1954 Mercury Monterey

Description

If you've always wanted to own a police car, but maybe not one of those that you get at a surplus auction, this 1954 Mercury Monterey might just be the ticket. An old-school look combined with modern police car power from a 2004 Ford Crown Victoria police interceptor makes this a cool black-and-white that can actually run with the big dogs.

Fresh from a frame-off, cost-no-object restoration, this car looks like a million bucks. I doubt they were making police cars this nice, even in 1954, with glossy paint and exceptionally good panel alignment that's far better than you'd expect from a car destined for a life of public service. Every inch of bodywork was smoothed and restored, and they didn't make any modifications, so all the original trim remains in place. They probably didn't use a top-of-the-line Monterey as a police cruiser, but it sure looks good, doesn't it? The white doors and top give it a traditional police car vibe and with the red gumball up top (fully functional, by the way), it definitely looks the part. It's also got twin spotlights, a whip antenna on the deck, and correct-looking badges on the doors. Even though this sucker's 60 years old, I bet it makes other drivers step on their brakes as it cruises by.

Black and white vinyl inside is the kind of low-maintenance upholstery that you'd expect in a car destined to work for a living. It's beautifully done, with simple patterns that are exactly right in a car from the '50s. Matching door panels look dressy without being over-done, and it's plenty comfortable in front and in back. The steering wheel and most of the dashboard are original equipment, but the gauges have been upgraded with modern Stewart-Warner dials. You also get period accessories like a vintage Motorola 2-way radio, siren, and yes, the mannequin in back is included with the car. The original AM radio is still in the dash and it's been fitted with A/C that's fully functional, with vents discreetly hidden out of sight under the dash and with controls in the glove box. The trunk is truly massive and comes fully upholstered with black carpets that look great.

A 2004 Ford Crown Victoria from the North Carolina Highway Patrol with only 11,000 miles lost its life and donated its heart to this project. The installation is ultra-clean, and even the wide OHC V8 sits neatly in the Mercury's engine bay. With fuel injection, it starts and runs beautifully, and all the original hardware means that your local Ford dealer can service it. It's linked to the Crown Vic's original 4-speed automatic transmission, so it's a brilliant highway cruiser, and if you look around underneath, you'll see this was a frame-off restoration. A custom A-arm front suspension with power rack-and-pinion steering was installed up front and there's a disc brake at all four corners. Flowmaster supplied a custom dual exhaust system that sounds fairly predatory and the 9-inch Ford rear end runs 3.27 gears so it never feels like it's working very hard. Custom 15-inch steel wheels with dog dish style hubcaps complete the police car look and carry fat 215/60/15 front and 225/70/15 rear blackwall radials.

We've all wanted to own a police car at some point, why not own one with some style? Beautifully built, very fast, and totally finished, this is a dream come true at a price that's a fraction of the build cost. Call now!