1964 Mercury Monterey Marauder 2d hardtop

Description

This Marauder was built on May 14th 1964 at Ford's Pico Rivera assembly plant in Los Angeles, California. Polar white with a red vinyl interior, It was equipped with the standard 390 2bbl, 3 speed automatic, power steering, heavy duty manual brakes, 3.50 9" axle, and 15" wheels. The original buyer also splurged on the top line in-dash air conditioner. Only 8760 Monterey fastback hardtops were produced for the 1964 model year. Even in 1987, finding one of these in decent condition was somewhat of a challenge. Occasionally a Montclair or Park Lane would appear, but being the entry price Mercury, these Monterey's typically had long before been used up and crushed. But I admired the lean "Nascarish" lines, free from the clunky side trim of the other series. I located this Merc via a Denver Post classified ad in Denver, Colorado. It had just over 64,000 miles on the odometer, and the owner claimed that it was original. I did not have any reason to doubt this, but of course it was impossible to verify. The car was still being used as basic transportation: several parking lot dings, (but never hit), a howl that was beginning to come from the rear end, a tired interior with non original upholstery, worn carpetin, and interior door panels that had seen better days. The owner claimed that he bought it from the original owner in 1969. He replaced the original motor with what appears to be a 1967 Mercury 390 2 BBL "sometime around 1975 when it began to lose power". He had the seats redone because the original upholstery "was so cheap". (I had to refrain from asking him why he reupholstered the seats with even cheaper material)! Regardless, the Merc ran well, was straight and complete, and amazingly rust-free. I bought the car and drove it sparingly through 1988. During this time, I had the minor body work done, and the car was nicely painted in the original Polar white color. I also had the front end rebuilt, brake and exhaust systems completely redone, and the rear axle rebuilt. My mechanic did a compression test on the engine and declared it to be in good condition, with the exception of a minor rear seal leak. The air conditioner worked fine before I removed the drive belt. (Today, the unit "clicks" when I turn the switch, and the pulley turns freely, so it should be ready to go, although I suspect it will need a charge of refrigerant). The car has been driven less than 400 miles since 1987, stored inside my insulated shop for the past 31 years. I drained the gas tank, but started the engine occasionally via a remote gas bottle to keep the oil circulated. All fluids were changed periodically. I never did anything with the interior, hoping that someone would eventually make a complete interior kit for it. (still waiting, although the seat material is available. ((The panel boards are fine, with no water damage. The rear package shelf is toast)). But if you don't want to reupholster them, I do have a nice set of original Montclair interior panels that I currently have listed in a separate charity auction that you may consider. If interested, I could change that auction to a Buy it now for an agreed price, and ship them in the trunk). Also, I have included a NOS red carpet set purchased years ago to replace the threadbare carpeting. (Good thing, too: the heater core started leaking once I began to test-drive the car around my rural property to check it out. It is now drained and bypassed). The headliner is still very presentable: no holes or tears, but should be cleaned. The glass is original and good, all of the windows glide up and down. The doors and trunk lid all close, click shut and lock effortlessly. The body lines are good and panels fit well, as the pictures hopefully show. The trunk was cleaned and repainted, but it needs a trunk mat and trunk boards, (which are available). I will provide a spare tire and the original bumper jack equipment, (which this car did not have). I don't have the inner door panels or cranks permanently installed so that the amazing door and quarter panel insides can be seen: the car is still rust free except for a 3/16 size rust hole that appeared as a tiny bubble during the past 31 years and I picked at. (See photo # 20). Everything around it and elsewhere on the car is solid. Instead of hiding it with filler and a dab of paint, I'd rather let the buyer know. (Also in the photo, note the factory extruded steel around the wheel opening, indicating that no filler was ever applied: This is representative of the entire car, always in a dry western climate). Although it has been off the road and in storage all of these years, all the lights, turn signals (both bumper and accessory fender top ones), radio, heater, and other accessories seem to work fine. It starts, drives and stops (brakes work like new) around my rural property. The car sits on vintage Goodyear Polyglass tires that look like new but are probably too old to drive at 75 mph. It still leaks a few drops of oil underneath if it sit, but no more than when I bought it. This car is still a work in progress, with lots to be done. Nothing has been detailed of flowered up to misrepresent it's condition. I have some misgivings about letting this one go, but it deserves the attention of an enthusiast that will bring it to it's full potential. It is a great car to start with, and kind of a blank slate for anyone wanting to do engine, driveline and/ or interior modifications. I invite you to come see it and decide for yourself. I can also be reached at 303-654-1255 to answer your questions. I am an ebay hobbyist, (not a dealer), paring down my 45 year collection of cars and parts. While I have tried to accurately describe this Marauder, no warranty is expressed or implied. Remember that 30% of the proceeds of this auction will go to the Disabled American Veterans charity. So bid high and often for a rare car and a great cause! Bidders with low or negative feedback please contact me before placing a bid. A $500 Paypal deposit is due 24 hours after the auction ends. Full payment via cash, wire or cashier's check is due within 7 days of auction's end. I can assist your shipper provided that you make the arrangements. I am also flexible about storing it until you can pick it up, as long as it is understood that it is YOUR car! Thanks for your interest, and good luck!