I'm 16, and in the process of buying a 61-66 Mercury M500. Its a 15,000 GVWR which I would assume that means its a M500. It has a pto driven wooden dump bed. Has a 4 on the floor. Labelled 1,2,3,4 I would assume first is bull low. 6.20:1 axle ratio. Not sure the engine, me and my dad both agree its most likely an I6 due to the high gearing, and the fact that the truck is so striped for options it only has a speedometer and an hour gauge. No idiot lights or anything.The floor is rotted out at the front, under the pedals. The gas pedal is missing, the seat is missing foam, the roof is bent in. The truck has not run in 10+ years, but ran when parked. So I am confident it will start now. The truck has 84000 miles on it. And the hour gauge reads 6000+. Not sure if that is a lot of hours and miles. I'm trying to get a job to pay for it. The seller wants $800, Ill try to get it for $700. I am wondering if they sell replacement floors for the cab, they should, it is just a half ton cab. I have to safety it once a year because it is over 3/4 ton. This is my first post on this forum, I am sorry in advance if I **** something up.

 

I am also looking for some info on a duely tire. They are the tire you see on all old farm trucks. They are nicknamed Ground Grips or something along those lines.

 

FourthGen Ford Guy Welcome to and the Slicks Forum.

You have me sitting he in North Carolina wondering what the heck a 16 year old wants with a huge tooth rattler like what you described. Are you looking to get into some hauling?

A couple of things you say 61-66 it can only be one of those years. The odometer starts over at 0 at 100,000.1 so your 84,000 likely has at least a 1,2 or more in front of it.

An old truck sitting for 10 years in Canada cold winters could very likely have a cracked block by now. You would be very lucky if it started and ran.

Asking and getting are two very different things, a couple-three hundred buck is about all that ol boy is worth. IMHO

GULUK!


John

 

Post a picture

 

Sounds to me like a pretty cool truck, esp the pto and dump bed. Photos would be awesome. Hard to know for sure without seeing it, but chances are replacement floor pans are available, as well as most of the parts you'll need to make it right.

~Steve

 

Wonderful to see the younger guys take an interest in old iron. You mentioned it needing tires, but I'd first suggest you school yourself on those dually wheels. If it's an M-500 it could have either the big 5 lug x 8" pattern or 6 lug x 8.75" pattern. Either of them will likely have outer rims that are today called widow makers, trade name is Firestone RH-5°. Do yourself a Google search of those terms and read up on them. Not many shops will touch them anymore.

Most 61-66 era trucks had hubs designed for a "stud piloted" mounting. Could also be called a "ball seat" or "Budd" mounting. Some 63/64s, however, had what is called a "hub piloted" mounting. If you have widow makers, replacement options exist for either the 5 x 8" or 6 x 8.75" patterns. But no replacements exist today for a hub piloted mounting with these patterns. It is, however, possible to convert a truck from hub piloted to stud piloted. Stu

 

What is the exact year? 1961/64 will have different engines than 1965/68. Transmissions could be different after 1964.

I-6 = 1961/64: Intake/exhaust manifolds located on the left (drivers) side. 1965/68: Intake/exhaust manifolds located on the right (passenger) side.

V8 = Depending on the year/series, it could have a 292 (1961/64); or a 330/361/391 FT engine if 1964/68.

1946/68 Mercury trucks were assembled and only sold new in Canada. Were not available in the US

IMO, you are biting off way more than you can chew. PASS on this old roiling pile of miseries, all the parts are OBSOLETE, so it will soon become a money pit!

Buying parts in the US will cost more because of Canadian shipping charges and VAT

 

I live in Canada, parts are semi available. I know all about obsolete parts, I am building a 1939 Buick Eight onto a 4x4 truck chassis, and am buying this M500 to haul it to different events. I know it was run 10 years ago, small town, everyone is up in everyone's business. The guy I am buying it from has been in this town for 50+ and has built up a reputation as being truthful but hard to dicker down. As for fabrication, my family has a long history in stock-car racing, my dad has been in auto body repair since 81, and owned his own shop for 15 years, he told me it would not take long with a mig to weld in new floor and fix the cab corners and rockers. I will take more pictures once the snow clears.

 

I'm familiar with the 1939 GM cars as I once owned a Cadillac 75 7 passenger sedan (formerly owned by MGM studios) and a La Salle w/a factory sunroof.

IMO, the front ends of these cars (excepting the La Salle) look rather sad. 1940 was a improvement, 1941 was even better.

I also owned a 1941 Cadillac 60 Special and a 1941 Buick Century Coupe with factory installed dual carbs.

 

Nice. I have heard the brakes are obsolete on the F500, what replacement/conversion can I do on the stock hubs? I have made another post about this, but since I caught you here, I thought I might ask.

 

All the brake parts (and sometimes the drums) are available from NAPA

I can probably find all the genuine Ford parts NOS, except the drums...which have been obsolete for over 30 years and are very hard to find.

I need to know the year, because there are different sizes of brake shoes, wheel cylinders.

"Typical" pic for 1964/72:

 

Im going to go snap some pictures now. Ill take one of the tags in the door jam

 

Took some pictures.

 

Moved to proper forum.