New member - looking at a '64 on eBay

[Duff]

Hello Comet experts!
I've always loved the '64-'65 Comets but have never owned one. I've had several Torinos and a '68 Cyclone fastback in the past but always thought the '64-'65 Comets were some of the coolest looking cars FoMoCo ever built. There is a black '64 Caliente currently on eBay minutes away form where I live and I plan to check it out today. Anything I should be aware of or look for? Any info would be appreciated.
Thanks in Advance!
Duff

[6T5 404]

Duff,
Welcome to the best all Comet site on the web.
I agree that '64 - '65 Comets are some of the best looking FoMoCo products of all time.
There is a lot of knowledge on this forum. If you have any questions, ask away. Someone will get back to you.
Check your PM's
Dave

[CALIFORNIA CALIENTE]

Look for rust in the rear quarters,rockers,rear frame sections,trunk lip,also look for bad rust repair [BONDO]!! ROY.

[pugs65]

Welcome aboard Duff. Ask away and someone will have an answer, Pugs.

[Groover]

Here's the link for discussion (or at least this is the only black 64 on ebay).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mercury-Comet-C ... 1502343369

Looks like a pretty good car. Difficult to tell any body damage from a photo, but it sure looks straight and clean. I don't think I'd personally go much higher than where the price is right now considering it's pretty much stock, but if that body is as clean and rust free as it looks and if you like the car, then go for it.

At least it's a '64

[Jims65cyclone]

Welcome aboard, Duff! You can get all the advice you can stand here. Like Roy said, check for rust where he said, but also check underneath for rusted out floor pans (front and rear), and the trunk floor on either side of the gas tank. These things are repairable, but it's a lot of work and requires some welding skills. If you're looking for a project car to work on, don't let that stop you, but it should be considered in the price he's asking.
Jim

[Comechero65]

I see it must have had Hawaii plates on it at one time, which would mean it spent some time near the ocean and the salt air. That's a big caution flag. Otherwise looks clean and straight. Check it thoroughly for rust.
Ron

[albert]

Welcome to the place for Comet knowledge, education and networking................it's all here for the asking!!

[popscomet]

JUST pay heed to all the above advice,,,,it's honest advice....most these ol' boys didn't get thier gray hair (or lack of ) by playing basketball and jumping rope with the neighbor girls POP

[Tims1965MercuryComet]

I see it must have had Hawaii plates on it at one time, which would mean it spent some time near the ocean and the salt air. That's a big caution flag. Otherwise looks clean and straight. Check it thoroughly for rust.
Ron

What Ron said about Hawaii. I was stationed at Pearl Harbor, Jan 73-Jun 76. Lots of rain and salty air. I see that the Comet is a heater delete. I bought a 66 Mustang summer of 75 that also was heater/defroster delete. It had some rust, but not too bad. But that was 40 years ago, so the Mustang was only 9 years old.
Welcome to the forum.
Tim

[Jims65cyclone]

According to the VIN, it was built at the Los Angeles plant on June 23, 1964, and the Hawaii tag is from '07, so it could have spent a considerable portion of its life in Hawaii. That being said, the pictures of the undercarriage look sound. The paint job looks good, but check creases and seams for signs of bubble rust. Good luck!
Jim
Oops! Just scrolled down the ebay listing and read the write-up on the car, which basically states what I said based on the pictures. If there's a hard way to do something, I'll find it....

[Duff]

Thanks for the welcome and the advice. I checked out the car yesterday. Here's what I saw:
The car from what I could tell without it being on a lift was 100% rust free & solid as a rock. Started with single turn of the key and idled nice & sounded great. Door fit & all gaps were good (doors closed tight & solid with very little effort). The interior was Okay. No rips or tears in the seats, the headliner was new & looked it. The door panels had only a slight warp - nothing too bad. There was some bubbling on the 'wood' trim on the dash panel but it didn't look horrible. The carpets weren't bad but were faded. The actual steering wheel was perfect but the chrome center section was showing it's age.
On the exterior: The trim was all there (except it was missing the small rectangular red-white-blue star emblem on the passenger rear qtr.) and the trim was dent free but it was hazy, dull and really needed to be refinished. --Probably due to the effects of all of that salty sea air.
The paint was a driver quality. The hood was the worst with some checking and thin spots. But no bubbles, dents or chips anywhere that I could see. A pro cleaning, buff/polish, & wax could do wonders.
The side glass was good from what I could tell, the back glass was new, but the windshield was hazy and had some etching.
It had just rained so we didn't take it for a drive or out of the garage.

Overall I think this is a really good 'driver' quality Comet the way it sits and with some more dollars and elbow grease it could really look great. However, it isn't the car I'm looking for - I'd hope to find something a little nicer to start with for the $15K he's asking.
I'm really glad I went to look at it. The guy was really nice and has lots of other amazing cars, including an original 427-8V '63.5 Galaxie. It was well worth the time and I realized how much I really like these Comets. ..Just need to find the right one!

[CALIFORNIA CALIENTE]

In todays market,you will be hard pressed to find a solid car for that money!! JMO , ROY.

[SASSY]

In todays market,you will be
hard pressed to find a solid car for that money!! JMO , ROY.

You'll be hard pressed to find another SOLID one! Imo
Most of these cars have or have had rust issues.
Fred
The car sounds better than mine when I bought it.. In 1974!!

[Duff]

Okay, so maybe I should reconsider this one. I didn't realize finding a rust free Comet would be that difficult. Especially since it's so close to home.
Can anyone give me a ballpark figure on how much it would cost to have the trim refinished? Also, is the windshield glass available?
I just noticed that he updated the description and he now thinks the car has it's original 260 and not a 289. How would that effect the value? ...I'm not really concerned about having the original engine and had thought the 289 was an improvement - but I have to admit that I don't know much at all about the 260 engines.