Running Woodie: 1952 Mercury Station Wagon
Ford and Mercury produced their last full wood-bodied station wagons in 1951. The cost of building and maintaining these termite magnets had become cost–prohibitive, so the companies went with all steel bodies in 1952 – with wood appliques attached to the metal. The seller’s 1952 edition (either a Custom or a Monterey, we’re not sure) looks to be in pretty good shape and has already got an offer pending. Located in Greeneville, Tennessee, this Merc is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $14,500.
Mercury sold less than 2,500 “woodie” wagons in 1952 and they all came equipped with a 255 cubic inch L-head V8 that was rated at 255 hp (the compression ratio was only 7.2 to 1, so these machines got up to speed at a somewhat leisurely pace). We suspect this wagon has been worked on mechanically and cosmetically over the years since the odometer reading is past the 100,000-mile mark.
We’re told this wagon runs and drives well and comes with a new exhaust which the seller says sounds great. The seller also says it has an automatic transmission, but wouldn’t a “3-on-the-tree” manual be more likely? The Mercury is set up to haul as many people as possible with three seats (just like the lodge wagons of the 1940s).
We don’t know the history of this wagon. There’s no rust and the seller estimates that 80% of the “wood” is still good. From what we can tell, the interior is more than serviceable, and the dark green paint looks decent. The wagon looks to be priced to sell, which explains why the status was changed to “pending” just three days after the listing was placed. Since the seller indicates trades may be considered, that could be part of the deal. Our thanks to T.J. for another nifty tip!
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Comments
Some of the “wood” really is wood. In 1952, Ford & Mercury woodies were still built with real timber for the DI-NOC’s perimeter molding.
Nothing like good wood!!
It’s great that the wood is not german as in
“Grob gesägtes Baumholz”®
See BF Jun 21, 2021
If Rolls-Royce Built A Family Wagon! 1971 Ford Country Squire
3 on the tree would require a clutch pedal.
Custom, Monterey had an elaborate lower front bumper.
That 255 cu inch engine: gasoline (petrol) engine with displacement: 4184 cm3 / 255.4 cui, advertised power: 93.2 kW / 125 hp / 127 PS ( SAE ), torque: 286 Nm / 211 lb-ft,
Thanks Mac–saw the typo & knew the HP rating was NOT 255. No flathead V8 was ever factory rated that strong.
The automatic gear indicator is on top of the steering column
Indeed. These had the “Merc-O-Matic” 2-speed automatic that became avail. in `51. (Although I don’t see the chrome plaque on the tailgate that would indicate this.)
Designed by the Warner Gear division of Borg-Warner, the Ford automatic was marketed by Ford as Ford-O-Matic, by Mercury as Merc-O-Matic, and by Lincoln as Turbo-Drive. The up-to-date unit featured a three-element torque converter and a three-speed planetary gearset, though only the top two gears were used in normal driving. Low gear could be selected manually
When’s the last time you saw one of these? Amazing it’s still here much less in good condition.
There has been one for sale in Lordsburg, New Mexico for at least the past 10 years – visible from the highway as you drive towards Silver City. No, I’ve never stopped to look closely.
I know that car- like you, I drive by it every time I head to Lordsburg (to get on the freeway). I love that they spray painted “FOR SALE” in giant letters on the side of it. At least the guy across the highway finally sold his White COE cab and chassis (former fire truck?) that had sat there since I moved to New Mexico.
They probably “know what they have”, and are asking way too much. I regret not stopping and asking about cars sitting near the road and in fields, when they would have been affordable. All gone now.
I’ve loved “Woodies” ever since “Mod Squad” premiered.
My, my, I’ve seen many later, woodie wagons like this, in way worse condition and asking the same price. This one is running and maybe driving condition, it’s exterior and interior are in decent, survivor shape. Its definitely, it’s priced to sell.
I was a fool, and traded my ‘53 BelAir convertible for one of these!
I didn’t know you could get the 5 mile an hour front bumper in 1952
When in 1970 when I was a senior in high school I had a 1954 Merc Monterey that had the 256 V8 with overhead valves, 3 on the tree with the overdrive lever under the dash. Was the 9 passenger 3 seater. The middle seat would fold flat into the floor. Manual brakes and steering, was a workout to drive.
Starting in 1954 Ford and Mercury offered its overhead valve V8 engine, that and you had the overdrive, all of which were improvements. But driving these beasts with manual drums and no power steering, it must have drove like a lumber truck.
Once upon a time my dad bought a junker 52 Merc wagon to use around our service station, He did something everyone but himself regretted, he bought a half decent 52 Coupe as a junker, pulled the motor had it rebuilt stuck in the wagon, that is something I learned to drive on. At the time we were a U HAUL dealer, my got them to paint it U HAUL orange. After several more years it was sold as parts car.
That’s a good story about swapping engines from a coupe I to the wagon, but also, sad for painting the wagon Uhaul orange. But he was using it as a work horse I guess.
Once upon a time my dad bought a junker 52 Merc wagon to use around our service station, He did something everyone but himself regretted, he bought a half decent 52 Coupe as a junker, pulled the motor had it rebuilt stuck in the wagon, that is something I learned to drive on. At the time we were a U HAUL dealer, my dad got them to paint it U HAUL orange. After several more years it was sold as parts car.
Automotive art!
heavy metal mobile sculpture
heavy metal moBILE
same age as me, wish I looked this good~