Most of us know that Canada received Mercury trucks beginning in 1946 due to the fact that a lot of rural towns didn’t have both a Ford and Mercury dealer. They’re quite unusual to see in the US unless you’re in a border area like Cavalier, North Dakota where this truck is located. This 1961 Mercury M-100 Unibody is listed on eBay with a current bid price of $1,225 and there is no reserve!
Lamborghini Miura, Jaguar XK-120, Ford/Mercury Unibody.. Yes, at least for me, I think that this is one of the most desirable vehicles out there and being a Mercury makes it even more desirable. This example looks pretty solid and if a person wouldn’t want to totally restore it, this truck could be mechanically refurbished enough to be a reliable driver. There is something intriguing about keeping the original paint – Monte Carlo Red – in tact. Parts of the body have surely been repainted, like the tailgate, the very rare and valuable tailgate. The seller says that there is “the usual rust in the tailgate but the Mercury lettering across the tailgate is in great shape.” The current price of the truck is probably what some collectors would pay for the tailgate, along with the horn button, emblems, etc.
It always comes up whenever a Unibody pickup is shown, that a heavy load can’t be put in the box without the doors eventually flexing enough to cause some trouble. I can’t imagine that anyone would ever haul anything heavy enough to do any structural damage in these trucks, but it probably still happens. There is a bit of rust in the floorboards and front cab mounts. The next owner will want to get the cab mounts repaired asap. If I wouldn’t have over-splurged recently I’d be a serious bidder on this truck. I hope that one of you can snag it to keep it in the Barn Finds family!
The interior is unusual in that it has a rare floor-mounted 4-speed rather than a column-mounted 3-speed manual transmission. The seat is a non-issue, you can’t expect a 56-year old truck that looks like this on the outside to have a perfect interior. I’m assuming that several mouse parties have been held inside this cab over the decades. I sure love these trucks, whether you can haul a ton of cargo in the box or not, I just love the way they look. And, as a former architect, we all know that it’s form before function.. (kidding). I would think that someone with a media blaster and a solid weekend could really take it down and get it ready for repairing those rust spots. That is, if the next owner was planning on restoring it; maybe they just want to drive it as is.
This is the 223 cubic-inch inline-six that would have had 137 hp. This one isn’t currently running but it turns over. I hope that a Barn Finds reader can snag this one. Are any of you as big of a fan of the Unibody trucks as I am?
I like this one and being a Mercury makes it even better. I don’t think I’ve ever hauled more than a 1,000 pounds in my 2016 F-150 4×4. Average homeowner doesn’t need to.
Well – I have towed a 4200 lb. 1953 Bentley R Type from Chico, California to Portland, Oregon with a four cylinder automatic 2wd Toyota Tacoma! Also used the same little Yoytota truck to tow a BMW from L.A. to Portland and towed two Citroens from Portland to L.A. and Scottsdale!!
I regularly went over the scales at 8-9000 lbs in my 60-80’s Dodge 3\4 ton PU’s with one time hauling a PU box trailer at 13,5000 lbs.In my book 1,000 lbs.is nothing.
If it was only big window I would be on it.
Barnfinds has covered the whyfore of oddwad Canadian marquee blending before. It’s a little more widespread–and official– than a shortage in Ford’s Canadian dealer network. An interesting manufacturing history resulted in the Autopact trade agreement in 1965 that sealed the fate on many of these quirky models.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada%E2%80%93United_States_Automotive_Products_Agreement . Each of the Big Three produced variants. As others have pointed out before, the allpar page on Chrysler’s Canadian production includes a nice parsing of this agreement’s history, and the creation of the “Plodges” that resulted. http://www.allpar.com/world/canada.html
I’d have to say, this truck is as rare as hand signals, at least in the states. The “Unibody” was a poor idea from the get go, and not many Ford’s were sold, and I can only imagine, even less Mercury’s( geomechs would know) Reason you don’t see what few were produced, is it’s true, they literally broke in half. ( there’s already a gap at the bottom of the door, and not the top) There’s holes in the floor, indicating, possible front cabs mount gone. Common on these, but repairable. I’m flabbergasted this is still here. I’d get it structurally sound, and leave it just like it is. This is “patina” for ya’. Super find!
I’m sorry, but all the crappy overspray does not qualify as “patina” in my mind. This would be better off with a nice restoration. The seam rust in the tailgate will rot it away. The tailgate alone should be taken apart and the upper and lower replaced with new metal and the center part hammered out to clean up the dents. It is a cool and rare truck that should be restored. I’d consider it if I didn’t already have a 1957 Dodge D100 and a 1957 Dodge Sweptside.
I like the unibody, clean lines…Canadian Mercury is unique. Another idea that may have been a little ahead of its time.
I own a 2008 Honda Ridgeline…unibody, comfortable ride, useful bed, it can trailer “normal” items…
Wow, $2000, and only about 80 miles away. Now if only I could do something with it.
I first heard of the Unibody a couple of months ago from a customer who owns one. What a cool truck, and I’m definitely not a truck guy. 4-speed on the floor and a Mercury to boot. I’d say this ranks up there with the recent Studebaker pickup on BF. Great find!
Not a true unibody
Full frame with a one piece body like a bronco doesn’t make it a unibody, a unibody has frame integrated into the body
But ya I know everybody calls them a unibody
Hi Cruzzinn, that’s true. Originally, Ford called them the “integrated pickup”. Unibody was kind of a new word in ’61, and it turned into a whole different meaning. It was not one of Ford’s “Better ideas”. I read, the reason they tried this, was a cost saving measure.
Auction update: this truck sold for $3,950!