The seller is listing this 1977 Mercury Bobcat wagon for a friend who bought it in Maine in 2012, drove it 11,500 miles, and has had it stored at the seller’s house since 2016. He says it was a Maine barn find when his friend bought it, and it now has just 35,698 miles on it. They have it posted here on craigslist in Billerica, Massachusetts, and they’re asking $5,000. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Rocco B. for the tip!
Some of the photos are out of focus, so my apologies for that. Not that I took the photos. The “fancy” Mercury version of the Ford Pinto wagon was offered starting in 1974 in Canada and from 1975 through 1980 in the U.S., which is when the Pinto, in general, including the Bobcat, pulled out of the market. We saw this car last fall here on Barn Finds when the seller was asking $6,500.
The bumpers are always a distraction, at least design-wise, maybe not parking lot demo derby-wise. The peace sign bumper sticker is a nice Maine touch. The seller says this car was a Maine barn find, but then they say that they think it was left outside in Maine, and that may have fried the interior. I’m not sure which one it was, maybe half in a barn and half outside, who knows? In any case, it looks pretty good to me for a $5,000 Bobcat wagon. There is some light rust in the cracks, but they say there is no major rust.
The first thing most of us noticed, other than the covered seats and steering wheel, is that this one doesn’t have a four-speed manual. That’s always a bummer for those of us who like to shift for ourselves. The front seats, dash, and steering wheel must be beyond help, and that’s unfortunate. It won’t be inexpensive to fix those areas. The back seat looks like new, so that’s good.
The 2.3-liter OHC inline-four is said to have been rebuilt, and it has 89 horsepower and 120 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent through a three-speed automatic to the rear wheels. Are any of you takers at $5,000?
Funny how Mercury would take a car from Ford and class it up with some minor cosmetic touches, grills mostly. But I like this Bobcat. If I could afford a third car and it had a four speed this would be it. Bumpers? Meh. They’re fine, all the better for pushing shopping carts out of the way at the local Walmart.
If you’re local, and can put your eyes on this Bobcat? $5000 is a good deal, considering the nutty prices that people are asking for anything that is 40 years old, or more.