1978 Mercury Marquis Brougham Hardtop 2-Door 5.8L

1978 Mercury Grand Marquis Brougham 2-Door Coupe Description

This listing is for an amazingly well-preserved 1978 Mercury Marquis Brougham Coupe. It is all stock with the exception of an after-market sound system & 20" wheels. It comes with the 20" rims you see in the picture + the original wheels & hubcaps and extra set of tires! You will not find another car with the stance, the presence, & the appearance of this Mercury Marquis at this price point. This car gets lots of looks and non-stop compliments everywhere I take it.
Please note that this is a Marquis Brougham & not a Grand Marquis. Ebay does not have Marquis as an option for model, when selling vehicle, so I went with Grand Marquis. In 1975-1978 they were the same vehicle. The Mercury Marquis was the entry-level model, the Mercury Marquis Brougham was the mid-level model, the Mercury Grand Marquis was the top-of-the-line model. This is a fully optioned mid-level Mercury Marquis Brougham model that has all of the features of standard Grand Marquis.
Engine/Mechanical:
-6.6L/400 V8, Auto Transmission
-Very minor engine oil leak, one small drop per night, just changed oil & filter
-Car starts right up, transmission shifts smoothly
-Passed AZ Emissions (Smog Test) about 2 weeks ago. Good in AZ for one year.
-Just dropped fuel tank, cleaned, and replaced strainer
-Brand new engine air filter
-Tune-up, new spark-plugs, new spark-plug wires
-Very clean and many new components & hoses under hood
-Newer alternator, battery, and voltage regulator
-Newer AC Compressor in 2012. Just leak-tested the entire system & charged.
-One of the valve covers was replaced. Not sure what the extent of the work was.
-Has an aftermarket oil pressure gauge that works and an after-market temperature gauge that does not work
-Brand new upper control arm bushings
-Slight vibration at high speeds (65 mph+) due to slightly out of balance wheels
-Steering box has some play in it & should be rebuilt
-Brand new front brake rotors, pads, & hardware
-Ride would be smoother if factory wheels & tires were installed
Body (please view YouTube videos for detailed walk through):
-Car looks amazing from a short distance but the paint does have some imperfections. Some of the panels may have been repainted at some point.
-Has some dings and dents that are visible from up close. Small scrape on passenger door.
-Vinyl roof has a few small tears
-Headlights open/close as they should
-Missing hood ornament in pictures. A used replacement is on the way.
-Chrome and plastic trim is solid but has some blemishes / minor damage. Nothing out of the ordinary for a 38 year old car.
-20" wheels are almost brand new but have some small scratches on them already from curbs. These rims retail for $200+ each.
-Original 15" wheels are included in the sale. They have 4 hubcaps but one of the hubcaps is missing the center piece. Also come with 4 used white-wall tires with good tread. Have not used these tires and cannot guarantee their quality.
-New tires on the front, rear tires have about 25% tread left
Interior (please view YouTube videos for detailed walk through):
-P/driver seat, p/windows, p/locks, tilt, cruise
-Original leather in pristine condition
-Some cracks on dashboard but covered with brand-new custom carpet dashcover
-Headliner in excellent shape except for one 1-inch cut above driver-side rear seat
-New touchscreen stereo with BlueTooth. It's a low-priced stereo but it sounds nice. New Kicker speakers all around. Two Kicker 10-inch subs in the trunk.
-A/C blows cold
-All lights work, cigarette lighter works
-Cruise Control does NOT work
-Passenger power lock does NOT work. Has to be locked/unlocked manually. Needs new power lock actuator in passenger door.
-New steering wheel cover & inexpensive floor mats
About This Mercury:
-Odometer shows 68,223 miles. Title is Box B (mileage in excess of odometer's mechanical limits), implying that the odometer has rolled over. This car does not look look like it could possibly have 168k miles. I've had two mechanics & someone who restores vehicles as a hobby look it over and agree. Box B was either marked as an error or this is an exceptionally well-taken care of vehicle to look like this at 168k miles.
-I called ADOT (AZ Dept of Transportation) to investigate if there may have been an error made at some point during a title transfer. Originally, they led me to believe there had been an error and the odometer may have skipped a 100k miles on a prior transfer. They sent me to MVD where I discovered that the first title transfer took place on 9/2015 when the car was traded in to CarMax. So it seems that it was a one-owner vehicle until 9/2015. I suspect that CarMax may have marked Box B just to cover themselves so that when it went to auction, the new buyer couldn't go after CarMax for misrepresenting the mileage. There's really no way of knowing for sure.
-One thing that was pointed out to me--you can Google it, as well--was that the numbers in the odometer get really misaligned after it rolls over. I've seen this before. The numbers on the odometer in this vehicle are straight.
-Just know that if the title was to read 68,223 miles Box A (actual mileage), there wouldn't be a doubt in your mind about whether that is actual mileage.
-I would definitely suggest sending a mechanic out to inspect it and see for yourself. Everyone that's looked at this car, mechanic or otherwise, has stated that there is no way this car has over 160k miles.
-Comes with 2 sets of keys with vintage keychains, original owners manual, and some vintage marketing material from 1978. The keychains & marketing material were recently purchased by me on eBay and did not originally come with this vehicle.
YouTube Videos:
-Exterior walkthrough - https://youtu.be/g4QCmbXejNU
-Quick exterior walkthrough - https://youtu.be/ReJvYcVZxRw
-Driving down the street - https://youtu.be/N3E1jruKl9w
-Test Drive - Coming Soon
-Interior walkthrough - Coming Soon

TERMS OF SALE

---$350 Deposit required via PayPal within 24 hours.

---Cash or wire transfer only for balance due within 3 days. I have Clean AZ title in hand.

PLEASE READ BELOW BEFORE SUBMITTING OFFER OR PURCHASING!!

I want the buyer to be satisfied with his or her purchase. I want you to feel comfortable that you got as much info as you need to make an informed purchase decision. I encourage potential buyers to call or email with any and all questions or to come see the vehicle in person if local. Please contact me through Ebay for my phone number. Be sure to watch all youtube videos. I always urge buyers to get an independent inspection.

For out-of-state buyers, I will provide garage storage for up to 2 weeks after full payment is made to allow for shipping arrangements. Please note, that you will need to insure the vehicle within 2 business days of submitting complete payment. Shipping is the responsibility of the buyer. We will assist the shipping company with the loading of the vehicle. This vehicle is for sale locally and I reserve the right to end listing at any time.

Please ask any and all questions before you hit the Buy It Now button.

***Deposit required within 24 hours after auction end. Full payment due 3 days after auction end.***