'd run across these on the 'Bay, it would have those horrific balloon taillights! And they couldn't be just set in.............noooooo! There's so much glue they used that not only the taillights were ruined, but also the bumper------plating notwithstanding!

[StevenGuthmiller]

I have 2 convertibles & a hard top.

One of the convertibles & the hard top are a little rough, but restorable.

They were both built kits & they both either had the balloon tail lights or damage from them.

I finally ran across a nice unbuilt example & built it a while back.

The hard top is still on my list.

 

Steve