Thanks! I can do the interior pics...don't really need much of an excuse. As a bonus, my wife will roll her eyes like she usually does.

Wish granted! lol

(I didn't realize I had a huge thumbsmudge on the lens until after I came inside)


IMG_20140917_175131887_HDR by sunliner500, on Flickr


IMG_20140917_175048261_HDR by sunliner500, on Flickr


IMG_20140917_175111722_HDR by sunliner500, on Flickr


IMG_20140917_175033847_HDR by sunliner500, on Flickr


IMG_20140917_175207342 by sunliner500, on Flickr


IMG_20140917_175256894_HDR by sunliner500, on Flickr

Turned 30,000 miles on the MGM this week. About time for my first oil change. In 3,000 miles it has...done nothing wrong. I get about 18mpg pretty reliably.

And here's a pic, because why not:


Mercury In A Wheel #1 by sunliner500, on Flickr

And another picture, parked at work, just because:


Parked Mercury by sunliner500, on Flickr

Nothing super-interesting... 33,000 miles, got the oil changed, now the engine's pert'near silent again.

I've driven this car more since November than the original owner drove it per year!

Another oil change, and just turned 38,000 miles. One of the rear shocks was leaking, so I had them both replaced. Now the Grandma-car doesn't waggle its butt so much, or bounce as much over speed bumps.

I loved reading this thread and seeing the obsession you have with your car, I'm absolutely the same... taking random pictures of it somewhere and all.

Thanks, MGDriver!

This is a weird situation for me -- I have a car that 1) I like and 2) Is actually *nice.* I've had cars I liked before, but spent loads of time chasing problems.

With this car, I am actually satisfied -- more than that, happy as a clam. I rented a brand new 2015 Hyundai Sonata this spring when I was on a trip. It's a nice car, it's a car I'm supposed to want...but I like my 11-year-old Mercury more. I went to the Tampa Auto Show to look at all the latest and greatest stuff...and 99% of everything just made me go "meh."

I would rather have my old MGM than 99% of the new cars on the showroom floor. I guess I'm not into having a full home theater set up in my car, or touchscreens, or a Playstation controller's worth of buttons on my steering wheel. I don't *want* my car to panic-stop for me, or use radar to keep me from hitting the car in front of me, or beep at me if I stray out of my lane.

I *like* that I have regular, simple springs and shocks holding up the car, and a reliable, if not super-advanced, motor and transmission. I *love* having a car that can stand up to hundreds of thousands of miles of taxi and police abuse.

Basically, for the first time that I can remember, I'm NOT looking for my next car. Up until now, no matter what I've had I've been kinda cruising the interwebs for what I'd replace it with...but I don't anymore. I idly look at cars because I love cars, but it's more for what I'd get for a toy if I had the $$$. I love my car, and I love driving my car, and that's a neat thing for me.

Hi,
I can absolutely copy your MGM statement. Here in Germany I am surrounded by all this gimmick-overloaded rigs that also cost a fortune (for things which I do not want or even need).
I could not find better words than you to describe the reason why I love this car.
JoJo
2003 MGM, vibrant white, 85kmls, daily driver

I thought I'd pop back in here on a slow day. I don't think I've posted in like four years. I still own the '04 MGM...it's paid off now and has about 65k miles on it.

We left Florida and returned home to Michigan. Here's a pic of the car parked outside our new house...almost exactly a year ago. I realize I don't take pics of my car anymore.

Silver Car

Let's see. Since I was last here, the car has needed...
New thermostat.
New fuel pump.
New tires.
Blend door actuator -- failed, still needs replaced.

Oh, and I killed a deer with it last fall, and had to spend $28 for a new blinker housing.

I started a new job almost three years ago, with almost weekly travel. I rent cars all the time, and with only one or two exceptions in the past three years...I'd rather have my 15-year-old Mercury. I mean, I've tried a LOT of brand new cars now -- Jeeps, Camaros, Mini Coopers, BMW, Mercedes, Land Rover...I've gotten some good cars. And I'm still happy to climb back into my old Mercury when I get back to my home airport.

Looks great!

So I guess I drop in every couple of years with an update on the silver Mercury. I've had it for seven years now, and this thread is old enough that every photo here died with my Flickr account, which I killed off years ago.

Here's the MGM this spring, in the driveway:


Since my last post in 2019...
Got the blend door actuator fixed -- can actually control the temp of my car!
Need to have the right-side cat(s) replaced -- it's rattling and apparently rotating around the pipe. Part is like, $200 on Rockauto -- that's awesome!
I might be up to 75,000 miles now?

I haven't traveled as much for work since the last post. Go figure. But I still prefer my 17-year-old cream-puff to most of the new cars I rent.