History 64/65 Comets old drag cars lets see pictures

Mike Morgan Photography,Irwindale,1-20-11.Just Google Mike Morgan Photography Irwindale . Car Craft was doing a photo shoot of the "Rocket" at the track,so Dale asked me to show up and show off!!!! I'll do almost anything for a free dinner,like tow 21/2 hours each way for TWO 1/8 mile passes,lets see total track time 13 seconds,five hours towing,sounds about right!!!! ROY.

 

Junk Yard Frog;that Burgandy 65 in post #2706 belongs to Colorado's own "Fast Eddie"! That car is mostly unrestored,was featured in Legendary Ford Magazine a few years back.Eddie says it is a Cyclone,but it has Caliente trim above the Cyclone trim and it has the stainless below the windows like a Caliente.It has Cyclone emblems and grill,WTF!!!! ROY.

 

I'll tell ya all, if you ain't seen Roy driving his beloved Comet, you have not seen it all yet. All I remember is this big light blue wall of a car go steaming by me, its front wheels still hanging in the air. I think that was waaay past the 60'marker too.

Roy, c'mon now. You are retired! You have LOTS of time to do stuff like this!!

Thanks for showing! I think we gave them a nice show for the Comet contigent!

 

http://public.fotki.com/bowtie0069/2011-irwindale-pix-1/1-20-11-irwindale-pix/img-9664.html#media

Okay- I know this was my redlight!!

http://public.fotki.com/bowtie0069/2011-irwindale-pix-1/1-20-11-irwindale-pix/img-9711.html

My ill-fated attempt at trying "fog out" Roy so he could not see the track, in order for me to take the win.

http://public.fotki.com/bowtie0069/2011-irwindale-pix-1/1-20-11-irwindale-pix/img-9709.html#media

 

those are some awesome pics!
looks like you guys had a blast.
did the mag. get pics of both of you guys racing for the issue too?
george

 

Looking in the photos I noticed that it looks like your rear axle has been moved back or is that just an illusion with more of the front of the wheel wells opened up? If so how much did you move them and did you do it by moving the tie bolt in the springs?

 

The pics are great.

 

I've moved the rear forward four and a half inches, and the front six and a half inches. The front perch centerlines are the same, but I used Chrysler Hemi leaf springs, which have a much shorter front pin center than all other springs. It eliminates any wheel hop, thus no traction bars are ever needed. Alot of re-fabrication, but well worth it, and historically correct method. But who cares about history, it just works well.

 

Dale;Thanks for the invitation!!! I had a blast!! I think we put on a good show!! Most of the young guys there had probably never even seen a Comet,let alone a 64 and 65 match race!!! I had to pull those wheel stands so our front bumpers would be at the same height!!!! ROY.

 

Dale thanks for answering and I like the way you used the mopar springs as it saves a lot of fabing. I also enjoyed watching the car go together on the forum. But, I was actually asking 65COMET the question about the rear on his '65 looks like it is further back than stock. I am thinking about moving mine back to allow for a larger slick with out doing as much moving of the front opening.

 

Falconred;Sorry,I thought the question was for Dale.My wheel well openings are stretched towards the front,the axle is in its stock location.I used to run a 31" tall tire so I needed the room.I spliced two sets of stainless together so the well looks finished.A lot of guys with Falcons and Comets do move there axle rearward instead of stretching the opening. ROY.

 

More stuff:

http://114photography.smugmug.com/C...omet-Caliente/15530034_bepES#1163289870_vUib9

 

I moved the rearend back on my comet to run a tall tire and retain the back seat. I sure I moved it back 1 3/4". In the next couple years I plan to move it forward 3/4". I came to this measurement with no rear axle or springs in the car. I had marked the wheel opening in the stock location then placed my tire where I wanted. With the new springs and the arc and ride hieght it is a little to far back. I'm waiting till I get 31" tires as now I have 28" tires.


This is where I wanted the rearend.



This where it ended up by moving the location points 1 3/4".
Roger

I have some more pics and they have the center line that I drew on the body.

 

This is the pic I was looking for.

 

<iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cQPol7swvZs" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe>




Back when I was living in NY...dont mind the randomness...Thats a light tip in and cruising at around 50 mph

 

Roger;how did you relocate the rear?Would it be a major pain to move it now? My poor old Comet was already so cut up it didn't bother me to stretch the openings and shorten the side trim.My rear suspension is a ladder bar,coil over setup,so we just marked the wheel centers before we started the build.My well tubs sit right up tight to the rear bulkhead,if I wanted I could run my back seat,would have to redo some cage bars though. ROY.

 

Roger, Roy:

I think there is almost six inches of usable space before you get to the front face of the wheelhouse. This is that "pocket" behind the front leading edge of the rear wheel opening.



http://public.fotki.com/teddisnoke/the-rosedale-rocket/

 

Many years ago when I started my comet project, I built a rear frame and installed it with the old frame still in place. I did this to triangangulate and level the new frame. Once in stalled I transfered the center lines from the old spring hangers on to the new frame. The plan way back then was to put in a 4 link and run 33" mickys on the street while keeping the rear seat. I cutout a wheel well then placed a big tire in the hole and centered in the wheel. That is where I came up with the line on my wheel opening. I also wanted to fit the tire to the wheel opening as stock the tire sit to far forward in my opinion. I made new spring hangers and the front hangers I made with 3 different hieght holes. I tire looked great with no suspension. I miss calculated where the rearend center would end up with leaf springs. With a 4-link I would of being able to shorten the bars and the straight line measurement would have worked. I will change after I buy new tire and new slicks.
Roger

 

Roger;33s!!!! WOW,I had 31X18.50s on mine,and they looked HUGE!!!!It sounds as if a change will not be too much of a pain.I did not realize you had done all that frame work,that is how we did mine,installed the new frame then cut out the old.My new frame rails are run from the original front subs all the way to the rear bulk head. ROY.

 

This is one of the reasons I love 64/65 comet. You can alter the wheel base or body and it is still ok. All those A/FX guys and match racers with their mods made altering these cars the norm.
Roger

 

Hahaha! Great comment about bumper height.

 

What a great shot. Sorry I missed the race.

When's the rematch?????

 

Muttleys super cool Comet.
Spotted in Rod&Kulture zine.Winter'09 issue.

 

Thanks, I am working with 26" tires now but would like to be able to go to 28" later if necessary. This will be a '65 sedan with a warmed over 302, auto, 5:13 gear for an 8th mile strip. I know that might be too much gear but that's what I have now and can't justify buying anything else right now. This thing is being built out of all parts on hand and not too much out of pocket expense (pockets have holes in them). I have to work the the front of the wheel wells because of minor termite damage any way so I guess I will open them some while I am at it. This is a car that my best friend started before he passed away earlier this year and I am trying to build it using only the parts on hand around his shop and what I have laying around.

This is something I posted on the TFFN and the Comet Central forums:

The engine is going into a '65 Comet sedan to bracket race. I need some cam recommendations as the old cam was wiped and had no markings to tell us what it was. This is a very low dollar project so I will have to stick with a solid lifter cam as I can't afford a roller.

The specs as we know them are:

1/8 mile drag strip.

302 +sixty over
TRW pistons, flat top with valve reliefs
stock rods cleaned up
stock crank
balanced
stock pan with baffel or 7 quart pan (I have both, which would you recommend?)
289 heads with minor porting.
good roller rockers and a stud girdle
torker intake with the choice of 650, 750 and 800 hollys
headers

The crank had to be polished and the block vatted and new cam bearings added due to metal from the wiped cam going through the oiling system.

C4 with PA parts and a high stall converter (we don't know how much yet as it came in the same car.)

9" rear with 4:89 or 5:13 gears, we have not pulled it out of the housing to see for sure. Slapper bars for now.

Weld wheels with 10X26X15 Micky T's on the back and weld with front runners on the front.

Car is pretty stock weight wise.

 

HAHA, thanks for scanning/posting that. Heres how it looks now:

 

Muttley,your '65 is badass! Love the original patina.

Building Ad is pretty sweet too!

 

Falconred;it is coming back to me now,that should make a fun ride.I ran various 289s forever,finally got down to a 12.30 in Vegas.None of them were un-streetable,I used the same 550 lift,solid flat tappet Isky cam in all of them.The engine that went 12s had around 12to1 compression,iron World Products heads,1.94X1.60 valves,Victor jr.,Holley 650DP,Hooker Headers,Toploader 4-speed,5:14 gears and a 28X10X15 M/T slick.The Comet weighed about 3200 with me in it. ROY.

 

If you watch the video I posted, my 289has roughly 14 to 1 compression, 574 lift, 268 duration if I remember correctly..Its an old Isky solid grind.... With the overlap, its completely streetable, even with a 4500 stall. Its a bit loud, idles at 1300, and with4.30 final drive thanks to the tire height, it gits....my car is 3095 lbs with me n half a tank of fuel

 

Looks really good, great picture.

Jon

 

Thanks, heres a few more from the same place. It's an old building in downtown Fresno, I'd been meaning to stop by there for a long time and get some pictures of the place before someone painted over it. These were taken last Summer.