This solid car came to me from an Illinois town just a bit north of St. Louis. It is very solid and performs well.
The floors, inner rockers, frame and trunk floor are in great condition. The body has some areas of repair, bubbling, and paint chips. But it has not rotted. For a car that is almost 65 years old is still in nice condition.
Much of the glass is original, so you will see just a bit of delamination. We had to replace the original drivers door glass, as it was cracked.
This trim and emblems are in good condition, but not perfect. The “Mercury” emblems need to be re-affixed. The chrome is all original and in nice condition. All is more then adequate for a driver quality car.
At some point, the seats were reupholstered. The headliner and carpet were replaced. The interior is very presentable and eye-appealing.
All features work. The radio will only play when the antenna wire makes the proper connection. Perhaps a new antenna is the solution? Otherwise the lights, wipers, heater, gauges and locks work just fine. We have two sets of keys. There is a spare and jack in the trunk.
The most recent owner loved to work on cars and tinker away his retirement. He got this car to a level of reliability that would allow it to be taken on longer trips and at highway speed.
The 255 Mercury flathead runs great. He recently tuned it, replacing ignition components, replaced the battery and belts and hoses. He had a new dual exhaust system installed. To prevent vapor locking, he added and auxiliary electric fuel pump.
Not long ago, he had the Merc-O-Matic transmission completely rebuilt. Now it snaps right into gear and shifts properly.
The entire braking system was redone. The master cylinder and all wheel cylinders were replaced. He used DOT 5 fluid upon completion.
He had both the radiator and the gas tank professionally cleaned. He also repacked the wheel bearings and greased the entire chassis and driveline.
The odometer reading of 71,237 is said to be actual. I have no proof. But after the recent maintenance, it is easy to believe that this is correct.
This old Mercury is a great entry-level car to the hobby. It still cleans up well and has a solid foundation. It runs and drives well and is very reliable.
