New member introduction

[mercbill]

Hello forum,

I spent years boating, fishing and diving. Now, I want to get into cars.

I'm thinking of getting a '65 Merc Comet Caliente Convertible. It's supposed to be a survivor with original everything, motor (289), auto trans, everything. The interior is torn up as is the dash and top. Must have been sitting in the sun a lot. The paint (from the photos anyway) appears to okay considering the age. It is supposed to be a good running and driving car. I won't know until I look at it. The engine compartment is dirty, looks like it's been neglected but I think that comes with the survivor category.

If I buy this car, I want to keep it as a survivor class with the ability to drive it when I want to but don't plan to put a whole lot of money into it. I'd be better off buying a car someone else fixed up and doesn't want anymore.

I understand I'll need to replace the dash, seats and top to make it look like a clean car. Is it realistic to think I can buy a vintage 65 survivor car and not keep dumping money into it?

If I look at the car, I'll check for leaks, smoke, oil pressure, running temp, brakes, stopping ability, how it drives down the road. Anything else? How to determine if the engine is shot and needs a rebuild?

thanks,

bill

[popscomet]

how much work can you do yourself?/?....how much work do you want to do ?? what is your dollar limit?? there is not anything on it that can't be fixed.....check it out to the best you can or take it to a good shop and have it checked out....it depends on how bad you want it or do you need to wait till something better comes along,,,,sometimes your better off in the end to buy a turn key already complete and spend your time waxing it .....go with your GUT feeling...a comet is a simple machine to work on and maintain....all guestions can be solved here on this forum,,good luck hope I helped....thank you and pay attention to that gut feeling.......and welcome ,glad to have you here with us pop

[lavron]

Welcome on Bill.

I totally agree with everything that Pops said.

I will add this, as far as mechanically, there is not a lot that is not available still because they share many mechanical parts with Mustangs and Falcons. The area to be concerned with will be things like body trim and exterior sheetmetal, the '65 is a one year body style (except for some glass and the doors are the same as '64 Comets and Falcons) there are no aftermarket sheetmetal at all to speak of except floorpans.

The '65 guys will fill this in more but, as far as I know, the major areas of concern are the front cowl and the rear wheel arches for being prone to rust, of course convertibles add more to this concern.

Good Luck on your search and let us know what you find.

See Ya,
Mike

[Groover]

if it's a convertible and it's been sitting outside a lot... it can hide a lot of rust in important areas. Check the rocker panels, under the doors, where the rear leaf springs attach, etc. Just because it runs good doesn't mean it's a good running car. I'm not trying to steer you off, to the contrary, we want you in, but we want you to feel good about it.

If you can post some photos here before you pull the trigger, many of us will share our opinions (which are worth what you pay for them

[popscomet]

pay close attention to GROOVER,,when he speaks of rust and where to look for it,,concerning a vertable...he is the go to man on vertable rust repair......pop

[poboyjo65]

Welcome on!

[mercbill]

how much work can you do yourself?/?....how much work do you want to do ?? what is your dollar limit?? there is not anything on it that can't be fixed.....check it out to the best you can or take it to a good shop and have it checked out....it depends on how bad you want it or do you need to wait till something better comes along,,,,sometimes your better off in the end to buy a turn key already complete and spend your time waxing it .....go with your GUT feeling...a comet is a simple machine to work on and maintain....all guestions can be solved here on this forum,,good luck hope I helped....thank you and pay attention to that gut feeling.......and welcome ,glad to have you here with us pop

I can some of the work myself. I used to work on my VW's as a teenager. I did all mechanical s except for the front suspension and taking engine/gearbox apart. Lately, I owned diesel powered boats. I repowered two of them and did all engine maintenance except for taking the block/transmission apart. I'm fairly good with a wrench but have never been a paid mechanic.

If it needs new suspension components, I'll take it to a shop. Pull the engine/trans? I could probably do that except I don't have a garage with a lift.

The owner wants $8,500 for the car. I think he's too high. I won't know how low he'll go until I make an offer. Good advice in following my gut instincts.

[mercbill]

Welcome on Bill.

I totally agree with everything that Pops said.

I will add this, as far as mechanically, there is not a lot that is not available still because they share many mechanical parts with Mustangs and Falcons. The area to be concerned with will be things like body trim and exterior sheetmetal, the '65 is a one year body style (except for some glass and the doors are the same as '64 Comets and Falcons) there are no aftermarket sheetmetal at all to speak of except floorpans.

The '65 guys will fill this in more but, as far as I know, the major areas of concern are the front cowl and the rear wheel arches for being prone to rust, of course convertibles add more to this concern.

Good Luck on your search and let us know what you find.

See Ya,
Mike

Thanks for the informative post. The fact the 65 is a one year car is one of the things that attracted me to it. The car is supposed to be a 2 owner Ca car and doesn't show any rust but I'll have to inspect it closely to make sure, especially in the areas you mentioned. The only trim it appears to be missing is the left tail light.

[mercbill]

if it's a convertible and it's been sitting outside a lot... it can hide a lot of rust in important areas. Check the rocker panels, under the doors, where the rear leaf springs attach, etc. Just because it runs good doesn't mean it's a good running car. I'm not trying to steer you off, to the contrary, we want you in, but we want you to feel good about it.

If you can post some photos here before you pull the trigger, many of us will share our opinions (which are worth what you pay for them

Groover, Excellent information. Looks like I'll need to pay extra attention to the undersides of the car. I'm not a fan of rust and don't want to find my myself in the position where I need to find a parts car to cut up. It's always better to know what to look for and to avoid a money trap beforehand. I agree with your comments about the difference between a running car and a good running car. Thanks,

[mercbill]

pay close attention to GROOVER,,when he speaks of rust and where to look for it,,concerning a vertable...he is the go to man on vertable rust repair......pop

Thanks. I'll be sure to take photos of the car and post them for the forum.

[Jims65cyclone]

Welcome aboard! 64's and 65's that have spent a lot of their life sitting outdoors are notorious for rust in cowl, floor pans, torque boxes and trunk. You need to get it up on a lift and check out the underside. Do a little probing with a screwdriver under the floor pans and the torque boxes. The drain holes in the cowl can become clogged with rotted debris that sifts through the outside slots on the cowl. This, in turn, can rust out the cowl and/or cause water to puddle in the cowl and overflow into the interior through the vent system and rust the floor pans. These are problems that can occur in both verts and HT's/sedans, but are more likely in the verts due to wear and tear on the tops. Rust in the rocker panels is particularly important on a vert since they provide the structural strength that the roof on HT's and Sedans provides. Like Pop said, Groover is the voice of experience on bringing a rusty vert back to life, so heed his advice. Engine/trans/mechanical issues are fairly easy to deal with compared to major rust that might not be seen during a casual walk around the exterior and ride around the block. Not trying to discourage you. But knowing what to look for and where to look for it is important. Hope it's a good one, and good luck!
Jim