For Sale: 1957 Mercury Monterey 2 dr Sedan - $5,200 - Island Pond, VT - Not Mine

[58L-Y8]

For Sale: 1957 Mercury Monterey 2 dr Sedan - $5,200 - Island Pond, VT

https://vermont.craigslist.org/cto/d/island-pond-1957-mercury-monterey-2-dr/7209027070.html

For sale: 1957 Mercury Monterey 2 dr Sedan. In very restorable condition. Has a 312 CID V8, automatic transmission, power steering. Does not have a battery, but can use one from my pickup to make it turn over. It runs, however, the carburetor has been removed due to a fuel leak. Carburetor should be rebuilt. Stored inside since we purchased it in 2015. Believe it was also stored inside prior to that, as it looked like it had been sitting in a garage for a long time. Not run since 2018. Discovered the fuel leak when started up last. Includes many extra parts and manuals. Vermont does not title cars after 15 years, so there no title. Due to medical issues, I have never registered it. Price reduced to $5200.00 CASH. No trades. Pick up in Island Pond only, no delivery. Masks required.

Contact:  Randy (802)-7-two-3-six-9-8-six, land line (no texting)

Copy and paste in your email:  85a75cff66e13c3e9097db2ed31bf713@sale.craigslist.org

 

I have no personal interest or stake in the eventual sale of this 1957 Mercury Monterey two door Sedan.

[m-mman]

1957 Mercurys are so interesting.  Styling that was said to "incite much public comment".  The taillight  lens has a surface that is both concave and convex simultaneously.

[Peter S]

Birthplace of Rudy Vallee

[JamesR]

Could be a great deal...if it's as easy to get running as the owner says. I agree with the "interesting looks" comment of these cars. I've really grown to love them. One thing that I can't figure out, however, is why some '57's have the dual headlights and others have the quads. I know about the individual state regs that changed around that time so that most '58 cars of most makes had quads, but if fomoco had different headlight setups for different states (or changed later in the year...whatever the case may be) with the Mercury, then why didn't they do that with Ford?

[Guest]

James, I have often wondered this very same thing. My father had a '57 Merc. back in the day and it was the two headlamp version. I thought it must be a trim level thing, but his was also a Monterey.

Agree, this looks like a very good deal. Love that color!  I would add a set of white wall tires.

[Guest]

I had to double check this James.  I think I was in error.  My father's car may have been a Montclair similar to the one finseeker posted for sale here a few threads down.

 

My father's had the two tone paint and this grill looks more similar. Here is a b&w pic of it on a snowy day in Seattle circa 1962.

 

Still, this seems like a rather expensive change up simply for a trim level don't you think?

Cheers, Greg

 

 

[58L-Y8]

The Standard Catalog notes: "Early models had two headlights, later models four headlight."  No serial numbers are cited as proof, though once enough states approved the four headlight system and the visual tie-in with the top-line Turnpike Cruisers would make sense at the time. 

[John S.]

2 hours ago, GregLaR said:

James, I have often wondered this very same thing. My father had a '57 Merc. back in the day and it was the two headlamp version. I thought it must be a trim level thing, but his was also a Monterey.

Agree, this looks like a very good deal. Love that color!  I would add a set of white wall tires.

GregLaR, 1957, dual quad headlights were legal in a few States. By the middle of the year, dual quads were legal and available throughout the Country.

[JamesR]

2 hours ago, GregLaR said:

 

Still, this seems like a rather expensive change up simply for a trim level don't you think?

Cheers, Greg

 

 

 

Yes it does. It may be an optical illusion, but it looks like the quad lights are a little smaller than the duals, so I suppose they could just barely squeeze them in the space at the front of the fender. Gives them a bulged out kind of look compared to 1958 Mercs, which I think had wider finders maybe. Makes them look stranger than the '58's...but it was the late 1950's so strange was cool! I like both the '57's and '58's, dual or quad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[m-mman]

Mercury called them "Quadrabeam". standard on the top line Turnpike Cruiser (except in states not yet permitted) and optional on Montclair and Monterey (except in states not yet permitted) 

 

https://www.hemmings.com/users/182767/gallery/6098.html 

 

Sealed beams were mandated for 1940 (single bulb each side) The 4 bulb versions were available every where for 1958, but not every state had it legal yet for the 57 model year. Everybody knew that 4 bulbs were coming and everybody knew that any 2 bulb cars would look old fashioned very quickly. So everybody faced the same problem; how to you make a fender/grille that could look good both ways? Well of course you cant. Mercury's version come close. Chrysler and Imperial did Ok (compare 57 Imperial single and dual headlights) 57 Lincoln used single lights and big standard fog lights to make them kinda look like duals. 

 

Only Cadillac said the heck with everyone and put quads on all their 57 ElDorado Broughams. (at $13,000 they didn't expect to sell many anyway) 

 

Studebaker (& Packard) used their 56 fenders, added quads for 1958, and . . . . . ? Well I dont think they are a high mark of beauty. . . . . 

JC Whitney had kits to add quads to update your 57 car to quad lights. They had a version for the 57 Ford. Basically it makes your 57 Ford look as bad as a 58 Studebaker. 

Edited October 8, 2020 by m-mman (see edit history)

[58L-Y8]

Our small town used car dealer Marv Preston had a mildly-customized 1957 Ford two door hardtop fitted with these hideous quad headlight kits plus tube grille, cruiser skirts and '58 Edsel station wagon boomerang taillights, '58 Ford Fairlane side trim and candy-apple red and white paint job.  Of course, being a New York road-salt-exposed '57 Ford, it was showing rust blossoms popping out everywhere in the familiar spots.  A young guy bought it, ran the wheels off it and rolled it one night.