It’s a fantastic fantasy: land somewhere with money in hand, buy a car immediately and just drive it for the rest of the summer to wherever the hell you feel like going. I don’t know if anybody out there shares that vision, but it’s one that I can’t let go of. But where do you start hunting for a cool car to pick up? For me, it’s the southwestern quarter of the lower 48 states…dry climates keep metal from turning into Swiss cheese and there’s plenty of older rides still moving along as they’ve done for decades. When I hopped on the Internet this morning, I decided to look in Las Vegas. Money is made and money is lost in this city, and that’s been the way this glittering oasis in the desert has been since the 1930s, and there’s no lack of automobiles to dig up from the sands.

When this 1969 Mercury Marquis was sold new, it was eye-catching and flashy, with muse enough luxury amenities to make it respectable. The new-for-1969 body brought a curvy shape to what had previously been slab-sided big cars, and with a 429ci mill under the hood and a C-6 automatic as the only transmission option, all you needed to do was pick which body style appealed to you the most, pick your color combination, and sign on the dotted line.

Five thousand dollars is all you would need to take this big boat home with you, and you know what? From where we sit, you’d do just fine. Sure, the 1980s LTD turbine wheels aren’t right, there’s paint nicks and supposedly a dent somewhere, and the radio is MIA. Get a cheap deck and some good speakers, ignore the wheels…they look just fine…but replace the tires, and go cruise this thing as far as the gas money will take you. We’d suggest the California coast, personally…that 429 will drink more than you will once you see the dent in your wallet.

Craigslist Link: 1969 Mercury Marquis Pillared Sedan