Author Topic: Purchased my Dream Truck last week - meet the new /old gal (Read 1231 times)

scootrd · « **on:** April 13, 2013, 04:57:05 PM »

My family decendents were originally from Canada (Acadian). Growing up I use to look at all the old black and white family photos, One of them was of my grandfathers Mercury Pick-up he drove up in Canada when visiting his family. His familiies pickup was built in Fords Windsor Ontario plant, and as a kid looking at those old family photos and that truck I knew someday I wanted to own one.

Well now in my fifties I decided if I was ever going to pull the trigger I better do it soon while Im still young enough to enjoy. So this year for my Birthday , my wife decided this was the year for us to make the leap and purchase. After much searching I made a final deal last week.

Meet the new to us old gal .

she's a 1946 Mercury M3 V8 flathead.
She's 99.5 % original , still a 6 volt
original engine professionally overhauled in early 90's

Wife and I will run her on the road for a while as a semi - weekend driver , then give her a fresh restore in a few years and ensure my nephew inherits her when I'm too old to tool around in her anymore.

Oldshooter · « **Reply #1 on:** April 13, 2013, 05:05:23 PM »

WOW! what a cool pickup. Very nice scooter! I like the color scheme too, is that original as well? Does it have the wooden bed floor.

scootrd · « **Reply #2 on:** April 13, 2013, 05:11:49 PM »

Bed was restored back sometime in the 90's but is still in great shape. Previous owner had a collection of antique vehicles and always kept her housed inside. Paint is about 10 years old (I believe) but original to village green and black scheme used on the 46 mercury and ford trucks for the time period.

Oldshooter · « **Reply #3 on:** April 13, 2013, 05:16:51 PM »

Nice ! my Dad had an old ford pickup not sure what year. He bought it new, firehydrant red(he thought the only color one should be). It had that bed floor. Brings back fond memories! Thanks for the post.

Ranger99 · « **Reply #4 on:** April 13, 2013, 06:00:23 PM »

neat!

how about some underhood and
underneath photos?

scootrd · « **Reply #5 on:** April 13, 2013, 06:29:59 PM »

Production numbers

In 1946 there was a total of 4,817 Merc trucks produced (first production year for Merc Trucks)
Of the 4,817 a total of only 2,074 were 1 ton or below (with the majority produced being 1/2 tons).

My guess would be most 1 tons like this were purchased by farmers and businesses etc.. and used as work trucks , so most probably didn't survive their years of honest use.

Given those numbers this 1 ton is a true survivor. My wife and I feel blessed to be able to own her for a while.

Ranger99 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 13, 2013, 06:35:39 PM »

that's neat.
glad to see something without being
uglied up with those ugly-a** big
wheels, or "rims" as the village idiots
call them now.
been a long time since i changed
oil in an air cleaner

or set a gap on a voltage regulator.

Sourdough · « **Reply #7 on:** April 13, 2013, 07:04:07 PM »

I remember driving through Canada and seeing Mercury trucks all over the place in Lethbridge, Calgary, Ft McCloud, and Alberta. Most of what I remember was 50s and 60s models. Seems like they were all 1/2 tons. I took note of them since I had never seen Mercury Trucks before. I was a Mercury Car Fan, during my youth.

Oldshooter · « **Reply #8 on:** April 14, 2013, 02:48:57 AM »

Looks like enough room to raise a family of four under that hood and look at the size of that alternator! I'm sitting here grunting like Tim the tool man.

spruce · « **Reply #9 on:** April 14, 2013, 03:39:36 AM »

Beautiful truck!

That's a generator - no alternators back in those days. You could actually repair it yourself when the brushes got wore down. Unlike today's vehicles, there were no "throwaway" parts back then.

vabeachman · « **Reply #10 on:** April 14, 2013, 05:47:36 AM »

That a real beauty, congratulations.

powderman · « **Reply #11 on:** April 14, 2013, 06:17:46 AM »

SCOOTRD. Beautiful, great job. POWDERMAN.

Brett · « **Reply #12 on:** April 14, 2013, 03:40:52 PM »

What a sweet ride. I have a soft spot in my heart for old trucks.

yellowtail3 · « **Reply #13 on:** April 15, 2013, 04:59:14 AM »

sweet... flathead with valves in block...

20 years ago a friend and I drove a Model A (1931) on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We went at a deliberate pace...

guzzijohn · « **Reply #14 on:** April 15, 2013, 08:08:37 AM »

It is not much fun to adjust those in block valves. That motor was rated at 110hp.
GuzziJohn

Ranger99 · « **Reply #15 on:** April 15, 2013, 09:28:52 AM »

when i first started in the automotive industry
30+ years ago, i worked with an elderly gent
that knew how to work on flatheads. he had a
49 or 50 model that would burn the tires as
long as you wanted to keep your foot on the gas.
he could adjust valves and time one i would guess
faster than some present day techs could get
valve covers off a modern wagon having to remove
hoses and pollution garbage,etc.
of course, he had the knowledge and experience
and all the correct tools.

coyotejoe · « **Reply #16 on:** April 15, 2013, 12:00:55 PM »

"Flatheads Forever"

magooch · « **Reply #17 on:** April 16, 2013, 05:33:34 AM »

Per Allan Jackson: Gonna buy me a Mercury and cruise it up and down the road.

Mr. Jackson wasn't singing about a truck, but what the heck? Does that truck have a radio?

yellowtail3 · « **Reply #18 on:** April 16, 2013, 06:15:58 AM »

I cruised to work in a Mercury this morning...

ironglow · « **Reply #19 on:** April 16, 2013, 08:32:28 AM »

That's a beautiful truck Scoot! Being a Merc, it is probably the 85 hp, rather than the 60hp.. Just beautiful though.. At first the different grille work surprised me, but not for long. Living near the Canadian border, I can recall the cars had slightly different trim and different model names.
Correct me if i am wrong, but I believe the Pontiacs were called "Acadian"...and Mercurys were called "Monarch"..

scootrd · « **Reply #20 on:** April 16, 2013, 02:40:28 PM »

Quote from: ironglow on April 16, 2013, 08:32:28 AM

That's a beautiful truck Scoot! Being a Merc, it is probably the 85 hp, rather than the 60hp.. Just beautiful though.. At first the different grille work surprised me, but not for long. Living near the Canadian border, I can recall the cars had slightly different trim and different model names.
Correct me if i am wrong, but I believe the Pontiacs were called "Acadian"...and Mercurys were called "Monarch"..

In 1946 Ford and Mercury truck engines were almost identical., 69Y's for 1 tons. Aluminum cylinder heads, Ford adopted Mercurys Bore and stroke (prior to 46 Ford and merc flatheads had different bore and stroke). The bell housing was cast as part of the block. The valves were moved up slightly from earlier versions to 100 degrees apart which changed the valve timing so the cam was changed as well. The fan was also moved up to avoid less water spray over the engine in wet weather.

The merc 46 flathead designated for 1 tons generated approx 100 HP with approx 166 lbs of torque.

pastorp · « **Reply #21 on:** April 18, 2013, 12:25:21 AM »

scootrd,

Thanks for such a nice story. I'm the mist of all the complaining & bad news your beautiful truck, pictures, & story stands tall. I was encouraged & refreshed upon the reading.

Thanks for sharing,

JonnyReb · « **Reply #22 on:** April 18, 2013, 02:04:23 AM »

What a beautiful old Truck Scooter

. Sure enjoyed the story behind it too. I'll bet every time you fire it up its an adventure about to begin, and hopefully will remain such for generations to come. Thanks for posting about her. J

Bugflipper · « **Reply #23 on:** April 18, 2013, 02:32:04 PM »

I didn't know there were ever any trucks badged as mercury. That's a good looking one for sure.

williamlayton · « **Reply #24 on:** April 18, 2013, 08:41:10 PM »

I really love it when a plan and a project come together.
Good going !
Blessings

Old Fart · « **Reply #25 on:** April 19, 2013, 04:11:00 AM »

Quote from: Bugflipper on April 18, 2013, 02:32:04 PM

I didn't know there were ever any trucks badged as mercury. That's a good looking one for sure.

For what is's worth Robert Redford drives a later model mecury (60's?) pickup in the movie "An Unfinished Life."

ironglow · « **Reply #26 on:** April 19, 2013, 04:59:24 PM »

I find pickup trucks so very interesting..no matter how new or old.. I regret the recent moves by the auto industry to drop the truly compact pickups. I traded in my last Ranger about a year ago and right now might be interested in a new pickup..but only if I can get one th eold Ranger size or smaller.
That being said; Here are some old pickups, some off them in my past:

First the Mercurys; one shown like Scoots: http://zumann.com/mercury-truck.html

Then the Nash trucks (Forerunner of American Motors) http://southernclassic.tripod.com/id22.html

Then the Hudson trucks; I used to drive one as a service truck..It would do zero to 60.. in about 5 minutes flat..but not on an upgrade or into the wind.

http://www.classictruckshop.com/clubs/hudson/hudsonnut/TruckPage/hudsontruckpage.htm

Now for more pics:

scootrd · « **Reply #27 on:** April 19, 2013, 05:18:02 PM »

I find beauty in old rusty trucks, antique farm equip, barns and field stone walls.

I can spend days in rural junkyards.

I love this photographers work , check out some of his picks

http://www.pbase.com/impalass/the_tony_gervais_collection

IG on the Hudson link you posted down the bottom is a 37 Terraplane. I sat in that exact same model when I was living in Atlanta. My friend and neighbor Ted was restoring one. Took him 30 years but now complete. He takes it too the GA antique shows.

I've always had a soft spot for diamond T

Lots of folks also don't know MACK produced a mack JR Pickup for 2 years 37-38 (REO's with Mack badge-ing)

ironglow · « **Reply #28 on:** April 19, 2013, 05:26:01 PM »

Then there were the European models; So many models . When I lived in Europe in the mid 1960s, there were a plethora of models of both cars and trucks, each quite interesting. Upon arrival home, i came within inches of buying one of those VW Kombi types. The versatility was amazing ..flat bed with drop sides, much tool storage below the deck between engine (in rear of course) and the cab.
Even the original Minis came in pickups and panels..and if you look at the photo closely, you can see the "Mini-Moke" a quasi-military FWD vehicle

scootrd · « **Reply #29 on:** April 19, 2013, 05:43:35 PM »

I saw a dodge sweptside in NH last year

and Chevy cameo in Stowe VT last year