Just want an opinion on a car...

[munkyfistfight]

I have a really good friend who I've known for years. A few years ago he bought a car and has been trying to shove it off on me ever since. Initially the price was out of my range and I've made a few 'joke' offers to him over the years for it. Well, he finally hit my 'magic number' that I couldn't pass up.

It's a 1972 Mercury Montego MX. 2-door coupe. It's not my ideal muscle car, but it's a start.

It's pristine. No rust, save for a few minor surface spots here and there. I crawled underneath and it's showroom-pretty. No dings. No dents. No putty.

351-2V Cleveland. 82k original miles. The Pioneer 8-track player alone ought to add a few HP.

What do you think? I call it "The Merc"

[iain]

In new zealand you would get some serious pussy owning a car like that..
[Am I aloud to say that]
Iain
NZ

Nice car

[kwells]

Is it just me who thinks that 82k is alot of miles for a 72?

[The Prophet of Doom]

It's just you Kwells.  82K is nothing in 40 years. 40 miles a week.  The owner must have had a hot babe at home because he sure wasn't out cruising for babes very often, or perhaps they have in-call service near where he lives.

[don_vanecek]

Wow, very nice, is it a survivor or redone once or twice?  Well, it's never going to be a big money car, not with a 351 2 bl but it should be very nice to drive, certainly something you could take to cruse nights.

I hope this is not something you will have to use for day to day driving as I would predict maybe 15 mpg on the highway and 10 around town, nice and unique car, enjoy.     

[Re-Vision]

Eighty-two thousand miles on a modern car isn't much. I'd check the engine over very closely before buying an old Ford, a lot depends on how its been driven.    BDC

[munkyfistfight]

Yeah, I'm taking it for a couple of test drives before I pick it up. I'm very close with the family of the owner. I appreciate the feedback. It'll mostly be for cruise nights and having fun on the weekends. I'm not a huge Ford fan but he really did make me a deal I couldn't pass up...he's practically giving it to me.

I can think of a few upgrades: updated distributor/coil system, intake and carburetors, headers....just to start.

15mpg is probably being generous. :-)

[Rikugun]

I'm not sure I'd categorize a Montego it as a muscle car but it is a very clean low miles example.

What's up with the Cougar behind it with the hood scoop and hood pins?  Oh, and the little motorbike in the weeds... :D   :D

[munkyfistfight]

 ;D ;D Everytime I show this picture everyone looks past the Montego to the Cougar or the bike. The Cougar houses a Windsor but the rest of the car is pretty much shot as far as I can tell. It's been sitting there for as long as I've known the family (years). John says he's going to do this-and-that to it, but who knows. They also have another Cougar in the garage behind the Montego that has a the same Cleveland in it.

I wouldn't classify the Merc as a "muscle car" either, technically, but it's more muscle than any other car I've ever owned....and I believe it's the same platform as the Torino, so I'll take what I can get. :-D

[fret not]

To begin with I wouldn't change a thing as it will not go really fast or be very economical, especially considering the cost of upgrades.  One thing I have learned about bikes, cars, and guitars is they usually bring higher prices if box stock, nothing messed with or changed.  Sooner or later you WILL sell it, and being all original generally will bring the best return.  Until then just enjoy the ride, try to keep from damaging it, and stay up with the periodic servicing.  It's cool.

[munkyfistfight]

That's probably the best advice I've been given yet. And I agree. I probably shouldn't touch it and should leave it as is. It's a head-turner in my opinion as-is. But there's a wrench in me that wants to supe this baby up. In one way or another. For what I'm getting it for, I could take it as-is down to the Northside of Pittsburgh and double my money.  ::)

[Rikugun]

Yup, leave it as is. I didn't mean to marginalize the car as not being a muscle car BTW. It is like I said very clean and original and very cool in it's own right.  ;)  :)

[Jimustanguitar]

The 351 cleveland is a nice motor. I've always been a small block guy (built a 302 w/ 351w heads for my '67 mustang coupe), but for a larger car you'd definitely want the big block 351. If you do decided to tear into it, just make it breathe better. You can do a lot with headers and a new intake/carb setup. Those are relatively cheap weekend projects. When you start talking about aluminum heads and blueprinting a cam, it gets exponentially more addictive and expensive.

Flip a coin to see if you should jump on it or not. Your immediate reaction to the results of the coin flip will tell you what you need to know.

Good luck!

[munkyfistfight]

My plan was to just improve the intake/exhaust flow for the time being. And maybe some more immediate improvements like a new distributor and plugs/wires. The brakes master cylinder isn't up to date either. No power nothin' in this baby. I'm going to have to get used to rolling the window down by hand.

[Rikugun]

Hey, at least it has power steering!  ;D  Is that a wasp standing guard on the wiper?  :o

[don_vanecek]

Well if you lived in my town I could still dust off my old heath kit tach, dewell, volt meter, also still have a timing light, used to do all my own tuneups when I owned vehicles with a contact point ignition, does this give you a hint as to my age??

Gosh, I don't think I have changed contact points since I sold up my 66 country squire station wagon in 1995. You maybe right on mpg, my old wagon (no, I bought it in 1988) with a wonderfully rebuilt 390 engine was lucky to got 10-10 1/2 mpg, one of the reasons I got rid of it.  I based the original 15 estimate on a 1973 Torino car my office still had when I joined it in 1978, if memory serves me I think it would get that on a highway trip.

[Rick G]

I have a couple of dwell meters if you want one.

[admin]

don't hate me for this but if you are anywhere near the rust belt ( as I am )
run away as fast as you can.

with that mileage, you should start saving up now for the timing chain, water pump and oil pump that
it likely needs.   next you'll be doing ball joints, an idler arm and tie rod ends so she can pass an inspection ( don't forget the grease fittings )
wow, I don't miss those cars at all....

keep it in a heated garage and never, ever drive it in the rain, they dissolved as fast as a Popsicle
on a warm summer day.

:'(

I have a really good friend who I've known for years. A few years ago he bought a car and has been trying to shove it off on me ever since. Initially the price was out of my range and I've made a few 'joke' offers to him over the years for it. Well, he finally hit my 'magic number' that I couldn't pass up.

It's a 1972 Mercury Montego MX. 2-door coupe. It's not my ideal muscle car, but it's a start.

It's pristine. No rust, save for a few minor surface spots here and there. I crawled underneath and it's showroom-pretty. No dings. No dents. No putty.

351-2V Cleveland. 82k original miles. The Pioneer 8-track player alone ought to add a few HP.

What do you think? I call it "The Merc"

[Rikugun]

Wow, way to pump him up about his new purchase.   :-\  Munky reports in his opening post that it has minimal rust and the pic seems to confirm so I guess this one is a bit more resistant to dissolving than some. Having said that it is so clean it would be a shame to not to garage it.

[admin]

I know, mean as hell...    ;)
  these are things you gotta know going in tho'

  they were only built to last about 80-90k so there is still some life there.
car manufacturers expected you to trade up every 2-4 years, so they
didn't want to build them too nice.
one of the things that backfired on detroit unfortunately.

peace