Marquismino? Ranchquis-o? I’m not sure what to call this 1979 Mercury Marquis-based Sawzall special…other than unique! If you liked the concept of the Subaru Baja but prefer your wagon-cum-pickups in full-figured American, neo-rectangle baroque form, this might be the vehicle for you. If so, you’ll be pleased to learn that it’s available for a reasonable $3,000 on craigslist in Marshfield, Massachusetts. Thanks to reader Tom A for tipping us off to this one-off!
Our seller is a person of few words and even fewer pictures, so some of the particulars of this very evidently home-built conversion remain mysterious. One item that is clarified is that this Marquis started life as a hearse (although the ad calls it a “hearst”—Patty?), which might turn away some squeamish folks. That bit could have been left unsaid—there was a regular Marquis wagon, after all—but does explain the interesting vinyl roof covering that extends along the sides of the bed. It could also explain the butts-up stance; not only has the car lost the weight of the roof at the rear, but it would likely have a heavier-duty suspension as well. As a former hearse (the car, not me), though, I have to wonder whether there’s a back seat, or if the rear doors merely open to an additional enclosed cargo area. It also seems to me that some local constabularies might have a problem with that rear license plate mount if cargo in the bed starts to obscure the plate.
Overall condition inside and out looks quite nice, and mileage is given as 70,000, which makes sense if it spent much of the last 38 years on short-trip hearse duty. If a hearse-turned-pickup isn’t interesting enough for you, know that there is a “full power manifold 351 Windsor engine Edelbrock manifold and carb electronic ignition” under the hood, and if you need clarification, the seller adds that it is “VERY FAST!”
As fast as it may be, you’ll never be able to outrun its quirkiness, so introverts need not apply. Otherwise, this actually strikes me as a pretty useful vehicle, with lots of cargo space and even an engine and suspension that are up to ferrying a fair amount of weight. For three grand, I could see using this as a Home Depot hauler; what about you?
Marq-Ute. Truquis
No thanks, …what else you got?
I have seen lots of El Caminos, quite a few Ford Rancheros, and even a Fairmont Durango but never in my life have I ever seen anything like this and to think it’s right here in my home state of Massachusetts! From reading the above article this was originally a Mercury Marquis station wagon converted to a hearse and has now been transformed into a pickup. Imagine if it had a 4-speed, Wonder if then Scotty G would be all over it?
Perhaps a Mustang 5-speed conversion is in order.
Please pass the Kleenex again if there is any left after sobbing over the light blue AMC Hornet earlier today.
Instead of a Ranchero, wouldn’t this be a crew cab thingy?
Yes, a “Cadaver Crew Cab Conversion”.
That was not a sawzall special it was funeral home flower car which explains the vinyl roof you were wondering about …
Here in Texas, everybody and they’re grandma’s drives a pickup. Because of that, apparently this has caused a shortage for the rest of the America. Sorry!
Bluewood
Love the description, Nathan. Yours and the seller’s. Not only “carb electronic ignition” but “New Radial white walls” too, so you know the seller is savvy and doesn’t get suckered into buying those cheap bias-ply tires. Would it be wrong to suggest it’s begging to be thrashed in a strip mine until it stops running then set on fire? OK maybe not that extreme. The bed’s too short for 4x8s but maybe it would work for a tree-planting crew. Otherwise, yeah, straight to the strip mine.
Some one else who uses abandon strip mines for a play ground!!!
I’m not an introvert. I like it. If “Government Motors” made a pedestrian version pickup and dedicated as much resources as the Silverado, there might be another vehicle to choose from in their line up.
Obviously, this person selling this contraption, had an idea to convert a cheap buy into a pick up of sorts. Very homemade/backyard shenanigans going on…. Interesting to extroverts. Thinking outside the box. GM should hire this dude! LOL.
I get a kick out of the boat “Happy Days”, sitting in dry dock,,,not so happy now, are ya’,,the car/truck/hearse,( pretty low budget hearse, if I must say so, probably the only time I’ll get to ride in a Caddy) I guess it’s ok, is that plywood for the back and Menard’s window? So many different renditions of car/pickups. Doesn’t surprise me what people and a recipro saw can do. I hope the Merc didn’t schlep that boat around,,
I vote for calling it a Marquismo.
Cadaver Crew Cab has a nice ring to it as well.
I prefer the Lincoln Town Car version.
I vote for “Marquis de Sawd”!! :-)
Oh, how I wish I had come up with this…
Funny
should have left the tail gate on it
Craigslist is often a funny read. Especially when people don’t know how to spell what they’ve got.
I’m just happy that he managed to keep the Opera lights, it might have looked VERY TACKY if he had sawed those off too. LOL
Who could ask for more? It’s got a trailer hitch after all!
Joking done – you have to admit it’s different.
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Well see if you cut off the roof behind the front doors it actually is in proportion for a decent looking el camino. Marquis de See Saw’d?
“…I prefer the Lincoln Town Car version.”
I wish it wuz still the wagon! I’m lookin 4 this exact one.
It’s an LTD/Marquis/Granada = the down sized (not ‘TwnCar’ version) ’79 – ’82 “Fox” bodied…302 or 351 equiped…