Tag: Mercury

  • Shifty Panther: 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis with Manual Swap

    Shifty Panther: 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis with Manual Swap

    The Panther platform had a very long life, mostly underneath taxis, police cars and grandparental transport. These offered rear-wheel drive and periodically attracted enthusiasts off and on over the years, with the Mercury Marauder being the ultimate factory iteration. One thing all factory versions had in common, however, was an automatic transmission. That’s been corrected…

  • Salesman’s Hot Rod? 1968 Mercury Montego MX Four Door with 390 and 4-Speed

    Salesman’s Hot Rod? 1968 Mercury Montego MX Four Door with 390 and 4-Speed

    For those not old enough to remember, and for those who forget, it seemed that no one except salesmen and some realtors drove four-door, US domestic non-luxury cars back in the day. As recently as the late 70s, the best-selling car in the US was the Olds Cutlass, most of which were two-door sedans. The…

  • Rare Sleeper: Big Block, Four-Speed Mercury Montego

    Rare Sleeper: Big Block, Four-Speed Mercury Montego

    First, we admit a 1960s mid-sized sedan isn’t the sleeper it once was; but it’s true that most sedans in this class were built with mild powertrains.  Not this one, however, as it sports a 390 and four-speed manual! This example is essentially stock, but does wear headers and custom exhaust, as well as a…

  • Time Capsule Topaz: Two-Door with Five-Speed!

    Time Capsule Topaz: Two-Door with Five-Speed!

    Soon, we’ll have a whole generation that doesn’t remember Mercury, Ford’s red-headed stepchild.  That’s sad, as the brand had a few real performance gems over the years.  This isn’t one of them, but it is a last holdout of the 80s, even though it was sold in the 90s. The Topaz, of course, was Mercury’s…

  • Awesome LeMons Buy?

    Awesome LeMons Buy?

    So, this went over the $500 limit; but it seems like  the ultimate LeMons car.  This is a Fox-platform Mercury Cougar with the turbocharged 2.3L four and five-speed manual.  It looks like every piece of sheet metal on this car has damage and/or rust and the dash has seen too much sun.  That seems like…

  • Why? Nearly Perfect 1990 Sable Wagon

    Why? Nearly Perfect 1990 Sable Wagon

    The seller claims this was a grandparental car from new, and that’s the only explanation we can think of for its condition.  Any Sable in good condition is an oddball in 2016; but this wagon with full blue interior and upgraded engine is a true gem.  Would you drive this? The seller claims under 55K…

  • Just a Marquis?

    Just a Marquis?

    From time to time, shorty cars pop up based on various platforms.  Today’s feature started life as a Mercury Grand Marquis sedan, which means a lot of shortening took place.  Don’t bother to ask why.  We suppose the end result is just a Marquis. In this case, the ad text is almost as amusing as…

  • Post Super Bowl Panther: ’98 Grand Marquis with 5MT Swap

    Post Super Bowl Panther: ’98 Grand Marquis with 5MT Swap

    Despite rolling on an ancient platform and being known mostly as police and bingo hall cars, there’s something interesting about the Ford Panther platform cars.  They offer low prices, V8 power, rear wheel drive and a big dose of simplicity.  Today’s example solves the biggest shortcoming, which is the exclusive use of automatic transmissions by…

  • Mercury Cyclone 351/4-speed

    Mercury Cyclone 351/4-speed

    The Mercury Cyclone was different things in different years, having started as a variant of the compact Comet.  This 1970 model, however, was a stand-alone, mid-sized model, although Cyclone would be rolled into the Montego lineup later.  Cyclone typically meant performance, and this example, while not a CJ, fits that mold. This Cyclone GT was…

  • Mercury-Branded Pinto Cruising Wagon with Manual Trans

    Mercury-Branded Pinto Cruising Wagon with Manual Trans

    If you know oddball cars, then the Pinto Cruising Wagon needs no introduction.  No other vehicle brought quite as much 70s van culture into a compact size.  What could be better?  A Mercury version! Let’s make one thing clear in order to avoid claims of false advertising: This is a Pinto with a Mercury front…