Mercury built 1,889 wood-sided station wagons for 1948. The steel panels of this example are finished in tan and are said to have been stripped and repainted under previous ownership. Features include wood paneling, a vinyl roof covering, a hood ornament, a vertical-bar grille with “Mercury Eight” lettering, chrome bumpers, a two-piece windshield, and gravel guards. The seals are cracked along the lower edge of the wind wings, and there are imperfections in the wood paneling around fasteners.…
Mercury built 1,889 wood-sided station wagons for 1948. The steel panels of this example are finished in tan and are said to have been stripped and repainted under previous ownership. Features include wood paneling, a vinyl roof covering, a hood ornament, a vertical-bar grille with “Mercury Eight” lettering, chrome bumpers, a two-piece windshield, and gravel guards. The seals are cracked along the lower edge of the wind wings, and there are imperfections in the wood paneling around fasteners. Exterior-light wiring repairs were performed in 2012.
Body-color 15″ steel wheels with red pinstriping wear chrome trim rings and Mercury-branded hubcaps and are mounted with 7.10-15 Firestone Deluxe Champion whitewall tires. Braking is provided by hydraulically assisted four-wheel drums. A full-size spare housed in a tan cover is affixed to the rear. Work in 2012 consisted of replacing the steering-box gasket and shaft seal, front and rear track-bar bushings, brake master cylinder, brake hoses, wheel cylinders, rear brake shoes and return springs, front wheel bearings, and rear hub bearings and grease seals.
The cabin features three rows of bench seating trimmed in red leather upholstery. Additional features include a stained-wood roof, door trim panels, and pillars as well as a cabin heater, an analog clock, rubber floor coverings, dual dashboard-mounted ashtrays, and front lap belts. The seat covers are worn and cracked in several places, and the radio does not work.
The tan steering wheel has a chrome horn ring and frames a 110-mph speedometer and gauges that monitor fuel level, oil pressure, battery status, and coolant temperature. An aftermarket coolant-temperature gauge is positioned below the dashboard. The five-digit odometer shows 71k miles, approximately 15 of which were added by the selling dealer.
The 239ci flathead V8 features a single downdraft carburetor, an oil-bath air cleaner, an electric fuel pump, and Fenton exhaust headers. Work in 2012 involved repainting and resealing the engine as well as replacing the carburetor, oil fittings and lines, fuel lines, and engine mounts.
Power is sent to the rear wheels via a column-shifted three-speed manual transmission and a Columbia two-speed rear differential.
A binder with 2012 service records is included in the sale along with a Rouge Award, an April 2009 Hemmings Classic Car magazine featuring this Mercury, and manufacturer’s literature.