Vehicle Description
What's a Mercury Montego? Well, aside from being an awesomely
affordable V8-powered ragtop, it's the Mercury version of the
Torino. This 1968 Montego convertible has a lot going for it,
including a great color combination, 302 cubic inches of V8 power,
and room for the whole family inside.
This is the car that spawned the awesome Mercury Eliminator,
although this is its more user-friendly sibling which is a very
handsome mid-sized convertible. The white paint would be called
Wimbledon White if it were wearing a Ford badge, and it shines up
beautifully. It was likely repainted not too long ago and it has a
very correct look overall; no stripes, no add-ons, and all the
original trim was retained so it looks right. The car's proportions
are excellent and the bodywork disguises its size rather well, but
make no mistake, this is a big, comfortable luxury car. It doesn't
appear to have ever been rusty or wrecked, and replacement panels
for this car are virtually non-existent, so you know the sheetmetal
is OEM-grade. Factory trim includes big chrome bumpers that are in
excellent shape, contrasting trim along the rockers, as well as a
unique woodgrained insert on the trunk lid to make it stand out in
a crowd.
The red interior is quite possibly original and shows extremely
well. Bench seats mean there's plenty of room for everyone and
details like the door panels and dash pad are in excellent
condition, particularly for a car that's spent its life in the sun.
It's possible that the carpets have been replaced, since they're in
very good condition with no fading, and the upscale Mercury also
includes a simulated burled walnut dash applique that warms things
up a bit. Five round pods house the gauges, indicator lamps, and
controls for the heater and defroster, and it's a cool look.
Underneath, there are secondary controls as well as the original AM
radio, which is due for an upgrade. If there's any single item
showing its age, it's the steering wheel, which has a few cracks in
the rim but is otherwise serviceable as-is. The black power
convertible top is in good condition and offers a glass rear window
and a matching red boot for when it's folded. The trunk is pretty
original and could stand to be cleaned up a bit, but there's plenty
of room as well as a full-sized spare tire.
The 302 cubic inch V8 under the hood is smooth, torquey, and ready
to rumble. Recently rebuilt, it runs superbly with a great
eight-cylinder sound and the easy competence that only full-sized
American luxury cars can deliver. It was correctly detailed with
Ford Blue paint, original air cleaner, and fresh decals, so it
looks great against the satin black inner fenders. All the
ancillaries are new, too, including plugs, wires, radiator, master
cylinder, and a rebuilt carburetor. The front suspension was
rebuilt, there are new springs and shocks all around, and the
3-speed automatic transmission was recently serviced so it shifts
properly. 3.00 gears out back make it a great cruiser that never
seems to work very hard and a fresh alignment ensures that the
215/65/15 radials on new torque thrust wheels track straight.
Look at the quality of the car and then the price and you'll have
to admit that this is a heck of a lot of ragtop for not a lot of
cash. Unusual, fun, and attractive, this Mercury offers a great
alternative to the usual cars you see at the cruise night. Call
today!
