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NEW PRICE! Older restoration still in outstanding condition. Correct colors, excellent-running flathead, beautiful oak bed and stake sides. Rare, beautiful, and powerful.
Brightly restored in the 1990s, this 1946 Mercury M3 pickup did its share of shows and trophy-collecting, and then hit the road. paint is familiar Village Green with black fenders, a combination that was popular throughout the industry for decades, and is correct for this particular truck. Finish quality was to show standards when it was completed, although it shows some very minor signs of use and age today. You will note that the Mercury carries a slightly larger bed on a longer wheelbase than the usual Ford half-ton, and despite being a heavy-duty 1-ton truck, it has trim proportions that make it ideal for tooling around town today. Bright yellow pinstripes highlight the bed, along with the proud Mercury letters on the tailgate. All the chrome was restored at the same time and shows brightly with no issues today. The oak pickup bed was fully restored, and while Ford typically painted everything either black or body color, it’s traditional for pickup truck restorers to refinish the wood to show off the grain as is the case here.
The gray vinyl bench seat and rubber floor mat are still working-class accommodations, but this Mercury also offers a sliding rear window—if you’ve never driven a pickup with this feature, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how effective it is. Door panels are simply painted steel, but the Mercury offers a full headliner made of pressboard and more chrome on the dash. The gauges were rebuilt and remain fully functional today, as does the under-dash heater which is powerful enough to roast a turkey. Seat belts and modern turn signals were added during the restoration, and you will note that the floors are completely rust-free and original.
Mercury gave all its trucks the Mercury version of the venerable flathead V8, in this case one sporting aluminum heads and 239 cubic inches. It fires up easily thanks to the original 6-volt electrical system and mechanical fuel pump, and settles into that smooth, barely perceptible idle for which flatheads are justifiably famous. Steering is quite good, and while Henry Ford was late to embrace hydraulic brakes, those on this truck are firm and reassuring. Underneath, like the engine bay, shows signs of a quality restoration that has now been driven for a few years, so it’s not highly detailed, but it is completely rust-free and highly correct with no issues. There are five heavy-duty steel wheels with newer 7.00-17 Firestone wide whitewall tires suited to the Mercury’s upscale image.
A rare, useful, and downright handsome truck, this Mercury is almost guaranteed to be the only one at any show you attend. You’ll always have a fascinating story to tell, and this truck will always be a willing partner for your Saturday morning runs to Home Depot—just imagine the pickup envy in the parking lot.
For more information, photos, and financing information, please visit www.VintageMotorCarsUSA.com.
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STOCK/INV. NUMBER:
132162
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