THE INCREDIBLE RESTORATION OF A RARE 1958 MERCURY VOYAGER TWO-DOOR STATION WAGON
Most enthusiasts understand the idea that some cars are easier to restore than others, but Dave Long is seemingly a glutton for punishment when it comes to the concept. Dave got a taste for the issues when he restored his 1975 AMC Pacer, but apparently that wasn’t a big enough challenge. Enter the 1958 Mercury Voyager two-door station wagon seen here, which emphasized the issues associated with oddball restorations – a distinct lack of reproduction parts, rarely seen NOS parts, and very little in the way of a parts-car pipeline. But before diving into how Dave got the project done, let’s explain how he acquired one of the rarest classic station wagons you’re apt to see.
“I had plugged in ‘unusual cars,’ or something to that effect, in a search engine one night in 2012, and it turned up the Mercury,” says Dave. “It was an original family-owned car, which I was immediately drawn to. I did some quick internet research and found references to a similar fully restored Voyager two-door that mentioned it was the only one in existence. Whether that was true or not, I realized that this ’58 was something I’d be unlikely to see again. I made a deal with the guy who was brokering the car for the family based solely from pictures, and then began the waiting game to see exactly what I’d bought.”
Fortunately, with a single owner family, the entire history of the Voyager was known. It was purchased new at Nemith Motors in upstate New York, by Adolf Jarmann, thought to be in late 1958. Jarmann drove the car to California in the spring of ’59 in advance of moving his family to Santa Clara a short time later. For the next 22 years, the wagon was your typical family hauler driven mostly by Mrs. Jarmann, making runs to the grocery store and carting kids around. Son James Jarmann explained that the family made many trips in the Voyager to Yosemite National Park, and also to Yellowstone and Crater Lake. Several other trips were made over the years to New York and back to visit family – in other words, ’58 was well used. By 1980 it was plain “used-up,” and parked at the family home in Los Gatos, California, where it would sit for thirty-plus years.
It’s not completely known why the Jarmann’s purchased a two-door wagon versus the more common and versatile four-door. No doubt that aesthetics was what a two-door had going for it over a four-door, as the hardtop body style is infinitely more attractive. And yet the visuals may not have played much into the decision. According to James, it may have been motivated by economics, stating that, “1959 was at the end of the Eisenhower recession and my dad was always value conscious, so it was likely on the dealer lot at a good price.”
Dave pieced together other elements of the story after his purchase, immersing himself in late ’50s Mercury history. Within the brand’s two-door wagon lineup, the Voyager received top billing even though it was the mid-line trim level among wagons, where the four-door-only Colony Park was top dog. In both two- and four-door wagons, the Commuter was the base model, and was built in far greater quantities than the Voyager. Production data indicates that the total output of the Voyager two-door wagon was just 568 units.
Dave’s car received the new-for-1958 383-cu.in. MEL series engine, the acronym meaning Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln. While we’re used to seeing a near complete overlap between Ford and Mercury powertrains, the MEL was never installed in a Ford-branded passenger car other than the Thunderbird. The 383 was the smallest of the MELs that included a 410, 430, and later a 462. The 383 was a Mercury-only offering, which in 1958 four-barrel form, was advertised at 330 hp and 425 lb-ft. of torque. Backing the MEL was a three-speed “Merc-o-Matic” automatic transmission with a novel pushbutton shift selector that was no doubt inspired by similar Chrysler offerings. At the rear, the venerable 9-inch differential was in its second year of production, containing a freeway-friendly 2.91:1 gear ratio.
When the Mercury arrived at Dave’s Tacoma, Washington, home, a thorough assessment revealed a car that was original and complete in almost all respects, with significant rust in the roof and passenger front floorpan. The frame and underside components were in decent shape for their age, as only a few months of east coast exposure occurred before the Jarmann family moved to a more favorable California climate. However, the interior was very much the worse for wear – and age. Virtually none of the soft trim was salvageable, and the chrome and stainless bits needed complete refinishing.
Dave wasted little time disassembling the wagon and started making inquiries about the parts and services he’d need to restore the car. Early on, he made contact with John Dales, former owner of the known existing restored ’58 Voyager two-door that Dave had seen pictures of. Even though he’d sold the car after its restoration, John was extremely helpful with his experiences, parts connections, and more. John’s very car was later purchased by the late Paul Walker for his eclectic collection and was said to be one of Walker’s favorites.
Similarly, Mercury wagon guru Ben Scovil proved a big help with advice and parts hookups and was a valuable sounding board throughout what would prove to be a seven-year restoration of Dave’s wagon. Dave also sought out a couple of parts cars that would prove critical, which while not being ’58 two-door wagons, shared enough pieces to be critical. One was a ’58 four-door wagon from Idaho, the other was a similar wagon from Big M Automotive in California. The Idaho wagon donated its roof for the cause, which Dave says was the same as the two-door version, while the California car donated the right front floorpan.
Once the body and frame were separated, Dave had the frame sandblasted and powdercoated, and then began fitting restored suspension and brake components. A key find in keeping everything stock were the NOS rubber bushings that Michael Hinsch supplied for the front eye of the rear leaf springs. Mercury marketed the setup as “Air Ride,” as the bushings have a hollow chamber that offers a semblance of an air cushion that softens the ride.
The body was also blasted to bare metal, whereupon Kyle Saxton at Graham Auto Craft performed necessary repairs and body work. The previously mentioned donor roof was installed, the right front floorpan was replaced with the Big M piece, and a patch panel was used behind the right rear wheelwell. Dave also turned to Diversified Custom Cars for spray welding in several locations, a process that beefs up areas that may have been weakened by pinhole rust-through. Such was the case in several areas of Dave’s Voyager, an example being the outside lower corners of the windshield opening. After blasting the area free of rust, the spray welding eliminated the need to cut out and replace sections of metal.
The Mercury’s complicated trim and body contours gave Dave plenty of issues to decide on visually. Originally this car was a single color, while two-tones and tri-tones were factory options. Dave credits his wife Amy for the idea of adopting the two-tone scheme, with the gray being a livelier version of the original Oxford Gray, and the Marble White being applied in the same manner as the factory two-tone. Joe Cairns expertly sprayed the sheetmetal using PPG Glasurit two-stage, including a half-dozen-or-so coats of clear.
Compared to the rest of the car, rebuilding the drivetrain components was probably the easiest part of the whole project. Dave turned to a friend who is a retired engine machinist, for the rebuild on the seldom seen and numbers-matching MEL. Unsurprisingly, it was rebuilt to stock specifications other than hardened exhaust seats, as this car isn’t about big horsepower. Nevertheless, Dave reports that the 383 offers decent acceleration when called on. Backing the engine is the original “Merc-o-Matic” three speed automatic, rebuilt by ABC Transmission in Tacoma, Washington, along with the original 9-inch rearend that was simply cleaned up, detailed, and resealed.
While the exterior offers a definite “gone and back” sensation when seeing before and after pictures, the interior transformation is of equal amazement. Curtis Upholstery is responsible for the spot-on replication of the original seat upholstery, while Jason Peters of Mid-Century Motors and Restorations crafted the door panels, headliner, and carpet. That left Glen Brown to fabricate the padded dash pieces, but they’re no less of a contribution to the cause. In fact, these brief descriptions are a gross oversimplification for all these fine craftsmen, as each interior piece is a custom work of art and critical to the overall outcome. Much of the interior chrome was replated, including the transmission controller and main instrument cluster bezel, the result being the crowning touch to a fantastic–and vast–cabin.
It's difficult to identify all the components and people that are involved in a project of this scope, but we’ll give it a good try by crediting Victory Auto Glass for replacement of all the flat glass (curved glass is original), Pat Walsh Restorations for the necessary window seals and gaskets, and Narragansett Reproductions for the replacement wiring harnesses. Adding to that list, Dave is grateful to Lloyd and Wilson Auto Service, T&T Tire Point S, and Turco’s Automotive for their expertise in sorting out some of the more difficult mechanical issues that were necessary to make the Mercury a reliable driver.
To date, Dave figures he’s put 1,000 miles on the odometer since the restoration was completed in June of 2020, mostly traveling to shows in Western Washington where the rare Mercury always garners attention. In fact, just as we were completing this story, we encountered Dave and his wagon at a 500-car show in Edmonds, Washington, where it won Best of Show.
“I’m really surprised and honored” says Dave, adding, “I thought people would like the wagon, but they really seem to love it.”
Such results are a pleasing outcome for everyone with a connection to this rare Mercury. For Dave and those involved in the restoration, show awards and appreciative spectator comments are the ultimate acknowledgement of a job well done. For the Jarmann family who spent their formative years traveling the country in the Mercury, it’s both “surprising and satisfying,” and “a welcome invitation to reminisce about childhood and simpler times.” There’s no doubt that even in the Jarmann parents’ wildest dreams, they couldn’t have imagined the road their old Mercury would’ve traveled. To gone and back indeed!