We can’t have everything (I’ve tried pretty hard), so at some point in our lives, most of us come to the realization that there are some cars that we like that we probably won’t own. Somewhere on that long list for me is the 1963-65 Mercury with the “Breezeway” roof. Although Mercury advertised the Breezeway heavily for 1963, it never really caught on; after all, the basic roof design had its root in the 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser. But even if it had one foot in the past, it was a neat idea, and this three-owner 1963 Monterey that Curvette spotted here on craigslist in Portland, Oregon, is a “reliable daily driver” with a $10,000 price tag.
The nice thing about stepping up from a Ford to a Mercury in 1963 was that the big 390 was standard, albeit in the 250-horsepower two-barrel form seen here. Once again, Ford’s engine painting schemes were not quite as consolidated in 1963 as they would soon become, and the 390 was painted black with gold valve covers and air cleaner.
This Monterey has been treated to the following:
- Rebuilt carburetor
- Tune up
- New belts
- New tires
- New brakes (with dual-circuit master cylinder)
- New water pump
Like most Montereys, this car has the optional Multi-Drive Merc-O-Matic, but it is paired with the optional 3.50:1 rear gears (3.00:1 was standard), so the seller says that the big Merc is “kinda fast.” The basic Monterey two-door hardtop with the Breezeway roof is actually quite rare: only 3,879 were built. The slightly more expensive Monterey Custom two-door hardtop cost $153 more, but buyers found the extra trim and slightly more upscale interior more appealing, as it sold 10,693 copies.
None of the two-door Breezeways were popular enough for Mercury to continue them for very long; they were discontinued after 1964. But for some reason, quite a few have survived; anecdotally, I see a lot of them for sale at reasonable prices. It has to be the back window, which was (naturally) electric, and this one still works. The idea is a novel one: you can crack the rear window open for a little extra ventilation if you were (or are) a smoker, and the reverse slant keeps the frost off in the winter, so you have one less window to scrape.
I test drove a rusty 1964 Breezeway sedan years ago and loved the experience (but the car was a mess). I’d absolutely have one in my ultimate garage, but until that time happens, maybe I can live vicariously through a lucky Barn Finds reader. This one has apparently “been a reliable daily driver for the last six years,” so it would probably be a good choice.
Leave A Comment