AS SEEN IN OUR F-Series Builders Guide Fall 2026 ISSUE – Buy Now!
An Extremely Rare 1966 Mercury M250 Crew Cab
For anyone in the lower 48, Mercury is more than likely not a name associated with trucks. However, for some of our older friends up north, the brand might bring back fond memories. That is because Mercury trucks were rebadged Fords, sold exclusively to Canadians in the beautiful land of endless Tim Hortons and vast maple syrup reserves. Offered from 1947 to 1968, Mercury trucks were mechanically identical to Ford pickups of the era. Only visual cues, such as unique grilles, emblems, and trim, separated Mercury trucks from their Blue Oval brethren.
Most Mercury trucks have long gone the way of the dodo bird, as they fell victim to Canada’s notoriously harsh winters or were simply worked to death. A production run of just over two decades also adds to the rarity and mystique of Mercury trucks. With Ford only starting to make crew cabs in 1965, three years before the demise of Mercury trucks, finding a 4-door M-Series truck is almost the equivalent of bumping into a sasquatch on your morning walk. Legend has it that fewer than a dozen ever roamed the wilds of Canada, with most rusting their way into oblivion decades ago.
That is why Roman of Keepn’ It Classic was extremely lucky to find this 1966 Mercury M250 crew cab 4×4 mired in the Canadian mud. An avid classic truck enthusiast, Roman knew he had found the equivalent of vehicular unobtanium. Even better, the Mercury’s body was still in relatively good shape for a 60-year-old. However, a hard life and decades of neglect rendered the majority of its drivetrain and frame in a highly questionable state.
To get his diamond in the rough back on the road, Roman turned to Fat Fender Garage. The Arizona-based company is no stranger to classic trucks, specializing in everything from custom chassis to Coyote swaps to complete builds. Even with the Fat Fender Garage team’s extensive experience, this specimen was the first Mercury M250 crew cab they had ever worked on. The idea was hatched to keep the original body, but the vast majority of the rest of the truck would be built from scratch, modernized, and massaged by Fat Fender Garage.
Serving as the backbone of the Mercury’s restoration that would become known as Mercules is a beautiful Fat Fender Garage chassis built by Fat Fender Chassis Co. To show off its exquisite welds and construction, the entire chassis was clear-coated rather than being lathered in the usual satin black. Attached to the custom chassis are four 2.5-inch ICON CDEV coilovers featuring electronically controlled damping that seamlessly adjusts to any terrain. They provide ideal valving for the 4-link front and rear suspension with fore-and-aft sway bars minimizing body roll.
Just as unique as Mercules is its powertrain. Plenty of ponies are produced by the supercharged Ford SVT Trinity 5.8L V8 that exhales through hand-built Fat Fender Garage headers and a 3-inch exhaust. Power then runs to a sequentially shifted Tremec 6-speed manual transmission before being handed to a divorced NP205. The beefy transfer case splits power to the front and rear Currie F9 axles equipped with 4.11 gears and Eaton TrueTracs for extra traction. Screwed to the ends of the clear-coated Currie axles are Keepn’ It Classic 17×8.5-inch custom billet wheels wrapped in 35-inch BFGoodrich Mud-Terrains. Rotors sourced from an F-250 are juiced by a Wilwood master cylinder and a hydroboost system to quickly slow down Mercules’ girth.
Opening the many doors of Mercules reveals an interior that pays homage to the original yet offers vast improvements in comfort and function. Gone is the work-grade front bench seat, replaced by Snowden bucket seats. A custom bench is found in the rear with all seating accommodations covered in eye-catching two-tone Carlyle Slate Blue and Holland Cove leather by Moore & Giles to match the original interior paint. Relaying critical information in the original dash is a Dakota Digital cluster complete with an N gauge for tuning. Adding to the original look is a Bluetooth audio system with no visible head unit mated to Morel and Focal speakers. A first-of-its-kind Fat Fender Garage slickside crew cab interior kit and custom door panels complete the interior. The exterior was left as-is, making patina lovers everywhere rejoice and glossy paint enthusiasts wince.
The result of Fat Fender Garage’s hours of meticulous labor is a perfect mixture of modern performance and classic aesthetics. It is an ultra-rare vintage truck that drives like a new one, providing safety and comfort for Roman’s family, wherever they may roam. Rescued from an almost certain death, Mercules is now a proud heirloom that can be passed down for generations to come.