It might not be Wednesday, but this wagon is so cool that we couldn’t wait till Wednesday to feature it! The Colony Park was Mercury’s top of the line wagon and came with just about every bell and whistle one could want in a wagon, it was even called the Lincoln Continental of Wagons. This one is in great condition and the seller claims it has only seen 11,000 miles since new. Those of you who have been with us for a while know we love originality and station wagons, so it’s just natural for us to want an original low mileage station wagon. Take a closer look at it here on eBay, where it is being offered with a BIN of $10,500.
Calling this the Continental of Station Wagons is a bold statement, especially when you look at the interior. This one’s interior isn’t nearly as luxurious as most Lincoln’s of the era, but the interior isn’t where the moniker came from. This Mercury inherited the title when the Colony Park received the Lincoln’s cushy suspension, giving this wagon one of the smoothest rides of any family hauler on the market. Besides a smooth ride it also offered other interesting features pulled from other Ford products, such as the Magic tailgate from the Country Squire, which could either swing out like a door or fold down like a standard tailgate.
The Colony Park was powered by Mercury’s 390 cui V8, which put out a respectable 270 horsepower. This motor was found in a number of Ford products, so finding parts and upgrades should be easy. The seller claims it runs great, so perhaps all it will need is a good bath and a few small upgrades. Given the originality, we would want to limit the upgrades to simply bolt-on pieces. It would be tempting to bring it up to the 320 horsepower 390 specifications. It would be a very comfortable cruiser that would turn heads and leave most modern cars in a cloud of dust and smoke.
For the most part, this wagon looks great as is, but it could use some new vinyl wood grain panels and a good polish. We kind of like it as is and would be proud to have it just like this. We aren’t sure if we believe the seller’s claim of just 11,000 miles, but anything is possible. They believe that a few panels have had new paint sprayed on them, which makes us think mileage is more likely 111,000. The interior is in amazing condition, but it wouldn’t have been that difficult for a previous owner to have replaced the seats and carpets. We would want to inspect it very closely, especially before handing over $10,500. Do you believe that it’s truly a low mileage survivor or do you think the odometer has rolled over a time or two?
I,m having a hard time with the 11,000 miles. That engine compartment looks to rough for low miles. Although the rest of the wagon looks nice.
You’re right, tough to call.
It looks like the car was buffed and shined up on the outside, the engine compartment would be that much harder to clean up.
The way it looks (under the hood before detailing) it must have been sitting outside somewhere in rural Idaho, maybe ?
A mileage claim like that absolutely has to be backed up with evidence. Without it, it’s just smoke. So assume this thing probably has 111K on it, and judge it according to condition. And on that basis, the BIN isn’t crazy. This is an awful nice wagon.
Pull the front wheels, if the drums have the date codes close to the build date of the car, chances are good it is original mileage as there is a good chance that a 111K car has had the drums replaced at one time. Not foolproof, but a decent initial indicator.
I am a lover of wagons. But, look at the engine compartment…………..11K…..nope.
Maybe 111K.
…and check out the brake and accelerator pedals for wear.
With 11K, they should look like new.
Show me the CarFax…errrr…..ummmm….the documentation since new!
You get sick of hearing of this. When you ask sellers how do they know its done the mileage they claim, they answer that is what its showing. Then you tell them that the speedo goes back to zero after you hit 99999 and they don’t know that.
This car has done more than that looking at that engine bay.
not sure about miles either but sure is nice to look at. not sure about the BIN but if someone is interested make the dealer an offer. great find
Look at the upholstery. Looks like a replacement kit not original and the scratches on the tailgate and floor. No way is it 11,000 unless it is the most abused car ever.
Would be fun to own, interior looks great, but not a particularly collectible car. If it’s a legit 11K miles, 8 grand tops should bring it home.
It has already been said but lets see the pedals.
If this car was driven in a dust place the engine bay would look like this if it was never washed before.. Not everyone washes the engine bay over and over again. Most never see the hose at all.
Agree with everyone the engine bay is not, no way 11,000, but also the bubbling of the rear wood decal shows that it was changed at one point by someone who didn’t know the trick to install these, was the car hit?? or was it changed for what reason??
I doubt the mileage too and I don’t think a caring owner would put wood tone contact vinyl over the faded wood tone on the tail gate.
There are a lot of ways to mask high milage. One of the first things that used car lots would do is to put new rubber pads on the pedals, and renew other tell-tale signs of high usage. One thing I know, being in the engine rebuilding trade, is in 1965, before unleaded gasoline, engines showed their age quickly. Piston, cylinder and ring wear was evident in high milers. One look in the cylinders would quickly determine the 100K difference in opinion. Of course, the engine would have to be dismantled to see this. Personally, if this wagon is as sound as it looks, I’d rebuild the mechanicals and enjoy driving it….for years. Just imagine owning a car that doesn’t have a “check engine” light flashing at you once a month.
The claimed 11K miles is either bogus (add another 100,000) or the miles were accumulated running the Paris to Dakar rally, with a car load of boy scouts or a high school football team. Condition is respectable for 110 thou miles, is beat to shit for 11 thou. All of the “wood” trim has been refinished, and very poorly; the dark inserts are all wood-grained/adhesive-back vinyl on every panel and he lighter surrounds have all be redone — poorly — with a paint brush and shellac or tan paint. Chrome is all pitted, rear bumper is bent, inside rear cargo area is moderately beat up, if the car is indeed a 110,000-miler or pure junk for an 11,000-mile “virgin.” And that sure ain’t no 11,000-mile engine.
I like old wagons, a lot. My first reaction to the photos and Barn Finds description was, “Omigawd, that’s so (expletives deleted) cool.” Then, I looked closely at the pictures. Personally, I wouldn’t pay more than $7,500, tops, if everything checked out well. It’s too needy in too many ways, and there are too many much better cars still available.
To qualify my previous rant, in the past 10 years I have found and passed on: 1963 Corvette convertible, disassembled but complete, Numbers match 365 hp/four-speed, hardtop only, no wrecks and no rust, CA black plate; ’73 TR-6, complete, not running, hardtop and overdrive, CA from new. In the same 10 years have found, bought, later resold: ’64 1/2 Mustang convertible, Poppy Red, D-code 289 & automatic, power top, black plates; ’68 Torino GT fastback, 390, four-speed, factory air, power windows, power steering, power front discs, limited slip, black plates; ’69 Mustang fastback (not a Mach 1), 351 4-V, automatic, factory air, power steering, power discs, black plate. Found and still have: 1978 Corvette IMSA AA/GT tube-frame wide-body race car, in a barn, never finished or raced. purportedly one of the five chrome-moly Greenwood cars, but have not found any sort of tag or I.D. number to verify if it is indeed a Greenwood. There are a LOT of good and interesting old or at least special interest cars out there. All of my finds, except for the old Corvette race car, were found within a 50-mile radius of my home in the Los Angeles megalopolis. The owner of the ’63 Corvette convertible wanted $10,000; all of the others, including the old IMSA Vette were under $5,000. BTW, I’m not a dealer and not a flipper; I made a little money on the finds that I no longer have but bought each of them because they were cars that i wanted at the time and sold when I realized I didn’t like or enjoy them enough.
Living in SoCal as well there are cars hiding all over the area……..I just can find em’. It’s always the other guys I know that come up with the finds.
Same here, (another) S CA car guy.
True about the cars all over, usually more that need help, than people actually putting them back together.
My local junkyard has about 5 cars a year that should not be there just because of stupid logistics, how the got their hands on those cars…..
Just bought one of them (65 Mercedes Coupe in original paint off them)
No way that engine compartment grime is done in 11,000 miles. I’ve seen northern cars with 50k and cleaner engine compartments. Still a good price tho.
Odometers only had 5 places then. 111,000, is my bet..
Regarding the tailgate, this car doesn’t have the “Two Way Magic Doorgate” mentioned above; that didn’t come until 1966.
New plug wires,cap, rad,belts,plugs (see how clean the inner fender well are from arms rubbing on the)to instal the plugs,cracked fan shroud, and bla bla bla 111,000 definatly
As far as I’m concerned Ray Charles could tell thi isn’t an 11k car. It’s a nice wagon, but not only the engine compartment, but look at the Valve Covers, He also mentions the car has had some body work done. He also mentions it was one of 8 low mileage cars from the “say” guy, which I believe means same guy. Nice wagon, but no
I had a 64 ! (the year before this one) one family wagon Mercury Park Colony that I tried to sell about 4 (?) years ago.
I was struggling to get $2400 for it, until a UK guy came along with a cousin in Tucson who was the only potential buyer who saw the value in it.
I even delivered the car (to Tucson) where he’s keeping and cleaning it up before sending it ‘home’…..
I don’t really care about all the nitpicking on this car. I love it! I can just picture Dean Martin as Matt Helm being chased by Big O in a wagon just like this in ” The Silencers “. I so want this car!
Agreed on the 111K.
Still this looks like a solid wagon that could be a whole bunch of fun for cruise-ins and local shows. Load up the kids and the dog and go have a good time.
OMG it’s the queen family truckster. All you need is a paint sprayer and a can of metallic pea green.
I bought this car off ebay from Park Ave Saab (saabsrus1). The description read: “This is a true 11000 mile California Mercury Colony Park wagon. It has all 5 original tires”. I was blinded by the 11000 mile claim, and I failed to examine all of the photos with the listing. The photos revealed problems that would not have existed if the car had only 11000 miles: worn, dirty, rusty, paint missing engine compartment and wrinkled vinyl wood trim. When the car arrived, the battery was run down, because the 3 interior lights would not turn off. Needed jumper cables. I was appalled at the condition of the car. It has been repainted, the steering is loose, brakes barely work,
I concluded that this was a 111K mile car, and decided to return it for a refund. I called Andy at Park Ave Saab, and told him I was returning the car, and that it had 111K miles, not 11K. I told him that I would not have bid if I had known that the car had been repainted, He said I would have to open a case with ebay. Ebay has no warranty, unless PayPal is used. Andy wanted and received payment by check. Also, the ‘original’ Firestone SUP-R-BELT tires were made in 1973 (DOT CHVX BE4353)
‘353’ means 35th week of 1973. There is a Fresno oil change sticker on the driver’s door jamb showing 4K (104K) miles in 1982. Also the tailgate cannot be opened. The window does not operate, and the gate will not open with the window closed. The under dash wiring has been disturbed. I payed $8400 plus a hidden $395 processing fee plus $1433 to ship the car out and back. $10,228 total. I am awaiting a refund.
Robert Van Buskirk of Indiana
Sorry to hear that Bob! There are a lot of dishonest people out there, but hopefully you can get something worked out with the seller. I have had similar experiences with buying cars online and it seems like the only way to avoid it is to have a third party inspect the car before bidding. Please keep us updated.
Update: saabsrus1 refused to take the car back. I am paying another $725 to get the car returned. I cannot remember when I have been so angry. Before I bid on the car, I asked about the history. Jeremy said that he bought the car from an estate. After the auto movers called and said that Jeremy had refused to take the car back. I called Jeremy and pointed out that I would not have bought the car if I had know. He said that I never asked about the paint, and that I should have used ‘due diligence’. When I told him that the ‘original tires’ were made in 1973, he said that he was told by Coker Tire, where he bought the car, (not from an estate) that the car was an 11,000 mile car with original tires.
He also told me that I got a bargain. I am awaiting the return of this project car.
Bob from Indiana.
Are you going to continue to pursue returning the car? Or are you going to keep it and try to make it nice as it was supposed to be? The problem is that it can only be original once. That dealer clearly took advantage of you. I would be angry also. The car is cool, even if it is not in the condition it was represented as. It will be nice if it is saved.
Wow, what a horrible footnote. I never would have considered buying this car when the seller so obviously tried to mislead on the mileage, but it sounds like he hid plenty of other stuff, too.
Any update, BobV?
I spent 6 months cleaning, detailing, and doing the mechanicals. Engine and trans
were good. Gets 13mpg. Drove 200 miles each way in June to a station wagon meet. Received award. Car is included in the Lake Bluff Concours in Michigan
on August 8. These Mercurys have been called 4000 pounds of American Decadence. I learned a lot when I refinished the woodie trim. Never again.
BobV in Indiana.
Good for you, Bob! (No thanks to the seller!)
Bob V., sorry for your troubles. This car sounds like a disaster even for 111K. Unfortunately pictures don’t tell the whole story. I hope that you can get something worked out in your favor. Three years ago I purchased an all original 1982 one owner Trans AM off of ebay with 24 K. Actual miles. The car is fully documented, including all service and repair records. I got the build sheets, window sticker, and the original buyer’s agreement. The car was still wearing the original Goodyear Eagle GT’S which were very rotten. Lucky for me the car was 126 miles away, and I was able to go and check it out ahead of the purchase. This year I took the car to the shop who does repairs for me when I don’t have the time, tools, or expertise. We replaced the tires, alternator, brakes, hoses, belts, emissions parts, and the air conditioning was leaking freon from eight separate places. Even though the car was in exceptional condition, there were many years maintenance items that were overdue, and I spent 4K. To bring the car up to being road worthy. Now I have an 82 that one can drive across the country if the urge hits to do so.
I had another experience this summer purchasing a 2001 Lance 1010 truck camper from ebay. The camper was 800 miles away, and I had no way to inspect it ahead of time. I was in the middle of chemotherapy and radiation for prostate cancer and was not thinking very clearly. The camper looked great in the pics and the owners were this sweet older couple who were selling out to move to Hawaii to retire for the second time. I placed a bid on the unit, then got really scared that I had screwed up big time. A coworker suggested doing a criminal background check on the seller, which I did. They were about as clean as Mother Teresa. So I went ahead with the bidding process. The unit never hit the reserve, and the owner resisted it with a reduced BIN. I went ahead and did the BIN, as it was 50% of the price that similar campers were selling for at dealers.
We agreed to meet 1/2 way which was Memphis. My wife said, good, we can go see Graceland. So I made reservations for the R.V. park at Graceland. Since it was Labor Day weekend, I got a break from my cancer treatment, so I had a few days off. We off loaded the camper from the owner’s truck, swapped money for the camper, and loaded it onto my truck. I was so weak that I could hardly stand for more then a few minutes at a, time, but we got it done. Lucky for me the camper was very nice. We broke up our return trip over a few days and had a great time. Looking back, I left myself open to a lot of risks with this deal, and am thankful that it worked out OK. I will be reluctant to make a major purchase over ebay you again, unless I can see the item in person. Good luck with your Mercury wagon.
The 1965 Mercury and Ford station wagons didn’t have the “Three Way Magic Doorgate”
….as FMC called them. They didn’t appear until the 1966 FMC wagons came to market.