1954 Mercury Monterey for sale $24,995

1954 Mercury Monterey $24,995
Car Ad from: Hemmings View Original Ad
Price: $24,995
Contact: View Original Ad from Hemmings
Location: Lithia Springs, GA
Details: This 1954 Mercury Monterey Gasser isnt a car for just anyoneand#44; but the guys who were there know that it represents a special time in hot rod history that well never see again. Nostalgia being what it isand#44; this cool hardtop fairly accurately re-creates the early 60s drag race experience in a slightly more user-friendly form that you can actually drive and enjoy on the street today.

With a frame-off built and more than $40and#44;000 in receiptsand#44; this wasnt a half-hearted project but rather a labor of love. If you were thereand#44; you will instantly recognize the look and while you dont see many Mercury Gassersand#44; it certainly looks good dressed for combat. The body was smoothed and straightenedand#44; with many of the details being removedand#44; including the door handlesand#44; side trimand#44; and hood scoop/ornament. Neverthelessand#44; its still easy to spot its Mercury DNAand#44; from the faired-in headlights to the distinctive shape of the rear fender and quarter panelsand#44; to the taillightsand#44; which are some of the most beautiful of the era. The paint has a good shineand#44; almost too good to be a race carand#44; but thats kind of the point with this car. Theres not much chromeand#44; and even the rear bumper has been painted to give it an industrial-strength look. Reallyand#44; the only thing missing is some door art and a few larger sponsor decalsand#44; and suddenly its 1962 all over again.

At first glanceand#44; youd think this is race car throughoutand#44; but then you notice just how beautifully crafted the interior really is. Sureand#44; there are race-grade bucket seats with 5-point harnesses and a roll cageand#44; but theres also a beautifully stitched headlinerand#44; gorgeous door panels that look straight out of the 50sand#44; and a bright red dashboard with plenty of chrome trim. A custom billet aluminum insert hoses a full array of gauges and theres a monster tach up top where itll do the most good. As a nod to civilityand#44; theres also a center console with cup holders and an AM/FM/CD stereo system with remote control. The windows are Lexan and can be completely removed and the trick shifter manages a PowerGlide 2-speed automatic transmissionand#44; which has long been the transmission of choice for drag racers. The trunk isnt for storage any longerand#44; now housing a custom fuel cell and a pair of auxiliary jerry cansand#44; just in case.

The original Y-block just wouldnt hold up to the stresses of the trackand#44; so theres a more familiar 283 cubic inch Chevy V8 in its place. With an .030 overboreand#44; 9:1 compressionand#44; high output headsand#44; and an Edelbrock intake and 4-barrel carburetorand#44; its plenty potent but also docile enough to be friendly on the street. It runs on pump gas and definitely has a race-ready look with heavy-duty ignition wires and chrome open-element air cleaner. Red paint on the block is a nod to its FoMoCo historyand#44; but thats the only thing Blue Oval under the hood. The aforementioned PowerGlide feeds what might be the original 3.59-geared rear endand#44; which hangs on leaf springs augmented with traction bars. Speedway Motors supplied the straight axle kit and theres a Vega steering box which works well. Disc brakesand#44; custom fender well headers and side pipesand#44; and modern shocks add up to a car thats traditional but still usable. Weld skinnies and fat Torque Thrusts have that old-school look and carry suitable big-n-little radials to complete the look.

This car isnt for everyoneand#44; we know that. But if you were there and respect the eraand#44; this car will take you back without forcing you to go full race. Call today!
Analysis: Good Deal, 17.0% below market avg. What's this?