I'm Jed.
Having just recently found and bought an early Comet, I figured I'd start a handle on this forum, so that I can pick some brains, and show off my new to me ride.
I like to work on all sorts of things, and have been doing so since a very early age. However, I'm not a card carrying member of ASE. Just an average joe, with a little mechanical ability. I enjoy fabrication, welding, forging, as well as machining metals. Sometimes I get a wild hair, and dabble in woodwork.
Blah blah, on to the car dangit.
So, due to having a moment of weakness, I was cruising my local Craigslist, and happened upon an ad for a 1962 Mercury Comet. Upon further inspection of the ad, I see that it is a 2 door hard top. And, look at that, it has fins!!! To say I was immediately sold on the idea of having another classic is an understatement. With a little bit of banter back and forth, I end up trailering it the 60 miles back to the ole Sidetrack compound.
Here is the story on the car, as told to me by the seller.
The car was bought new by a family in Anchorage, and driven for 10 years. Due to some circumstances (he would not say, wait for hypothesis), it was stored in a barn for the next 50 years. The car has just over 53K on the odo.
Feller I bought it from did a few things to the ride to make it roadworthy again, and decided to sell. He changed out the entire fuel system, rebuilt the carburetor, and gave it a tune-up. Brakes were gone through entirely, front to back. He put new shocks on the rear, slapped a floor patch in the drivers side, and installed new carpet. Oh, and he upgraded to a normal alternator.
The little six seems to run pretty good, and everything works. Even the dome light, and vacuum wipers.
Options on this little car are pretty sparce. There is no radio, no power anything. Although, there is a hole in the sheetmetal passenger side cowl for what I think may have been a CB, who knows.
As for the body, there are some dings here and there, and it appears the only rust spots are on the lower fenders near the doors. It is missing one of the targeting crosshairs on the drivers fender, as well as one hubcap.
(hypothesis alert)
The passenger fender has what looks like 3 bullet holes from a large caliber pistol. There is also one in the steel behind the passenger rear wheel. (could this be why it was parked for 50 years? Who knows.
Everything else seems to be in pretty decent shape. I would really like to get the body work all sorted out, re-sprayed, more power, better handling, etc. A good lookin and driving cruiser, that is fast, is what I'm after.
The three trips I have taken in it have induced massive amounts of rubbernecking. Neat.
Anyways, good to be here, and I look forward to sharing more of this car in the future.
**warning** Sharing will be sporadic, as I have my hands in alot of different things and work schedule is pretty funky.
- Comet on trailer
- Comet on trailer.jpg (97.57 KiB) Viewed 3760 times
64 caliente 302 auto
it's actually a 2dr sedan though,,,not a hardtop. no hardtops in 62,they didnt come out till 63,as well as convertibles.
). Looking forward to following your progress.
1966 caliente,428 4 speed,4.11 gears,nitrous,parachute
