Everyone wants to save an old car, but often it’s not feasible. It’s not just the expense, and no, it’s not always about making a return on the investment; if you really like the car, so be it. But it’s also the justification – is it a significant enough model that it deserves a redo? And with those thoughts, I present to you a 1954 Mercury Custom Sport Coupe. It is rough! But it’s also cheap, so let’s take a look and form an opinion. Still running in Spokane, Washington, this 72-year-old Merc is listed here on craigslist for $900. Thanks are due to Curvette for this tip!
Mercury had decent visibility in 1954 with a total output of 259K vehicles, earning them a seventh-place finish in the great domestic automobile production race. Our subject, a Custom Sport Coupe, is one of only 15K built, though the similar “Monterey Special Custom” coupe was also built in another 80K copies. Together, that’s 95K units, but I can’t recall seeing either one recently; they’re certainly less common than the corresponding 1954 Ford. But does that current scarcity mean enhanced value? Doubtful. Anyway, the Custom trim level also offered two- and four-door sedans, while the higher-brow “Monterey Special Custom” trim line provided a convertible, a two-door hardtop, a four-door sedan, and a faux-wood-paneled station wagon.
This car’s images speak for themselves. Rust abounds, the driver’s-side quarter panel is badly dented, and the rear window is missing. It also has a smashed taillight, a bent driver-side fender, and a misfitting trunk lid. And this is just what’s visible in the few images provided.
Mechanically, it has a 161 HP, 256 CI V8 engine paired with an automatic transmission that still allows it to self-motivate. The seller claims, “Sounds pretty good. The Merc-O-Matic automatic transmission shifts into gear and works.” The odometer reads 98K miles, but there’s no authentication of that reading.
Only one interior image is provided, and it’s about what you would expect. The elephant in the room is the rotted-out floor, but the hits continue with dilapidated door panels and worn-out upholstery. It’s a sad environment today, especially when you consider that the pink (salmon?), black, and white mix was probably very eye-catching in its day, and certainly fitting for its era.
So? Salvageable? Sure, anything is for a price. Would it make sense? From a dollars, effort, and time perspective, probably not, but then again, it’s not always about return on investment. The seller suggests, “Good for parts or fixer upper.” So, what’s your vote, thumbs up or thumbs down?
It would make a great custom
This makes sense for a potential buyer if it’s their dream car, not so much for someone just looking for a car from this era.
Steve R
My ’51 Plymouth looks in some ways worse than this on the interior, and it’s almost a daily driver. This seems a great price for a decent car, and I would probably buy it, if only it were closer.
Candidate for a Stock Car Racer
That sure looks like a fuselage body Charger in the background of the last pic. It has a white hood on it.
It’s not terrible but it will take a lot of work to get it presentable so it would have to be a “Labor of Love” to put it back on the road. I always liked those old Mercs of that year. To old to fix another one now.
This car is fixable – I like ratty cars – drive and find parts to fix up – could be cool !
A running parts car! This combined with another non-running Merc could really get your project rolling.
hard to buy anything today for 900.00 bucks that runs. this is loaded with parts if you have 1 of these.
$900 is real close to “Come And Get It”, do just go there, dude.
There are way too many people in this hobby with POS hulks in their backyard who are hoping for some kind of bank deposit that is never going to happen.
Seriously, they’d all be taken more seriously, and do the overall hobby a solid, if they just put a CAGI tag on it. Then only people who truly need it would respond.
Instead, we have to endure these ridiculous price games for these worn out pieces of junk that nobody will pay for.
Since it runs, this is a great opportunity for a good body man to create a classic. The loss of the rear window may be the worst part if the deal?? How long has it been gone and how much serious rust has it caused???? There is a race car shop in Iowa that can build you a new plexiglass window. He made new windshields for a friend of mine’s 1959 Diamond T “China Closet” cab over.
I cannot see restoring it. But different cars live different lives — and somewhere out there, there’s a well-preserved old ’54 Merc that’s in hopeless mechanical condition. And this one could be the ideal parts-donor for it (say, if it’s engine has thrown a rod). You could take the best of both, combine them, and a truly HAVE something when you’re done — plus a garage full of spare parts! Then take what you don’t need and can’t use in the future to the scrap yard. Certainly WORTH the $900 to the man with the ’54 Mercury which needs what it would take in original mechanicals to get it running again, I should think.
If it runs and drives, that’s half the battle right there. Sure, it’s a wreck now, but to the right person, it could be a worthwhile project. And haven’t we all at some time or another brought something like this home much to the dismay of your parents or
your mate? Okay, I’ll say it, I brought some really 💩 stuff home when I was a kid and I’ll admit it. I can’t tell you how many times my parents actually doubted whether or not I could make that pile of 💩 run and drive
like it should. Were I to build this
car, (and boy do I want to) I’d start with the basic stuff first. We already know that it runs and
maybe drives, but how well does it stop? How well does it steer?
My.plan.here would be to get it running and driving safely enough
so that it could be driven to a metal shop for new floor and trunk pans, a glass shop for that
missing rear window– even if it
has to be a 3-piece unit. And then there’s the upholstery. If you
know an upholstery person, you’re halfway home. They might
just give you a good price if you tell everyone you know where that great upholstery job came from. Same with the paint and body work. Get as much of that
done yourself (And with a little help from family and friends won’t hurt either. That’s why you
go get a keg of beer 🍺 or two to
thank them for their efforts) as possible and that should go s long way with the body shop owner you’re gonna need to fix that roached and dented left quarter panel. And the best thing is that everything I spoke of doesn’t have to be done to a concours level condition if you’re
gonna drive it daily. The paint and upholstery shops in your town should be able to give you
what you need for a fair and decent price the does NOT reflect
the size of the national debt. And the best thing is that you can still
drive the car while you do your to
do list. And you could stretch that list out as long as you need to in order to have a balanced family budget and a happy wife or girlfriend too. And yes kiddies,
that’s how we built 💩 50+years ago.
I would say demo derby but it’s so rusty it would fold on the first hit.