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Old 05-22-2025, 09:19 PM   #80
atch
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Columbia, Missouri, USA
Posts: 254
Default Re: "lil red" 1965 Mercury Comet Caliente

Quote:
Originally Posted by sugarmaker View Post
Ford and Merc Folks,
(note I have a thread on the 32 to 53 portion of the Ford Barn about our 32 truck)

Back Story:
I stopped to see a four door 1949 Merc setting in a drive with a 64 Ford truck in the garage in process. That was almost two years ago. The 90 year old owner allowed me to go into a back storage building with him to look at more of his cars. He had just sold his very nice jet black original 1940 Ford. As I wiped the tears from my eyes and drool from my lips,. i spied this red unit in the corner.
It was a red Mercury Comet, I liked it and asked him if he was selling some of his cars like the Comet. He said no he had guys standing in line 6 deep to buy the Comet. So I cooled down and thanked him for allowing me to look at his cars.
He invited me to a local car show and said I could park in his drive.

I came back in the summer took some pictures and he let me drive the car a couple miles. Both Cheryl and I thought this might work for us. Yes the car had some issues. But in general it was going to meet our needs of a good driver that was pretty much turn key. Not perfect by any means, But it tripped my kid trigger. and at 72 we need that!

We continued to talk over the next year, him and his wife wanted to drive the Comet all last summer. He told me he might sell the car in 2024 due to tax reasons. So last November I stopped to see the owner and his wife and made him a offer on the Comet. He said that number was about what he thought he needed for the car.

I stopped Christmas eve 2023 and we sealed the deal with a hand shake, in his warm kitchen next to his wood stove. Just after the first of the year 2024 we brought the car home on a nice day in winter.

Enough talk, some pictures:

As I found it:












My friend John and son Adam brought the Comet home about 10 miles:






Home in the shop:


The car has 81K miles. It was brought from Tennessee to Erie about 20 years ago. 289 V8 with C4 auto tranny. It is the Caliente trim pack, with bucket seats and console.




Cheryl trying it out too:




More later.
Regards,
Chris and Cheryl
Chris,

Color me jealous. There were three 1965 Cyclones in my small Missouri hometown when they were new. One red, one black, and one dark blue. All were 4-sp bucket seat cars. The blue one had the three factory gauges up on top of the dash. 1965 Comets were the absolutely best-looking Mercs of the 60's; and several other decades, too. If Sherry would just win the lottery (I've never bought a ticket) I'd have one in a heartbeat. The man who had the black one bought a burgundy one a few years ago.

I just found this thread and have only read the first half page but will go back and read the whole thing when I have the time.

Love your car. Congratulations on finding it and procuring it.
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atch (Mike Atchley)
Columbia, Missouri
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