This 1966 Mercury Convertible allows you to enjoy the wind in your hair, and the sun in your shoulders, as you travel down the forever winding PCH (Pacific Coast Highway). Several improvements and upgrades have been performed on this car in the past including a rebuild of the engine. An important item of note is as this presents beautifully, and is a good working example, and very clean car, the engine designator in the VIN is an E, however, all available sources do not list this as an engine code. We’re chalking this one up to an error at the factory as the most reasonable explanation.

Exterior

Red, Red, Red, Cardinal Red that is, in good condition is the paint color for this drop top Parklane which presents with some chipping and inclusions. A clean black power top with glass window, is in very nice condition, however, shows with no tears or rips. The brite work and chrome bumpers are all there, correct badging minus the hood badge, and all exterior lighting in very nice original condition. The slab steel sides, started in 1965, present well with noticeable touch ups of the paint but no visible rust to speak of. I really dig the groovy slanted and ribbed tail lights with their chrome divider bars mounted at the very end of each rear quarter panel. The cavernous trunk displays with its original mat, spare tire and jack assembly, even with these necessities there is still enough room for this to be considered a good sized New York City apartment. Finishing off the outside are 15″ steel wheels with standard Mercury covers all wrapped in almost new thin whitewall rubber.

Interior

Original upholstery is seen throughout the passenger compartment, as well as the carpet which is a low cut pile with noticeable fading and some minor staining. A power split back bench upfront, and a bench across the rear are all in beautiful crinkle red vinyl with various tuck and roll stitching in vertical and Vee patterns and finished off with decorative buttoning. In the center of the rear seat is a speaker emblazoned with the Mercury god head logo. The original red and clear 2 spoke steering wheel fronts the factory gauges in their black and chrome ribbed housing. Factory air is an option this car has along with an AM radio and an added tachometer mounted to the bottom of the dash. The door panels, in well padded red vinyl houses the chrome power window switches and even switches for the power wing windows, luxury at its finest! Rounding out the interior is a crack free padded dash topper with what is believed to be the Ford version of the Autotronic Eye.

Drivetrain

A rebuilt 410 cubic inches V8 graces the engine bay, and a 4-barrel carburetor is perched on top. The bay shows with some patina on various surfaces but the big V8 shines gloriously in all its blue painted splendor among all the supple hoses and wires. Bolted to the back of this mill is a C6 3-speed automatic transmission which sends power way back to a 2.78 EquaLock geared Ford 9″ rear axle.

Undercarriage

The basement…or undercarriage, shows strong and rust-free underpinnings, shiny new exhaust and drip free oil pan and transmission. The frame and flooring present with the factory undercoating and a smattering of surface rust on the usual suspects. The suspension is independent coil spring suspension up front and coil springs on the rear, just the way the engineers designed it. Power drum brakes are all around, and a dual exhaust system with stock style mufflers, snakes its way rearward past the solid original metal.

Drive-Ability

As we hop off the lift, and into this car we are in original interior bliss. Just beautifully done and comfortable. Turn the key and we are lit and ready to pull down on the dainty 60’s design shifter. This car cruises nicely, turns well and has easy steering, has good acceleration, and was a nice ride with the top down. Only 2 issues crept up on our drive, those being the radio did not receive any stations, (do they even broadcast on AM these days?), and the blower for the heater/A/C didn’t blow.

Overall, this car presents beautifully, and mechanically is sound. It is a reliable car with a rebuilt engine that through the years has stayed as close to original as possible. Join the collector car crowd with this Mercury drop top and show your neighbors and the world that “Mercury speaks quietly of your good taste”.