The newest baby is registered with only minor work needed doing to get it roadworthy.
As you would expect with an import car, headlights and then front end bushes and normal routine service repairs, coolant, hoses air cleaner and replace the missing aircleaner to carb seal.
Removed the pretty glass, "burn your car to the ground fuel filter". Now enjoying couple of drives already.
From some old pics, tracked down the original stickers put on the car in 1963 for "Mercury Sport" and HRA. Polish, polish, polish.
It has some very lovely rubbed through patches, scratches and little "scars". All the paper work since it was purchased at $3074 as well.
Successfully chased down some steel rear wheel spats (skirts), in the U.S.A. and saving some pennies for a sunvisor purchase, locally fortunately, as these were not offered in by Mercury.
The observant will have noticed the resemblance to the "All new Ford Falcon of 1965 look"
Yep, we were a little behind.
These were originally designed and were to be marketed as the Edsel "pony car" to compliment the Ford pony car, the Falcon and take on the more luxurious pony cars to out do Chrysler's pony cars, the Valiant/Plymouth range and of course the GMH pony size cars.
But with the demise of Edsel as a marque within Ford, the decided to sell it out of the Mercury dealers and with a badge change: ta da! Edsel --> Mercury.
This one was purchased in CA by the owner's father with:
- Tinted screens
- Electric tail gate
- Padded dash
- Full wheel trims
- Exterior mirrors as accessories.
- The push button radio and heater, cig lighter all standard fittings in this LUXURY model.
The first owner used the car sparingly in and around Newark CA. (part of San Francisco), this is important... and in 1975 decided to "upgrade" the car and give it a new purpose.
Being a commercial aircraft mechanic, it was nicely done, by obtaining a 1966 Mustang and fitting:
- Mustang 289 Shelby solid lifter cam
- 69 Mustang 4V inlet manifold
- 600 double pumper Holley
- 1970 Mustang FOMOCO Electronic ignition
- Doug's Headers
- C4 and a
- 1957 Tank Fairlane 9" Locker rear axle
- 1970 Mustang front brakes
- 1966 Mustang rear brakes
- Gilwraith adjustable racing dampers all round
and when the mood took him, over the next 20 years, it was drivent to the next suburb, Fremont!
Now you see why it is important where they lived!
The orginal owner became too old to be, as his son describes his father, "A Race Enthusiast" and sold the car in 2010 to a hotrodder in Oregon and we purchased it from Oregon, to drive around CA; now home in Melbourne.
Some pics from the states:
And yes, I think that is one of the same man's 3
Talladega 428C (sorry to make you Mopar owners quake!)
3" Longer than "our" XP, note rear doors.
