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.
