Disclaimer: I love and respect Canada, and Canadians, but it was too good of a rhyme to pass up. This patina-rich 1968 Mercury M-250 Pickup is from north of the Yankee border in Canada and it’s still wearing its Manitoba plates. It’s here on craigslist for $7,995, whoa! This Merc is located in Norco, California, just west of Riverside.
This would really be a head-turner at any car show or just at the gas station or hardware store. I wouldn’t do a thing to the exterior on this one other than make sure that all of the bulbs work and those kinds of easy things. But, at this asking price, what is this one worth in great shape? Is it worth totally restoring? The later Mercury pickups seem to be more rare and 1968 was in fact the last year for them. Our old ’69 F-250 was the first vehicle that I welded on, only about a decade after it was new, and it was Ziebarted! I learned how to weld in restoring that one, bending and shaping the metal for the cab corners and other areas and butt-joint-welding it in place. It looked great when it was done, but I don’t know if I’d touch this Merc, I like the look of it as it is.
This M-250 was used by a real pickup truck owner it looks like, but thankfully, maybe due to Manitoba not salting their roads as much as we do here in the Midwest (?), it’s not as rusty as a similar Midwest US Ford F-250 would most likely be. Ford offered Mercury pickups in Canada in their Lincoln/Mercury dealerships so folks without a Ford dealer would be able to buy a pickup. I haven’t seen too many of them at car shows but they’re always fun to see, and fun to fantasize about owning. How cool is that tailgate!
The interior looks to be in similar shape as the exterior is in, used but in really good shape for being 49-years old. The simple dash doesn’t show the amount of gauges as our ’69 Ford F-250 Ranger Camper Special had, but we didn’t have a 4-speed manual transmission either! I would much rather have this truck.
Kudos to the seller for providing an engine photo! I’m always pleasantly surprised to see a lot of photos. A few underside images would have been great, but I’m sure they would send a few to a seriously interested party. This is FoMoCo’s 360 cubic-inch V8 with around 215 hp. The seller says that this one is “good running”, which is always nice to hear. Have any of you owned a Mercury pickup? Would you restore this one or just get everything working great and drive it?
I believe that the Seller is a Flipper of Canada steel. It seems to me that I have seen other vintage trucks out of Norco that are from north of the border. Some good stuff though. I am not a fan of the 360 however. It is my bottom feeder engine for the 5th generation pickups. I would rather have a six. Indeed this Merc is rare nevertheless.
I have to agree on the six. The 300 Big Six remains THE most steadfast reliable workhorse engine that Ford ever dropped into the F-Series trucks. I have a completely rebuilt, factory tolerance ’82 300 I-6 on an engine stand in the garage, awaiting my next project. The only modifications being a 2v intake, 2150 appropriately jetted carb and later model (EFI) ported split exhaust manifolds in order to run “true dual exhaust”, which I will bend. Hopefully it will go into a 70’s
High-Boy (High Rider).
I had a ’74 F-100 with a 240-6 cylinder when I lived in North Pole AK. I kept it ’til the wheels just about fell off. My now ex-wife drove it to work every day for years. 80 miles there and back. It started easily no matter how far below zero it got…….And 35 below zero was typical in December and January. Great trucks, great engine.
MeToo…When My oldest Brother received his orders, post Vietnam, they were to Anchorage. After settling in, he bought a Ford. A ’72 F100 with the 240 I-6. I can’t remember a complaint….and we talked at least 3 times a week.
I love a Ford 300-6!
The asking price is a bit lofty but…knowing these trucks and what I see in the background of the pics, I would go in with 6k cash and a dime to a dollar, I bet I could walk away with this one with confidence. These trucks have tons of support with both NOS and aftermarket parts availability. I just gave the folks over at the Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forum a heads up but I’m thinking they already know about it or the seller is a member. These are one tough truck.
I think you could have it for $6,000, I bought a 49 Mercury and a 47 Ford from them and they told me at the time they would let me have the 68 for $6,500. I wish I could have afforded it as well. They are good to deal with. They wanted $10k each for the 2 I bought and they let me have the pair for $15k which was a hell of a deal for the condition they’re in.
The Ford 360 is a good engine it will get the job done .It is a truck only engine not no hypo engine.
“Hi-Po”…
I have been building FE’s for over 30 years and can assure you that a 360FE can deliver a whopper of a torque curve when rebuilt correctly (not to mention what happens when you stroke it), far more than any 6cyl could dream of. Love that this is a Merc but would take an F250 as well, both great trucks.
I cannot disagree…but what most folks do not consider is the drivetrain to follow the infamous FE per application….I.E., Transmission, Differential gear ratio….Would You agree ?
back in the day my buddy freshened up a 360 and installed a set of 428 police interceptor heads plus the intake and a mild cam he was running a 600 holley, with headers and it was a torque monster. easily spinning one dually on command with the granny low four speed but not in granny gear if that makes sense?
360s are good FE’s that are real close in bore and stroke to the 352. oh yeah it is weird seeing Mercury all over this truck though I am aware of the Canada only Mercury trucks.this one looks decent but inspect those cab mounts for rust!
I mainly deal in cars, not trucks but the Ford 9″, C6 & C4, Toploader are some of the most durable drive-train components on the planet. I’m not certain about the truck manual trans or dif’s as to their reliability.
The 360 was simply a detuned truck engine, they had all the potential of most any other FE. Btw, 68 was not the last year of the Mercury pickup, they were made in to the mid 70s.
Point taken. As was the 390….
68 was most definitely the last year for a Mercury truck. Do some research.
Merc ended trucks after 1968. End of story… what on earth would make you think otherwise?
I think 2 of his other rigs are shown in the background of one of the photos.
The one to the left in the background looks to be a pre- ’48 Merc Tonner. The one to the right, 48 -> Ford 1/2 or 3/4 rated.
No offense taken! I don’t think it’s meant as an insult. Vancouver named their hockey team the “Canucks”. We had the “crazy canucks” ski team, that were hard to beat.
Anyway, I really like this truck, it’s what a truck should look like. All it needs is 4 wheel drive.
They use plenty of salt and sand here in Manitoba. However, there are lots of farmers trucks that were parked for the winter(often in sheds or barns) and have survived.
We pass by hundreds of old cars and trucks in fields on our way to various lakes every summer.
Sadly, I have passed many semi’s loaded with old vehicles and tractors headed for the crusher over the last few years.
Farms are being cleaned up and sold.
Still, there are great deals at farm auctions and I know of a few barns stashed with old trucks, and one with a Super Duty T/A and a 69 GTO ram air convertible…
Wow, what a shame when there are so many enthusiasts clamoring for that historic iron….
“Forgive Them, For They Know Not What They Do”.
Lots of salt on Manitoba highways. But if this was a farm truck it may have avoided some of it. Too much money for this truck. The biggest advantage is that it is a Merc otherwise there are plenty of these trucks kicking around rural Manitoba.
I don’t doubt it but, there are plenty of us Yankee’s south of the border who would love to know where they are ! I’ve been on the hunt for a decent 60’s F or M Series cab and longbed to drop onto a 80’s 4×4 frame for quite some time..in vain (obviously).
Take a drive thru Manitoba and you will be surprised. I live north of Winnipeg in the Interlake area and see lots of things out in the pastures all the time. Considering taking up a hobby of photographing them. I can personally tell you of dozens of dereleks especially fords sitting in the fields. They were very popular.
You need to visit Alberta sometime. I’m a photographer specializing in what I call “found locations”, and have discovered hundreds of abandoned farms (or even active ones with old equipment) on rural backroads, and a high percentage seem to have 60’s and 70’s era pickups on the property.
Growing up on the border I saw lots of Mercury trucks. There was (still is) a dealer just ten miles north into Canada. He was a lot closer than Shelby or Cutbank which were over 35 miles south of the border. Through the years a lot of Mercury trucks migrated south so they were fairly common.
That 360 motor was a fairly good performer. There were a few good tricks you could do with very little cash outlay. I used to install a Holley 500 2bbl carb and recurve the advance. Add a set of duals and they went a lot better than on factory settings. A lot easier on fuel too.
How could there still be a Mercury dealer in business? The brand ceased to exist in 2011.
Manitoba practically repAves the roads with salt every year, this one may have stayed on gravel to have not disintegrated
Nice truck! Cant remember where, but I found this dealer’s other trucks on Ebay I think. The ’48 is a Mercury I believe. I think the sellers are a couple of fellas that bring trucks down from Canada for resale. If you go to Norco hold your nose :)
might be getting some hate for this but if i bought t I would be tempted to drop a Cummins engine in it, put a lift kit on it and then but some ’30 inch tires on it
And that hate would be well deserved…
I have a couple of Mercs ,a 49 and a51 . I took a tour around Sask and man this fall and saw nothing but 1 tons and bigger no PU’s not much left out there !
Martin, are you sure that’s a merc? Has a Ford grill! Mercs had 4 pieces of chrome with the blinkers out on the wings. Think that might just be a Ford with merc emblems…
Mercurys had the same grille.
I have several thermometers with Mercury in them. Not sure what year – but just as relevant as some of these comments
This is my old truck and I’m not the original owner sold it for 2500 wish I never sold it
5th generation F250’s are hot right now, I am 80% done with a 68 highboy took 2 years to get this far , price on these are going up every 6 months .