A chance offer triggers a 20-year "use-it-as-we-go" restoration of a 1953 Mercury Monterey station wagon

Anyone interested in the old-car hobby knows well that we all have our preferences: Groups of enthusiasts are dedicated to various niches, some based on era, some on manufacturer, others focusing on the vehicle’s intended purpose. You never know when circumstances will arise to introduce us to something special from another realm of the hobby, or what sort of lasting effect that discovery may have.

Everett Kirchmer was one such veteran enthusiast. The New Jersey native had a deeply rooted preference for late-Fifties styling, particularly the design executed by Chevrolet on its line of 1958 passenger cars. But that didn’t seem to faze his pastor in 1984.

David Conwill

David Conwill

"He was retiring and knew that I was ‘interested’ in old cars, so he called me over to his house one night, opened up the garage and told me this is what I should be buying," Everett chuckles. "I peered inside and thought to myself, ‘I don’t really have an interest in an old Mercury station wagon. A ’55 Chevy wagon, perhaps, but this?’ Since I was there, though, I took a closer look.

"He backed it out of the garage for me, so I knew the mechanical system was in running order. I could tell the body needed to be redone, and probably the wood, but everything was there; none of the parts were missing. Then I looked inside, and it was in really good condition. At the time, I was an amateur when it came to restorations. I knew body shops could fix the exterior, and a mechanic could fix an engine, but I always thought the interior would be the hardest to do. I don’t do anything with upholstery, and I was intimidated by the thought, so when I saw this interior, I said, ‘This would be an easy car to restore.’ That was really what made the purchase happen."

A 255.4-cu.in. flathead V-8 delivered 125 hp at 3,700 rpm for ’53. This one is paired with Merc-O-Matic Drive for an easier driving experience.David Conwill

The deal was made that night, as Everett recalls. "A Mercury station wagon wasn’t too desirable then. But it was complete. It needed to be refreshed, but it didn’t need any parts, so I agreed to take it off his hands. I think at that time I paid $1,200. I tried to talk him down, but it didn’t work."

The station wagon turned out to be a 1953 model from the Monterey line. It was another pivotal vintage for Ford’s mid-level division. A year prior, engineers had created a new chassis design to support a freshly restyled body shell—boxed perimeter rails in lieu of an X-member type, with a wheelbase of 118 inches. Two new options were also introduced to improve drivability: power brakes in April, and power steering in May.

Faux woodgrain covers the wagon’s body, but it’s trimmed with wood. The paneling was restored by a specialist while the car’s owner refinished the trim.David Conwill

Though these were late additions, other changes were present at the beginning of the model year. Chief among them was newly refined quarter panel trim, as well as a new grille that provided a lighter and airier feel. A 255.4 cu.in. flathead V-8 remained in service for 1953, still boasting 125 hp. An enlarged exhaust system, with a straight-through muffler, was designed to reduce backpressure.

Mercury’s station wagons were promoted out of the entry-level Custom series in ’53, where the line had been available in six- or eight-passenger form, and into the top-of-the-line Monterey series in six-passenger configuration. Wood as an integral structure material was already becoming passé: Inner panels were now a woodgrain Di-Noc applique framed by removable maple. Though the changes were few, Mercury dealerships were busy with a new sales spike. Model year output jumped to 305,863 units, 156,339 of which were Montereys, including 7,719 station wagons. It was a figure that obliterated Mercury’s wagon output from the year prior, when 2,487 units were sold.

David Conwill

"I was handed some original paperwork when I bought the Mercury, including the invoice and bill of sale. This wagon had been purchased by Major Homer E. Carney, of Hackensack, New Jersey, from Burns Motors —the local Lincoln/ Mercury dealer then. They hooked him for $3,331.84, and that included the Merc-O-Matic automatic transmission, heater, grille guards, backup lamps, undercoating, side mirror, tail pipe extension, antifreeze, and windshield washer kit. I’m not sure when the pastor purchased it. I like to think the Major was a parishioner at the church and the minister might have bought it from him, but I’m not entirely sure. That would make me just the third owner."

Everett brought the Monterey wagon home and reassessed its exterior condition, noting that someone —to preserve the maple framing—had applied a redwood-tinted stain. Everett also reported that there was overspray on the body as a result. Meanwhile, the original interior was in striking condition — only the rubber floor mat had deteriorated. Armed with this information, he parked the Mercury in the garage for the winter while he developed a sympathetic restoration plan. There was just one catch.

David Conwill

"I guess you could say I didn’t take proper care of it initially. The car didn’t fit in the garage, so the back half of it stuck out and was exposed to the elements for the entire winter. That messed up the wood a little bit at the back, it curled at the ends just little bit, so even though it wasn’t my plan to start there, that’s what ended up happening," Everett explains.

Because of the winter damage, the project launched as soon as the cold weather retreated. "That spring I started going to swap meets in the region looking for parts and talking to chrome platers; there were a lot more of them back then. I had already taken some trim off that needed replating. In a way, it was superficial, but it was the easiest start point for me because I was using the car for errands in order to keep the mechanical system fluid," he explains.

David Conwill

That more casual approach to the restoration allowed Everett to enjoy the Mercury during the early stages, but there were potential pitfalls. "While at the swap meets, I would see the stainless caps that cover the bolts securing the wood framing to the body. I thought, ‘They’re around, no need to get them now.’ I wasn’t at that stage yet." This would prove to be a regret.

Having found someone to correct the chrome finish on several pieces of trim, Everett then focused on the body and wood framing. Off came the organic material and remaining trim, the latter of which exposed the original faux woodgrain pattern and color. Everett reported that finding replacement Di-Noc during the late Eighties was nearly an impossible task, so he reached out to a company that specialized in kitchen cabinets and dashboards; they were up for the challenge of replicating the faux finish.

David Conwill

David Conwill

David Conwill

David Conwill

"I knew I had to get the redwood stain off the framing, so I removed the wood from the car and stored it in the dining room while I had a new coat of black paint sprayed on the body. It was right after that we decided to move to Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, so the project was put on hold for a little bit. We moved in 1990; I remember thinking that I was going to have to move the car, and the cheapest way was to just drive it out half finished, so that’s what I did. New paint, no wood, and almost no trim. It must have looked funny going down the road."

After the move was completed, the project resumed, and Everett turned his attention back to the wood. "I had no patience to scrape the stain off, so I grabbed a belt sander and went in —this is what happens when an amateur tries his hand at restoration, having not done homework. I got the job done, though. I was able to put the right finish on. Unfortunately, this was when I needed those stainless caps I had passed over. Suddenly they were impossible to find. That was a delay, and I learned my lesson: If you know you’re going to need something, buy it as you find it, even if you’re not ready for it."

David Conwill

While Everett dealt with the Mercury’s wood, a local mechanic gave the Monterey’s V-8 and automatic transmission a clean bill of health, at which point both units were cleaned and refinished. As to the interior, the rubber floormats were replaced, but the rest of the cabin was detailed with a mild cleanser and light touch. By 2003 the station wagon was completed.

"It was a slow restoration. My wife, Joanne, and I were using and enjoying it as we went along. By now, interest in old station wagons in general developed, so this got a lot of attention when it was done. We still go to shows and drive it around, but not as frequently. I try to keep it clean and avoid getting nicks and dings in the parking lots. But because I bought the wagon, restored it, and have driven it for so many years, I ended up going out and buying a 1952 Mercury two-door hardtop that’s more of a fun car—it’s the one that doesn’t get polished or even washed. If I just want to drive to the grocery store or run an errand, that’s the car I take.

That doesn’t mean Everett’s ’53 is being relegated to second string—it still holds premier status in his garage. "If I want a relaxing ride or want to go to a show like the Hershey meet, I take the wagon."

David Conwill