This 1968 Mercury Cyclone GT throws us a mass of mixed signals. It was parked in a barn back in 1978, and the current owner purchased it around 13-years-ago. It has been revived, but it needs the right person who is willing to return it to its best again. Its original engine is still present, and its rust problems are relatively minor. If you feel up to the challenge of restoring a classic Mercury, you will find the Cyclone located in Binghamton, New York, and listed for sale here on eBay. A single bid sees the price sitting at $6,800 in what is a No Reserve auction.

The owner claims that the Nugget Gold Metallic paint that the Cyclone wears is original. However, visible color inconsistency across some of the panels could indicate prior repair work. The hood has been swapped with one from a Torino. The original was apparently bent due to being forced with seized hinges, and this one was substituted as an interim measure. I find it interesting that the car lacks the badges and upper-level body stripes that were an integral part of the GT package. The original owner may have chosen to delete the stripes, but the badges are a mystery. The panels wear a collection of dings and dents, but most of them look to be repairable without resorting to replacement. There are some rust issues, but once again, most of these could be addressed with patches rather than the wholesale replacement of steel. It is in the usual spots like floors, lower rear quarter panels, and the rear wheel arches. However, the car is structurally sound, so these repairs could be tackled at the buyer’s leisure.

The GT option on the 1968 Cyclone brought bucket seats, but this one has a bench. I’m not sure if this is original or whether it has been swapped at some point. It is possible that the first owner ordered the car with a bucket seat delete, but that would have been an unusual choice. What can be seen of the upholstery and soft trim indicates that a full restoration will be on the cards. The wheel is also badly cracked and appears to be beyond repair. A trim kit will probably be the most sensible approach, and $2,000 should secure a high-quality kit. This won’t include the dash pad, so a buyer will need to budget extra for that.

The owner says that the engine bay houses its original S-Code 390ci V8, which would be right for a GT. This was originally backed by a 3-speed manual transmission, although this has been swapped for a 4-speed. With 325 hp on tap, the Cyclone would have been capable of covering the ¼ mile in 14.9 seconds in 3-speed form. The 4-speed would knock a few tenths off that time, which is no bad thing. The news here is all very positive. The Mercury has been revived and now runs and drives. I can spot a rebuilt carburetor, new fuel pump, new master cylinder, and what appears to be a new radiator. The brake hoses have also been changed, along with all brake shoes and the rear drums. The result of all of this hard work is a classic that now runs and drives well. The dual exhaust looks a bit old, but the owner says that the 390 runs quietly, with no signs of smoke.

I would love to know the full story behind this 1968 Mercury, and I would love to see a Marti Report for it. This is a car that poses a significant number of questions, and if it is as original as the owner says, it could potentially be a relatively rare find. When I first looked at it, I questioned whether it was a genuine GT. The lack of stripes, badges, and bucket seats all seemed to indicate that. However, the originality of the engine tells a different story. I guess that it is possible that someone wanted to “fly under the radar” to keep an insurance company happy, but we may never know the truth. Do you have any theories, or are you tempted to follow-up on this Cyclone because you’d like to park it in your garage?