A Mercury Wagon Prepares to Switch Gears from Cross-Country Family Vacations to the Rigors of Death Week
There’s just something about a road trip, especially a long one. Add in family and a station wagon, you’ve got all the ingredients for some epic stories to happen.
Ryan Hill has owned this 1984 Mercury station wagon since 2011, and it hauls a bunch of memories with it for him. “It’s gone through several iterations,” he said. “From daily driver duty, to the getaway car for my sister-in-law's wedding, has taken the family cross country several times to visit relatives, even been featured in our Christmas card. It's part of the family.”
Don’t miss the ultimate drag-and-drive: Death Week, October 20-29 2023!
Event information and entry forms can be FOUND HERE!
Another one of its duties is drag-and-drive, and Ryan has racked up the miles on his ‘family truckster’ for Rocky Mountain Race Week (RMRW), and plans to do some more miles for Death Week this year. “Up until this year, I didn’t have a trailer so it drove me to all the events I've done in it,” said Ryan. “1300 miles each way to RMRW 2.0 in 2020, and 1000 miles each way to RMRW 1.0 2020 as well.”
Ryan kept the factory vibe on the outside, but did plenty of upgrades in the power department under that long stock hood. To move the big wagon just a little faster, a Dart LS-next block-based 393 cubic inch engine took its place between the frame rails. 245 cc Trick Flow Specialties cylinder heads, a FAST 102 intake, and a Forced Inductions 91-tubocharger blowing through an air-to-water intercooler pump up the power.
Ryan selected an 4L80E overdrive transmission for lower revs on the road, and a Fab 9-inch rear end from Quick Performance ensures the ponies get to the stock widened rear wheels with 28-inch-wide Hoosier quick time pros (with a white stripe sticker for the right look, of course).
Ryan didn’t skimp on the comforts, as factory R-12 air conditioning, power steering, power windows, and all three rows of seats (including the way back side facing seats), are still intact! Ryan did opt for a full 8.50-legal roll cage for safety.
“I love real street cars,” said Ryan. “Cars you can drive every day without major issue, but that are also fast at the track. I live in the desert, so my cars have to have A/C and not overhead in up to 120-degree temperatures.
I don't like parking the car for the summer, so it has to be able to handle the heat. Any car that competes at these events has to be able to withstand some severe conditions, and still be fast at the track.”
Building on that foundation, Ryan will take possibly the ultimate road trip, as he’s signed up for Death Week. “This is the first drag-and-drive anywhere near home for me,” he said. “I have a feeling it will go down in history as the longest, most difficult drag-and-drive event, and I just couldn't miss that. At the same time, Ryan knows Death Week will be all about survival. “I’m interested to see who is brave enough to bring their cars out to this event, and who can finish. I'm looking forward to the stuff Tom and crew have planned for stops, etc. It's a lot of miles. Making four eighth-mile passes is not the killer, it's 2,000 street miles.”
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine.
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