Even in a more tranquil color like white or maroon, both of which were factory choices on the 1972 Mercury Montego, you’d garner plenty of attention driving around in one of these sleek early seventies offerings. But in a car with a finish this bright, you’d stick out like a sore thumb! Two shades of red were available in ’72, the standard red and a bright red, and at a minimum this one’s the latter, and looking around at other similar colored Mercurys online from this year I’m not so sure what we’re seeing here hasn’t been painted a couple of notches louder than the factory hue. Or maybe all the sun just makes it look that way, but in any case, if you’ve been looking for a decent 2-Door Mercury and like to cause attention everywhere you go this one may be worth checking out. The car is being offered here on Craigslist and is located in Chesapeake, Virginia, with the seller hoping for $5,950.
Barn Finds reader PRA4SNW has a good eye for spotting interesting rides, and we’d like to thank him for the great tip here! The Montego got a major redesign for ’72 and shared similar looks with its corporate cousin, the Ford Torino, with the car being offered for sale here wearing the MX package, an option that got the buyer a higher level of trim than the standard model. Buyers were impressed, as sales went up considerably over the previous year, with the MX-equipped cars seeing the largest increase. Looking over this Montego, it seems really top-notch from the passenger side, but beware of a couple of rust issues under the trim on the driver’s side plus something unusual either in the quarter panel or how the trunk fits.
It seemed popular back in the late sixties and early seventies for many cars to have a black dashboard and carpeting complimented by white upholstery, which is how this Montego appears inside. It’s looking pretty good in there overall, especially if those are all original materials, with a cracked dash and some discoloration and fit issues on the panels behind the rear windows standing out as maybe the worst eyesores. But for just a driver, it could probably be enjoyable for several more years without being given any serious attention inside.
Under the hood is a 302 cubic inch V8, also a popular choice during this time period, and although there’s no information given as to whether or not the motor has ever had a rebuild the seller claims his car runs and drives great, with things in the engine compartment appearing to be in good order. The only information provided about the undercarriage is that there’s been a floor patch added to the passenger side, but no photos shown from down below or any other details. If that quarter panel was in better shape, I’d think this one was a decent deal or at least reasonably priced, and it may still be considering the condition of the rest of the car. What do you think?
A/C compressor has flown the coop so I’ll pass
The car has a door edge protector on the driver’s door but the passenger door does not. Above the driver’s side interior sail panel there is something (wiring?) which shouldn’t exposed. The driver’s shoulder belt has seen better days. Little things like this question everything else on a car with 57k miles. On the plus side it does have “NEW FACTORY HUB CAPS.”
A.G, you must tread litghtly, the Karens will get offended?
“And Oz never did nothin’ for the tin worm. That it didn’t, didn’t already have.”
Folks, this ad causes me to take a ride down memory lane. When I graduated from Massachusetts Maritime in 1972, my first new car right out of the dealership, was a 1972 Montego MX, 302 V-8, no A.C, manual windows, vinyl upholstery, AM radio. $3,200 out the door. Rock solid, lasted me over 150,000 miles. Never broke down, crossed the U.S., from San Diego to Newport R.I. 4 times during the first half of my Naval career. In 1990 I sold it to a student attending college in Rhode Island, for $600, he paid me over a 12 month period. The paint was faded, the upholstery had been redone in Tijuana for $75, in luxury “Hyde of the Nauga”. Due to all the winter driving in Rhode Island the left & right wheels on either side of the trunk had rotted out. So I mixed up a couple bags, 85 lb of concrete per side and poured it in. After a week of drying I took my belt sander and faired out the concrete, applied some primer, then later sprayed on some crinkle undercoating. Looked great, the extra weight kept the rear tires down hard on deep snowy roads. I was back in Rhode Island in 1996, while wandering the local junkyard, my old car was at the top of a stack. I asked the man, who owned the yard, how long it had been there, he noted it was purchased by him about six months before. He paid a kid $75.00 for it, a week after the purchase he sold the 302 engine & transmission for $275. The new owner was building a resto modded 1940 Ford coupe. All good things come to an end, but I hope the 302 still lives in another body.
My Ex wife and I were raising IRISH SETTER’s and has a 73 Marquis Colony Park. We got stationed in J-VILLE Fl and needed a second car. Looked around all the little lots (1980 Time Frame ) and found a BEAUTIFUL 72 Montego Villager Wagon for sale. She was loaded Leather, and Power everything. 351C Loved It and would love to find another one. This looks like my Elite did and I lost it to the tin worm. Couldn’t get the roof reskinned.