need dd advice. (63 merc)

[ezernut9mm]

i am looking into this as my dd. is the merc o matic a two or three speed trans? or was that a generic term like cruise o matic or ford o matic? what kind of gas mileage did the small windsors get? i would assume a 2 something rear gear if it was a three speed. any input?

http://stjoseph.craigslist.org/cto/3723671703.html

[Gritsngumbo]

Chris: Nice looking car. This might help a bit:
http://www.hagerty.com/price-guide/1963-Mercury-Meteor

[ICEMAN6166]

nice car, i like it

yes merc-o-matic is the merc version of ford-o-matic
221 is the smallest windsor, the other option that year was 260.
289 came out in 64
i have had a few of the 260s and they were pretty decent drivers

btw the merc looks fairly comparable in size to my 64 rambler, i have 327 4v with 3,15 rear and get 15-16 , so that should be better.

[bmcgc]

That pushbutton radip would be awesome in a Slick.

[Greg D]

DD, or whatever.
I probably would not own anything newer than about 1969 and better if it's 66 or older if I had my choice.

[slick4x4]

[quote="Greg D"]DD, or whatever.
I probably would not own anything newer than about 1969 and better if it's 66 or older if I had my choice.


I don't know Greg...... Them 1966 computers might not cut it now-a-days.....

[36truck]

I have a 2 door 63 Meteor. Very nice cars same platform as the Fairlane. I'm thinking about a late model 302 & AOD as a good driver combo.

[Toyz]

As Brian stated, it is a Fordamatic 2 speed. I would expect the gearing to be 3.00; possibly a 2.75. The only caveat to me is the five bolt bellhousing. If the transmission should crater, it probably would be hard to find a replacement. Same situation with the engine; 'course the later 6 bolt 289/302/351 and a C4 are readily at home in the little Merc.
IIRC, the 221 was a very slight improvement over the 200, just a little smoother, really no additional power. I can't give you any gas mileage info; at 19 cents a gallon; it wasn't a concern even for a poor boy like me.
Pat , I remember playing "Sub Warfare" with a glass-enclosed mainframe the size of a room; no monitor, you got a paper print-out of your "moves". No telling how much our rudimentary game-playing cost the university!
Paul

[bmcgc]

The tranny is still out there, I would pick up a spare if you buy the car and decide to keep the 221.

[Godlover]

There was a really solid 2 dr daily driver southern Iowa a few days ago for $1500. I see the ad is deleted. It would have been great to get a 2 dr.

[F7BIGJOB]

http://providence.craigslist.org/search ... k=&maxAsk=

[Alan Mclennan]

going by Geralds post they hold their price fairly well!, but I`d hold out for a Turnpike!

[LM14]

Never shy away from a 5 bolt bell. You can put a C4 on a 5 bolt bell very easily, that is what I had in my '57 F100. Engine and bell were '64 289 and tranny was a '72 put on the 5 bolt bell from the original 2 speed tranny. Not a big deal.

SPark

[Toyz]

Now you got me confused, Spark!
I have never encountered a Fordomatic, (or Mercomatic) , in a Falcon/Fairlane, Comet/ Meteor that was not the one piece aluminum 2 speed, not the older CI case which really was a three-speed. Thus, to my knowledge, it would be tough to swap the bell housing! It's an OK trans, just not capable of withstanding much torque, which is OK behind a 221. Yep, the C4 can be easily substituted once you obtain the five bolt bell. There are admittedly some around, maybe even some clones, but they were 2-3 year production. The Fordomatic is equally rare with about the same production span for the V8's.
Not a big deal for me, I can easily put my hands on both bell and one piece Fordomatic; as I said, just a little caveat for Chris, who probably is well aware of all the details anyway. They ARE somewhat rare, thus they usually are not cheap.
Personally, if the situation arose around my house, it wouldn't be a problem; both sides would require six bolts ; (unless, of course, it were an ultra-concourse early Tiger,and, yes I am aware they never came with a Fordomatic!).
I hate to admit, but I HAVE put my hands on an XK140 with a three-speed Fordomatic, and a Y-block!
Paul

[LM14]

I am no tranny expert. All I know is that when I got my '64 289 it had a 2 speed Fordomatic (so called by the guy that did my tranny work) and he put in a 3 speed valve body from a C4. It hooked up using C4 shifter parts and worked as a 3 speed for a few weeks. We then found a crack in the case (it wouldn't stay in 3rd gear) and he told me to grab any C4 and he would put that behind the 5 bolt bell. I got it back and it worked. I gave him a '72 C4 to mate with the 5 bolt bell. It bolted on a little different. The original 2 speed with the C4 valve body fit flush and the '72 had a lip all around the bolt area but they did bolt together, I think it was the pump bolts that went thru the bell if i remember correctly.

Maybe it is a different tranny but that is what he called it. It was an aluminum case 2 speed with a bolt on bell we started with.

SPark

[Greg D]

DD, or whatever.
I probably would not own anything newer than about 1969 and better if it's 66 or older if I had my choice.


I don't know Greg...... Them 1966 computers might not cut it now-a-days.....

I was talking cars Pat, lol.
There is some things about the newer EFI stuff I am just tired of dealing with.

[Greg D]

I have a 2 door 63 Meteor. Very nice cars same platform as the Fairlane. I'm thinking about a late model 302 & AOD as a good driver combo.

That would be perfect, good power & torque with the roller motor.
In a light car they are in the 30 MPG range on the highway at 55 or so.
Driven right with the higher gears a 5.0 Fox Mustang can get that kind of mileage.
Nobody thinks so cause nobody drives them like that though.