[Retired_in_Texas]

Originally Posted by Tourmaline

With USC's format change a few more images have been temporarily lost.


Recent mention of assembly lines brought to mind these ready-to-install Boron-gobbling Lincoln-Mercury power plants. Please consult owner's manual for warranty coverage concerning low-lead fuels.


1958
http://catalog.library.ca.gov/exlibr...182MBV1MEN.jpg


http://catalog.library.ca.gov/exlibr...3DTQ6UI8EV.jpg

http://catalog.library.ca.gov/exlibr...EA12E91V8H.jpg

Those engines are known as M-E-L block engines among vintage car enthusiasts. "M" for Mercury, "E" for Edsel, and "L" for Lincoln. The engines in the photos would have been destined for Mercury and Edsel production only as Lincolns were produced only in Ford's Wixom, Michigan plant from it's opening in 1957 until its closing in 2007. The engine type would have only been placed in cars produced in L.A. through 1960 Mercury production. For Edsels it was a two year deal. In the photos the exhaust manifolds on pictured engines implies that the most of them were destined for Edsels (the ones without the "Camel hump" manifold design). Some of the engines depicted appear to be "FE" block engines that were used in Ford and Edsel production.

I have a '58 Mercury with the 430 c.i. version of the "MEL" block engine, shared only with Lincolns, and as originally produced there wasn't enough Boron on the planet to improve its fuel consumption. A little re-engineering and $6,000 fixed it to where it now gets 19 mpg highway.

GW knowing you are a Mercury affectionado PM me your E-Mail address and I'll shot you a couple of photos of the car, which is virtually identical to the one my Dad special ordered in October of 1957.