Hello all. In my searches for a family cruiser I came across a 1960 comet wagon. The wife and I both like it, mainly the tail end compared to 62 and up. My question is. What parts interchange as far as doors, body panels, interior panels, etc from later years and also possibly from falcons. I learned that the 60-61 are slightly more rare than other years and hoping it won’t be an issue to find repair panels as needed. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Almost everything except most body panels. The rockers, floor, and, I think, even the door skins/doors are interchangeable. The tail end, as you have noticed, is '60-'61 specific. I think that the front clip was the same '60-'63. In 1965, the Comet nameplate migrated to the next larger platform. You will also be pleased to know that a great many (with exceptions) of the suspension hard parts went on to reside in the 1964-1/2 to 1966 Mustangs, so you can raid those parts bins. My '60 Falcon has about every Mustang suspension part on it that is possible. There is a possible caveat. I cannot say for sure on Comets, but 1960-1961-1/2 Falcons had really tiny upper ball joints, with control arms stamped to match. This disallows the use of later, cheaper control arms (which are sold, complete, new, with ball joints), unless you either swap spindles, or ream out the tapers a little bigger. I swapped spindles, because I got a set really cheap. Ford taper ball joint reamers are not expensive, or difficult to use (and you only need to do this once, per side). The reaming is way cheaper, even if you pay a shop to do the job, then the differential in ball joint prices. I think that there were a few stylistic differences in interior panels, but that the bulk shape was the same. Trim, pleats, etc. were different, but that shouldn't end your project.
An early tiny upper ball joint is $90. If you want a full refresh of the control arm, you need to add another $56. A later complete, brand new control arm, including ball joint, and upper shaft, ***embled, is $79. Google "Shelby Drop". It is not to lower the car. It relocates the upper control arm, for better cornering performance. Total cost: one drill bit, of a specific, less common size. It changes the roll curve of inner wheel on cornering from positive, to negative. The flaw was discovered by one of Carol Shelby's crew, Klaus Arning, when putting the Mustangs on the track. The change really does make a noticeable difference, and there is zero down-side.
1960-1961 tail: 1962-1963 tail: Else the same in the front. In contrast, the Falcon wagons just had round tail lights, which grew in diameter, a little, over the same period.
Is the wagon a 2 door or 4 door? HRP The 2-door wagon weighed in at 2,545 lbs and the MSP was $2,310 which is less that a dollar a pound. Total production for the 2 door was 5,115 (surprisingly low) The 4-door wagon weighed in at 2,581 lbs and the MSP was $ 2,365 which was a little over a dollar a pound Total production for the 4 door was 18,426
It is a 4 door wagon. There was some front end work done to the vehicle. The biggest part that made me nervous was some body rust. Doors mostly. So it’s nice to know that they are interchangeable. The only drive ability issue at the moment is the transmission seems to hang up shifting into second gear. Is there a common issue with this? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Sloppy linkage is pretty common with any 58 years old car,the bushings in the linkage are worn out, new bushing kit will improve the shifting. HRP
Doors can be repaired, as long as they are not too far gone. I wish we had better imports from Australia. There is better sheet metal support there, and they have whole door skins. I looked into getting a pair, but the shipping was cost prohibitive. If it is a manual, then yes, funky shifting is a common problem, and, as has been mentioned, you need new shift linkage bushings.
Like I have "spouted-off" before........IF you can salvage the doors.....use them!! After market doors (like most all the stuff) don't fit very well!! Don't axe me how I figgered this out! Of course..if the door is disappearing from rust..you don't have a choice. If a patch panel or two is the fix.....go fer it. The gaps are just...NOT the same. 6sally6
I have yet to see an aftermarket door for a Falcon/Comet. If you know of one, let me know. I have one that is currently made out of dust, hope, and shadows. Even a misfit aftermarket one would be better.
I should have specified. My apologies. I am new to this stuff. The transmission is a 2 speed automatic. It holds first gear until you take your foot off of the throttle. Then it shifts into second. Long term plans involve replacement of the driveline. I’d like to be able to enjoy the car for the rest of the summer if possible so I’m hoping it’s not anything catastrophic. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Welllllllllll.......there is always an exception to some situations. In fact...that's how I learned my lesson. I had a door that was "eat-up" along the bottom AND the usual spot toward the lower front. I went with an ill-fitting after market piece. The p***. side WAS going to be replaced but I re-skinned it in stead. Wayyyy better fit!!
From the firewall back, almost every panel will interchange with the '60-63 Falcon wagon. There is differences around the taillights, but most common patch panels will work on either car. Even some for the Ranchero. You will find that trim holes will vary widely, but the doors, rockers, floors, tailgate, and gl*** will all interchange within these years. In '64 Mercury 'stretched' the Falcon-based Comet platform as a semi-replacement for the discontinued Fairlane-based Meteor so if you had a sedan/hardtop/convert that parts interchange ended at the back of the front doors. The Comet wagon continued to be based on the Falcon wagon shell with minimal changes. This continued through '65; in '66, Ford went to a new larger platform (still based off the original '60 Falcon design) for the Falcon, Comet, and Fairlane. The Comet became a 'true' intermediate car and shared most parts with the Fairlane, the Falcon was basically a shortened Fairlane. The Falcon, Fairlane, and Comet wagon all used the same basic shell through '67, the wagon disappeared from the Comet line in '68. The 2-dr Comet wagons are rare; a few over 5000 in '60, about 4000 in '61, 2100 in '62, and a mere 895 in '63, the last year offered. Falcon offered the 2-dr wagon though '65, it was all 4-drs after that.
Here’s a picture of the wagon as we drove it home last night. Going to go over a bunch of small things this week and hopefully take it to a show near home this weekend. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Looks pretty good, should make you a fun driver. My buddy had a 6 cyl automatic Comet back in the day. We took it to the drag strip one weekend just for the hell of it. We told him that we had to use a sun dial to check his ET. Congrats on your wagon purchase, have fun with it.
if your vac. modulator checks out ok, ck the governor, they some times stick. I once had one in a ranchero that the trans had been rebuilt, but one of the bolts inside the trans came loose, and when the counterweight for the governor swung around, the protruding bolt broke the governor. I had a hard time finding another locally. I finally found a parts trans in a wrecking yard that gave up it's governor.
You can make these get up and go, for not a lot of coin. Maybe not 347 stroker fast, but freeway viable. Find a good running 1965-1966 200 from someone doing a V8 swap in a Mustang. These can be had for $300-400, in many cases. Less of you haggle. It's a bolt-in. Swap the head for a 1980 to end-of-production 200 or 250 head. Grab the carburetor and less restrictive exhaust manifold, too. Block off the EGR ports on the manifolds. These can all be had for $50-150. Have the head milled 0.070"*, and maybe a valve grind and seals. This head has the largest log, runners, and valves of any factory head. The casting number starts with E0. Put a Duraspark II distributor and box from the same 1980+ donor that the head came from. $40-50. Even with no cam change, that will add about 50% more power. Then, you will have no trouble hauling the groceries. *Early engines had small chambers and dished pistons. Late engines large chambers and flat pistons. If you put a late head, with a modern gasket on an early shortblock, you will have a very low compression ratio. A 0.070" cut will put it back to stock.
^^ this. I had a 65 LeMans that I could never get to shift right. ****** was in and out, and it all boiled down to the vacuum line up top that was dried out and had a crack in it..... Which I found on the day I sold it. Shifted like ****er after that.
It’s funny you mention swapping in a 200. A friend of mine is fighting a v8 swap where he just took out a 200 that was perfectly fine. I plan on picking it up from him. Figured I would get it in good shape and then do the swap over the winter. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The overall plan for the wagon is just a good reliable cruiser. Needs all new rubbers for doors and windows. Then some new interior pieces. The front seat is roached along w all 4 door panels. Then work on motor and trans, we would like to see it make the highway so we can do all the events in our area. Then vintage air. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Found some new old stock parts on eBay. Very expensive. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I took the wagon on its first maiden voyage under my ownership. 19 miles. Ran good overall. Still need to sort out the shifting issue. But would definitely like a little more power. And a 3 speed trans. Maybe even 4 speed. I’m a little confused on the transmissions and bellhousings. What would be ideal to put behind a 200i6? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
A 3.03 transmission (the common "Toploader" type three speed used from about 1964 to 1980) with the correct bellhousing, flywheel, clutch etc. would be ideal to me, but of course it's a matter of personal preference. Start by finding a column shift early Falcon or Comet with the right colour steering column.
In the history of the Falcon-6, there are three bellhousing patterns. The last one is a modified V8 pattern, found in the last generation models. The early ones had a bellhousing that fits the stepped flywheel that takes an 8-1/2" clutch. A few years after that, a 9" clutch was added, which utilizes most of the 8-1/2" bells holes, save for two, and a relocated dowel. The best part is those blocks have both patterns. There are numerous bells, and transmissions that can go with them, as well as adapters, to get you to even more. If you're crazy, you can bolt a T56 6-speed behind one! I ran an S10 T5 in my 1960 Falcon for a few years. It worked very well. I used a Mercedes pressure plate, and a Pontiac Sunbird disc, with a lightly modified flywheel. I still have the parts in storage. http://www.moderndriveline.com/Tech...ne_6_Cylinder_Bell_Housing_Identification.htm http://www.moderndriveline.com/Tech..._Housing-Flywheel-Starter-Clutch_Match-up.htm
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