Vehicle Description
1963 Mercury Monterey Custom Sedan
I'm not sure that air conditioning in automobiles had even a 35%
take rate by 1963. It was still an option in most luxury cars.
Adding the equivalent of a box fan at the front door, (your cowl
vent system), and opening the kitchen door out back, (your rear
window), must have seemed like a good idea. Packard initially
tinkered with the idea of a reverse slant roll down rear window for
the Balboa X show car of 1953. Intended as a coupe variant of the
Caribbean convertible, the disastrous year of 1954 made the coupe a
moot point for Packard. They sold the design rights for a reverse
slant roof to Ford. Ford then tinkered with the idea of a reverse
slant roll down rear window on various concept cars. One of the
earliest examples was the Lincoln Diplomat concept from 1956. But
in the one blast of uniqueness that characterized the whole life of
Mercury, the finally unique models of 1957 brought the wondrous
wind tunnel to its top-of-the-line Turnpike Cruiser models.
For consignment, a Camelot era Mercury in the form of a 3 owner
1963 Mercury Monterey Custom sedan. Yes, it's a "breezeway" car
with a roll down rear window, 36,466 original title verified miles
and all original condition! Bathed in Castilian gold and the
interior fabric with its metal thread to die for, it's a real 60's
time capsule. Roll down that rear glass, (just part way otherwise
it will buffet!), slip inside and let's go into the way back
machine Peabody.
Exterior
A chromed inward V shaver style front grille has dual wide bezel
headlights on either side and it leads the way proudly. A wide
curved wrap around bumper is below and now we can talk about the
steel, of which I can mention has no rust, plenty of patina as it
is original Castilian Gold paint from the factory. The gaps are
well minded, the doors have nice chromed window framing and the
roofline is truly unique in its own cool way particularly on that B
pillar. A long, LONG trunk line sporting a tasteful fin on either
side frames another "shaver" styled back end chrome piece that has
3 Dixie cup shaped tail lights on either edge and a near perfect
chromed bumper below. Badging looks just fab and oh that roll down
rear glass, no other car that was even remotely successful can tout
having that. This, a pre A/C car that boosted Mercury sales in '63.
The car rides on 14-inch wheels wrapped in 215/75R14 thin
whitewall, (like the ties of the era), tires. Groovy and hip in a
West Coast kinda way. Also showing some success in life, as it's a
Mercury.
Interior
Now we're talking' as we swing the doors, it's the money shot with
panels that interplay gold stitched tuck and roll vinyl with a warm
cream vinyl and thin chrome strips as delineations. Rich looking
shiny cranks and the paddle actuator in the front of the armrest
complete the package. Take a deep breath and breathe it in, (I mean
the 60's are about to flood your senses), as we sit upon probably
the coolest retro seat coverings my bottom has experienced! Yes
kids we are talking stitched with metal thread in gold tuck and
roll vertical and square pattern for the seats and backs in
broadcloth. On the tops, a thinner tuck and roll broadcloth in gold
make an appearance. Breaking up these gold panels are the warm
cream vinyl with just enough width to add interest that you cannot
look away from. On the center of these "stripes" is a gold thin
vinyl piece to break it up as well...just genius. And let me tell
you this seating is just beautifully preserved, (do I sound like a
used car salesman??!), I'm just in love! Ok, on to the dash where
I'm on the stick of the Millennium Falcon when I look through the
two tone plastic cream and gold steering wheel, very large and in
charge. I see a curved speedo within a brushed aluminum field,
those low original miles on the odometer, and just below a lineup
of round visored chrome bezel gauges. And below that more candy for
the eyes with a curved inward ribbed chrome background panel
housing the ignition, and a lineup of 60's style pulls and knobs.
All this mounted in a gold metal shaped dash front. The chrome and
ribbed curved action continues as we move across the dash to the
temp sliders, radio, and clock all with in more vertical ribbed
chrome, ( I almost can't take it!), and finally to the glovebox
with ....you guessed it vertical ribbed chrome and a metal gold
painted bottom and that just the door. Ahhhhh I'm ready for a
cigarette! Actually I need to tell you that the floors have clean
gold carpeting and the headliner is a tight warm white stitched
broadcloth. Now hand me that match.
Drivetrain
Under that long hood sits an original unrestored low mileage 390ci
V8 it has a 2-barrel carburetor and a Cruise-O-Matic multi range
3-speed automatic transmission. The rear axle is a Ford 9 inch with
3.50 gears. Stock style single exhaust is noted and a large
circular gold painted small snout air cleaner cover tops this
original mill.
Undercarriage
To the lift Batman! And here we see some surface rust, slight peel
off of the undercoating, and lots of patina. A new fuel tank is on,
and the floor pans and rockers are structurally sound. Some road
dirt has embedded itself in the suspension which is front
independent coil springs and rear leaf springs. Drum brakes are all
around.
Drive-Ability
Ok I'll buy the car just sitting in it, but I digress, as I did
start it up and ran it a bit and even gave it the gold star
treatment of taking it through the next door McDonald's drive
through. It ran like a champ, accelerated nicely and smooth with a
cushy 60's marshmallow ride along with bias free braking. All
functions are working even the rear glass rolls up and down
seamlessly.
Gees what else can I say, this speaks, (shouts), for itself with
low low miles and all original. You'll not find another one so
hurry on down and have a peek at this time machine. I'm now pulling
it into my butterfly roof house carport.
3W62Y547510
3-1963
W-Wayne, IN Assy Plant
62-Monterey Custom
Y-390ci V8 2bbl
547510-Sequential Unit Number
WARRANTY TAG
BODY 64B-Monterey Custom 4 Door Sedan
COLOR I-Castilian Gold
TRIM 18-Gold & Light Pearl Gold Cloth & Vinyl
DATE 07F-June 7th
DSO 33-Cleveland
AXLE 5-Ford 9" 3.50 Conventional
TRANS 4-MultiRange Automatic
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 850 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display. This vehicle is located in our
showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just
1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The
website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888)
227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come
see the vehicle in person.
