Looking at the first photo, are you like me and just itching to have a good look around this barn? Sorry, but you will have to be satisfied with having a good look at our feature car. This 1948 Mercury Eight Convertible is listed for sale here on craigslist. Located in Wimer, Oregon, it is offered for sale but unfortunately, the title is missing. The seller will offer a Bill of Sale but will attempt to locate the title. This old Mercury is priced at $8,500. Thanks to Ikey H for the tip!
Nobody can be completely sure just how long it has been since this car last saw the road, but if the Fresno College parking sticker that is attached to the car is any indication then it has been a while. That sticker is dated 1966. The seller claims that the car is solid, with little or no rust issues to speak of. Certainly, the provided photos tend to bear out this claim. There are some dings and marks on it, but overall this Mercury looks to be quite good. As with any old car, the truth of the matter would be determined by how things look under the car.
The interior looks to be largely complete, but it will require a full restoration. The door is missing off the glove compartment, but otherwise, everything appears to be present and accounted for. Exactly how the new owner will tackle this will depend entirely on the pathway they choose to follow with their project. I hope that if they choose to modify the car that they don’t mess with the dashboard because it is a rather elegant piece of work.
Things aren’t that pretty under the hood, but I’m sure that we’ve all seen worse. That 239ci Flathead V8 turns, but it’s probably no surprise that it doesn’t run. Looking at the engine bay seems to leave no alternative than to remove the engine and restore everything in sight. The engine is backed by a 3-speed manual transmission, and whether that combination remained intact would once again depend on whether the new owner was considering a full restoration or not. Certainly, if that Flathead engine can be salvaged I would be inclined to have it rebuilt for this car.
This Mercury Eight raises an interesting point for me. Given the fact that the laws can vary from state to state, how big an issue could the lack of a title prove to be to our Barn Finds readers? Certainly, if it isn’t a big issue and this Mercury is as rust-free as the seller claims then this is an interesting proposition. Restored Convertibles identical to this one are currently selling for between $30,000-$50,000 more than the asking price of this one. That certainly leaves some leeway for a viable restoration project.
Sorry Adam, Jeff beat you to it just a little while back; https://barnfinds.com/fords-next-step-up-1948-mercury-convertible/
This is a new ad, but same everything else……re-run
Thought it looked familiar. For me, a complete restoration would be the order of the day. I might be tempted to warm up the flathead somewhat and get it to cruise just a little faster. Balanced and blueprinted, a flathead V8 can do very well in modern traffic. Whoever gets this has got his work cut out for him. But the end result will be worth the trip.
It would be nice if there was as much info on the car, as there is about how to contact him!
I often wonder to myself how these people just use up all of their space with dead cars, when it could be put to a much more profitable use and certainly far more productive, I understand one or two cars lying dormant for any length of time, but to fill a structure of this size with relics is beyond any reasoning to me, now as to the idea of looking around, oh how I wish I were closer to this place………..lol
I am guessing a Columbia 2 speed in back of the transmission, plus a moderate beef up of the existing engine, all available back in the day, would make this happy at 70 – 75 mph which is what you need on the Interstates to not be a danger to yourself and others. Dual master cylinder and modern brake lines, the “bias tire look” radial whitewalls,
clean it up, repaint, and drive it.
I’m not sure what Don’s problem is with a barn full of classics, it’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid. Now my problem is finding the time and energy to work on a couple of dozen that I have stored inside…
In response to Don’s comment, I have always found “barn fresh” cars to be far more exciting than meticulously restored examples. As a result, I do not restore my cars, and am perfectly happy to just see them there in my shop, all covered in dust. It is my own “barn” and every day I enjoy them as I enjoy them best.
On the flip side, I have a pretty strong dislike for the over-restored trailer queen crowd and their cars. They have a hard time understanding a guy like me locking up desirable cars like I do, … not selling out to them, so they can turn them into more trailer queens for the bonus bragging rights.
For those of us that really dig barn finds, keeping them in that state is as good as it gets.
In Oregon a missing title is no big deal if the V.I.N. is inspected by the state police and it’s never been reported as stolen. Now I live in Arizona, and again if the above conditions are true, all you need is a title Bond from your friendly neighborhood insurance agent.
The problem with a bonded title is you can’t sell the car until the bond is satisfied.
You might be able to sell it to somebody within your state if they agree to take it on, but not out of state.
I agree, when I was a dealer in Oregon, I found all manner of transactions with the DMV to be really easy.
I’m sorry, you are so wrong on so many levels. Example – last year I see a car in a field. I recognized it’s great rarity. Owner of field lost title 30 – 40 years ago. He gets bonded title from DMV. He immediately signs off and gives to me. I hand it back to DMV clerk, pay my tax and fees. She gives me new unbonded title in my name. Very easy to do in Arizona and New Mexico where the new title is issued instantly by the clerk. By the way, that rare sports car was number 36 of only 192 built, has now been exported and is being restored by it’s new celebrity owner. And that’s all I will say. But expect to see it at Goodwood and Silverstone etc.
Chinga-Trailer, that would defeat the purpose of the bonded title, wouldn’t it?
Maybe she didn’t see it was bonded.
Do you know why the bond is paid on that title?
Nothing is ever paid on a title Bond unless some unknown prior owner appears and claims ownership. That’s the whole purpose, to ensure that the Motor Vehicle Dept. won’t have to pay damages in a dispute over ownership. I now handle such bonds professionally, and have never seen one involve a payout. It doesn’t happen in the real world.