So I bought a '64 Mercury yesterday...

It's a bit of a long story on how I ended up with her, but I'll try to keep that short.
Thanksgiving evening I was on my way home and a drunk driver (or a complete idiot) wrecked into my daily driver and damaged her to the point that I honestly had no way of fixing her. Bent rim, busted windshield, door smashed in, and so on.. This is after my cell phone was stolen earlier that day. Then to make matters worse, they didn't even stop. they hesitated and then took off. I didn't get a plate number and I ended up limping her home, luckily I only lived a mile and a half down the road from there, where she died in the driveway and wouldn't start up again. I really liked that car, she was fun to work on.

Anyway, I spent all weekend looking for cars that I could afford in a pinch, I ended up having to use my entire savings I have for my Desoto, and ended up getting my christmas money early from my family. I couldn't find ANYTHING in my budget that hadn't already sold or had too many problems for me to get going pretty quickly. I was looking for newer cars (80's-90's) at that point and it came down to Sunday. On a whim I started digging through ads for older cars and I called my friend Bill and he started digging around too, and helping me with calling people. Finally he called me and said he got a line on a guy out in Wagoner (about 30-45 minutes out of town) that had an ad up titled "'64 Ford" with just one line in the ad. "1964 Mercury Montclair. Then his name and number. No price information, no pictures. So Bill had called the guy and the guy told him that she runs and drives, she looked "pretty decent" and the price was right on.

So we bolted over to Wagoner, following directions like "turn at the blinking light" and "If you pass that run down gas station, you've gone too far". We had no idea what this car really looked like, or what shape it was in, but I needed a car and it was close in my price range. We finally got there, I BOUNDED out of the truck and there she was.











She fired right up on the first try, loud loud loud (Actually putting in new pipes on saturday)...She's got the original 390 in her, with 82,5XX miles on her. The interior is GORGEOUS, and The old guy laughed because I kinda squealed and giggled when the car started on the first try. Anyway, I adore her, and the guy let her go for a little under asking.

She did very well on the ride home, a few issues did come up, tugs a bit to the left when you brake, and the gages didn't light up, and the brake lights and turn signals didn't work. I let Bill drive her too on the way back to Tulsa, he did find her for me AND take me to go get her. Anyway, we got pulled over. Luckily the cops were nice and one of them got really excited and started talking to us about her. So, they said goodnight and we were on our way.

Got back to the house just fine.

This weekend was insane for me, lots and lots of stress. But when I woke up this morning and I walked out to this car....Every bit of it was worth it.











The End I TRIED to keep it short.

 

Nice car for the money.

 

Nice! Local too!

 

I can't see the pics but it sounds like a great ending to a crappy weekend. Congrats on a good score.

EDIT: The pics came in after I posted my reply, that thing is awesome!

 

nice project,any plans yet?

 

WOW!! WHAT a deal!! That is a Marauder Montclair fast back --- 25th anniversary car.
I have one like it, in the Salmon ( pink) color , that needs an interior, paint, and an engine gone thru, That will be a project for spring. I have had the car for over 20 years , A Nevada car --- ZERO rust !
Mine needs a steering wheel , it is a one year only wheel , has 25th anniversary in the center -- A good steering wheel or a rebuild on one costs about TWICE as much as you paid for your whole CAR !! If your head gets a bit dizzy about this car you just got -- YOU DESERVE IT!!

 

Great car and a heck of a deal.............I was expecting to see a Comet when I opened this thread but I'd take that car any day of the week.

 

A great end result from what sounded like the most shitiest day of your life. Youve scored well !

 

Sorry for your tough weekend but that is a great car for the money! Any serious plans apart from getting it safe and running yet?

 

Beauty! I have a blue one that needs the whole interior redone, but it runs. My all-time fave Fomoco!
Had one back in the day, never should have let it go.
Yours has factory air, too! That's quite rare. Looks like 14" wheels? Mine has 15" with the spinner caps. Skirts, too, but I took them off.
You can swap to Torino spindles and get disc brakes, and they drop the front an inch or so too.
Have fun, they are great cruisers, just a bit thirsty. but what the heck, some things are worth the nickel, right?

 

Oh, by the way, there's a Mercury Marauder Club on the web, google it.

 

Looks like you got a pretty good deal on that one! A good friend of mine that lives around the corner has one like that. Congratulations on the good buy after a "not so good" day.

 

I love it, you got a great deal!

 

You got a great story AND the car out of the deal. Congrats.

 

man id love to have that baby!!the last one i rode in was back in the 90s. was a great cruiser...

 

Wow, nice car. Looks pretty clean and solid for the price.

 

Wow, nice score!

 

Cool story with a happy ending.

 

Cool car.......................thanks for keeping the story short.

 

What do they say "Every cloud has a silver lining." sounds and looks like this cloud did. That car will make a great cruiser and should last for many more miles and smiles.

 

Nice!!

 

Nice , clean ride and a a great price ! Was well worth it.

 

Those were or are or can be nice old boats. I had a '64 Turn Pike Cruiser that we drove the wheels off of. You should enjoy that car, I know that I would.

 

You have great taste in automobiles, first your DeSoto and now your Marauder. I used to own a '64 Marauder, though it was only a 4 dr hdtp. They are different, unusual, and nice looking cars! I still have a spare grille, even though I no longer have the car!

 

The previous owner told you it was "pretty decent". He under sold it. It's actually pretty damned decent...lol. Good for you. Glad things looked up after the crappy Thanksgiving...you have something to be thankful for after all.

When I was a teenager in the '70s, I had a Montclair with the breezeway rear window. I didn't care for the car so much, 'cause it was a big old 4 door. But I like the model you bought. Good luck with it.

 

Great Score.
White over Red, to beat all!

Find MercuryJunkie, on here, as he has a few of these, and a parts car, too!
Eric

 

Beautiful! Congrats

 

You lucky dog! I would have loved to have ran across that one for myself! I did find a black one with red interior about 15 years ago for $850. I got it running good but it had been off the road for quite some time and I couldn't get the charging system to work, so after a few weekends and cold weather setting in I gave up on driving it home.
Wouldn't you know, earlier this year a guy ends up with my name and number and calls me looking for parts for one, and after a while I figured out its the same car!

 

Bitchin' ride! I hope she treats you well.

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Kustom Falcon Build Thread:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=734282

 

good score,great story