1962 Mercury Monterey Project

I was stalled for a week or so. Life is like that sometimes - too many obligations or chores or just opportunties for distraction. So I went a whole week without touching the car. In my head, I had planned to borrow the hoist & stand from Doug a week ago, and that was what I was going to do next. But even though other stuff kept getting in the way of that objective, I just didn't go to the next things on my list. A couple of nice things did happen to me in the middle of the week. My friend John offered to do some 3D modelling for some of the trim parts. Namely the 'after burner' tail lenses. He sent me one of his models and I printed the shell just to see. They are so cool !! If you want to nit pick, they have lots of things that can and probably will be adjusted before I resin cast an actual part, but I think it is super neat to be able to design, print and test fit a prototype. Additionally Dave dropped off some gifts for the project. He loaned me a very nice angle gr...

When we started this project we thought there would be rust to deal with. I assumed I would use my wit and skill and strength to remove it or convert it from the parts. I understood the concept of using a wire brush and a wire wheel to scrub the rust away. We really have no idea what we have gotten into. My engine is still not turning with a wrench, but I don't care because when I hoist it out I will drop the oil pan, remove the crank, and tap-a-tap the pistons out the bottom. One way or another, those guys are coming out of there. My problem is actually that the transmission bolts are stuck to the mount. And the mount bolts are stuck to the cross member. And the cross member bolts are stuck to the frame. So - while I wait for the miracle of penetrating oil and seismic activity to do its job - or until I break down and buy an impact wrench - there is LOTS of stuff to clean. I went after my grease covered valve covers. I used my homemade 3D printed scrapers on them. Grease is amazin...

 Catfish Hunter that is. He is quoted as saying [the sun don't shine on the same dog's butt everyday]. Or maybe the phrase is [even a blind squirrel never finds a nut sometimes]. My favorite is [the race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all]. I set out today with the ambition to remove the transmission. I ended the day with the transmisson where it was at the beginning and covered in rust. The transmission is held to a mount with 2 bolts that go into threads on the transmission body. The mount is held by 3 bolts to a cross member. You get to the bolts for the transmission by way of two holes in the cross member. I figured that out as I worked. I did not see the transmission bolts at first, so I started with the ones on the mount - they turned quickly enough, but then I realized they are a bolt and a nut - I was just spinning the bolt on the top s...