A closer look at the `cubby hole' reveals how the center part of the padded dash rotates upward to give the driver access to the storage area.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Long and low, the '58 Mercury appears poised for a road trip through the farmland of central Kansas.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The `M' in the center of the bumper/grille assembly stands for Mercury, but it could just as well stand for `massive,' a term that describes the overall impact of the beautifully preserved Monterey. When the hood hinges forward, the `M' actually swings inward to clear the bumper.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Even the roof was treated to some flair, with a recessed cove down the center of the expanse of sheet metal. The owner says that particular detail also added rigidity to the roof.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The futuristic tail lights are set in canted bezels, while the horizontal lenses below function as safety reflectors. Note the 90-degree tailpipe tips exiting below the bumper.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The instrument panel of the big Merc is festooned with enough push buttons and control levers it might have doubled for a Buck Rogers-era spaceship. If you look closely at the padded area of the dashboard, you can see that the car is equipped with an unusual center-mounted glove box.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The space age tail lights, accented with chrome ribs and a long spear extending into the white body cove, gave the Monterey an extra dash of flash as it motored down the road.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Mercury chose to forego a shift lever in favor of this bank of buttons for its automatic transmission. Using the upper horizontal buttons, the transmission can be set in either performance or cruising mode. The chrome tab below the control box activates the parking brake.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Accentuating the car's already long, low profile are a set of factory full length fender skirts fitted with bright gravel guards on their leading edges. Redinger said he's been told a pristine set of original skirts like these can bring up to $1,000 each.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Jerry Redinger's 1958 Mercury Monterey hardtop captures the essence of late Fifties American automobiles -- big, stylish, chrome-laden machines that gobbled pavement with no worries about gas prices.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Rear seat passengers are treated to ample seating covered in white vinyl with ribbed blue inserts. The Mercury has been retrofitted with lap belts for safety's sake.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
A big car needs big rolling stock, and Redinger's Merc uses stock 14-inch factory rims fitted with P215/75R14 American Classics wide whitewall radial tires. The full wheel discs, complete with Mercury head spinners, complete the retro look.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The roofline is extended over the rear windshield glass, giving a shading effect. Note the Mercury head logos on the roof pillars; they light up when the headlights are switched on.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Mercury had its own distinct line of engines in 1958, separate from Ford, with this 383 cubic inch V8 cranking out a stout 312 horsepower and 405 foot-pounds of torque. And this was the smaller of two engines available that year.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
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