With summer and even fall coming to an end here in the upper-Midwest, we always miss being able to comfortably have a window or two open in the car. Mercury advertised that if you have a car like this 1964 Mercury Monterey Breezeway, that’s no problem, you have use it year-round. This gorgeous car is listed on eBay with a $5,000 buy it now price and a current bid in the low-$3,000 range. It’s located in West Branch, Michigan, about 90 miles southeast of Traverse City.
This car looks great to me, and being a somewhat rare two-door makes it even more desirable. Almost a year ago we saw a ’64 Park Lane four-door sedan with the Breezeway rear window and the condition was somewhat questionable compared to how this Monterey Breezeway looks. And, it had two more doors. I know most of you folks click on the next one if there are any more than two doors on a car here.
Most of us have seen the Breezeway rear window on Mercury’s 1957 and 1968 Turnpike Cruiser and on 1958-1960 Lincoln Continentals. Mercury had them available again starting with the 1963 models on the Montclair, Monterey, and Park Lane sedans. They were also available on their two-door Monterey models such as this red beauty seen here. The 1964 Monterey was restyled with pointed front fenders which really gave it a modern almost space-age look compared to the 1963 models. In 1965, the Breezeway option was relegated to four-door cars only.
There isn’t another interior photo showing anything else other than the speedometer/odometer, which is a bit unusual. And, why they would specifically show a photo of the right-rear back seat carpet area is beyond me. But hey, it looks great in there from this one photo! The seller says that they “Bought it in 2001 with intentions of restoring it. Did brake work in 2007, new lines and wheel cylinder kits.” They say that the “Floors are sound” which is great news but “There is some rust behind fenders.” If that’s all the rust there is on this beautiful car, if all was right with the world this one would be coming home with me.
With no belt I’m guessing that the AC isn’t working but hopefully it will be again under the watchful eye of the next owner. This is the 390 cubic-inch V8 which had 250 hp with a 2-barrel carb and 300 hp with a 4-barrel carb. Flipper alert: Hagerty is at $6,500 for a #4 fair condition car and $9,000 for a #3 good condition car so this could be a good deal. After a good engine detailing and fixing the rust behind the fenders, this beautiful Merc Breezeway will be ready for the show circuit and just for enjoying on a nice, warm weekend.
I prefer the roof line of the Marauder but, the price on this Monterrey seems reasonable. I like it.
Exactly my thoughts. By ’64, the fastback roof (introduced on the ’63 Marauder) was available on Monterey, Montclair, and Park Lane trims as well. This is a cool car, but that breezeway roof will never look right to me.
I owned a 63 Marauder. Loved it . Had the heads cut down 20thousandths. The valves 5 angled and a 330 duration with a 565 lift. It put out about 400 h.p. Wish I had it now. Barry
jw454, I was surprised to learn that the later cars with a sloping rear window also had the Breezeway option, but it only went down a couple of inches. https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6063/6043031777_f1328ddf15_b.jpg
The middle rear window glass I believe rolls down too.
Nice car !
That is why it is a breezeway.
Yep I like it!…a lot. maybe too much. where’s my bank statement?
Can bird dog this one if anyone wants, It’s only a few minutes away.
Dear LAB3 It is probably too late but,,, I was wondering about the undercaraige?? Looks like some rot in pass side rear wheel bay??
Request to check it out has been made, with only 10 hours left we’ll see if it can be done.
Seller reports they have more pictures and will post them, not sure if that means here or on eBay.
LAB3, thanks for checking! With just over an hour left on the auction it doesn’t look like the seller is posting any additional photos. Rust is the biggest and maybe only wild card on whether this car is a fantastic deal or not.
It being business hours on a weekday it’s easy to understand how it could be difficult to get there before the auction ended. In the sellers eBay profile it had them listed as being in a town in the Detroit area, it’s not uncommon to have a car like this at your vacation place. A local would certainly have been far more accommodating.
She’s a beaut!
My Dad had both a 57 and 65 Merc breezeway. Great cars to be sitting in the backseat as a kid with the rear window down. Toward the end of owning the 65 I was of driving age. I remember summer days putting a couple of surfboards through the breezeway and heading to the beach with friends. These cars were deeply connected to my formative years. A lot of memories rushing back this AM. Thanks
Neat car parents looked at 1..I wanted them to get it but they got new 66 Montego with a 410..it was cool too
Monterey
Matt, I worked @ a L-M Dealer back in the day. Are you sure it was a Montego??
Do look at the underbelly- I don’t like the amount of rusty parts under the hood. Other than that she looks like a nice turnkey car. Caveat Emptor!!
Cheers
GPC
I remember a TV commercial for these. As the window went down, Arnold Palmer chipped a golf ball into the back seat. I guess to appeal to the golfers, or more affluent audience? I guess the Ad worked, I remember it, 50 plus years later
It appears the rust behind the fenders goes pretty deep
My wife Susan tells stories about her Mom’s Mercury Breezeway in ’66. Mom, Suz and their little dog Buffy did a lot of traveling in that big car. One day they were sitting in a parking lot and Suz caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned to the closed front passenger window to see Buffy looking in at her. The little dog had gone out the open rear window and walked along the side of the body line ledge to the front window. :-) Terry J
A neighbor of mine had a 63 Breezeway. I remember he was building a shed and seeing it drive by with boards and plywood sticking out back. It looked like it came in pretty handy for that.
I’m a GM guy, but I’ve always liked the looks of these Mercs. Neighbors owned a black one for many years and I had the pleasure of driving it a few times. I think the BIN price is very reasonable.
We have a ’64 Mercury Monterey with the Marauder top. It is Peacock Blue with a 390-4V, bench seat and a 4 speed.
These are fun cars that really ride well. We always get plenty of looks when out driving it and it draws plenty of attention at the cruise-ins we take it to.
The featured car looks to be a pretty decent car for money if there isn’t too much hidden rust.
Extremely cool car.
Many years go some friends bought one like this with the reverse-canted roll-up rear window and set it up for one of the group as a demolition derby car. After the flag drop, the birthday boy was to bring up the sliding rear glass before proceeding. Of course, there was an obscene comment written on it…
*sigh* family – friendly event? Maybe not, that night…..
Was the back window electric or manual on these? I’d think the mechanics of manual operation would be too complicated to be cost saving but I could break my streak for the year and be wrong.
All of my ’63 Breezeaways were electric so I would assume this one is too.
I seem to remember the ’57 model was manual which means the child in the back seat could put the window down if he wanted to.
Auction update: this Breezeway auction ended at $3,602 with no sale.
When I contacted the seller I did let them know it was featured here, who knows, you may see this car again!
My vote is this roof style over the Marauder. The Marauder looks too common.
The title says this car is rare.
Scotty, can you tell me why you said that?
My aunt left me one like this but it’s color is Bittersweet as I understand it. I’ve done the engine, transmission, cooling system, brakes, all the belts and hoses, Front suspension, gas tank and sending unit. Basically have done the whole car.
Everything works but the clock. Had it doing 110 mph the other day as a bit of a shake down checking for issues. None appeared.
All original, white leather upholstery and black carpet.
When I was a kid the commercial I remember was the Tom Brady of the day throwing a football to the kid hanging out breeze way window and catching the ball.
I love driving it, you are a rock star in it.
I showed a picture of it to a women. She said,” is this car from Cheyenne Wyoming, and driven by an older women with white hair”
The hair on my neck stood up. She explained her son was a Forest ranger and his time off he spent in Cheyenne and he live next-door to my Aunt.
They would follow the car every Saturday to Sams club to see the car on the road.
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Too bad file too big
You guys would love the color.
She had special name for the color, she called it Txxty pink. She was quite the card.