Tuesday, August 9, 2016

1963 Mercury S-55


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Barn Finds reader Harlan B. writes: Another 2 door Breezeway–this one looks right and price is not too bad either. This is not far from me but I do not know the seller or the car. I never really liked these but they are kind of cool now as you rarely see them. Thanks, Harlan, for the great find! It’s listed for sale here on craigslist and is located in Warr Acres, Oklahoma. The seller is asking $5,900.

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In 1962, Mercury introduced the S-55 as a special, performance-oriented variant of its big cars (the S-55 was based on the Monterey). This one is still largely original, and may even be wearing its original paint–the worn areas on the hood certainly look that way. I’m not sure how I feel about the Crager SS mag wheels but I would leave them alone for the time being. The seller notes that the original wheels and hubcaps go with the sale, so you have a choice.

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From this angle you can see the reverse slope rear window that can be lowered, giving the Breezeway it’s cheerful name. This was a fairly unique feature (the lowering, not the reverse slope, although that’s unusual as well) in it’s day. Although I personally like the fastback version better, this is certainly an unusual car and I’ll bet someone would love it!

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Nice looking dash, and yes, that is air conditioning under the dash, although the seller tells us it doesn’t work. I don’t think we need the fuzzy dice either, but that’s personal preference as well.

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The seller tells us that this is the original 390 V8 engine, which was rated at either 300 or 330 horsepower, depending on the option. The odd patterns on the air cleaner look like someone tried to pressure wash something off of it, don’t they? Regardless, this is a nice old car, which while not a “survivor” in that it’s not stellar in appearance, still has a lot of cruising life left! How would you like to take a “breezy” cruise?

Source: barnfinds.com