1970 Mercury Cyclone

The 1970 Mercury Cyclone, part of the final generation of Cyclones, bore the most dramatic styling, the most powerful engines, and the highest levels of luxury. In the front was a protruding grille that was outlined by a chrome square and equally divided into four pieces, with a chrome circle in the center. Flanked on either side were rectangular running lights. The interior featured an all-vinyl interior and loop carpeting.

The 1970 Mercury Cyclone rested on a 124-inch wheelbase platform and came standard with a 429 cubic-inch V8 with overhead valves, 10.5:1 compression, a four-barrel carburetor, dual exhausts, and delivered 360 horsepower at 4,600 RPM. This engine was also standard in the Mercury Marauder X-100 and available in other full-size Mercurys. Optional Cyclone engines included 429 CID V8 with a 720 CFM Rochester Quadrajet four-barrel carburetor, dual exhausts, no Ram Air induction, and was rated at 370 horsepower. The 429 Super Cobra Jet engine displaced 429 cubic inches and was part of the Drag Pack option. It had a 780 CFM Holley four-barrel carburetor, dual exhaust, Ram Air induction, and produced a reported 375 horsepower.

The two-door hardtop coupe had a base price of $3,035 and 1,695 examples were built. 10,170 examples were Cyclone GT hardtop coupes with a factory base price of $3,025. Just 1,631 examples of the Cyclone Spoiler hardtop coupe were built with a base price of $3,530.

The 1970 Cyclone GT series was a combination of style and speed, with preference placed on the former. It had a non-functional performance scooped hood, concealed headlights, full-length lower bodyside molding, high-back comfort weave vinyl bucket seats, a three-spoke Sport-style steering wheel, and special door panel trim. The base engine was a 351 cubic-inch Cleveland V8 with two-barrel carburetion offering 350 horsepower and paired with a three-speed manual transmission. The four-barrel Cleveland small-block was optional, along with the 429 CID big blocks up to the Super Cobra Jet and the Drag Pak. A selection of automatics and a four-speed transmission were also optional. Period sales literature stated that the BOSS 429 engine was optional, however, no Cyclone GT was so equipped.

933 buyers of the Cyclone GT selected the Action Special Package which did away with the comfort weave bucket seats and was replaced by a spectrum stripe bench seat.

The Cyclone Spoiler was considered the 'muscle Mercury' and it brought all of the excitement through its long list of standard equipment which included the powerful and highly-respected 429-CID V-8 Cobra Jet engine, a four-speed manual transmission with Hurst shifter, Ram Air induction, Traction-Lok differential with a 3.50:1 rear axle ratio, Competition Handling Package, front anti-lift spoiler, rear deck 'airfoil', 140-mph speedometer, 8,000-rpm tachometer, oil pressure gauge, engine temperature gauge, ammeter gauge, Hi-back bucket seats, racing mirrors, and special competition colors. The 429 Cobra Jet had a 700-CFM Rochester Quadrajet carburetor, 2.24/1.72-inch valves, a compression bump to 11.3:1, and improved main-bearing webbing. Ford advertised the output at 370 horsepower at 5,400 RPM and 450 lb-ft of torque at 3,400 RPM, but the actual output was probably closer to 400 horsepower.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2018