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Restoring '53 Somerset

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Airflyte

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I bought several junk Metropolitans from a lady north of Phoenix whose husband died several years ago and left her with 24 of them on their acreage. Stored away in one of the buildings (This would make an episode of "American Pickers" for sure!), she has a '53 Somerset sedan that I've agreed to restore for her. Body is in remarkably good shape. Trouble is that her husband had removed the engine and transmission. There are Met parts everywhere, and I'm sure that the Somerset transmission is among them. But how do I identify it? How does it look different from the 3-speeds that I'm accustomed to?
Another question: She has a spare Met 1500 engine that she would like me to use. Will that bolt up to the Somerset 4-speed, given that I find it? Are the Somerset engine mounts similar to the Met? Just this morning I noticed that it's not a unibody car. Would I have a lot easier time installing engine and transmission if I separate the body? Can't believe how difficult it must be to work on these cars, given the size of the "bonnet." What were they thinking? You should know that I have a lift and routinely remove and install engine/transmission assemblies on the Mets from underneath. Seems like that would also work with the Somerset. Anything I should be aware of?
I'm picking this car up on Halloween, so the help I get from people on this forum will determine whether it's a trick or a treat. My goal is to get it done by April and bring it to the SW Unique Little Car Show in Las Vegas.
 
The Metro engine and the Somerset engines should be the same. The transmissions should also be the same with one small exception- the transmission for the Metro, on the side cover, has a spud sticking out inside that blocks out use of the first gear. first was non-syncronized so Nash was able to call it a "fully syncronized" transmission if they locked out first.
Several of my Metro owning friends have ground off that spud so that they could use first and then put in the diff from an MGA or MGB to get a better freeway cruising car. (the Metro had a 4.55 diff while the MGA had a 4.1/4.3 diff and the MGB has a 3.9)

BillM
 
Oh boy, now I'm confused! So any Met transmission is actually a 4-speed but for the stud you're talking about? If the Met owners you know have ground that off, how are they moving the shift lever to get into that new gear? You're saying that first gear on my Met is actually second, but that gear on my Met is not synchronized either. Also, I heard you had to do something special to shift into reverse with the 4-speed column shift. Do you know what the shift pattern is for the Somerset 4-speed?
 
Yes- the Met has a 4 speed. I don't have a Met but the folks who have done it have never mentioned having a problem with the shifter/column so I don't think that it is an issue. If your current 1st is non-syncronized then the syncros are worn out.
I don't know the Somerset's shift pattern.
Bill
 
It has been 45 year since I drove my Somerset but as I recall, to get reverse, you had to pull the knob out while pushing the column mount stick towards the dash, and then down. Gears 1 to 4 were quite straight forward with, again by memory, 1st in the up position, down for 2nd, up and toward the dash for 3rd, and down for 4th. Hope this helps!
 
Look forward to seeing pictures as you progress! As a registered member here, you have access to your own Blog - maybe you can chronicle the restoration?
Basil
 
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