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#4 - The Mystery of the Upside-Down 1969 Mercury!
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- čas přidán 14. 08. 2024
- For a number of years I’ve seen this startling photo pop up on various Facebook pages and groups from time to time - maybe you’ve seen it too? I always wondered what the story was behind this poor upside-down 1969 Mercury, and in this video I’d like to share with you how I solved the mystery.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:26 What kind of car?
2:33 Where did this happen?
3:35 Dealership
4:46 Map
5:34 When did this happen?
7:09 Damage estimate
7:46 Close-Out
Well Done!
Soon after I turned 5 in the summer of '69, my aunt purchased a new, loaded, Marquis Brougham 4 door hardtop, from Eagle Lincoln Mercury in Dallas, TX. It was Colonial White with a Navy vinyl top and Navy, diamond patterned, cloth and vinyl interior. It had everything including, Cruise Control, Rim Blow horn and tape deck w/rear deck mounted power antenna.
She was an elementary school librarian who kept her cars and everything in her home as clean and organized as she did at work. No eating in the car without plenty of napkins. Children didn't touch buttons yet because I loved that car so much, and she had no children? occasionally, she'd allow me to sit inside by myself. I'd tilt the wheel down, pwr the seat all the way up and fwd. Another thing she'd do for me is allow me to do is "help her" check that the hidden headlights were operating properly" even though it was a brand new car...lol.
It's gone and so is she, but your post brought back sweet memories of both. Thanks for posting. ❤🚘👍🏾
The Lincoln Mercury tag line for '69 was sung by Marilyn May who's still living..."Lincoln Mercury Leads The Way!"
@solemandd67, thank you! Your aunt sounds like a fascinating person with excellent taste in cars.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Just a couple years back, in the early 1970's, I had a conversation with a car hauler driver where he told me that it was difficult to load the upper deck when the ramps were slick with new-fallen snow. One particular time, he tried once, but the wheels just spun and the car wouldn't climb any higher. He tried again, but with a considerable running start, and the extra speed did the trick. He drove up onto the upper deck, but then was unable to stop prior to driving off the front end of the deck. He said he really didn't hurt too bad, but he was driven to a hospital to be checked out. They sent him home after finding no injuries, but when he woke the next morning, he felt as if he had driven off the front of the top deck of a car hauling trailer.
Great story. Must be many more stories like it!
@eugenepolan1750, what a fantastic story - thank you for sharing it! Whoever was driving the 1969 Mercury in the video must've been shaken up in that tumble off the ramps.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
😂😂😂 That's hilarious
What a great bit of automotive history and investigative journalism. Thank you.
@braddietzmusic2429, thank you so much for your very kind words - I'm so pleased that you liked the video!
If you haven't done so already, please Subscribe to my channel so that you can be alerted when each new video comes out. There's LOTS more to come; I'm working on video #12 already. Thanks again!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Marquis: "I've fallen, and I can't get up!
Chevy Van: trying hard not to laugh.
😄😄😄😄
Picture brings back a memory. In 1975 I bought a new Datsun 210 hatchback. The dealership had just received a car carrier full of new Datsuns. I was 29 and the salesman was in his late 60s, so I climbed up on the upper level and copied the VIN of a green one I wanted. They started the paperwork and I put my down payment as deposit so they could finish the loan. I went home so they could dealer prep it for delivery next morning. I got a call right after I got home from the salesman. It would be about 2 weeks delay. "But we'll fix it like new." I rushed over to the dealer and the car had fallen off the ramps and was still sitting on the driver's side. Windshield, hood, and hatch were messed-up and the rear wheel was bent. Of course everything on the left was destroyed and only the right windows were intact. "Fix it like new!!!" I bought the brown one. I wonder to this day why it didn't roll onto its roof.
I grew up in Dearborn, MI. I worked at the Rouge Plant when I got out of the Navy in ‘77, but left for another job after one month. Both of my grandparents on both sides also worked at “Fords”. My Dad worked for Henry Ford’s secretary and mistress Evangeline Dahlinger as a handyman at her estate. She was the person that put together the Henry Ford Museum. Me and my friends when we were kids would sneak into the backyard of the Fairlane Mansion to play in the treehouse until security chased us out. Mrs. Dahlingers son was an illegitimate child of Henry Ford, his name was John Cote’ Dahlinger and he wrote a book called “The Secret Life of Henry Ford”. My father knew him. He was murdered a few years back somewhere in Michigan.
I enjoyed your gumshoeing of this photo. Very well done!
@privatepilot4064, that's some great history you've shared - wow! I'm glad you liked the video.
If you haven't done so already, please Subscribe to my channel so that you can be alerted when each new video comes out. There's LOTS more to come; I'm almost done with video #12. Thank you!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
@@adrianclements8916 subbed!
@@privatepilot4064, thank you kindly! I just released video #13 a couple of hours ago; please check it out when you have a chance:
czcams.com/video/xbG1nrJfUTs/video.htmlsi=xf9UTkdBH6jBc1DV
Thanks again!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
You have determination in spades. I know how hard it is to dig up such obscure information. What I don’t know is when to quit for the day.
I always enjoy a good mystery. Well done! I bought my first new car, a 69 Cougar, at an end-of-model-year sale in the fall of 69, from Leith Lincoln-Mercury, the dealership in Raleigh, 25 miles from Durham, NC. It was equipped just like the Cougar in the ad in your video. Wish I still had it...
@johnwsimpson3153, thank you - I'm glad you enjoyed the video and that it brought back some memories for you!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Good research. Good story.
@James-oj6ck, thank you - I'm glad that you enjoyed the video!
If you haven't done so already, please be sure to Subscribe to my channel - there are LOTS more interesting FoMoCo-related videos in the pipeline.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
That's good detective work. I would think the newspaper photo was taken before the famous photo. You can't offload the upper deck with cars on the lower deck, so the van was probably being loaded onto the trailer. The van's side marker lights (near the door) and date of the article show it to be a 68 or 69 Chevy van... maybe a new 69 on its way to the local Chevy dealer. (Offload van, offload & dump Mercury, reload van.) It's amazing how many cars are damaged during transport and yet there are few changes, excepting a 2nd person to supervise while cars are driven off ramps, etc.
Van was probably farther forward and another car was behind the van. Mercury was on top and came down before the van was pulled out.
@@ksavage681 Normally you can't lower the top ramp until the car below is removed (especially for a truck underneath) but you could be right.
@mikep490, thank you - I'm so glad you liked the video! It was a fun little rabbit hole to go down.
Thank you for your observations about the Chevy van and vehicle shipping in general.
If you haven't done so already, please subscribe for more videos about FoMoCo-related subjects. There are LOTS more in the pipeline! Thank you.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
I owned a 1969 Merc Marquis Brogham 4-door hardtop. It was white, with black interior. Big 429ci V8, C6 trans, A/C, P/S, P/B, power seats, vacuum locks, and an 8-track player. I loved it. It had blown headgaskets when I bought it for $250. I stripped down the top of the engine, and took the heads in for service to a small local cylinder head shop. He shaved them replaced valves, and springs, and cleaned them up better than new, and able to tolerate unleaded fuel. His door stop at the shop front door happened to be a 4-barrel big block Ford manifold. He told me to take it home. I converted my 429 from a two to four barrel carb and put a new Holley on it. I replaced the rotten exhaust with new duel pipes, and a pair of the longest cherry bomb mufflers you've ever seen. At idle she was still quiet, at WOT it absolutely howled. I was 18-20 or so when I owned it, and loved every minute. I also picked up a 1970 Merc Monterey 2-door that had been professionally customized into a convertible/parade car. It was a lot of fun. It had the same 429 drive train as my Marquis. Both just tanks, I loved the size and ride of those things. A/C'd couches on wheels. The hidaway headlamps, and wide red tail light bar of the 69 were far cooler than the more conservative Monterey. But the top down summer night drives in the convertible showed me how fun convertibles can be. I have also owned a 1990 RX7 Convertible, and still own a 2005 Jeep TJ Sport dual top, which always sits top down in the garage waiting for warm night cruises. If you have garage parking, I can't recommend a convertible enough, I love them.
Nice video! The last Mercury rolled off the line on January 4, 2011 it was a Grand Marquis. My Father Was a ford man and I was with him when he would buy them. When he picked his 1971 LTD, out the door it was a little over $5100 dollars. I checked Google Earth for 401 Geer st for Weeks-Allen Mercury and found that they are on longer in business, all that's left is a empty show room. :-)
We had a 1975 Falcon GS (Aust.) bought used in the 1980s...looked good at a glance, but it subsequently became clear that it had been rolled, then repaired at some point: wheel alignments couldn't save tyres from scrubbing, it walked all over the road and every time it rained the thing became a swamp. It was the only car that ever made me feel sick on a long journey, it zapped you with static electricity every time you got out, Mum hit a kangaroo with it (major damage) and the engine blew up. Bloody thing was cursed!
My dad's XA would fill with water if it rained. He bought it in 82, then crashed it in 88 I think, but it wasn't bad, so my older brother put XB nose on it and used it. We ended up cutting it to pieces.
I looked at google maps street view ... dealership is gone but building id still there .... has that cool art deco style show room with the curved awning over glass windows that follow the curves of the show room and glass brick at side ... looks like service bays have been repurposed into a restaurant !! very cool building !
@Robinallenyukon, that's a great idea for a follow-up video! My wife is from Durham so we'll be sure to go down to the location and retake the photo of the upside-down 1969 Mercury location. Thank you for your work on Google Maps!
If you haven't done so already, please subscribe for more videos about FoMoCo-related subjects. There are LOTS more in the pipeline! Thank you.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Some great detective work there Adrian, most informative.
Back in 1969. You’d be shocked the damaged cars they would fix.
They would pull engines out, remove complete interiors, including headliners.
I remember my friends dad bought a 66 Dodge Polara, he bought it from a body shop. It hit a telephone pole. They fixed it so good they even straighten out the quarter panels that were been in the back.
I saw a news story about 10 -15 years ago how people buy cars brand new and find out they’ve been repaired and sold with no idea about the damage between the assembly line and shipping.
ok trumper
@@UberLummox
Thank you!
@@paleocon777 I see. STILL going down with the ship, huh? If only your parents had hugged you more.
the 66 Polara is my favorite
Nice detective work. Believe it or not, I have owned NINE Mercury Marquis and Grand Marquis in my life, starting in 1978 with a 1972 model. All of them were bought used. There was only one approx 2 1/2 year period in my life since 1978 that I did not own one. I now have a 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis LS with 381,000 miles on it (I bought it with 97,000 miles) and a recently purchased 2007 Mercury Grand Marquis with only 36,000 miles on it. I bought it as an eventual replacement for the 2006.
My wife drives an ‘11 with 150K miles on it. We wish we could buy a new one.
@geraldscott4302, thank you - I'm glad you enjoyed it! I love the fact that you've owned NINE big Mercurys! Your dedication to the marque is recognised and respected. Well done!
If you haven't done so already, please subscribe and find out about all the other videos as I release them. There are LOTS more fun FoMoCo-related stories, information, and factoids to come!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
@@adrianclements8916I have loved and enjoyed every one of them. You probably won't believe what got me into Mercurys. It was watching Hawaii Five-O as a kid. Surprisingly enough, none of them were black. The '72 I started with was dark brown with a black vinyl top. Once I bought that car, I fell in love with it for a lot of reasons. It was big, classy, had a wonderful ride, and was very reliable. When it came time to get another car, I never considered anything but another Mercury. By then I was hooked. I was very disappointed when Ford dropped the Mercury brand, but considering what new cars have become these days, I really have no interest in any of them. Had Mercury and the Grand Marquis name survived, it would probably have been as a small front wheel drive car with a giant touch screen. Both my '06 and '07 models still have their original AM/FM/CD /cassette stereos. All nine of them were completely stock.
Mercury always stylish even with a giant size and proportions.
The interior always had some different layouts too. At least it wasn’t a whole carrier of them lol.
Very cool video and story! Thanks!
@mickdisalle6037, thank you kindly - I'm so glad you liked the video! It was a fun little rabbit hole to go down.
If you haven't done so already, please subscribe for more videos about FoMoCo-related subjects. There are LOTS more in the pipeline! Thank you.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Even with the prices back then, this car looks like it would be irrepairable, even at double the price. Note the other dark colored 1969 Mercury Marquis thin pillar 4 door sitting over there in the parking lot thinking, better you then me.
Great video and fantastic facts finding analysis skills. I love analyzing old photographs for clues of why, where and when.
@jaymichaels5187, thank you kindly - I'm so glad you liked the video! It was a fun little rabbit hole to go down!
If you haven't done so already, please subscribe for more videos about FoMoCo-related subjects. There are LOTS more in the pipeline!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Cool channel! A few things. That estimate is totally pulled out of the papers tailpipe lol. That car would have been totalled, which then mostly likely meant, it was scrapped though its possible it was repaired as best as possible and sold off in another state. The entire body looks messed up, and I doubt they bought a new body.
Also, its possible to find out more on the specific car. Have you tried calling Kevin Marti? Since its a Marquis, he should have the original Invoice (the Eminger Report) as well as Window Stickers for these cars. He normally would demand proof of ownership of the car, but for this, he might make an exception. By eliminating certain cars, we could find the VIN for this car, and maybe even find out if it still exists. That would be cool
Good job in finding out where the photo is. I have seen it too on the groups and all. As a PS, I love that Brougham in the background, the dark metallic brown one. Reminds me of my Continental. There is a very cool story about the design of these cars and the fight between the LM design team and Lee Iococca.
You did an outstanding job uncovering facts about of this particular 1969 Mercury 4-door sedan. "Part 2" of this two-part mystery, however, needs to also be resolved. Why/how was a 1969 Chevrolet van part of this shipment of new 1969 Ford products ('69 Mercurys & Mustangs)?
It would make sense if these were all multi-year used cars, but no one can explain this "OEM mismatch" of new 1969 cars. Can you?
@12345682900, thank you - I'm glad you enjoyed the video! There has actually been some discussion in other comments of this video about the mixed load on this car transport from the summer of 1969. It was offloading at least one 1969 Mercury to Weeks-Allen Motors, Inc., but as you stated there is a 1969 Chevrolet van on the ramps that must be going to a Chevy dealer. There are several 1969 Ford Mustangs visible toward the front of the truck. Weeks-Allen Motors, Inc. only sold Mercurys and Lincolns - they did not sell Fords. So, this one truck was carry vehicles for at least three different dealership brands: 1) Mercury & Lincoln, 2) Chevrolet, and 3) Ford. These dealerships were likely all in the Durham, North Carolina immediate area. I hope this helps provide some clarification.
If you haven't done so already, please subscribe and find out about all the other videos as I release them. There are LOTS more fun FoMoCo-related stories, information, and factoids to come! Thank you.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
@@adrianclements8916 Interesting and rare (at least for me) to hear of "multi makes/multi-dealerships" on one load of NEW cars. Thanks for the reply.
@@adrianclements8916
Maybe those 3 dealerships were owned or co-owned by the same entity?
Great detective work Columbo!
@toasteroven8588, thank you kindly - I'm so glad you liked the video! It was a fun little rabbit hole to go down.
If you haven't done so already, please subscribe for more videos about FoMoCo-related subjects. There are LOTS more in the pipeline! Thank you.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Great detective work Adrian
@ericheld4382, many thanks! It was a lot of fun to get this one figured out.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
@@adrianclements8916 you have always went above and beyond for us Ford nuts especially us 67 Ford owners.
July of 1969 sure had a lot of incidents of large 4 door cars landing upside down....
This driver definitely fared better than Mary Jo Kopekne, the occupant of the other car.
Ooh, tacky.
Actually, she was found dead in Ted Kennedy's 1967 Oldsmobile Delmont 88 4-door sedan, not a 1969 Mercury.
@@12345682900 I never said the Ted Kennedy car was a Mercury. I just said large 4 door cars. I know it was a 67 oldsmobile.
I say my dear Watson..... Job well done sir. You did not stuff Xtreme to make this into 8 minutes. You included a very precise path of explanation. This episode flowed flawlessly. 😮 Unless serious side, we now know where that famous phrase came from: HAVE YOU DRIVEN A FORD LATELY??? 🤣🤣🤣🤣
@CAROLDDISCOVER-FINDER2525, thank you so much for your kinds words - I'm glad that you enjoyed the video!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Nice digging.
Awesome detective work.
@truckerkevthepaidtourist, thank you very much!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Good investigative skills! Really enjoyed this video. Thanks Adrian!
@animalactivist7820, thank you kindly - I'm glad that you enjoyed the video!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
That was an awesome dive into the accident. Thank you.
@norcal715, you're most welcome - I'm glad you enjoyed it! If you haven't done so already, please subscribe and find out about all the other videos as I release them. There are LOTS more fun FoMoCo-related stories, information, and factoids to come!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Wouldn't the damage be more like $4000 ? Obviously, that's not repairable, making it a total. Even if it was, who would want it?, and would the dealer even disclose what happened to it?
@roger628, I agree - I would have expected the car to be written off as a total loss. Maybe the dealership had to go that route eventually; the $1,500-1,800 damage quote came from the day of the accident, so perhaps further investigation deemed the car to be scrap.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
I would think the dealer would try to fix it - they probably had their own body shop...
When I was a little kid in the early '70s I went with my Mom when she took our 1970 LTD in for some service, and I explored the dealership. One wonder I found was a '67-'71 Thunderbird which was being spliced together - the doghouse and cowl were intact with the floorpan with all four wheels, and they had a quarters-roof body assembly from a different car sitting on the ground next to it IIRC! Even at that age, I'd've rather been there helping put that car back together than at school...
The other wonder was a '70-'71 Torino stock car, and this was at Don Wagner (now Beau Townsend) Ford in Vandalia Ohio - and I found out decades later that A.J. Foyt drove for them!!!
I worked in the automotive industry in collision repair for 44 years. I’ve seen far, far worse than this repaired. Remember too, back in those days you weren’t required to disclose accident damage, hell, here in Wisconsin we didn’t even have odometer disclosures until 1972. When I was in school we received a brand new 1969 Plymouth Fury III that had fallen off a carrier. The students pulled the engine and I believe that the rest was scrapped. My father’s cousin drove a vehicle delivery truck like this and I remember asking him if things like this ever happened. He replied “Only once!”
It really depends on the law at the time, as well as individual state laws regarding new car sales. I can't speak to the past much beyond 25 years ago here in CT, but at that time and still to this day, it's illegal for a dealer to sell a new car as new if it has had any incident, regardless of the type, amount, or dollar value of the damage, if any.
I found this out when I was driving overnight for a towing company. A Land Rover, and I don't remember what year or model but it was fairly new at the time, was being driven by a drunk driver when they lost control of it and plowed into the showroom of a local Chevrolet dealer. This dealership was on a corner lot and had no front parking lot... just a sidewalk's width plus maybe another half of it between the front of the building and the street. Two of the four cars in the showroom were totaled because of extensive damage and how much it would have cost to repair them. The first one hit was a Caprice, and I believe the other one, the second to be hit was a Cavalier. The third car involved was a Corvette that got peppered with millions of those teeny-tiny square-ish pieces of automotive safety glass. There was zero impact damage, but the paint was lightly scratched, and there was glass and glass dust all over it, and because one of the windows was down, there was glass and glass dust all over the inside of it. The fourth car in the showroom was far enough away and was completely unaffected.
The owner had to be contacted and respond, and while we were standing around doing nothing while the police were taking measurements and writing reports, we got to talking about what happens to the cars. He was really pissed off because earlier that day, they had just swapped positions between the Corvette and the Caprice, meaning that the Corvette would have been the first car hit and would have been completely destroyed if they had just left them where they were.
I never did find out what he did with the 'Vette, but if he sold it, he would have been forced to sell it as a used car, and probably with a pretty hefty markdown. My thoughts on it, if he decided to sell it as a used car, any prospective buyer would have noticed that the car only had approximately five to 10 miles on the clock, so naturally they'd probably want to question something like that. At least I'd want to know. I suppose another option for him would have been to withdraw the car from possible sale, have his detail crew go through the car and remove every last block of glass and dust, paying particular attention to the HVAC vents, throw one of his dealer plates on it and drive it for as many years as it took to get his money's worth out of it.
@@sped6954
I worked at a new car dealership and saw some mighty shady things happen. Back in those days there were no laws to protect the consumer like there are today.
Well done, Columbo.
@philricci2012, thank you kindly - I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
If you haven't done so already, please be sure to Subscribe to my channel - there are LOTS more interesting FoMoCo-related videos in the pipeline.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Now answer another mystery. Why was there a Chevy van mixed in with Ford cars? I didn’t think they mixed loads like that back then.
I wondered that, too.. figured they were being delivered to a *used* car dealer..
@joeapplebaum3763, I would expect that the Chevrolet van was being delivered to a local Chevy dealership in Durham, North Carolina. Notice that there are also 1969 Fords on the car carrier, but Weeks-Allen Motors, Inc. only sold Mercurys and Lincolns, so those Fords must have been destined for a local Ford dealership. Apparently mixed-make loads WAS a thing in 1969!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
@@adrianclements8916 it makes sense. I just didn’t think they mixed brands like that back then.
Great detective work. From what I understand new cars being transported were never mixed between rival American manufacturers, (you’d get, say, Buick and Opel since they could be sold through the same dealer, but never Ford and Chevy) I’ve seen photos of new Chryslers being delivered by a Ford truck and they made them tape up or remove the Ford badges. 🙂 they really did take it that seriously. Used cars of course no one cared.
Anyone notice that across the street just under the little Acorn sign, there appears to be a dark painted example of the exact model as the upside down car?
@michaelpiccolo4050, I too noticed the other dark '69 Mercury full-size car in the parking lot across the street - well spotted! There's also a pale-coloured 1969 Mercury Cougar hardtop to the left of the dark '69 Mercury, so perhaps that parking lot was part of the Weeks-Allen Motors, inc. dealership, which is directly behind the photographer of the photo featured in the video.
If you haven't done so already, please subscribe and find out about all the other videos as I release them. There are LOTS more fun FoMoCo-related stories, information, and factoids to come!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Nice detective work! Well done. I know that wonderful feeling when an internet search yields a bullseye!
@bobmcl2406, thank you kindly - I'm so glad you liked the video! It was a fun little rabbit hole to go down.
If you haven't done so already, please subscribe for more videos about FoMoCo-related subjects. There are LOTS more in the pipeline! Thank you.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Now that's serious substantial information archived 😁👌!
@killerdinamo08, thank you - glad you enjoyed it!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
GREAT WORK Adrian! You impressively got us the "Paul Harvey" on this one! LT. Colombo-like detective skills! I WONDER whatever happened w/ that car!?
$1800 repair estimate, that's a riot! Wonder if that car got fixed up and sold, and wonder if the poor owners knew how badly it was damaged.
Great research done for this video. I'm impressed at the level of detail you went to.
@Detroit.313, thank you kindly - I'm so glad you liked the video! It was a fun little rabbit hole to go down.
If you haven't done so already, please subscribe for more videos about FoMoCo-related subjects. There are LOTS more in the pipeline! Thank you.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Thank you adrian, I have seen this for years just randomly pop up and nothing said about it, thanks for cracking the case!
Amazing! Well done, Sir!👍
@rangerjones5531, thank you very much for your kind words - I'm so glad you enjoyed the video!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Nice work! $1800 damage maybe but it has to be a total, right? I wouldn’t accept that car as a new car after repairs, dealer or customer lol.
thank you kindly - I'm so glad you liked the video! It was a fun little rabbit hole to go down.
Based on the visible damage in the photo, I too would have expected that car to be deemed a total loss.
If you haven't done so already, please subscribe for more videos about FoMoCo-related subjects. There are LOTS more in the pipeline! Thank you.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
This was the first video of yours that I watched. So fun. I'm really enjoying your unique channel.
I noticed there were a couple of '69 Mustangs up on top as well. I will sub as I like OCD investigative type content and like classic cars. I had a 64 Buick LeSabre in the 80s I drove as my daily.
@user-ru6ln9er4g, many thanks - deeply appreciated!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Having the same last name as the street where the Lincoln-Mercury dealer was located, I found this one most unusual!
I wonder if the driver shut off the ignition on the way down as being upside down would for a few seconds would starve the oil pick up tube in the oil pan
@johnandersonjjr, excellent thought! One would hope, but who knows?
If you haven't done so already, please subscribe for more videos about FoMoCo-related subjects. There are LOTS more in the pipeline! Thank you.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
I've always thought that the 1969-1970 Mercury Marquis's and Marauders were the best looking full-size cars to come from FOMOCO. My Dad bought new a 1969 Ford Galaxie 500 with the 390 V8. He didn't like the 1976 Ford LTD (351 Windsor) that replaced it nearly as much.
I love this because i often do the same with videos and photos and try to figure out where the person is.
@geniferteal4178, thank you - it was a lot of fun to dig into the story behind this poor car!
If you haven't done so already, please be sure to Subscribe to my channel - there are LOTS more interesting FoMoCo-related videos in the pipeline.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
The little Acorn restaurant was demolished 1980s built in 1940
@quagmiredavis4117, thank you for that additional information!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Great sleuthing!
@mikeb.1705, thank you very much - I'm glad that you enjoyed the video!
If you haven't done so already, please be sure to Subscribe to my channel - there are LOTS more interesting FoMoCo-related videos in the pipeline.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
great job investigating this horrendous event.
@ganormand, thank you - I'm glad you enjoyed it! If you haven't done so already, please subscribe and find out about all the other videos as I release them. There are LOTS more fun FoMoCo-related stories, information, and factoids to come!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Excellent detective work!
@DanzigDemento, thank you kindly - I'm so glad you liked the video! It was a fun little rabbit hole to go down.
If you haven't done so already, please subscribe for more videos about FoMoCo-related subjects. There are LOTS more in the pipeline! Thank you.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
We had a 69 Mercury Magrquis. What a beast
Same!! 429 4v car!
I wonder if the next owner ever knew it had the roof smashed in previously...
Fascinating. Still wonder HOW it happened.
@danielulz1640, thank you - I'm glad that you liked video #4! I too wonder how it happened, but that wasn't in the scope of the video.
If you haven't done so already, please a) check out my other videos #1 through #12, and b) subscribe so that you can be alerted as each new video is released - there are LOTS more coming! It's time to start thinking about video #14...
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Adrian
From Google maps, the dealership is now a bar/entertainment center.
Building still used.
And one 69 Mercury marquis was offered really cheap with a deep discount.
The ultimate detective would do the Bible. But doing FoMoCo mysteries is a good start.
The dark car in the background is also a 69 Marquis 4-door.
@HFX1955, agreed! The vehicle to the left of that dark 1969 Marquis is a light-coloured 1969 Cougar Hardtop.
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Adrian
Great analysis and better content than most of the drivel on CZcams. You have a bit of Peter Coyote voice going on there too me thinks. Those Mercury vehicles you showed were definitely from an era when cars were styled and not cloned. Most folks get pissed when I tell 'em their new car is an appliance NOT a car.
@uncleronny6748, thank you so much! I had to Google "Peter Coyote"; your comment is a great compliment - thank you once again!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
I agree.The average vehicle has the appeal of a telephone pole. At car shows, people still appreciate the styling of old cars.
If you park you car like that, I guarantee it won't get towed away.
tires will go missing really quick!!
@@rearspeaker6364 Not if you take the air out first! :-D
This is awesome! Is the policeman still around? Does he recall this? Is the dealer still there?
@gabriela.1681, thank you kindly - I'm so glad you liked the video! It was a fun little rabbit hole to go down.
I don't know if the police officer is still alive or not; I didn't include that avenue in my research. If anyone here in CZcams-land knows how to get in touch with Policeman G. L. Lambert from the Durham Police Department in the summer of 1969, please get in touch with me at adrian.clements@me.com and let's do a follow-up video. Thank you in advance!
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Adrian
cool vid and good detective work
@atomic32205489, thank you for the kind words - I'm glad that you enjoyed the video!
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Adrian
My understanding is that as long as a car has an unfiled MSO, it's legally a new car no matter what shape it's in. This is to prevent the loss of a whole expensive new car should it get damaged before it is sold, and many are the tales of repaired "new cars" which had substantial damage done to them.
My tale comes from my my brother who long ago knew a painter in Sacremento. Somehow that man's overspray drifted onto a lot full of new Caddilacs. The dealer wouldn't settle for cleaning them; he demanded they be sent back to the factory for new factory paint jobs. The courts agreed and the man's company insurance didn't cover that much so he went bankrupt and was prohibited from running a business in CA thereafter. So there were once some new Caddy's sold which had an extra coat of paint on them from the factory...
I miss the big boats. I remember as a kid there was Grey Motors on 2nd avenue, we lived on 11st, the car carrier would come down our street with the new models. The big boats. I miss the big boats. Someone could have gotten killed here, driver or pedestrian.
@jinglejazz7537, me too! Agreed on the potential for death in the rollover.
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Adrian
They were great cars
My hunch is that the van was being used either as a "mule" to pull a "dead" car out of the carrier's well, or, as a work/safety platform while the carrier's top deck was fiddled with. Doesn't make sense that the van would've been part of the load; especially the height concerns.
Edit - Thinking about it a bit... the mishap might've happened while using the Mercury as a "mule," when more than the usual smooth gentle movement was used while on the ramps.
@johne189, thank you for your comments. The topic of "mixed manufacturer load" on the car transport has been very popular in this videos comments. This truck was carrying at least one 1969 Mercury being delivered to Weeks-Allen Motors, Inc.. Let's skip the 1969 Chevrolet van for a moment. Did you notice the 1969 Ford Mustangs toward the front of the car transport trailer? Well, Weeks-Allen Motors only sold Mercurys and Lincolns, so those 1969 Mustangs were likely destined for Alexander Ford, Inc. at 330 East Main Street in Durham, located a short 1.3-mile drive from Weeks-Allen. Back to the 1969 Chevrolet van - it was likely being delivered to a local Chevy dealer in Durham.
Whether or not you want to believe that some car transporters carried mixed-manufacturer loads back then, this photo shows proof that at least one of them was.
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Adrian
EXCELLENT explication of this photograph, but I'd already subscribed within the first minute or two of this video.
Just what the heck is that Chevy van even doing on that carrier anyway?!!
@DanEBoyd, thank you very much for the kind words! it was a lot of fun to dig into - and solve - this automotive mystery. Thank you for subscribing!
I can only assume that the transport truck was also making a delivery to the local (or one of the local) Chevrolet dealership(s) in Durham, North Carolina.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
I wonder where that car is now. Did they fix it? Or did they total it and scrap it? Couldn't be sold as new then, haha.
@ksavage681, all good questions!
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Adrian
This is literally going down the rabbit hole. Interesting story though.
Good job!
How about the 1969 Shelby Cougar xr7 next?
@adamw.4501, thank you - I'm glad that you enjoyed the video!
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Adrian
If the car toppled from the top deck, why? The van was below it so the ramp couldn't be lowered.Also, the car is not in line with the top deck, it is closer to the photographer.
@davidhunt6463, I always assumed that it fell of the ramps due to it's location vis-à-vis the ramps.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
A reverse google image search would have saved you a lot of time!
Thank you!! Very interesting !!!
@arneminderman3770, thank you kindly - I'm so glad you liked the video! It was a fun little rabbit hole to go down.
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Adrian
look at the weak tiny ramps they had to drive big heavy cars on. I bet the guy said a prayer every time he had to unload a car because they look scary looking compared to what they use today
@79tazman, I thought the exact same thing when I was examining the photo! I would not want to be driving a 4,500 car down those ramps. The upside-down 1969 Mercury in the photos is a testament to the precariousness of the ramps in use at the time.
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Adrian
"Damage estimated at 1,500$ - 1,800$", unreal. Look at the Mustang on the upper deck!!
@dcd6233, good eye! Those 1969 Ford Mustangs are likely destined for Alexander Ford, Inc., located at 330 East Main Street in Durham, North Carolina, located a 1.3-mile drive from Weeks-Allen Motors, Inc. where the upside-down 1969 Mercury was being delivered.
If you haven't done so already, please Subscribe to my channel so that you can be alerted when each new video comes out. There's LOTS more to come; I'm working on video #9 right now, and it's a neat one!
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Adrian
veddy interesting. i've had this picture for many year's and now i know. thank's.can you dig up any pic's of ray coggins motors in salisbury nc? its the dealer that my 69 marquis brougham was sold from when new.
@69mercurymarquis, you're most welcome - I'm glad that you enjoyed the video! I was unable to find an image of Ray Coggins Motors, Inc., but according to FoMoCo's "Dealer Register Book" released on Friday, August 12, 1963, Ray Coggins Motors was a Mercury and Lincoln dealership located at 1413 South Main Street in Salisbury, North Carolina, and was dealership number 21F285.
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Adrian
thanks so much for the reply. didnt know #. nice work. got a lead now. i'll be sure to do that. thanks so much.@@adrianclements8916
Good job!
@johnmohanmusic, thank you for the kind words - I'm glad that you enjoyed the video!
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Adrian
So many unanswered questions -
The driver puts a Mercury Marquis on its lid, then casually strolls over and unloads the Chevy van that was under it on the truck?
I worked at a Ford store in the mid 80s as a lot boy, an part of the job was checking in the loads when transport trucks showed up. I don't ever remember one having a mixed load on it. Unless it was vehicles modified by other manufacturers like conversion vans or box truck Econoline vans, there wouldn't be anything but Fords on the trucks. Why was a Chevy G series van even on there?
I also don't remember a driver ever unloading a car from the upper deck before getting the lower deck cars off first. What the hell was this guy doing?
Also, I had a detailer back up a Taurus wagon that was in for new car get ready, and left one of the back doors open. He would have been fine if not for the pole that bent the door back almost completely 180 degrees. And when the owner decided to sell his Mercedes 450 SL, another lot boy almost dumped it off of a display ramp.
@papawoody9597, whether or not you thought that car haulers back then carried loads with vehicles from more than one of The Big Three, the car hauler in the photo has at least one (1) 1969 Mercury destined for Weeks-Allen Motors, Inc. that sold only Mercurys and Lincolns, it has several 1969 Ford Mustangs likely destined for Alexander Ford, Inc. located at 330 East Main Street in Durham, North Carolina (a 1.3-mile drive from Weeks-Allen Motors), and a 1969 Chevrolet van likely destined for Durham's Chevy dealer. As they say, "A picture is worth a thousand words"!
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Adrian
OK, smart guy. You're a good investigator, but to become a great one, find out the VIN and the history of this car ;-)
@jamesplotkin4674, thank you - I'm so glad you liked the video! It was a fun little rabbit hole to go down.
That would be very very cool indeed to know the true identity of the fallen 1969 Mercury itself!
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Adrian
Now do JFK .
Savage 😂😂😂
🤣🤣🤣
Jimmy Hoffa?
😂
DB COOPER
“thin pillar”……..that’s truth in advertising at its finest.
Seems accurate enough. The B pillar was comparatively thin, and the doors didn't have "frames" around the glass, adding to the thinner look.
The "flop" probably didn't cause as much damage as the later recovery did.
Awesome
@titanderp, thank you very much!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Drive it like you stole it.........!!!!!!!!!!!
I was there when it happened.
Oh, wow!! Can you tell us the story from your perspective?
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
@76629online You shouldn't have stabbed the brakes while on the ramps, that's what caused the ramp to jump. Did that stiff neck ever limber up?
this fellow should be working cold-cases for the police. nice detective work to be sure.
@kevinducharme1263, thank you for the kind words - I'm glad that you enjoyed the video!
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Adrian
If these were all new vehicles, It would be unusual (but not impossible) for it to be a "mixed" load. It would either be, for example, all Fords or all Chevys. So I think these vehicles may have been used as opposed to being new. Also, I don't think the van was being delivered to this particular dealer. My guess is that the van had to be offloaded to allow the top deck with the Mercury on it to be lowered down far enough to facilitate its unloading. During that time, either one of the ramps failed or the driver misjudged and drove off the edge. Either way, the ramps would have been grossly out of place. I would guess then that this picture shows the van being driven back onto the truck after the ramps have been put back in their proper place after being knocked sideways from the mishap
This truck was delivering at least one vehicle (the upside-down one) to Weeks-Allen Motors, Inc. in Durham, NC. Weeks-Allen only sold Mercurys and Lincolns, yet there are 1969 Ford Mustangs on the truck and the 1969 Chevrolet van, so this was apparently a load of mixed-manufacturer cars, likely being delivered to dealerships in the Durham area.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
If you are parking like this, you’re doing it wrong.
Ummm , not so fast. Why was a Chevy van being delivered to a Mercury dealership ?
@Sonic-sh2vh, the 1969 Chevrolet van was not being delivered to Weeks-Allen Motors, Inc., as they only sold Mercurys and Lincolns. Do you see the 1969 Ford Mustangs on the truck? Those Fords and the Chevy van were being delivered to new-car dealerships in the Durham, North Carolina area. Apparently, mixed-manufacturer transport truck loads was a thing in the summer of 1969.
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Adrian
Wait, you didn't mention why it fell off the TOP level when the cars on the lower level hadn't been offloaded yet.... The article specified "upper deck"....
@timm9631, my goal was not to determine how the car fell off, but instead to determine WHAT the car was, and WHERE and WHEN the accident happened.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
You're a person I would like to meet. There sre few of is round who are truly "nitpickers" unwilling to let go til we have solved a problem.
@frederickwise5238, wow - thank you so much! Anytime you're in Canada's Atlantic Provinces, get in touch! I'm a chemical engineer, so details matter in my world.
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Adrian
@@adrianclements8916 Im 88 pretty much disabled, dont travel but thanks for the invite. I used to be a programmer/systems analyst. Details mattered in my world too. LOL
how about proving we landed on the moon lol nicely done should see if anyone bought that car maybe a salvage auction?
@rctopfueler2841, thank you - I'm so glad you liked the video! It was a fun little rabbit hole to go down.
It would be great to know what happened to that car.
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Adrian
How did it get upside down?
@moderateminneapolita, I believe that it fell off the car hauler ramps when being offloaded beside the dealership.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
that was cool.
@MonsterHobbiesModelCarGarage, thank you kindly - I'm so glad you liked the video! It was a fun little rabbit hole to go down.
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@@adrianclements8916 Sounds good!
Now,new cars that end like that end up as training aids at automotive schools with the vin removed
Prediction: it fell if the ramp
For todays values multiply by 8.
Funny how Americans pronounce Durham. It's named after a city in northern England but pronounced quite differently.
@jasongomez5344, I'm actually Canadian so I'm sure my pronunciation of "Durham" was off. In a strange twist, my wife is from Durham, North Carolina - I should have had her narrate the video!
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Adrian
@@adrianclements8916 Sure, subscribed. Cheers.
@@adrianclements8916 : My mom's family is from the Raleigh-Durham area, and your pronunciation sounded exactly right to me.