The Meteor was a short-lived nameplate within Mercury. In 1961, it was the baseline full-size model; then in 1962 and 1963 it was a mid-size like the Ford Fairlane. Then it was gone. The seller has a 2-door Meteor that has been in the same family for 46 years. It’s a roller, and the NOM and transmission are also for sale. Located in Elmira, New York, this project is available here on craigslist for the best offer (the seller has set no guidelines as to how much it would take). Here’s an East Coast tip from “Curvette”.
Ford introduced the mid-sized line of cars in 1962, sandwiching a new product between the Galaxie and Falcon. Mercury got in on the bandwagon, too, and chose another Space Race name, the Meteor (Ford had moved the Fairlane brand downstream to the new automobile). As an interim model, the Meteor was only around for two years, and then the manufacturer exited that market segment in 1964 and 1965. The nameplate would have a much longer life with Ford of Canada.
As the story goes, the seller’s sister bought this 1962 Mercury Meteor off someone who claimed to be the original owner. That was 46 years ago. When the seller got hold of it, he planned a full restoration, but too many other projects got in the way. At some point, he pulled the original 260 cubic inch V8 and 3-speed manual transmission and replaced them with a 302 and a C4 automatic from another car.
Those two pieces of hardware are no longer in the Meteor, and the seller has them for sale with the Mercury or separately, plus the original 3-speed. The listing doesn’t mention what happened to the 260 V8. At 82,000 miles, the rest of the car may be original, including the black paint and red interior (which appears to have seen better days). If you need parts for your own restoration, we’re told much of what you’ll find in a 1962 Fairlane will work in this vehicle.
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