Most people have never even heard of a Mercury pickup truck.
That is because Mercury trucks were never sold in the United States. They were a Canada-only oddity, and even back then, they were far rarer than the Ford trucks they were based on.
That already makes this 1966 Mercury M250 crew cab unusual. Then someone decided that “unusual” wasn’t enough and turned it into a supercharged, off-road-ready restomod with enough power to embarrass modern performance trucks.
The result is a truck called Mercules, and when Jay Leno got behind the wheel, it was obvious this wasn’t just some dusty old Canadian workhorse dragged back to life. It was something much stranger, much louder, and far more serious.
This Was Already A Rare Truck Before The Build
What makes this truck special starts with its badge.
Mercury’s M-Series trucks were sold in Canada as a sort of more upscale cousin to Ford’s pickups. This one is even rarer than that, because it is a 1966 M250 slickside crew cab, and according to the video, fewer than 10 were ever built.
Owner Roman Taijeron says this truck was originally special-ordered by Manitoba Hydro in 1966 for work duty in Canada. It started life as a basic, two-wheel-drive truck with a 240-cubic-inch inline-six and a three-speed manual.
That is a long way from what it is now.
Under The Patina Is A Completely Different Animal
The body still looks like an old work truck… because that was the whole point.
Roman wanted the dents, faded paint, and scars left alone so the truck would still tell its story. That includes damage from its past life, right down to marks left from rough handling and years of hard labor.
Underneath, though, almost everything changed.
The truck now rides on a completely custom Fat Fender Garage 4×4 chassis with Currie axles, four-wheel disc brakes, modern steering, and active Icon suspension that can be adjusted through a phone app. Jay Leno summed it up nicely by pointing out that too many old builds get huge power but keep terrible brakes and ancient suspension.
This one did it properly.
It Has Shelby GT500 Power
The biggest shock is under the hood.
Mercules uses a supercharged 5.8-liter Trinity V8 from a 2013-2014 Shelby GT500. In the video, Jay and the builder mention that it pumps out around 650 horsepower in stock form, but the video description frames it as a 740-horsepower build, so it’s clearly had some work done.
This thing has far more power than any old Mercury work truck ever had any business handling. Unlike some sketchy engine-swapped classics, this one was upgraded with the chassis, brakes, and suspension needed to keep it from becoming a complete death trap.
It Still Looks Like A Truck You Can Actually Use
One of the best things about this build is that it was not polished into something precious.
Jay clearly loved that.
He liked that it still looked like a truck, still seemed capable of getting dirty, and still wore its age honestly instead of pretending to be something factory fresh. Roman felt the same way. He said he did not want shiny paint because he planned to drive it with his family, and family life tends to destroy perfect vehicles pretty quickly.
That mindset makes this build far more interesting.
It is not trying to be a trailer queen. It is trying to be an heirloom you can actually use.
Jay Leno Seemed To Get It Immediately
Once they got on the road, Jay’s reaction said everything.
He immediately noticed how much more complete the truck felt compared to an old-school high-horsepower build with weak brakes and crude suspension. Roman admitted the truck used to be exciting in the “dancing with death” kind of way, but now it feels safe enough to actually enjoy.
That is probably the sweet spot for something like this.
Mercules still looks rough, still feels raw, and still has all the personality of a battered old Canadian work truck. It just happens to have modern stopping power, real suspension control, air conditioning, and enough supercharged muscle to turn a forgotten Mercury into something unforgettable.