Photo: eBay seller nakita7
If you're looking for a rare project and don't want to spend a fortune on a car that stands out from the crowd, this 1970 Mercury Cyclone GT is worth a look.
eBay seller nakita7 listed the car on eBay, revealing that the Cyclone GT is parked in a landfill of sorts (see other cars parked next to it), but surrounded by vegetation.
If you’re a Mercury fan, you probably know that the Montego wasn’t the most popular model in 1970, and the Cyclone GT was even more special. Mercury built just over 100,000 Montegos that year, and the Cyclone GT 2-door hardtop accounted for about 10,000 units.
This means that only 10% of Montegos ever rolled off the assembly line as Cyclone GTs, so it's easy to imagine that these cars could easily become highly sought-after collector's items if kept in mint condition.
The example in these photos is surprisingly rare. The Marti report reveals that the car was factory-fitted with a 351ci four-cylinder engine mated to an automatic transmission. Only 3,470 examples left the factory in this configuration.
However, what really sets it apart from the crowd is the engine and other bits of equipment. The car is painted in Competition Orange (it’s unclear if it still has the original finish, but it certainly looks intriguing) and only 448 Cyclone GTs used the same paint when they left the factory. Only 37 cars sport Black Houndstooth cloth bucket seats, and that’s where this Cyclone is becoming incredibly rare. Only 2 were equipped with high-resistance batteries and only one, this one, was equipped with stylized steel wheels.
As anyone can see, this Cyclone GT is not in the best condition at the moment, and the floors and trunk could use some TLC. This is not surprising considering where it is parked, but keep this in mind if you are planning on a full restoration.
The owner says the chassis is still decent, but the engine is no longer running. The 351ci unit is still in the car, but its condition is unknown, so you might want to have the engine inspected before bidding if your goal is to restore this Cyclone to factory specs.
Otherwise, the car flexes in better shape than expected, especially for a car literally parked in the bush. It's worth checking out in person or by a third party, and you'll need a trailer to get it home, although it's unclear if the wheels spin freely.
The battle starts at $1, but the owner has set a reserve. They say it's a “very reasonable reserve,” but it's unknown how high the bid must be to unlock it. The car is located near Edmonton, Alberta, and you'll need to arrange shipping.