What would you do with a free '57 Monteclair?

[cheapthrillz]

My grandpa is trying to GIVE me his '57 Mercury Monteclair 4dr orange and white. He's getting tired of storing it and looking at it. He won the car in a raffle in 1957 and has only put a little over 40k miles on it. The car is in prestine condition! He had seatcovers put on it when he got it. I peeled one back, and the original seats looks spectacular! This this is a BOAT! It even has the push button gear selector.... I don't know what to tell him. If I get it, we will want me to put it to good use and not sell it.

What would you do with it?

[frankenstang]

Keep it as is and put a set of wheels on it. Cruise the hell out of that beast. You will get mad props at shows for having a survivor car.

I would just do the basics, like gaskets for oil leaks and make sure the carb is in good shape.

Modern wheels and tires will make it more fun to drive. Hell you can just put some period correct torque-thrusts or something to that effect on it.

We need pics BTW.

I found a similar car?

http://carnut.com/cgi-bin/image.pl?/show/all98/all112.jpg

[scogin918]

Make the wife and kids happy and take them out cruising. Speaking of grandparents, mine live in Greenwood too. I also have family in 96, Clinton, Laurens, Joanna, etc...

Have a burger at the Dixie and a hot dog at The Rough House for me.

[cheapthrillz]

Keep it as is and put a set of wheels on it. Cruise the hell out of that beast. You will get mad props at shows for having a survivor car.

I would just do the basics, like gaskets for oil leaks and make sure the carb is in good shape.

Modern wheels and tires will make it more fun to drive. Hell you can just put some period correct torque-thrusts or something to that effect on it.

We need pics BTW.

I found a similar car?

http://carnut.com/cgi-bin/image.pl?/show/all98/all112.jpg

The car looks just like the one in your picture except for it is orange with a white top. I like your idea tho. I think it would make a great cruiser!

[cheapthrillz]

Make the wife and kids happy and take them out cruising. Speaking of grandparents, mine live in Greenwood too. I also have family in 96, Clinton, Laurens, Joanna, etc...

Have a burger at the Dixie and a hot dog at The Rough House for me.

Really! Who are they? Im sure my dad knows them.... he knows everybody. No wife and kids yet, but one day that would be a lot of fun. I am still in college (Clemson - Go Tigers!).

[scogin918]

Richard and Evelyn Fennell and my uncles Kenneth and Curtis Fennell (they both graduated from Clemson). They live over in Westgate down from Corley's grocery store. He used to work for Siebel Bruce insurance and she used to work at The Diasy shoe store back when it was open. Great town, Greenwood.

[cheapthrillz]

Richard and Evelyn Fennell and my uncles Kenneth and Curtis Fennell (they both graduated from Clemson). They live over in Westgate down from Corley's grocery store. He used to work for Siebel Bruce insurance and she used to work at The Diasy shoe store back when it was open. Great town, Greenwood.

Fennell sounds very familiar. I live in Chinquapin just down from Corley's off of Chinquapin Road. Greenwood is pretty nice. I've lived here for all 21 years of my life.

[mpozzi]

I second what Frankenstang said. Just do a good maintenance (LOF, check for leaks, replace all hoses and belts (including brake flex lines), replace brake fluid, etc.). What a cool car and I'd love to have something like that just to drive around in. So what if it's a Grandpa car ... as it actually was.

Enjoy it and your grandpa will score a ten on the grinmeter every time he sees you doing just that. And don't sell it ...

Cheers,
Mary Pozzi

[IMPALAMAN1]

WORKING ON A 55 MY SELF... GREAT CARS... post pics... take it and love it...

[fast Ed]

Keep it as is and put a set of wheels on it. Cruise the hell out of that beast. You will get mad props at shows for having a survivor car.

I would just do the basics, like gaskets for oil leaks and make sure the carb is in good shape.

Modern wheels and tires will make it more fun to drive. Hell you can just put some period correct torque-thrusts or something to that effect on it.

We need pics BTW.


I agree ... but not Torq-Thrusts, there's already way too many cars out there running them. This car would pre-date them anyway. I'd put some Radir Tri-Rib wheels on or something similar, and enjoy the car.


cheers
Ed N.

[jaybee]

I was going to say "turn it into a lead sled with good mechanicals underneath" until you described it as "pristine". Even if it was just "nice" instead of "pristine original" I'd put disk brakes and some decent rubber on it. They aren't making more survivors, I'd keep this one as is unless it just doesn't trip your trigger.

[Young Gun]

tearn it into a cruiser, dont make any changes that you could not reverse...you can lower it, wheels, disk brakes, all that good stuff, but keep the original gear to convert it back if you are ever interested in selling it

[bobbaganoosh]

I'd lower it with some Moon discs & wide whites & call it good.:twothumbs

(and a set of fuzzy dice)

[BlindSideCustoms]

as big as that car is, it would look awesome with some 20" at least in the back. as long as the wheels were tasteful it wouldnt look like a hoopty if you went with 22s....yes i know that 22s arent pro touring since they dont help the power/handling and such but this car isnt going to take a corner at speed even if you put a positive gravity machine in the trunk lol. with the way the wheel wells are, having half of the tire tucked underneath...wow. one of the reasons i like a 55 with big wheels.

[got6spd?]

slam the thing on the ground, put some fat whites on it, and cruise it. That car is so busy already the last thing you need to do is put some blingy wheels on it.

[cheapthrillz]

I am liking most of these ideas.... just throw some good looking wheels on it, tune it up, and cruise it around.... sounds like a fun friday night!

[68Formula]

Sweet car already. I like the big white walls on it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Montclair

Tune it up, throw in some modern shocks and modern fat white wall radials. Put a performance alignment on it, and just cruise it.

[00fxd]

Are you ever lucky! I'd take the thing in a heart beat. Radial tires will make it ride like a whole new car. It'll take up a lot of garage space but some things are worth it. It used to be you grandps's and it's low miler to boot.

[cheapthrillz]

Are you ever lucky! I'd take the thing in a heart beat. Radial tires will make it ride like a whole new car. It'll take up a lot of garage space but some things are worth it. It used to be you grandps's and it's low miler to boot.

He has given us quite a few cars! lol:

1 family 73 F100 long bed (Grandpa's brother bought new)
1 family 65 Galaxie 500 (Grandpa bought new)
1 owner 57 Turnpike cruiser Monteclair (Won new in 57)

He is a blue oval man... always has been, but we still love him anyways.

[MonzaRacer]

Like a few have said at least update or rebuild all the brakes, electrical and such.
I do believe that if you can do it maybe update with some Air Ride, bigger tires/wheels and the widewhites idea is cool. BUT do think hard on updating the brakes especially to a dual master cylinder even if it stays stock brake system elsewhere.
Dont worry too much about keeping it super original unless you trailer it, update to an alternator and any light bulbs need to be better.
Depending on the condition of the carb/fuel system you could even update(discretely)to a throttlebody setup under stock aircleaner to get some legs/reliability and dont forget to look into a points replacement kit for better fire.
dont kill its value or ability to be returned to stock but give it some TLC and thought.

[pitts64]

I wouldn't butcher it up. I would install good radial tires like the 225/70-15 Firestone Firehawk PV-41. http://www.tires-easy.com/start.html
Along with a faster steering box, change all the rubber hoses, tune it up and keep the points and carb, that's not a leaned out modern smog engine and then drive it.

That's a wonderful old car that can put any of these new cars to shame just from its looks alone. Those early Fords had the coolest sounding starters!

[cheapthrillz]

I wouldn't butcher it up. I would install good radial tires like the 225/70-15 Firestone Firehawk PV-41. http://www.tires-easy.com/start.html
Along with a faster steering box, change all the rubber hoses, tune it up (keep the points and carb) and drive it.

That's a wonderful old car that can put any of these new cars to shame just from its looks alone.

I agree with you on the looks of the car! Those old things had a style and flash of their own. All of the chrome and stainless on it is in great shape. I was thinking about making it a tailgating car since I go to clemson (colors are orange and white), and the car is orange and white. I could also fit a full size grill and pick-nick table in the trunk!

[pitts64]

Could you post some photos of it. I'd love to see it.
You could fit a whole custom kitchen with in that trunk!!!
I also dig the way the hoods open on them. That was a safety feature in case the hood would pop open while driving.
Does it have the Breezway back window? Its a back window that lowers.

Besides, it might hurt your pap if you change it too much.
You are a very lucky guy!!!

[cheapthrillz]

Could you post some photos of it. I'd love to see it.
You could fit a whole custom kitchen with in that trunk!!!
I also dig the way the hoods open on them. That was a safety feature in case the hood would pop open while driving.
Does it have the Breezway back window? Its a back window that lowers.

Besides, it might hurt your pap if you change it too much.
You are a very lucky guy!!!

I am about 30 mi away from the car, and haven't seen it since Christmas eve. I never know when he is going to bring it out of storage, so it is hard for me to get pictures of it. I am pretty sure that it doesn't have the breezeway rear window. I don't know much about these cars, I just have seen this one all of my life and it has looked the same ever since I can remember. He only drives it probably once or twice a year, but he says that it starts right up and runs every time! I don't think he would mind too much if I changed it, he would just be glad to see it go to somebody who is going to enjoy it, preferably one of his 10 grandsons. Since I am the only one in the family who is in love with cars (other than my dad), he gives us all of his cars when he doesn't see a need for them anymore.