383 Power! 1960 Mercury Monterey

This! Yes, this 1960 Mercury Monterey is one that I’ve been looking to review for a long time. Why, you ask? It’s the taillights – I remember these very specific rear markers from long ago but couldn’t recall what marque or model wore them. Yeah, I think they are unusual. This old Merc is not in the best of shape, but it is a worthwhile discovery, one that is courtesy of Zappenduster, so let’s give it the once-over. This not-often-encountered two-door sedan is located in Tama, Iowa, and is listed here on Facebook Marketplace for $2,000.

Mercury’s Monterey occupied the entry-level slot in ’60, with the Montclair and Parklane occupying the middle and top ground, respectively. Monterey’s body styles included a two-door sedan, convertible, and hardtop, as well as four-door sedans and hardtops. Our two-door sedan subject is one of 21K copies assembled in ’60, and Mercury, in total, managed an eighth-place finish in the great domestic auto production race with 271K units. Regarding our subject, the seller tells us, “Front floor pans are rusty, and lower rear quarters have some rust; the rest of the body and frame are nice. Comes with original fender skirts as well.” The quarter panels, in particular, definitely look like they’ll need some work. The two standout features of this car’s exterior are the wraparound rear window – very cool – and those taillights, which, for whatever reason, really grab my attention.

If I mentioned a 383 CI V8 engine, you’d probably think I’m talking about a Mopar powerplant or the Chevrolet stroker smallblock that graces a lot of hot rods these days. Nope, I’m talkin’ about an MEL (Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln) 383 V8, which generates 280 gross HP, and in this case, “ran and drove last year, but hasn’t been started since. Will run easily with a little tlc”. If that’s really the case, how about chop, chop, put that little TLC to immediate use and get this baby started. Let’s face it, a runner will sell more easily than a car like this Monterey, where the seller confirms, “(as) mentioned currently not drivable, so bring a trailer.” Anyway, a Merc-O-Matic automatic transmission handles all gear-related activities.

The interior has some, um, issues. There’s a beach towel doing double duty as a seat cover; there’s a light patina of rust that has settled over the steel dashboard; both the door panels and kick panels have definitely seen better days; and the carpet/mat looks quite decomposed (recall that front floor pan matter). There are seatbelts, however, and the back seat still looks OK…As with the exterior, the interior environment is tired and will need a redo.

So, what to think here? It’s an unusual find, certainly not an everyday encounter; it’s a great example of displaying the difference between a Ford and a Mercury from this era, and it’s cheap. Beyond that? Hard to say, but someone, I imagine, will find this Monterey a draw. If you were interested in plunking down two large for this two-door sedan, what would you do with it?