Holman-Moody never built supercars like Yenko, Mr. Norm, and others did in the 1960s and '70s, but if the famed shop turned out tuned muscle cars alongside pure racing machines, the result likely would've looked like this 1973 Mercury Montego listed for sale on Hemmings.com. Purportedly built with a 427 side-oiler by a Holman-Moody employee, with a little bit of Day Two mods sprinkled in, the Montego looks as if it could've been offered by the factory in this configuration. It's an interesting take on the Mercury muscle car and appears well preserved and ready to continue its history of weekend jaunts.
From the seller's description:
Powered by ultra-rare 1967 Holman Moody 427 side oiler with AOD overdrive transmission and stock 3.23 rear end. Heavy duty Precision coil springs and KYB gas shocks front and rear. Halibrand magnesium wheels, new TA radial tires. Stock AC, heat, power steering, power brakes, crank windows. Black on black original paint and interior. Runs and looks great for a non-restored weekend driver. A scratch here, a nick there, a small rust spot in trunk.
Owner of this rare car worked at Holman Moody during the 60’s and 70’s when he purchased an original built 1967 HM side oiler stamped 7HM-125. While he pit-crewed on David Pearson’s 1973 Mercury Montego, he was inspired by the car and bought a street version for himself. At that time, it had a stock 351 Cleveland engine (still available with original trans). Later the 427 HM side-oiler was rebuilt to be a dependable street car engine and ultimately installed in the ’73 Mercury with an AOD overdrive transmission. This was his weekend driver. It’s a dependable, good looking, last of the muscle car era, hot rod with an extremely rare, desirable, legendary engine. Engine build sheet is included with photo of intake manifold showing TT stamp at the base of the distributor.
1973 Mercury Montego
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Like the Nomad, plenty of hot rodders got their hands on two-door Safari wagons. Some of them even cannibalized Pontiacs to resurrect the more-popular Nomads. This ’57 Safari has been customized in multiple ways, starting with the replacement of its original 347-cu.in. V8 with a rebuilt 428-cu.in. powerplant out of a 1968 Bonneville. It is mated to a Strat-Flight Hydra-Matic transmission that has also been rebuilt, according to the seller’s notes.
The shiny purple metallic paint is a far cry from the original two-tone that featured Charcoal Gray as the primary color with Silver Beige complementing it, according to the firewall body tag. Inside, the original leather interior has been replaced with gray cloth upholstery and carpet that works well with the violet exterior. As an original factory-air car, this Safari was already equipped with vents and controls for A/C. Rather than the original equipment, it now is cooled by an aftermarket air-conditioning system. Other upgrades include front disc brakes to help with stopping the truly unique wagon.
The seller is keen to note that the chrome components have been properly rechromed, including the bars and “PONTIAC” lettering on the tailgate, which are typically pitted on these vehicles. The steering wheel looks to be in great shape, as does the dashboard and instrument panel. The installation of the 428 did require the loss of power steering, but the brakes are power assisted.
Head on over to Hemmings Auctions to take a look at this uncommon 1957 Pontiac Star Chief Custom Safari.
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