While every old car can have rodent problems if left to sit for years at a time, I tend to take notice when the sellers themselves identify an infestation as particularly bad. This 1976 Mercury Grand Marquis Brougham has 138,000 miles and was purchased new by the seller’s grandfather. It has been in the family ever since and was parked in the barn in 2004 when the owner passed away. Despite looking like it would clean up very well with a wash, wax, and vacuum, the interior cleaning will have to be far more extensive, according to the seller. He notes that the scents emanating from the interior are “overwhelming” and that the interior will need to be professional fumigated and deep cleansed. That’s not deterring some bidders, as the Mercury is listed here on eBay with bids to $2,000 and no reserve.
It’s a shame that the cabin has otherwise been compromised by rodents as it really looks quite decent. The seat upholstery, fake wood trim on the dash, and door panels all look much better than the mileage would otherwise suggest. But when you zoom in on the carpeting, you can see what looks like years’ worth of rodent droppings, and if you can see it in plain view, you can bet it’s everywhere else, from the headliner to the glove box to the area under the rear seat. Yikes – what a mess. The seller is up front about this, which is refreshing, but it makes you wonder if the nicely preserved upholstery can even be saved at this point. Truthfully, I’m surprised to not see more evidence of damage elsewhere given how long the mice have had to take up residence without being disturbed.
The seller mentions he had concerns that wiring would be chewed up given the level of damage elsewhere, but claims to see no evidence of it under the hood. He also mentions the potential for rats to have gotten in, which just about cures me of any interest in bidding on a car like this. Regardless, the engine bay looks intact from this vantage point, but who knows what you’ll find as you dig deeper. The Grand Marquis is equipped with the venerable 460 V8, which should fire up with minimal effort once the gas tank is cleaned and the fluids/battery swapped out. The seller notes they made some efforts to prep the car for long-term storage, stating they “…. removed the spark plugs and poured tranny fluid into each cylinder and started the engine.” They continued to drive the car periodically, and once it began its long-term slumber, all the gas still in the tank went bad. The battery and radiator were replaced ten years ago.
The Grand Marquis looks very original from end-to-end, with the dealer badge still on the trunk and fender skirts attached and looking quite dashing hung over the back wheels. Even the landau-style roof is hanging in there, without much evidence of sun damage. There seems to have been a concerted effort to preserve the Mercury for the long-term, as the seller notes they even picked up a used turn signal to replace the damaged one up front. It’s tough to stay committed to a car left in storage for the long-term, but hopefully, this one can be rectified once the rodent issues are resolved. What do you think – is there enough of a survivor under all that dust to justify saving this one family-owned Grand Marquis?
These 70’s full sizers were truly full size, and thus have quite the presence today. We see big trucks nowadays, but not big cars. This Mercury looks like the exterior would clean up very well, but the interior is another story. Maybe that’s what the bidders are thinking, if the interior could be rejuvenated it might not need more than basic mechanicals to get it back on the road. Kudos to the seller for a reasonably thorough write-up plus the additional commentary as more info becomes available.
Looks like it worth saving . It would be a great car to cruise in . A good investment for “Long term fun”
It’s a common mistake to call all of these a Grand Marquis. I believe this one to be a Marquis Brougham.
Kind of looks like Uncle Bucks car.
Cleaning the car a little would have helped alot.
I agree, but with all the criticism on this site about what constitutes a genuine barn find, the seller may think this car needed some validation.
I’ve cleaned up quite a few vehicles like this one.. If the upholstery is not torn or chafed thru, it can be removed and washed. We have had to be replace the padding or foam underneath and re-install the upholstery. Carpets usually need to be replaced along with their underpadding. We’ve seen heavy mouse activity up under the dash which meant complete removal and in some cases replace the wiring harness.. These vehicles can make a comeback if you’re willing to put the effort into the cleaning while wearing a mask.. LOL
I would send a cat in there on a recon mission first.
The mice may have had annual picnics and conventions inside this car, but chances are they may have left the wiring alone, as manufacturers hadn’t yet gotten to using the soy-based insulation that rodents of various incarnations find so tasty. No doubt they’ve nested inside the seats and other nooks and crannies, but as for a food source, the critters would have had to look elsewhere.
I had a barn find years ago..looked mint throughout..but all the interior cleaning and removal couldn’t remove the acrid ammonia smell of mouse urine. I would run an ozone generator in it for days on end..but the smell would return in days! Sold at a loss because I didn’t want to burn someone else!
I’m looking for a DeSade Edition. Very rare.
Yes! The old Car and Driver trope.
Hahahahaha
That shows how old we both are!
A couple of comments.
1) My family had a pop up camping trailer stored in the garage of our vacation house in Maine for 35 years. My father agreed to get rid of it once I showed him that field mice had moved in. I had to air it out and spray peppermint disinfectant in it just to be able to removed some things from it before it was towed away.
2) we also owned a 78 Colony Park which is the wagon cousin to this sedan. I’m a GM guy but that was the classiest wagon built at the time.
A Mickey & Minnie condo.
Ended:Aug 27, 2021 , 4:11PM
Winning bid:US $2,425.00[ 9 bids ]
From the title I thought that the car was a Disney prop.
My father had a 73 marquis bought it new in early 74 was a 2dr with a dark blue metallic paint and a white hard top rare color combo nvr seen any like that they stole it in 1978 and we found it burned was such a nice car wish I could find one with that color combination again I was 10 when they stole it
Ended:
Aug 27, 2021
Winning bid:
US $2,425.00
[ 9 bids ]
Located in:
El Dorado, Kansas