Swap Meet Pace Car…
By John Sweeney
Over the years, we have chosen vehicles to be our Sacramento Classic Car & Parts Swap Meet “Official Pace Car.” I found this 1958 Mercury Voyager “Pillarless Hardtop” Station Wagon in Stockton, California. It’s owned by Dan and Patti Crowder. It sold new in Glendive, Montana at Urbanec Motors. This super cool classic found its way to the “World Famous Old Car Savior,” John Fowlie, the owner of Big M Automotive in Williams, CA. John arranged to let the Crowder’s adopt it in 2012. It’s been a love affair from the start as Dan and Patti put miles on it (and dollars in it), to bring it to a road worthy “original patina” classic cruiser. They repowered it with a fresh 1959 430 horsepower Lincoln motor shipped, in from Sarasota, FL. The wagon is equipped with ”the classic Treadle Vacuum System” power brakes and “a vane type” power steering pump … she’s a highway cruiser. The Mercury Voyager was Mercury’s mid-priced, full-size station wagon from 1957 through 1958. The push buttons to the left of the steering wheel are the “Keyboard Control” for the Merc-O-Matic transmission.
The Hagerty Insurance valuation guide shows the1958 Mercury Voyager ranges in value from $14,000 to $33,000. The 1958 base price was $2,843 and Mercury produced 8,601 of them and the Voyager wagons tipped the scales at 4,485 lbs. Patti and Dan have agreed for their Merc to be the 2017 Sacramento Swap Meet Pace Car for the Sept. 9th Swap Meet at Cal Expo in Sacramento, CA. They are currently rebuilding the front suspension and rear suspension. Stop by and see it (unless someone decides to buy it for $15,500 before next month). I’m thinking that this would make a good company car for our Editor Evonne to haul our Boxers around. We will have the Mercury Wagon parked right at the entrance of the Swap Meet as you come through the new front entrance by the Golden Bears.
