Vehicle Description
NEW PRICE! 31,784 original miles. Triple black with new power top. 390/3-speed on the tree. Beautiful original paint and interior. Runs and drives like a new car, smooth, powerful, confident.
This 1965 Mercury Monterey convertible is one of those wonderful survivors that combines low mileage with excellent care over the past five decades to create an almost-new driving experience wrapped in a car that still looks fantastic. This is an original black-on-black car, so it was this sinister-looking when it was new, and the semi-gothic look of the 1965 Mercurys seems to work best in black. The paint is unquestionably original, with a nice gloss and great coverage, but with the usual signs of use here and there. And the best thing about being a survivor with original paint is that you know there are no patches, no botched bondo work, and no body rot waiting to surprise a new owner. The chrome is likewise in great shape, with shiny bumpers, a crisply rendered grille with no cracks or breaks, and plenty of cool styling details like the speed streaks on the leading edges of the front fenders. Look at it closely—this is a really handsome car!
Code 26 black vinyl is what it says on the door tag and that’s what’s still living inside, a handsome two-tone gray and black setup that separates the Monterey from its lesser siblings. The upholstery is original, including the carpets, and that should tell you all you need to know about just how well-preserved this car really is. The power front bench seat is still supportive and comfortable enough for long cruises and the door panels are elegantly simple with just the right amount of bright trim. Mercury gave you a full array of instruments in round housings and someone has very neatly installed a small tachometer in the right-most opening, a detail that is so right that it could pass for a factory job (yes, it works!). Interestingly, this Monterey offers a 3-speed manual with column shift, an unusual find in a full-sized luxury convertible, but one that also gives it a bit of a sporty demeanor. The back seat looks almost completely unused and if there’s any real demerit inside this car, it’s that there’s some light fading on the transmission tunnel carpet, but that’s not unusual with black carpets in convertibles and I wouldn’t even consider replacing it. The black power convertible top is just too nice to be original, and offers a glass rear window, all of which disappears under a nice-fitting black boot. The trunk is very original, with factory-issued mats and gray spatter paint, but zero rust issues and a full-sized spare with jack assembly.
In the horsepower department, this big ragtop moves like a muscle car thanks to its original, numbers-matching 390 cubic inch V8. Still wearing its original 2-barrel carburetor, it generates the smoothest wave of torque you’ve ever experienced, moving the car with effortless ease. It starts quickly and easily, settles into a smooth idle almost immediately, and never gets cranky no matter what you’re doing. Sure, it’s a little scruffy under the hood, but that’s original bright orange paint on the air cleaner and valve covers and there’s plenty of evidence of proper maintenance over the years. Some surface rust on the radiator cradle is nothing to worry about, and if you’re eager to make it sparkle, a weekend of cleaning and selective painting could take it up a notch without erasing too much originality. On the other hand, if you’re like me and like to drive, you won’t mind a little dirt and instead will simply enjoy the way it works.
The three-speed manual transmission makes it a lot of fun to drive, and with 3.00 gears out back, it’s a fantastic highway cruiser with very long legs. Around town, it’s easy to let the 390’s big, flat torque curve pull you around in top gear, making downshifts almost unnecessary for anything but a dead stop, and it really is so smooth and quiet that you need to check the tach to be sure it’s still running. Flashy Cragar mags are brand new and make a huge difference in the car’s attitude, but if you’re a purist, there are also two sets of original hubcaps in the trunk that you can retrofit to a set of steel wheels for a factory-original look. Those fat 225/70/15 Mickey Thompson radials are brand new, too.
Fast, comfortable, stylish, and just unusual enough to attract attention, this awesome black Merc does everything a collector car is supposed to do, all at a very reasonable price. Call today!
For more details and photos, please visit www.HarwoodMotors.com
