[Virgil & Sue Klein]

If you are going for an original look then the tread design might be important to you. My personal feeling is that as long as the tire acts like a radial it is OK. I run Firestone radials on my ’55 with narrow whites. I am not that concerned about the originality of the look but I personally like the black between the rim and the whitewall.

[Virgil & Sue Klein]

Hi John and welcome to IMOA. We look forward to seeing your Park Lane at an upcoming IMOA event. Louisville in July 2016 comes to mind. I assume you know the size of tire you want. Any good tire store can help you with the change in dimension from SAE to metric. I would personally suggest a good radial tire for handling and safety reasons. That leads to a bit of a problem since you want wide whites (WW). The one tire maker that would make such a thing (that I am aware of) is Coker tires. They have available just about any size radial in a wide white. Be prepared for a bit of “sticker shock” when you price them but they do a made a quality product and are well known for that. Good luck with your project.

[Virgil & Sue Klein]

I would guess the problem is not with the flasher as it works OK with the right side. If the bulbs are good the problem is no doubt a lack of ground on the left side. Unfortunately I have no idea where the flasher is on a ’66.

[Virgil & Sue Klein]

After some quick investigating (and without a picture) I think the hubcap you have is for the ’39 to ’42 era. I found a good picture of a ’39 hubcap and it is exactly as you describe and only covers the center of the wheel thus the 8″ diameter.

[Virgil & Sue Klein]

Apologies to all on my previous post. I misread the chart I was using. The rear end gear ratio for cars with overdrive in 1950 was 4.27. Sorry ’bout that.

[Virgil & Sue Klein]

John is absolutely correct in his analysis. I was able to find the rear gear ratio for your car and it would be the 3.92 from the factory.

[Virgil & Sue Klein]

Thanks to everyone who brought their Mercs out to Arapahoe Park this past Sunday in Golden, CO. There were about 30 Mercurys at the show. Many thanks to Carlos Vera who helped organize the event.

[Virgil & Sue Klein]

Access is easier if you turn the wheels completely to the right. The steering linkage will then be out of the way.

[Virgil & Sue Klein]

Check with C&G Early Ford Parts in Escondido, CA. They show a worm gear for your car with the same part number for the ’56. Good luck with your repair.

[Virgil & Sue Klein]

Welcome to IMOA Simon. Glad to have you as a member especially with a ’55. Mine is a two door hardtop. I have never seen the headlight bezels on a ’55 with the chrome finish as on the Freemans. That is not to say they are not correct. I would suggest you contact the Freemans using the contact information in the membership directory on the website. That car is so perfect that I cannot imagine Mercury not having those bezels available. Are you making the very long trek from Orlando to our show in Spearfish, SD in August? It would be great to see you there.

[Virgil & Sue Klein]

Kent,

Assuming you have an automatic transmission the back up light switch is part of the neutral (safety/start) switch located on top of the steering column just toward the fire wall from where the wires exit the column from the steering wheel area. There should be a curved fixture screwed to the steering column. I believe the fixture is made of “bakelite”. The two female connectors on that fixture toward the passenger side are for the neutral safety switch. There should be two female connectors on the driver’s side of the fixture that are for the back up lights. There should be a hot wire to one side and then the other side’s wire runs to the back up lights. When you move the shift lever it lines up contacts with the contacts on the fixture on the steering column and the circuit is completed. It is actually a very simple system. Not to confuse things but some folks have rotated the fixture so that the back up lite contacts line up with the Park shift position so the car will start in Park and then the old neutral start contacts become the back up light contacts.

[Virgil & Sue Klein]

Should have also mentioned Dennis Carpenter. They advertise in Quicksilver. Check out their website for your mirror parts as well.

[Virgil & Sue Klein]

Archie,

Check with Dearborn Classics. They seem to specialize in the cars from the 60s especially Galaxie (big Merc). I looked on their website and did see an outside mirror that came with the gasket. Don’t know if that would meet your needs but you can certainly check it out. I have worked with them in the past and they are very helpful. Phone is 800-252-7427. Good luck.

[Virgil & Sue Klein]

First thing I would be sure of is that this is the dipstick original to the car. Don’t know exactly why your dipstick shows so differently based on the way you “stick it in”. I think I would use some middle point between the two readings as the oil level. Certainly by following the refill recommendations in the BOOK you won’t be hurting anything. The dipstick in my ’55 with a 292 isn’t the most accurate thing either.

[Virgil & Sue Klein]

I contacted my nephew, Eddie Klein, who is quite familiar with these engines for help with this. The hydraulic lifters are not adjustable and will be noisy if the engine has been sitting for awhile. The “ticking” noise is not uncommon in this situation. He suggests using Rislone oil treatment and a lighter weight (thinner) oil for awhile. Assume you have changed the oil and filter.

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