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For sale is a 1964 Comet Caliente. It runs well and the transmission shifts through all 3 gears perfectly. The engine starts right up and idles smooth. It sounds amazing due in part to a new dual exhaust system with flowmasters. All electrical features on the car work perfectly - except the heater blower and the horn. I haven't had a chance to diagnose these items. All gages work - including gas, temp, oil and the ammeter - which typically is unreliable on old fords.

The California Title is clear, its in my name, it is currently registered and insured. Approximate registration dues is about $75/year.
All pictures were taken February 23, 2014

The car has virtually no rust. The only rust I could find is an occasional pinhole in the floor pans. However, the original floor pans are strong and will withstand any test you put to it. Based on my observation (and my mechanic) the floorpans do not need to be replaced. For this reason, I took additional pictures and did not install new carpet - so the buyer can see how clean the floor pans are. The fenders, doors, trunk, rockers, window frames - I can find no rust at all.

The car was recently painted by a local Maaco - which did a pretty good job. As can be seen in the pictures, the entire body is straight - but not perfect. Under bright sunlight an occasional minor imperfection can be found. Thus, as it sits it is a perfect daily driver or weekend cruiser. It is also a perfect candidate for a full restoration since it has such a great body, it appears to have never been in any major accident. As can be seen in the pictures, the right side of the rear bumper needs to be straightened a little. The trunk lid chrome trim needs to be installed - it is included with the sale as noted in the pictures. And, the original drivers and passenger side mirrors are included, but are both missing mirrors. All 4 interior chrome window cranks are included. The exterior chrome trim is in excellent shape throughout.

Besides new tires, the only thing the car really needs is attention to the interior. The front and rear seats don't have rips, but sag a little and could use new foam. Also, the interior needs a new headliner and carpet. The black door panels need to be installed as noted in the pictures. And, there is a crack in the passenger side door glass. However, a replacement glass and frame is included with this sale - as noted in the pictures. Otherwise, all glass is in good condition and the rear side glass raises and lowers flawlessly on both driver and passenger side.

Recent work in the engine compartment include new radiator, rebuilt generator, new starter, new water pump, new brake master cylinder, new spark plug wires and distributor cap/rotor. The original 4 barrel autolite carb runs so smooth it must have been rebuilt by the previous owner.

Feel free to ask any questions about the car. This is a true classic. Without question, the best year for the mercury comet. It has the same basic body lines as the famous 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 - but slightly smaller. In my opinion, it is a much more exciting car than the 64-66 Mustang - but with the same basic chassis and options.

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Question of the Day: Most degraded car name?

Fri, May 27 2016

When Ford came up with a not-so-sporty version of the Pinto and slapped Mustang badges on it in 1974, that was a low point for the Mustang name. When Chrysler applied the venerable Town & Country name on perfectly functional but unglamorous minivans, it saddened many of us. But perhaps the biggest demotion for a once-proud model came when, in 1988, General Motors imported a misery-enhancing Daewoo from Korea and called it the Pontiac LeMans. The original Pontiac LeMans was a great-looking midsize car with fairly advanced (for the time) suspension design and engine options including potent V8s and a screaming overhead-cam straight-six. The Daewoo-based Pontiac LeMans was a cramped, shoddy hooptie that served only to ruin the LeMans name forever, while stealing sales from the Suzuki-based Chevrolet Sprint. Sure, using the once-respected Monterey name on the Mercurized Ford Freestar was bad, but Mercury didn't have long to live at that point. I say the downward spiral of the LeMans name was the most agonizing in automotive history. What do you think? Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Auto News Ford Mercury Pontiac Automotive History Classics questions ford pinto names

NHTSA advances investigation of Ford Crown Victoria headlights

Sat, Aug 15 2015

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is opening a preliminary evaluation into reports of suddenly failing headlights on 517,945 examples of the 2003-2005 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis. The government started looking into this problem in April when the North Carolina Consumers Council filed a defect petition with the agency. Now, the inquiry has moved to the next step. According to NHTSA's documentation (as a PDF), it examined its own database and worked with Ford to come up with a total of 3,609 complaints of the front lighting control module suddenly failing. When this happens, drivers lose the low-beam headlights, but the high-beams can be used by holding the stalk. Sometimes turning the switch off and on fixes the issue. Additionally, there are 15 allegations of crashes, and one reported shoulder injury. NHTSA's preliminary evaluations "evaluate the scope, frequency, and consequence of the alleged defect" and don't necessarily lead to a recall. NHTSA looked into this problem once before in 2008 and 2009 and decided that a recall wasn't necessary. Ford also extended the warranty on the front lighting control module for these vehicles. INVESTIGATION Subject : Loss of headlights Date Investigation Opened: AUG 10, 2015 Date Investigation Closed: Open NHTSA Action Number: PE15028 Component(s): EXTERIOR LIGHTING All Products Associated with this Investigation Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) FORD CROWN VICTORIA 2003-2005 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS 2003-2005 Details Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company SUMMARY: After receiving a defect petition (DP15002) concerning the loss of headlights and other exterior lighting in model year (MY) 2003-2005 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) analyzed Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) complaints received from consumers and identified a total of 605 reports (for all submission dates) alleging headlight failure. The complaints indicate failures of both low beam headlights typically while driving, a defect condition that was evaluated under a prior ODI investigation (PE08066). Most consumer VOQs indicate that the headlights failed suddenly and without warning leaving the driver with no forward lighting, however some report the headlights flickered or dimmed prior to turning off. In some cases drivers were able to turn the headlights back on after a period of time while others reported the headlights would not come back on at all.

Junkyard Gem: 1991 Mercury Grand Marquis LS

Sat, Jan 21 2023

Ford's now-defunct Mercury Division first began using the Marquis name in 1967, on a sporty full-size hardtop based on the Ford LTD, then began offering the Grand Marquis beginning in the 1979 model year. These big, boxy luxury sedans were replaced by big, curvy luxury sedans (on the same platform) starting with the 1992 model year, so today's Junkyard Gem is one of the very last squared-off Grand Marquises ever built. The 1991 Grand Marquis (or "Grandma Keith," as many refer to it today) looks nearly identical to its 1979 predecessor at a glance, just as the 2011 model doesn't differ much from the 1992 model. Ford saw no reason to follow short-lived fashion trends with its simple, sturdy rear-wheel-drive sedan. Only two Grand Marquis trim levels were available for 1991: the base GS and the (somewhat) upscale LS. The former listed at $18,741 and the latter at $19,241, which comes to about $41,494 and $42,601, respectively, in inflated 2022 dollars). This interior would have seemed comfortingly familiar to a 1968 (or even 1958) Mercury owner time-traveling to 1991. This is the optional "full grain leather seating surface," which cost an extra $489 (about $1,083 today). Dig those opera lights! Air conditioning was standard equipment in the 1991 Grand Marquis and its wagon counterpart, the Colony Park. The engine is the good old pushrod 5.0-liter Windsor V8, which would be replaced by a far more modern 4.6-liter SOHC mill in the '92 Grand Marquis. This engine was rated at 180 horsepower. A four-speed automatic was the only transmission available. The early 1990s ended up being the last gasp for padded vinyl roofs being considered mainstream equipment on new Detroit cars; this one was called the "Formal Coach" roof and cost an additional 725 bucks ($1,605 now). Such roofs were still available on a few cars later in the decade, but their time had passed. Why would such a clean Grandma Keith end up in a place like this? That's easy: it got T-boned directly into the right front wheel, mangling the body and bending up the suspension. This damage might have been worth fixing when the car was five years old, but it's a write-off when it happens to a 31-year-old Ford Panther. 1991 Mercury Grand Marquis Commercial - Savings Ad The granddaddy of them all, and on sale in South Texas! Related video: 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid test drive Autoblog

1964 Mercury Comet Caliente V8 on 2040-cars

Mercury Comet for Sale

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Question of the Day: Most degraded car name?

NHTSA advances investigation of Ford Crown Victoria headlights

Junkyard Gem: 1991 Mercury Grand Marquis LS