Shared by @Lastnameford. The timeline and plans reflect the owner’s original account.
Adam had spent months searching Bumpside groups before a Mercury keyword search led him to this Lunar Green 1967 in Canada. He had been working on his 1968 F-250’s disc brakes in January 2021. A conversation with the seller turned into a deal, a deposit and an inspection with 200 photos and a test drive.
The trip home began on Vancouver Island, with a broker, a ferry and an enclosed Reliable Carriers transport. Adam understood the San Jose-built truck’s import as a return of goods and believed it was its first return to the United States since 1967. Those are his recollections of this transaction, rather than current import advice.
The work and the years behind it
He had owned it for about two years when he shared the account. Brycen Smith at PRD Design was converting the stock two-wheel-drive truck using Highboy components. A 2017 Coyote was waiting for a future swap. Modern braking, fuel injection and air conditioning were part of Adam’s hope for drives with his wife and their four-month-old daughter.
Read the owner’s original account and build details
Truck year:
1967
Ownership when this account was shared:
2 years
How the truck came home
Yes, I bought my Lunar Green '67 Mercury after searching and inquiring on pickups that are pretty well known within the bumpside groups and having no success buying them.
The memories behind the truck
How I found the truck and got it here is a good one. January of '21 I was redoing the disc brakes on my '68 F250 and stopped to cruise Facebook to search for any keywords of people talking about Mercury trucks. I came across a post by a gentleman in Canada who had just made a purchase the summer prior after months of negotiation. I reached out on a whim to see if he'd sell & shockingly he replied he would. After many late night phone calls we made a deal, I wired a deposit & had Automobile Inspections LLC inspect the truck. Many people don't know if you don't have the means to see the vehicle in person, there are resources out there. This company test drove the truck & sent over over 200 photos of it with info of their findings. Anyways, now had the task of getting it into the United States as the truck was on Vancouver Island in British Columbia Canada. In my research I found I needed a broker to handle the customs paperwork, where I then found out if the truck was built in the states the customs fees are far different ("return of goods" = little to none) than those built outside the States. I had already decoded the vin and knew this was a San Jose, California built Mercury so I lucked out on import taxes (on this one...). I used Reliable Carriers for their enclosed trailers & attention to detail to safely transport the truck. They hired a tow truck to get the Mercury off the island, on a ferry boat to Vancouver, where it was then pickup & brought back into the sales for what I'm fairly certain was the first time since 1967.
Build details, in the owner’s words
Upon purchasing the truck I wanted a 4wd "highboy" Mercury. Unable to find one in a respectable shape I quickly decided to convert this one utilizing it's stock 2wd frame. Brycen Smith from PRD design did exactly that with his truck, Penny. We found a highboy frame for it's cross members to which he cut them out & welded into the Mercury. After that the frame & axles housings were powdercoated, new 4.10 Yukon gears were added, a rebuilt NP205 transfer case, new leaf springs, drive shafts, Steerman electric power steering, and battle born disc brakes up front.
Plans at the time of the story
The 2017 coyote in the bed of the truck is next! With my 4 month old daughter top of mind having modern brakes, fuel injection & air conditioning down the road are all upgrades I'm looking forward to. Until then I'll be dreaming of the day her & I are cruising around, hitting car shows & going on dates with my wife.
More from the owner
The personal stories I have for this truck are still to be made. I've owned it since February of '21. Since then it's bet in a couple shops getting the conversion perfected to what you see now. I hope to be making memories with my family once the engine swap is complete. Until then I'll continue to share glimpses into the upgrades as their completed & I hope to meet many of the great friends I've connected with in the truck hobby once it's complete!
Keep the old Ford story going
Find your kind of truck in our Bumpside merchandise, or choose a year’s front end from the Grille Series.
Visit Highboy University for truck guides. Read Ford Highboy Engine Swaps: 7.3 Power Stroke, Cummins & 460, then meet the people behind Sara’s 1969 Ford: The Truck Dad Thought He’d Never Own.
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