This 1948 Mercury Eight 89M woodie wagon is finished in tan over red leather upholstery and powered by a 239ci flathead V8 linked with a three-speed manual transmission and a Columbia two-speed rear differential.
Features include exterior wood paneling, a brown vinyl roof covering, body-color 15″ steel wheels, Firestone whitewall tires, an electric fuel pump, Fenton exhaust headers, a cabin heater, a clock, seatbelts, and a dual exhaust system.
Mercury built 1,889 wood-sided station wagons for 1948.
The steel panels of this example are finished in tan and have been stripped and repainted.
Features include wood paneling, a vinyl roof covering, a hood ornament, a vertical-bar grille with “Mercury Eight” lettering, chrome bumpers, a two-piece windshield, and gravel guards.
The seals are cracked along the lower edge of the wind wings, and there are imperfections in the wood paneling around fasteners.
Exterior-light wiring repairs were performed in 2012.
Body-color 15″ steel wheels with red pinstriping wear chrome trim rings and Mercury-branded hubcaps and are mounted with 7.10-15 Firestone Deluxe Champion whitewall tires.
Braking is provided by hydraulically assisted four-wheel drums.
A full-size spare housed in a tan cover is affixed to the rear.
Work in 2012 consisted of replacing the steering-box gasket and shaft seal, front and rear track-bar bushings, brake master cylinder, brake hoses, wheel cylinders, rear brake shoes and return springs, front wheel bearings, and rear hub bearings and grease seals.
The cabin features three rows of bench seating trimmed in red leather upholstery.
Additional features include a stained-wood roof, door trim panels, and pillars as well as a cabin heater, an analog clock, rubber floor coverings, dual dashboard-mounted ashtrays, and front lap belts.
The tan steering wheel has a chrome horn ring and frames a 110-mph speedometer and gauges that monitor fuel level, oil pressure, battery status, and coolant temperature.
An aftermarket coolant-temperature gauge is positioned below the dashboard.
The five-digit odometer shows 71k miles.
