Here's the newest addition to my metal shed. 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente. SHEESH!!! I've been wanting one of these to play with for some time, but gave up as they are few and far between for a rust free candidate for what I want to do!!! So , I just accepted the fact that maybe I'd switch to a Falcon Futura, and carry on the vibe of Hubert Platt, and Tommy McNeeley. But now, I'm into Chrisman heaven!!! A solid car with a sick motor. I'm going to try and have this car, and the AWB Polara going at the same time. One at home, the other in the shop, 'cause there ain't no more room over there, with customer cars and such! Hey, if you live around SoCal, I'm throwing a small open house next weekend, on the 12th. Afternoon stuff no biggie, but a first time in the new digs!! WEll, heres some pics. Almost too nice to cut up, so I'm thinking this one will get a front end adjustment, and leave the back end location where its at, as its sooo bitchin lookin! Kinda go for the old 2% rules look. http://public.fotki.com/bowtie0069/shop-projects-1/64cometproject/ http://public.fotki.com/bowtie0069/shop-projects-1/64cometproject/img9499.html Dale
Great looking car and it looks to be in very good shape. I'm a huge fan of drastic wheelbase re-location and I hate myself for this fleeting thought in my head.........but that car almost looks to nice to go under the gas axe!
here's a couple pics of mine I had a few years back. Someone from Cali came up to Portland to get her, supposedly to make a gasser out of it. Still miss that car.
Comets of that period were NEVER gassers. A/FX B/FX, outlaw altered wheelbase match races, but NEVER gassers.
It's been covered a couple of hundred times on here, but Gassers have stock wheelbase. It's in the rulebook. If it has an altered wheelbase it's an..............................Altered. Larry T
It'll get cut up, just not where people think!!! My daughter and I layed out some lines, and I'm going to relocate the front axle centerline four inches forward, and slightly, but not drastic 12-inch stuff in the rear. The Comets rear quarter panels have a good bit of overhang already.Should be a tough as nails look to it, with the Crites fiberglass treatment. . . . I'm getting pumped .
That thing should be real mean. I got a falcon futura i am going to cut up(awb) with a 289 or a 390 4-spd. Its not as clean as your comet though.
No cuts! The world is full of whacked up cars as it is, one more who cares. Do it up as a superstocker. That is a beautiful car, you wanna whack something get a rusted piece of junk and have at it. Check the east coast guys, 421 Motorsports, they've got several of the real deal and if you can build to holman-moody specs you'll have a badassed piece of work.
/FX of some sort. Square Falcons and Comets just don't look right with the rear wheel wells cut out like a gasser. Round bodies look alright. You can get some pretty good tires in a Comet just by working on the front of the wheel openings, they are already better than a '64-65 Falcon due to the shape. The early cars came with a bubble hood and open inside head lights just like the Thunderbolts, that might be something different. That is a nice car to start with and should make a nicer car when finished if your other work is any example. Good luck from a former owner of two '64 Comets, a '64 Falcon and two '65 Falcons. I still have one of the '65 Falcons that will someday be a /FX of some type. SB or FE??
This '64 Comet had a stock wheelbase and in my opinion is the yardstick that all '64 Comets are measured by
I've read in several different sources all different things, depends on the sanctioning body, the year of manufacture, type of vehicle, and what era you want your car to appear to be from. Not to mention what side of the US you where on in the 50's and 60's. Like I said before MY OPINION!
After looking at your Comet, I'd have to build a Holman Moody B/FX or Jack Chrisman Comet clone out of it. And they're stock wheel base cars. Google 'em, lots of info on the net about both. As far as definitions go, it's my opinion that a cat is black with white stripes down it's back. And they stink. Larry T
I'm going for the Chrisman style.. But, I want to see what I can do with a little 289. Make it snotty and nasty, so I'll wear the B/fx badging for this ride.
Opinions and rules are two different things, when you get teched at the track they normally go by the rules ...not your opinion
Nothing that didn't come with a straight axle could race gas class in '64/'65. No suspenson mods allowed in gas class, NHRA. Gas coupe/sedan was a pork'n'bean class. When you read about the "Gasser Wars" you are reading about match races. Not class racing. Most of what you see posing as gassers are not gassers at all. We just like the sound of it. Posing being the operative word here. Now back to the Comet. I can't see pics of it here. But, if you build a Chrisman type of car more power to ya my friend that man had it in spades.
????????????????? But we're really getting off topic on this thread. Lots of is it/isn't it threads on this deal anyway.
I know it's not a '64 and I can't figure out how to enlarge the pic, but this is my favorite comet ever...someday. I was lucky enough to see the Saches & Sons/Chrisman Comet at the '64 Indy Nationals. Too say the crowd went nuts is an extreme understatement. All this to say I'd go the FX route with that '64. Nice Comet. Lee
B/FX would be killer. Last month's Mid America Ford meet in Tulsa had a 1965 Comet Cyclone B/FX there that was killer. Pie crust slicks, Webers on a 289 and lots of fiberglass and lexan. Supposedly one of three built back then. I would assume that the 106 miles on the clock was achieved a quarter of a mile at a time.
This makes me qa-qa quiver! Open house at the shop is this weekend, new owners of the Altered Wheelbase Dart are flying over from England to take over the car, and then its full steam ahead on this build!! Can't wait to drop the order with Crites!!
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