Father and Son Comet Project (with photos)

Upload pictures of your Comets and Projects to share with everyone.
comethead
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Re: Father and Son Comet Project (with photos)

Post by comethead »

Groover if a good electric shop says the gen is ok (twice) I think I'd go with it. Old cars make funny sounds sometimes.
I still like this http://www.cjponyparts.com/powermaster- ... p/GENALT1/
:wink:


Joe
1965 Caliente HT- 289/4 speed
1964 Falcon HT- track car- 302/4 speed
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Groover
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Re: Father and Son Comet Project (with photos)

Post by Groover »

Ok, Joe. For the sake of argument, I'll bite (because you and I both know, no new fangled alter-what-not is goin' in my Comet).

But seriously. Besides from the fact that an Alt can make more current than a Gen and charge at idle, are there any other advantages?

Seems they both spin and are therefore subject to same mechanical failures. Both have some sort of regulator (subject to failure). I don't have a kickin' subwoofer or GPS to power, so if I don't need all the juice.

Doesn't seem like it solves much of any problem unless you need more power or idle around a lot with the stereo on?
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1964 Comet Caliente Convertible
30,000 miles on our rebuild

All Comets start out as dreams...

comethead
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Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2003 7:44 pm
Location: Palmdale, CA

Re: Father and Son Comet Project (with photos)

Post by comethead »

Your right!
I guess I was just trying to spend your money :oops:

If my wife's 64 still had a genny I'd be trying my damnedest to keep it too!!
Carry on... :D

Joe
1965 Caliente HT- 289/4 speed
1964 Falcon HT- track car- 302/4 speed
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popscomet
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Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 11:19 pm
Location: Jacksonville, Arkansas

Re: Father and Son Comet Project (with photos)

Post by popscomet »

I was told 20yrs ago,by this dude at a SONIC saturday night car show,because my comet has MSD ign that I need a ALT,instead of a gen...well I didn't take him serious,cause the MSD had already been on there a year or so ,,WELL here it is sept of 2014,and the same GEN and the same MSD is still on there,the only difference is there has been many miles added to the comet since then.,NOT 1 time has any of it ever failed.MY advice to anyone that has a gen is to always buy a good battery.MY 51 ford still has the 6volt gen,and a couple of my tractors still have thier gen.And you might hear a whine from 1 sometimes,,it don't hurt nothing,it makes me think at that momete the battery is taking a heavier charge,thus loading the gen alittle extra.........mind you POP don't have a stero with all those speakers and other stuff,so the way I see it...if it ain't broke ..don't fix it.........jmo+2cents........pop
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pop/glenda

Tbart
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Re: Father and Son Comet Project (with photos)

Post by Tbart »

I have really enjoyed reading this thread. You guys have a lot of skill and stamina. It's the only way you can really be a Comet owner. You will know every nut, bolt, screw and wire on that beast if you can ever say it's "done". There is always something needs done or tweaked, but a 64 vert is worth it. It's a journey. I have a 64 Cyclone. I've kept the architecture stock but I've hot rodded it some. I still have the generator and its massive cast mount,but I would never change it. I had to try 3 "rebuilt" generators before I got one that worked like it should. Same with starters. My 71 240 6cyl 3sp Ford van went 140,000 miles with it's original starter. When it quit I had to exchange 5 rebuilt starters from Napa before I got a good one. They paid me off with a "premium lifetime"unit that was good. When I buy a "rebuilt" part that isn't 100% right, I waste no time taking it back. And I don't mind telling the sellers that I don't appreciate the extra work their crappy parts have caused me. I can be a real pain in the ass to a parts guy. Good luck in the new year.

CALIFORNIA CALIENTE
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Location: Camarillo,California

Re: Father and Son Comet Project (with photos)

Post by CALIFORNIA CALIENTE »

Tbart;that is the only way counter men know if a part is a problem!! I try to buy NEW if possible,if not I go with Premium Parts and hope for the best!! I think I have a computer issue as I still can not download your video!! ROY.
Real Racecars have 3 pedals
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Groover
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Re: Father and Son Comet Project (with photos)

Post by Groover »

Odometer just passed 30,000 this weekend. That's a little more than 15,000 since we put her back on the road. Still going to work or school almost every day. Couldn't have done it without all the help on this forum.
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1964 Comet Caliente Convertible
30,000 miles on our rebuild

All Comets start out as dreams...

Baldy
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Re: Father and Son Comet Project (with photos)

Post by Baldy »

Groover, when I first started lurking here at the beginning of my Comet rebuild, I went straight to your thread because of the father son title. I was given my 66 at the age of 16 in '76 and by '78 and doing nothing with it and it still sitting on the back lot at the dealership that I was associated with, when the dealership was about to be closed (long story ) and the car hauled to the crusher, Dad said, naw that's Eric's car take it out to the house. He found all the right parts to put a motor and trans (correct date coded I might add ) back in the car and that's when you found parts in Hemming and called about them on a phone with wires or found them at a swap meet . He had the car repainted and By Damn, that's what he did. Striker plates, latches, rubber here, bolts there, paint everywhere. Guess what, been a blessing in resto, nothing rusted. Now since things are a little better financially as I've matured, I'm fixing the old Cyclone back to original for Dad. Being am only child it's never been mine or yours here on the farm, it's always been ours, so, guess this will be also. . I hope to see yall in PF

Baldy

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Groover
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Re: Father and Son Comet Project (with photos)

Post by Groover »

So it's been a while since any substantial work has happened on our Comet. Almost like she knew we needed to break out the welder for a little father/son time.

Last week, my son took it to school and when he got ready to leave, he noticed something funny with the steering. Funny like there wasn't any. Turns out one of the bolts that holds the PS cylinder had broken off, and that allowed the other two bolts to quite easily rip out of the frame rail. All you folks with PS have feared this if you've looked down at that bracket that holds the end of the PS cylinder to the frame rail.

Anyway, here's what it looks like:
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And here's the nice bend in the PS cylinder ram:
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Now for the fix:
Handful of Grade 8 bolts and a new piece of steel. I get the fit and fabrication credit and my son gets the welding credit:
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Had to open up the holes a bit so the nuts and washers will fit in:
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Originally I was planning to open the whole bottom piece up and sleeve a steel tube up inside, but the bottom was pretty stout steel and it wasn't going to be easy or neat to cut the bottom of that frame piece off. Plus I had already put a nice spacer sleeve inside during the original fix to strengthen the bolt that goes through the frame. So my alternative plan was to spot weld the new flat piece to the bottom.

Testing the fit prior to welding:
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Welded the nuts and washers to the back side of the piece:
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Refit after the nuts were welded on:
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Spot welded and a few edge welds. You can see the threads of the nuts ready to receive up inside:
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And back together:
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Crush nuts my ass :D

Works like a charm, took two evenings. The PS cylinder is bent pretty substantially. So much so that I had to remove the bracket and change the angle in order to get the threads to start on the end of the cylinder, then force the bracket back in place.

If anybody has an old PS cylinder laying around, I'm in the market. With the bend, it drags a little.

Just in time to put the top down this Sunday when it hits 52.
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1964 Comet Caliente Convertible
30,000 miles on our rebuild

All Comets start out as dreams...

ants875
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Location: Chehalis, WA

Re: Father and Son Comet Project (with photos)

Post by ants875 »

So I'm assuming that when it pulled loose he still had steering though very stiff manual steering, seems a little scary, I remember that when I got my car it had the start of adding power steering though not all the bolt holes were there and I thought how am I going to make this work since I didn't think that it would hold with just two bolts and your pics prove my thoughts were right. Glad I didn't gamble on it working for me. My only regret is I tossed the setup wish I had it to give you. Any idea what year or more piston will fit?

Ant
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Groover
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Re: Father and Son Comet Project (with photos)

Post by Groover »

Well, I suppose he did have steering, but he also had a crazy powerful hydraulic ram (disconnected from the frame) wailing all over under there smacking into all kinds of things that would have made it hard to drive. Thankfully, it happened in the parking lot, so he was backing out of the space when it started making all kinds of noise and he noticed the steering was odd. In the parking lot, we replaced the top broken bolt (the one that goes all the way through the frame) to limp it home. By the time we got home it had bent that bolt due to the cylinder pushing and pulling without the two bottom bolts to hold it in place. Don't know what grade that bolt was (got it at the nearby Lowes).

It's pretty clear to me that "power assisted" steering was an afterthought on these cars (or that the vast majority were intended to be sold with manual steering. No way they would have used those crush nuts to hold that bracket on the bottom in a fully thought out design. Interesting though that the assembly process looks to me like that frame rail is two pieces with one folding over the other and spot welds along the bottom to close it up. You can see the factory spot welds in the first photo. So since it was an open piece at one time, you'd think that there might have been some way for them to get inside there with actual nuts or something more substantial that stamping two holes and inserting the crush nuts.

As for a cylinder replacement, I'm pretty sure 63-65 will work. I'm also pretty sure that the early mustangs used the same, but maybe the length is different.
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1964 Comet Caliente Convertible
30,000 miles on our rebuild

All Comets start out as dreams...

CALIFORNIA CALIENTE
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Re: Father and Son Comet Project (with photos)

Post by CALIFORNIA CALIENTE »

The 'FRAME' is made up of pieces on most ALL unibody cars!They are plenty strong normally,but it looks like those nutcerts were only into one layer of steel! I repaired a 63.5 that had done a similar thing,i made a "U" channel that fit over the frame,using the steering box bolts and the two weld nuts on the bottom,welded to a new plate,sandwiched under the "U" channel.A lot of manufactures used that steering design on cars and light trucks!! ROY.
Real Racecars have 3 pedals
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comethead
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Re: Father and Son Comet Project (with photos)

Post by comethead »

Nice fix! I better check mine :|

Seems like the ram bracket was a cheap expedient in the system. Make the holes in all bodies and then add those crappy nuts on the line. I guess some decent nuts inside the frame would have been too costly :roll:

Joe
1965 Caliente HT- 289/4 speed
1964 Falcon HT- track car- 302/4 speed
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CALIFORNIA CALIENTE
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Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 12:57 am
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Re: Father and Son Comet Project (with photos)

Post by CALIFORNIA CALIENTE »

The power steering was added so OLD men and Women could drive!!! ROY.
Real Racecars have 3 pedals
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comethead
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Re: Father and Son Comet Project (with photos)

Post by comethead »

CALIFORNIA CALIENTE wrote:The power steering was added so OLD men and Women could drive!!! ROY.
Man I'm feeling pretty OLD these days! :?

Joe
1965 Caliente HT- 289/4 speed
1964 Falcon HT- track car- 302/4 speed
Image

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