Missing its vinyl top and having had a few front-end parts painted black, this 1978 Mercury Grand Marquis looks nice, other than some sun damage from living in Southern California, including some peeling chrome on the bumpers. The seller has it posted here on craigslist in Lake Forest, California, and they’re asking $9,995. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Jack M. for the tip!
Looking pretty modern for a car that goes back to the mid-70s (the Grand Marquis was introduced in 1975), the Dove Gray Silver or Medium Gray Iridescent paint looks almost perfect, and maybe this car originally had a black vinyl top (one of two colors available with this paint color: black and dove gray), so the black trim could be original? I don’t know if I’ve seen a grille and headlight covers painted black before, but with a black vinyl top, it might look pretty sharp.
It looks like the left side of the rear bumper is hanging down a bit, otherwise, I don’t really see any flaws on the exterior, other than figuring out what to do with the missing vinyl top. Do you replace it, or finish it off? A vinyl top was standard equipment on this car, of course. The Grand Marquis was the top level, above the Brougham, so you got it all with this car, including leather seats. Although they were an option, so I guess you really didn’t get it all for free.
And here they are, the optional “leather and vinyl” seats in matching Dove Gray. The dash looks great, but the steering wheel appears a little faded and beat. Again, I’m assuming from the hot Southern California sun. Here’s a brochure showing the 1978 Mercury Marquis lineup. Mercury offered the Grand Marquis for model years 1975 through 2011, and it started out as a high trim level for the Marquis before becoming its own model in 1983.
Sadly, the seller included many duplicate photos of the same thing (as redundant as what I just wrote), and then neglected to show the trunk compartment and worse yet, no engine photo. Even sadder, they didn’t even mention which engine it is, so we’re left wondering if it’s a 351, 400, or 460. Bummer. Any one of them would be ok, and they say it has 78,000 miles and no mechanical issues. For almost $10,000, I’d need to redo the vinyl top and that won’t be cheap. Would you keep it vinyl top’less, or redo that on this Grand Marquis?
When these were new, I remember thinking “who would ever want a huge, overly-trimmed, floaty car like this.” Now, I’m fine with these sorts of cars like this nice Mercury. Smooth, quiet cruising down the interstate, or even a local two-lane.
That black front-end treatment is something I might have thought of. But to me it probably looks better stock. Putting the vinyl roof back on would be appropriate.
Good job SG.
I think the grille would look better with the chrome lines restored, but I think I’d just plug the trim holes and paint the top. A set of the optional wheels (per the brochure) would be the icing on the cake! :-)
BTW: Almost forgot, there was a long running Car & Driver joke that there was never a “Marquis de Sade” option offered, LOL!! :-)
Blame it on the safety folks. NHTSA wouldn’t accept leather seat belts and informed Ford that Master brand padlocks were not acceptable quick-release devices for them.
They might have allowed whip antennas. Very popular back then.
Any idea how a 4 door convertible version would look Scotty?
Uuuf, it wouldn’t look good, Tony… ha.
I dunno. Flip those rear door hinges around to the back and that just might make an interesting “retro” modern “Lincolnish?” 4 door ragtop! (I’ve always loved suicide doors on most any car – of course safety regs canned that scenario.)
I should have thought of that, Tim! Good point, I’ll give it a try. Oh yeah, I like that much better that one tiny detail made all the difference.
Good one ☝️ Scotty 🤣😆🤣
Perfect Scotty !!! I’ll buy it. (Just have to find a hiding place til I can explain it to my wife🤫‼️)
I love both of them 👍 👍
Absolutely !!! I want one!!! That looks classy.
The convertible may be a hit in North Korea…🤔
Looks like a Presidential Limo.
Replace the vinyl top, and undo the damage done with the can of black paint, and you’ve got a nice cruiser.
Thats not Dove Grey. Dove Grey was a lighter color, not metallic. And that roof has been seriously reworked.
Is that Silver? Maybe it’s Medium Gray now that I look at the paint chart again. Thanks, Scott.
I recall being picked up for football practice in one of these rides. There was ample room for two with pads and then some.
A friend had one in high school, I think a 76. He nicknamed it Sherman as in tank. It was entertaining watching a newly licensed driver trying to parallel park it. But as a hand me down from his dad, you don’t say no to a free car
clean boat. the black treatment on the front really does not go with the look of the car
Being a Grand Marquis and not a base model, I would assume it has at least a 400. The 145 horsepower 351 would be pretty anemic in this tank.
The plaid pants on the auto worker in the brochure – so ’78! Thanks again for including it Scotty!
I had the wagon version, the 1977 Colony Park with the big 460. It could tow anything and you wouldn’t know it was back there in comfort. Great road trip car. It needed many gas station stops, but gas was cheap back in the day.
Listing update: this one has been deleted, so I’m assuming it was sold.