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1953 Mercury M350 Pickup Project

The Mercury M-Series trucks were produced between 1946 to 1968, primarily for the Canadian market. The model designations were tied to the Ford F truck series commencing in 1951. Thus, this Mercury M350 is nominally the same as the equivalent Ford F350, differing mainly in cosmetic details. You will find this M350 listed for sale here on eBay. Located in Sweet Grass, Montana, it is being offered for sale with a clear title. At the time of writing, bidding had reached $2,550 in this No Reserve auction.

This Mercury is quite a nice looking truck and looks to be quite solid and relatively straight for a truck of this age. The floors are solid, and the only real rust is a small amount on the passenger side cab corner. Otherwise, the floors look solid, and the fenders and doors also look good. The lower center of the tailgate has been cut for a grain chute, but this could be repaired. All of the glass is present and looks in good condition. The other change that the new owner may want to make is to the bed. It is sitting high as it has been mounted on a PTO-driven hoist. This could be removed, and this would return the bed to its normal position.

The interior is quite clean, although the seat will need a new cover. The wheel rim is also cracked in a number of places, although it could be used as it is if the new owner wants to protect the vehicle’s originality. The dash is original and unmodified, and the interior just gives that air of utilitarianism that is appropriate for this type of vehicle from this era.

The engine of the M350 does run if gas is poured down the carburetor, but I think that the fuel system will need cleaning as I suspect that there’s probably some old gas in the tank, and the fuel pump and carburetor may require rebuilding or replacement. The engine is the Ford 239ci flat-head engine, which drives through a 4-speed manual transmission. The owner also states that the clutch and transmission are operational. The seller does not give any details about the condition of the brakes, so those will require a thorough inspection.

We’ve seen a few older pickups come across the desks here at Barn Finds recently, but this is the first Mercury that we’ve seen for quite a while. This seems to be a solid example that has some potential, and it will be interesting to see how much it sells for.

Comments

  1. Avatar Gaspumpchas

    Big truck but very cool, would be great done up with the original flatmotor. Tailgate made of Unobtainium. Good luck to the new owner!!

    Cheers
    GPC

    Like 1
  2. Avatar Kenneth Carney

    Wouldn’t change a thing! Had a ’54 3/4
    ton with the hydraulic bed on the back.
    Only difference was that mine had the
    6 cylinder engine instead of the V-8.
    Never noticed any real change in pulling
    power as my truck was a real beast!
    The coal chute in the tailgate is a factory
    item as well as the hydraulics under the bed. Never ran out of uses around our
    house! Sold it on to pay for my ’66 Caddy
    Calais 4-door HT. Never owned a truck as
    stout as mine again. …Wonder if this one
    rides as rough as mine did–it would jar the fillings out of your teeth! Ah the
    memories!

    Like 3
  3. Avatar Del

    Dad had one. A two ton gravel hauler. It was always conking out. So he burned it down for the insurance money.

    Like 2
  4. Avatar Del

    Hey this Canuck truck still has Saskatewan plates ! Neat !

    Like 2
  5. Avatar Jimmy

    Sweet Grass, Montana has a monopoly on old Ford & Mercury trucks.

    Like 1
  6. Avatar Bob S

    Great old beast. I had a 53 Merc 1/2 ton, and loved the truck. Unfortunately, my wife could never learn to like the truck so I sold it and bought a 55 Chev Cameo which I have owned for over 50 years.
    I have a 67 Merc 1 ton flat deck, but it is not a tipper. I would love to have this truck just for the tipping box, because I have lots of fill to remove in order to build my new garage.
    Bob

    Like 0
  7. Avatar geomechs Member

    This truck should have the larger (Mercury) engine. That was an edge that Mercury trucks had over the Fords; they had the bigger engines (look for a ‘CM, CM1, or EAC on the heads), plus had a lot of standard extras that were optional on Fords. Starting during the Korean War a lot of Mercury trucks went south of the border. I was probably 10 years old before I found out that Mercury trucks weren’t built in the US.

    Like 2
  8. Avatar DaveA

    Isn this a rerun?

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Wrong Way

    Nice, but I have seen this ad before, unless there are two people who have a white picket fence in front of their yard on a gravel road!

    Like 0

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