I find it ironic that the seller couldn’t fit the entire station wagon in the photograph. Maybe he/she isn’t a great photographer, but in all fairness, this boxy beast is whopping 218″ long. So, how does a 39-year-old luxury station wagon (some say it was as close to a Lincoln station wagon as you could get) remain this well preserved with only 11,000 original miles on it ? The seller, who purchased it from the original owner, doesn’t say, but it’s in remarkable, like-new condition. This 1984 Mercury Grand Marquis Colony Park LS Station Wagon (yep, that’s a mouth full) has been a California car all of its life and is currently in Redlands, California. It recently “Went Hollywood” and was featured in a Nike photo ad campaign for Nike childrens apparel. This station wagon is for sale here on craigslist for an asking price of $29,999 or best offer. And a “Yee Haw” shoutout to our Wagon Master, Rootin’ Tootin’ Rocco, for sending this wonderful wagon our way.
The seller’s description of the Merc is above average for a craigslist ad, but I wish there were a better selection of photos (too many detailed pics and photos of the recent Nike ad photo shoot). Anywho, the provided exterior photos show a near-mint, factory-original station wagon and they do all the talking. It’s finished in Dark Walnut Metallic paint with what Mercury described as “rosewood woodtone appliqué,” those cool turbine spoke cast aluminum wheels, and the optional luggage rack, lower bodyside protection molding and rocker panel molding. The seller says he/she has the original tires which helps confirm the 11,000 miles, but removed them for safety reasons and replaced them with new Hankook tires.
And too bad there aren’t more photos of the original Walnut interior, but take a look at that driver’s door panel. That’s pure 80’s American luxury high there: what Mercury described as “luxury cloth” upper section and color-coordinated carpeting in the lower, faux wood trim, pull strap, courtesy light, long armrest with the power command post at your fingertips, and the premium sound system speaker cover. It looks showroom new.
There are no photos of the front or rear seats, but you would find plush, “Twin Comfort Lounge seats,” as well as factory A/C, power steering, brakes, and windows, and the original optional AM/FM stereo radio with cassette tape player. There’s a photo of the like-new brown load floor carpet that Mercury’s sales literation claimed “could be easily removed if you were carrying a rough load.” The wagon also features a three-way tailgate and power tailgate window, and also a lockable “stowage compartment” Plus, folding down the rear seat added an additional 89.3 cubic feet of cargo space. That’s a lot of room for groceries and luggage. It’s not mentioned if the wagon has the optional dual-facing rear seats. The seller describes the entire interior as “immaculate” and I believe that description.
Under that shiny Dark Walnut Metallic hood, you’ll find the original 5.0 liter V8 with Electronic Fuel Injection and a four-speed automatic overdrive transmission. There’s only 11,000 miles on the clock and there’s documentation to prove it. Also included is the original invoice and original California blue license plates in pristine condition. With 17,421 sold, 1984 would be the best selling year of the 13-model-year run of the the 6th-Generation Grand Marquis Colony Park Station Wagon. But 1984 would also see the debut of the Chrysler minivan which sold nearly 210,000 units and officially ushered in the station wagon’s death nell. Yes, the sun was setting on the American station wagon in 1984 and 1991 would be the final model year of Mercury’s big station wagon with only 3,104 sold. I’m not sure if the owner will get anything close to the $29,999 asking price or what he/she has in mind as a “reasonable offer.” Anyone out there ever owned, driven, or ridden in one of these old-school, full-sized, plush and comfy luxury wagons?
Hmm, engine compartment sure looks like it’s seen more than 11,000 miles?
Looks to me more like 40 years of dust.
Here’s my two cents. Quit letting your 8 year old grandkids take the pictures. And you’re about $10k high on the price. Otherwise? Nice car, I think.
I would advise LETTING the grandkids take the pictures, they are usually better at it!
I’m with you on the price, Big C; $29K is a lot of money for an ’80s wagon no matter how nice it is. I’m thinking $15K to $18K at most. Sure, it’s in great shape but the killer for me is the color. I’m not a fan of doody brown and there is an awful lot of it here. The pictures are mediocre at best, and I could care less about the Nike connection.
I can’t believe no pictures of the seats, the seats in these cars were amazing. My Step Father had an 89 Sedan that seemed as luxurious as a town car to me. $30k is nuts, but maybe someone wants a pristine example that badly.
After all the car ads I’ve seen, I can only come to one conclusion. The seller is not really motivated if there are no or poor pictures, important details left out, spells things wrong, won’t fix minor issues, and asks far too much money. This is usually “I’ll sell it only if I can get enough money to retire”. At best it’s eye candy for car guys like us, at worst it’s a waste of a serious buyer’s time. Just like tire kickers are a waste of a serious seller’s time.
Worked on a lot of these thru the decades and they’re decent cars.Nice riding and driving.Decent dependability. I think this was but not sure the first year for throttle body FI on these as the earlier models had that horrible variable venturi carb.30k no way. 15 -20 k imo and now that I know it was in a Nike commercial I wouldn’t want it anyway.
Old wagon at a I don’t want to sell it price from the pictures I’m not believing the miles go see it in person posting a picture of your kid crawling out of the back is not a selling point to me I hope the seller gets their asking price I would do the same and see what happens but I would use a better selling site than Craigslist.
just got the fox model of this here 1. Too new for swapins, thinkin of takin this motor (or stang gt) and other performance up-grades to hop up the 105 inch WB ‘brother’.
1st up (different as I do mechanicals 1st usually) form my 1 yr newer is a change from above appearance (mine is maroone w/3M di-nock too) a change to fleet white, a double red/blue pin-stripe @ shoulder line.
We used this ‘big boy’ to get in the wood on Lake Bomoseen, Vt a few yrs. I remember the tel co knocked dwn a big red-oak one yr right near the driveway. We split it @ the stump & carried out the arm fulls thru knee & hip deep sno to the ford (I no, but same rig). Only on the property the school yr (owners there otherwise) we hada do it this way. Glad I was 22 – 6 as now it’s B impossible (or it would have been a cold winter!)
I don’t understand what any of this means…
Welcome to chrisful.
I think it’s free word association, or possibly Tourette’s.
Its always a workout trying to decipher your comments. Again, you have kept consistent.
Nice, however not to the tune he’s singing. 29k ain’t gonna get it. Maybe closer to 12-14 if he’s lucky. The system in those years was ridiculous to tune and set-up. They always ran rich, Ford’s scan system was a pain in the rear. Good family ride, just not a collector. Maybe a good in-town grocery hauler. I do like it though.
I acquired an ’84 Mercury Grand Marquis 4-door back in 2006 from the original owner. It had 156,xxx miles on it at that time. In 2016 I finally let it retire to auto heaven with 282,596 miles on it. Original drive train through & through. I took that car everywhere & anywhere, and with studded snow tires it went just about anywhere without issue. The picture is the car shortly after I purchased it on some flooded dirt roads in the Poconos. The most reliable & unbreakable car I’ve ever owned. The single most preventive maintenance these cars required were very regular, every 3000 miles, oil changes.
If only it where metallic pea I would choose it over the blue sport wagon.
Eugene Levy lol
We had one of this wagon color brown like the picture it was nice on the road and then it got repo
Nice piece of Americana! Anybody who grew up in the 60’s, 70’s, or 80’s can relate to these wagons from Ford, GM, and Chrysler. I always remember riding in the very back seat of the neighbors Country Squire looking out the back window and waving at people and them waving back-even though I was way too old to be there. When I see the Ford version from the 80’s, I always think of Chevy Chase saying, “We’re going to Wally World in the family truckster” which was a thinly disguised Ford. 😊
If that is the documented original mileage on this car I don’t think thr selling price is to far off,especially being a California car. And I m not a millionaire and have purchased many cars over the past 50 years
My 8th grade teacher had a Merc wagon, almost like this one. Same color combos, but I don’t recall if hers had the aluminum wheels. Our class went on several field trips in that car, back in the 80s….
That wasn’t the only reason they had it; her family had several Dobermans that they bred/raised. I remember it being a really nice car.
I worked for Ford Motor Company during those years and always ordered either the Country Squire or Colony Park for company cars. I worked out of the Chicago District Office at that time and covered Western Illinois and Eastern Iowa as a Service Zone Manager. My wife and I had 4 young kids then and those cars were great for the family! My kids used to fight over who could sit in the way back. They were very good looking, reliable, and comfortable cars for long distance driving. I miss the days of full size station wagons!
Nice wagon. Too much to pay.
Don’t make me stop this car, what we can’t hear you! Lol
Loved my ‘88 Country Squire- a great travel car. We took it from MI to Nova Scotia and the following year to Calif.
Bought one of these, same color, in 85 with about the same number of miles. Sold it in 92 with about 215,000 miles on it. Always wonder how you drive a car so little? On one level, isn’t that bad for the car?
I loved and drove a lot of LTD CrownVic/marauis/Squires/Colony parks over the years. I really liked the ’88-91 redesign which cleaned up the front and back of this body style. Great cars.
However I hated the LTD/Marquis of the early 80s with the dial turn vent openers. Either put a pivot latch or a hand crank. Stupid circular dial was annoying. Also the horn was on the turn signal switch lever. You had to push inward to make the horn honk. Whomever thought that one out should have had their head examined.
If anyone needs an electrical/vacuum manual for one of these:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/295689244544