1965 Mercury Park Lane

1965 Mercury Parklane Convertible Mercury's most elegant. All four Park Lane, (sic), models enter 1965 in a grand manner, now in the Lincoln Continental tradition of outstanding ride, comfort, convenience and styling. Classic lines and functional beauty are further enhanced by Park Lane trim and identification. From any view, the Park Lane is sure to be just as much an eye catcher parked in your driveway as it would be at a distinguished resort. From the 1965 Mercury brochure.  For consignment, a1965 Mercury Park Lane with a title verified 114,832 actual miles. Owned by the same family since 1965 after it served as an executive demo car, this Mercury remains in mostly original condition, never driven in winter, and fitted with disc brakes when it made the move from relatively flat Illinois to somewhat hilly Pennsylvania.  Exterior There's definitely some family resemblance in the face of the car which gives off Lincoln vibes with its decidedly square proportions and upright grille flanked by four circular headlights. The fenders are capped in the front with marker lights, a design we would see in later Cadillacs, while the rear tail lights present as handsome two part silo shaped lenses that mirror each other and act as bookends to the straight bumper and decklid ribbed trim at the end of a long trunk. Straight lines define the profile here, the highlight of which is the fantastic straked ornamentation on the front fender, giving the brick shaped car some artistic visual motion. 15-inch wheels are covered and wear 205/75R15 tires with a late 2023 date code. The single stage Carnival Red paint is generally weathered and faded and imperfections include some rust by the rocker panel trim, bubbling there and at wheel openings, and we note some discoloration to the white canvas top which also has a tear, and some rust bubbles at the base of the top.  Interior Mercury touted the wood toned inset, rich moldings, and distinctive Park Lane crest on the door panels. It's all here, a bit aged, but fully intact. It's not hard to imagine the white vinyl split bench seats as new and what a feast for the eyes they were. Today, some discoloration and compression demonstrate their age, front and back, and the sidewalls in back would also benefit from a deep cleaning. The red steering wheel has gold accents and patina on the horn ring and leaves clear viewing through its wide opening to the ribbed aluminum face of the instrument cluster ahead. A simple array of round gauges greets the driver and an integrated AM/FM radio is to the right along with the fan levers. Labeled indicator lights live in a small panel under the dash while further down, red carpet on the open floor shows some a touch of age and use but is presentable as is. There are red mats lining the large trunk which also houses a spare, in relatively clean condition.   Drivetrain If you're going to push a square car through the wind, you'll need some power and under the hood we find a 390ci V8 is driver condition, rated at 300 horsepower. A 4-barrel carburetor feeds the fuel and a 3-speed Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission routes power to the Ford 9 rear with 3.00 gears. Power disc brakes replace the drums front and back for confident stopping and the booster under the hood looks newer compared to the rest of the components. Electronic ignition has been added for assured starts.   Undercarriage Driver quality here with definite patina in the form of surface rust, peeling paint on the frame, residual oil on the pans, and some grime build up on the knuckles and on the rear differential. Nothing is out of place, just aged and showing it. Dual exhaust runs through stock style mufflers before terminating in the back before getting to the bumper. Suspension consists of coil springs in front and a 3 link with coil springs in back.   Drive-Ability The newer ignition results in a quick starter, and we roll this big cruiser out onto the test loop where t