History 64/65 Comets old drag cars lets see pictures

Nice seat in the Marauder. Is that so you can sit there and go Vroom Vroom?

 

I like the looks of those Firestones alot better than the Pro-Tracs I ended up with. I guess I'll have to wear them out and go get a set like yours.

 

Just awesome!!.....Thanks for the updates.

 

Ken;you going to Las Vegas for the NHRA Heritage race?I'm going to drag my Comet up there,I love racing at The Strip! Did you get the cammer in it's new home yet? ROY.

 

BUSTED...My son and I watching some York 30 on the TV.Strickler never had a chance.Put him on the trailer everytime. haha

 

Roy

Is that race in May? I might be able to do that one.At those Heritage events Do they give out the Wally for the winner of our type classes.Engine Going in Today.

 

Ken;Vegas is May 28-30.I don't believe they give out Wallys,each track is resposible for their race,the NHRA is not involved.The class choices for our Comets would be a Gas class or Hot Rod. I'm going as I enjoy racing there plus my son and his family live in Henderson.My Grandson gets a kick out of watching Grandpa race! ROY.

 

I looked that up.It looks like that Rockabilly Reunion is that weekend out there also.I hope I can go Thats a lot to do. I dont know too many Grandpas putting there car on the bumper. Haha Keep up the good work.

 

Ken;the Rockabilly Reunion is over at the circle track infield area.It should be a busy weekend with alot going on.Old Age and Trechery,I got the old age part down!!!My son takes my Grandson out to watch the NHRA big show when they race there and I try to make it out there to race at least once a year. ROY.

 

Found these pics cruising the web.


I am blessed to have a boss that is into racing and old cars as much as me. This is an original picture from 1964 of his 427 A/FX factory Comet. For those of you not familiar with these beasts Mercury made 19 of these cars for match racing and they are very rare today with about 6 original cars left. His car was owned by Tom Coward Lincoln Mercury in Skokie Il. The car was ran as the Top Cat and driven by Joe Deaton.


Talk about a photo that captures the eraly days of racing. This is from Tom Coward's Mercury dealership from 1964. The A/FX cars came with a 427 high-riser wedge, 4-speed and a 9" rear which was a very potent combo in those days. Comet drivers included Ronnie Sox, Dyno-Don Nicholson, Jack Christman and Wild Bill Shrewsbury of LA Dart fame.

 

Here is a shot of the car at Great Lakes Dragaway in spring of 1964. Note the bubble hood like the Thunderbolt Fords which was later changed to the twin scoop ram air hood in the other pictures. The ram air hood was given to car owners by Mercury to boost performance of the big 427.


At the end of the 1965 season Tom Coward sold the Comet to Joel Kanios of Kenosha who re-lettered it and raced it for about 4 years through the Midwest. We have home movies of him flogging the car at US30 and other Midwest strips. In 1967 he cut the car up and made it into an altered wheel base car with a straight axle in preparation for dropping in a blown SOHC Cammer motor but never finished the project. Flash-forward many years and my boss picked up the Comet which was a rust case by then to restore it back to its original configuration.

 

Here is a picture of the Comet today. This is after a few thousand hours of work and many, many dollars later. The restoration posed many unique challenges and headaches due to the rare character of these cars. Time and neglect had not been kind to the metal or unique fiberglass pieces and required quite a few people's talents to save it. We will be heading out to the strip this summer to see if we can return this fine car to the life it was made for.

A face only a mother could love! The Comet sports it's original 427 and 4-speed and all of it's unique pieces including the multi-piece headers that were welded up so many years ago. We did update the roll-cage as the original was just a piece of muffler tubing and we figured NHRA tech wouldn't like that too much.

Here is an article of the car winning the 1964 A/FX class at the AHRA Winternationals. Pretty Cool!

 

Ken;the 64 looks like it turned out very nice!!!Do they plan on racing it or just showing? We had a Tom Coward Ford dealership out here for years.I bought a new 69 Mustang in Oct.68 from them and then a new 76 Ford van,they were finally bought out by a big conglomerate.I'm trying to get in one more test session before the ANRA opener in mid April. ROY.

 

These guys look familar.Looks like the comet is serious about putting the fairlane on the trailer. GREAT SHOT...

 

Ken;I got to meet George and Jody at last years Fairlane National in Dearborn.George had his original 67,427 Cyclone there,BEAUTIFUL CAR!! I have pictures of those two racing each other alot!!!Father and Son,TOO KOOL!!! ROY.

 

Great pic of the Aberts cars. I didn't realize that racers still elevate the back of their hoods like we did back in the '60s. Syl

 

Roy I tried to find out more on the Coward comet.Thats it.Dosent say if it ever got finished all the way or what there plans were.Nice car.

Same around here,The dealer that my 63 merc wagon and blue marauder were sold at was torn down last month.I took my wagon down there 6 months after it closed and took some pics in front of it.It used to be called Johnny Haas Lincoln Mercury.I guess they were famous for having great radio commercials.Lots of guest stars doing bits and such.Hears a pic.



And just recently the dealer that dad worked at in the 60's Johnny Harper Ford closed its doors.I'm sure they are going to level it this summer.I'ts a shame.I guess its true nothing ever stays the same.

 

Ken;I guess the dealers have had to combine brands to stay competative or have formed a conglomerate with one name and many locations.My friends with Chrysler products are having trouble getting factory service,NO local dealers!! ROY.

 

hey, Ken or Roy, (or anyone else for that matter) anyone happen to have in their vast collection of photo's a few close up pics of those old style wheelie wheels some of the guys mounted upright on the rear end of the awb cars? i wanna run a set on the back of Armageddon,
thanks in advance,

george

 

Heres 2 of only very few exsisting shots of Drake Viscomes First Drag Car ...around '67at Dover Drag Strip ...his was just 16...Dad owned dealership. He went on to field some pretty cool funny cars .

 

Finally,Took most of the day.Dad and I fought the beast. Pain in the ASS.But it does look AWESOME.

A little worried the old engine hoist wasn't going to do it.

Yes thats another foot of snow on the ground from thursday.I just want to go racing already.



















UPDATE Going to have to lift up the driver side of the engine cant get the header in over the steering box.Damn it,Damn it.Where the hell is the cutting torch.

 

George;I don't have any photos of the old style wheelie bars.Try the Conservative Old Hippie site , there are tons of old school photos on there. I have seen some that looked like they were sprung and used a pneumatic tire. ROY

 

Ken;that is a tight fit even with all the work you did to make room!!! It looks AWSOMW!!! I need a closeup of you aircleaner emblem. ROY.

 

Dam that's nice. The crossed flag Mercury looks like it belongs there.

 

Heres some Cant find real close ups.

 

George, take a look here:
http://www.alteredwheelbasenova.com/

I built a set of wheelie bars for Dave Henry's A/FX Nova. He remembered a method back from his younger racing days, using old leaf springs. So, I cut up his old mono-leafs, robbed a set of beat up wheels off a trash dumpster, fashioned an adjustable mounting system so he could make settings at the track, or for the street. Hope it helps !
Dale

 

dale,
thank you i was just looking at storm warning thinking it had some of the similar wheels on it. i too am thinking of the mono leafs turned upside down with either a solid wheel or a vintage go-cart slick.

thanks guys for the photo's too they are what i needed.

thanks again for the help and the link.

george

 

Nice cars there...

 

The car looks great!!!

 

^^^^^^^^^^ wow !