Finally got around to doing a photo shoot with my '77. It was a nice sunrise and I had a freshly paved parking lot at work.

mods: forgot to set the category- please move this out of Abstract. Sorry!

[lesmore49]

Nice angles...eye catching. Nice to see an old Merc in such find shape. My FIL had a '71 Mercury Marquis with the 429 cube V8. Looked and ran like a Lincoln Continental.

[Lowell Goudge]

the last of the land yachts, what's under the hood?

[bhbrake]

It has the 400 M block. Interior is like new, minus some chips in the chrome plated plastic and a couple dash cracks. Current milage is 21,800 as it has one owner until 2015. It is really too bad that engine was choked by emissions standards as it has tons of potential. If I have $5k some day I would like to have Barnett high performance in Detroit so a performance rebuild on it to get the power out of it that it should have.

[Lowell Goudge]

It has the 400 M block. Interior is like new, minus some chips in the chrome plated plastic and a couple dash cracks. Current milage is 21,800 as it has one owner until 2015. It is really too bad that engine was choked by emissions standards as it has tons of potential. If I have $5k some day I would like to have Barnett high performance in Detroit so a performance rebuild on it to get the power out of it that it should have.

too bad it is the 400.

my brother once had a 73 with a 429. tons more potential than the 400m. the problem is, you likely will be required to meet either the origonal emissions standards, or if you update it, the emissions standards for the year of the power train.

[ZombieArmy]

too bad it is the 400.

my brother once had a 73 with a 429. tons more potential than the 400m. the problem is, you likely will be required to meet either the origonal emissions standards, or if you update it, the emissions standards for the year of the power train.

Or you can move to Florida where you could register a gokart as a car.

[redmenace]

So much to love... the composition, the lighting, the hardware!

I heard the theme from Hawaii Five-O as soon as I saw the first picture. I can still picture the residual rocking back and forth from a sudden stop as McGarrett opens the door to get out.

[bhbrake]

too bad it is the 400.

my brother once had a 73 with a 429. tons more potential than the 400m. the problem is, you likely will be required to meet either the origonal emissions standards, or if you update it, the emissions standards for the year of the power train.

The 75-78 had three engine options: 351m, 400m, and 460 big block. The 400 is a long stroke version of the 351, so at least it has more more due to the higher deck. The 460 is generally the most desirable engine among enthusiasts. The thing people don't know about the 400 is that it has a ton of rebuild potential. The primary issues are the retarded cam timing and dished low-compression heads. If you rebuild the engine with flat 9.5:1 heads and performance cam and then update the catalytic to a modern high flow unit and swap the 2bbl for a 4bbl carb, you can still pass emissions and get 400lbs of torque out of it. The mistake I made was buying the 77 instead of a 75. 75 was the last year catalytics were not federally mandated and therefore most states (including my Colorado home) don't require emission compliance for cars built before 76. The advantage would be that I could get rid of other crippling items like the exhaust gas bypass that rob power. The good part about the M block is the potential it has if you don't have to comply with emissions, as it is much lighter than a big block like the 460.


If this wasn't such a low milage original car, I would be temped to do some heavy mods or an engine swap as the 400m performance build would run me $5k-7K. The C6 tranny is good for 450 lbs of torque and is a direct bolt in for an big block.

The reality is that this is a cruiser, not a drag machine, so the power isn't such a big deal... I just wish it didn't vapor lock and strand me in traffic when it is hot out!

---------- Post added 10-05-18 at 10:12 PM ----------

Or you can move to Florida where you could register a gokart as a car.

The collector I bought it off in Idaho said it was emission exempt there, which is the case in much of the rocky mountain region.. Colorado just has emissions laws that are trying to compete with California. We do have some small counties in the mountains that are emissions exempt, but none in the Denver area are that way. Anything built in 1975 or earlier is emissions exempt if registered as a collector's vehicle and driven less then 4,500 miles per year.

---------- Post added 10-05-18 at 10:15 PM ----------

So much to love... the composition, the lighting, the hardware!

I heard the theme from Hawaii Five-O as soon as I saw the first picture. I can still picture the residual rocking back and forth from a sudden stop as McGarrett opens the door to get out.

It definitely rides like a boat.. epic body roll and vaguely numb steering. My coworkers threatened to get me a naval captain's hat. Everyone loves riding in the epic sized sofa back seat though. Not many guys in their 30's would by something like this, but I'm crazy.

[lesmore49]

too bad it is the 400.

my brother once had a 73 with a 429. tons more potential than the 400m. the problem is, you likely will be required to meet either the origonal emissions standards, or if you update it, the emissions standards for the year of the power train.

My FIL in addition to the early '70's Mercury with the 429 (385 series) also had a '66 Meteor (Canadian market full size Mercury) with the C6 transmission and the 428 FE...345 hp engine. The 428 FE was quite a good engine...also being available in the full size Ford police package...@ 360 hp and in the '68 1/2 Mustang...428 FE @ an under rated 335 hp. This last engine was used in Ford/Merc performance cars in the very end of the '60's and I think till '70, when the 385 series (429, then eventually the 460). After '71 or so emissions, low compression and lower hp/torque was the name of the game.

I'm not a Ford guy, but they did have some good engines.

[bhbrake]

My FIL in addition to the early '70's Mercury with the 429 (385 series) also had a '66 Meteor (Canadian market full size Mercury) with the C6 transmission and the 428 FE...345 hp engine. The 428 FE was quite a good engine...also being available in the full size Ford police package...@ 360 hp and in the '68 1/2 Mustang...428 FE @ an under rated 335 hp. This last engine was used in Ford/Merc performance cars in the very end of the '60's and I think till '70, when the 385 series (429, then eventually the 460). After '71 or so emissions, low compression and lower hp/torque was the name of the game.

I'm not a Ford guy, but they did have some good engines.

The 70's was really hard on the motor industry and post 72 collector markets have been weak. I have been a Chevy man most of my life as I grew up drooling over Cadillac Devilles, Chevelle SS, Corvettes, Impalas, etc. Chevy is definitely the cheapest route to good power, but the 429 was certainly a good one. The funny thing is I have now owned Chevy, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Mercury, Plymouth, Oldsmobile, Mercedes, VW, Honda, and Hyundai products...but my current stable is a 2005 Grand Marquis (daily driver), 2016 Expedition King Ranch (family hauler), and the 1977 Marquis Brougham pictured. I have a big soft spot for the Marquis, Town Cars, Caprice, and Impalas.. particularly wagon variants.

[Lowell Goudge]

The 70's was really hard on the motor industry and post 72 collector markets have been weak. I have been a Chevy man most of my life as I grew up drooling over Cadillac Devilles, Chevelle SS, Corvettes, Impalas, etc. Chevy is definitely the cheapest route to good power, but the 429 was certainly a good one. The funny thing is I have now owned Chevy, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Mercury, Plymouth, Oldsmobile, Mercedes, VW, Honda, and Hyundai products...but my current stable is a 2005 Grand Marquis (daily driver), 2016 Expedition King Ranch (family hauler), and the 1977 Marquis Brougham pictured. I have a big soft spot for the Marquis, Town Cars, Caprice, and Impalas.. particularly wagon variants.

All of my "toys" were 60's era fords. First car was a 64 falcon convertible with factory 260 V8, the engine swallowed a valve and came apart, so I shoehorned a 351W 4BBL into it. That lasted about 6 months until the front clip separated from the unitbody. I happened upon a 66 Fairlane 500 (my avatar) with a blown engine, and put the 351 into that. Had it for 6 years. In the process I started on a 65T-Bird (never got to finish it) and my winter car was a 68 mustang coupe,

I was only the second owner of the Fairlane, and sold it in 84, but it was still on the road 3 years ago, but much tamer with a mid 70's 302.

All my friends had fast cars in the late 70's and I helped one friend put a 401ci javelin power train in a gremlin

[lesmore49]

The 70's was really hard on the motor industry and post 72 collector markets have been weak. I have been a Chevy man most of my life as I grew up drooling over Cadillac Devilles, Chevelle SS, Corvettes, Impalas, etc. Chevy is definitely the cheapest route to good power, but the 429 was certainly a good one. The funny thing is I have now owned Chevy, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Mercury, Plymouth, Oldsmobile, Mercedes, VW, Honda, and Hyundai products...but my current stable is a 2005 Grand Marquis (daily driver), 2016 Expedition King Ranch (family hauler), and the 1977 Marquis Brougham pictured. I have a big soft spot for the Marquis, Town Cars, Caprice, and Impalas.. particularly wagon variants.

The last of the big, rear wheel drive V8 cars...the Mercury Marquis and it's sibling the Ford Crown Victoria. Great cars and like the '90's Caprice, Buick Roadmaster a shame they were discontinued.

Our last big, rear wheel drive was a '76 Impala with a 350 V8. Great car, we had it till '97. We towed our trailer with it, used it as a daily driver, grocery getter. Reliable, durable and good punch with that torquey 5.7 liter V8. I like big American cars and our two cars we have now...one a 2007 6 passenger Buick LaCrosse sedan with the Buick 3800 cc, 90 degree V6 and the other a 2015 Chevy Impala...the newer long wheel base platform which was designed by Opel. We have the 3.6 liter, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder V6 which puts out 305 hp and has a redline of 7000 rpm. It does move for a large car.

I'm a XL and need legroom, head room and shoulder room and both these modern large sedans provide it. Not happy that the day of the large domestic sedan seems to be coming to an end. I have great difficulty fitting comfortably into any small and medium sized sedans. I don't particularly want a SUV and my wife doesn't want a pickup.

[bhbrake]

The last of the big, rear wheel drive V8 cars...the Mercury Marquis and it's sibling the Ford Crown Victoria. Great cars and like the '90's Caprice, Buick Roadmaster a shame they were discontinued.

Our last big, rear wheel drive was a '76 Impala with a 350 V8. Great car, we had it till '97. We towed our trailer with it, used it as a daily driver, grocery getter. Reliable, durable and good punch with that torquey 5.7 liter V8. I like big American cars and our two cars we have now...one a 2007 6 passenger Buick LaCrosse sedan with the Buick 3800 cc, 90 degree V6 and the other a 2015 Chevy Impala...the newer long wheel base platform which was designed by Opel. We have the 3.6 liter, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder V6 which puts out 305 hp and has a redline of 7000 rpm. It does move for a large car.

I'm a XL and need legroom, head room and shoulder room and both these modern large sedans provide it. Not happy that the day of the large domestic sedan seems to be coming to an end. I have great difficulty fitting comfortably into any small and medium sized sedans. I don't particularly want a SUV and my wife doesn't want a pickup.

I had a 2 capprices- an '83 sedan with the 305 that threw a rod at 343,000 miles, and a 1995 caprice LT1 wagon that we cannabalized the engine out of at around 260,000 and it is currently getting transplanted into a 1964 caprice coupe. The wagon moved and would haul a load!

The impalas were pretty sad for quite a while after the 96 bit the dust- the new ones are an improvement of the rest of the 2000's era.

[lesmore49]

I had a 2 capprices- an '83 sedan with the 305 that threw a rod at 343,000 miles, and a 1995 caprice LT1 wagon that we cannabalized the engine out of at around 260,000 and it is currently getting transplanted into a 1964 caprice coupe. The wagon moved and would haul a load!

I wanted to buy a new Caprice wagon with the LT1 engine in late '96. I was assuming that there would be a 1997 Caprice , but as you know that didn't happen as the Caprice/Roadmaster line was shut down after the 1996 models. Our family was young and we towed a trailer and had a 17 1/2 foot Old Twon Freighter canoe we wanted to take with us...on the roof. Anyways we ordered a new Chev Astro mid sized, rear wheel drive van with the 4.3 Vortec 6, HD suspension, uprated seats and 3.42 rear drive axle ratio, also the Eaton G80 Locking differential. It did the job fine and we really liked our Astro equipped this way. But boy did I want that Caprice wagon LT1...that would never be.

The impalas were pretty sad for quite a while after the 96 bit the dust- the new ones are an improvement of the rest of the 2000's era.

The 2014 on, Impala models (not the Impala Limited ) were as you say, completely different than the older 2000- Impala based on the old W body.

We've done a fair number of trips in the west...Montana, Wyoming, Dakotas, Canadian Prairie provinces...and our 2015 LT handles well, goes well with the 3.6 DOHC V6 and has tremendous room...both cabin and trunk. MPG is pretty good...at 80 mph (Wyoming speed limit) the engine is just ticking over at a little under 2000 rpm...with 5000 rpm to go as it has a 7000 rpm redline.

Your old '83 Caprice with it's 305 was very reliable. I had a couple of work colleagues that had similar cars. One was a '77 Impala 305...the lady got about the same number of miles on her engine, than gave the car to a nephew and I think he approached near 400,000 miles without issue. Those Chevy small block V8's as long as they were maintained...oil/oil filter changes would seem to go forever.

[photolady95]

We don't have a category for "most awesome vehicle ever" so I just set it for Machinery, if that's okay with you.


I had a 97 Mercury Grand Marquis LS but it's in the grave yard now.