COMET CENTRAL

I'm just here for advice/knowledge to help me make this beauty my new cruiser.

Clean ride!
Would make a really good cruiser for 4
How far do you plan on taking it? Overdrive transmission? Power disc brakes? Or bone stock?

JT

Welcome on!

Welcome! We had a 63 same colour 6 auto many years ago.
What are your plans for the car?
Fred

thats a good 1st project car for sure...looks good from here....good luck....pop

Welcome and nice ride ! ... . I'm'specially partial to early Comet JetAge style cues .Looks ready to cruise , what's the project expectations, what's the motivation? .

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'61 'Junkyard Rescue'

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hav efun

Welcome aboard! Like the other guys asked, what are you plans for her?

Jim

For now I'm just trying to get it drivable. It runs and moves under its own power, and we were able to drive it around the block with a jerry can assist and some starter fluid. It has a bad tank so I ordered a new one and a new sending unit. After pulling the tank out, I did some rust busting and plan on putting some POR15 in the trunk to keep it from coming back. This car has changed hands several times in the last 2-3 years, with each owner putting in a little more work into it. The last guy did a lot of work, but lost his job and had to offload it. I'm going to do my best to get it going and keep it around as long as I can.

My main reason for buying it is we live in Las Vegas and I'd like to use it as a cruiser around town that turns heads. I have a daily driver mom car complete with its high safety ratings, great gas mileage, and two car seats. I felt it was time I bought something that wasn't practical at all and would be MINE. I also wanted something to work on with my husband. He's a car guy and I want to learn from him. In the future I'd like to get some body and paint work done, and possibly upgrade the motor, transmission, and suspension.

zion633 wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 09, 2021 11:35 pm

For now I'm just trying to get it drivable.

Sounds like the best approach, getting so it can be on the road you can drive it and learn what you would like to change and what can stay is always better than a cookie-cutter plan that might not fit your desires.

These little cars are super easy to work on but they are not like modern cars you can jump in and just drive, my '64 was just 15 years old when I bought it and was pretty much like all cars at the time still before the computer revolution, fuel injection, etc so it was no big deal, it still lacked some things I wanted, funny the biggest complaint I had was first gear not being synchronized so you had to either come to a full stop to go into 1st or learn to double-clutch (or remember to do so) so one of the first things I did when modifying the car was add a later 3-speed with a fully synchronized 1st gear of course this 2nd go around has been a major change and I can't wait to get it back on the road but I am not rushing myself.

I think a lot depends on how much you are wanting to spend, I think you already have an idea of what you want to use the car for, probably the easiest drivetrain upgrade would be to look for a 1966 or later 200 six engine, it will drop right in place of the 144 or 170 in the car and give you a bit more power and more choices for updated transmissions (plus they are cheaper to find with folks pulling out the six for V8 swaps), a small block Ford V8 is also possible but a little more work, one of the early body guys here will be able to tell you for sure what is easy to put in there, V8s were not available until mid-year '63 (I believe) but a set of 63 1/2 motor mounts might bolt into the '62?

We all look forward to following your progress and give any advice we can along the way.

See Ya,
Mike

zion633 wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 09, 2021 11:35 pm

My main reason for buying it is we live in Las Vegas and I'd like to use it as a cruiser around town that turns heads.

You'll turn heads, alright. Not many people can identify a Comet.
You'll make a lot of curious friends.

JT

Little update:

I pulled the old rusted tank out. Did some serious rust busting in the luggage compartment. Did the whole POR routine with the rust converter/primer and two coats of paint. Replaced battery cables, rust busted the battery tray and brackets and repainted them. Changed out the shift indicator (old one had broken in half). Blew out/cleaned the fuel line. Bought a new tank and sending unit. Discovered someone had welded a newer/way too large muffler onto a terrible spot underneath. This prevented the new 16 gallon tank from going in. Hacked off the muffler. Going to get a smaller one. Dropped the new tank in. Discovered the filler neck doesn’t line up with the new tank. Pretty annoyed by that. Currently trying to figure out a way to make it work. Looking at possibly a new/longer hose to put in between. But it’s really off and at a bad angle.

Also my pest control guy came by to spray the other day, and instantly recognized/loved the car. I was surprised he knew what it was until he mentioned his buddy in high school had a green one they would cruise around in. They called it “the vomit comet”. I that that was an awesome coincidence.

zion633 wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 18, 2021 5:01 pm

Discovered the filler neck doesn’t line up with the new tank. Pretty annoyed by that. Currently trying to figure out a way to make it work. Looking at possibly a new/longer hose to put in between. But it’s really off and at a bad angle.

I used a 2" piece of pipe about 2' long and stuck it in the filler neck on the tank and gently tweaked the pipe to the correct angle, in my '64 I put a '68 Mustang tank so I guess it would be understood it would not be a perfect alignment but I got it to work and you can't tell looking at it I did anything.

Good Luck!

See Ya,
Mike

We ended up finding some rubber hose at autozone and made it work for the tank. It isn’t pretty but it works. We put everything back together (minus a muffler) and I was able to drive it around the block a few times. Once I get it registered I’m going to drive it down to a local place and get a muffler put on. My other concern right now is I’m having trouble finding the gears. There isn’t much of a detent, you kinda have to listen/feel for it when putting it into gear. I can find reverse (although it doesn’t seem to line up with the indicator) and neutral, but drive seems like it’s not there. I drove it in low around the block but couldn’t find drive while making my way around. Anyone else have this issue?