New here! 65 comet!

[aslowburn]

I’ve been lurking in the shadows here for a couple months since I bought my comet, figured it’s time to register and say hello!

I picked up this super clean 65 comet when I wasn’t even looking for one. Saw it pop up on fb marketplace and had to have it. Previous owner had it garaged the whole time and had already upgraded some things on it. I’m excited to learn how to do more upgrades myself. I’ve already learned so much from this forum!

I’ll figure out how to add photos soon and show you guys. It has a 351w in it. I already upgraded to a beefier sway bar and new shocks.

[aslowburn]

Let’s hope the images work

[SASSY]

Welcome!
Cool ride!
Dig the wheels.
Plans for the car or had it a while?
Fred

[aslowburn]

Ive had it about two months now. Monday I’m going to flush the old rusty radiator fluid out and start fresh. Going to attempt to replace the dash bulbs and put some white vinyl overlays on the gauges so it’s a little brighter. This is my first classic car, though I’ve been around them for years. Not sure what I want to do yet. It runs and drives great! I drive it every day. I was thinking of different pipes, I’d like it a little louder, but I don’t really know which to go with. Everyone tells me something different.

[SASSY]

Like the white face idea.
Whats it got for power?
The boys here will lots a great ideas on noisemakers I'm sure! Lol
My power train is a little odd to most people and I run it pretty quite but when when I had the 351C in it (many years ago) I ran turbos but I think that term is outta date?lol
Fred

[aslowburn]

It has a 351w and a C4. Engine was built in 2013, has 66k miles on it. Was a 3 on the tree, now it’s automatic(on the floor). I don’t know much else about what’s under the hood. I know the old brace/struts have been swapped out for rods. Has an edelbrock.

[aslowburn]

[poboyjo65]

Welcome on! looks like it was all re-done neatly under the hood! & always glad to see the safer dual bowl Master cyl.. I hear the LED dash bulbs really help brighten it up though I haven't tried them yet.

[aslowburn]

The lights in the dash are barely working so anything will be better than what’s in there haha.
It’s running a little hot in traffic sometimes, I’m assuming this radiator is stock and for the old stock engine too. But I’ll read on the radiator threads if I feel like I need to upgrade it. I’m going to flush it Monday and see if that helps.

Excited to have this beauty! And happy this forum exists!

[Jims65cyclone]

Welcome aboard! She looks like a cream puff. If the coolant is really dirty, a good flush will probably do wonders, though I've had rads that I had to pull and have professionally dunked to get satisfaction. While your at it, pull the thermostat and put it in a pot of boiling water on the stove to be sure it's opening fully. Heck, they're not that expensive, so you might just want to replace it. Be sure you run the heater full open during the flush so that core gets cleaned out good, too. You say you've beefed up the sway bar, what else is on your radar for the car?

Jim

[aslowburn]

Yeah the coolant looks gross and rusty. Here’s the thing, I don’t think it has a heater? From what I can tell the hoses come out the firewall and go to nothing. Just hang there. On one hand I live in Florida and I don’t think I’ll need heat but on the other hand I live in Florida and might need to turn that on haha. Hence why I’m trying to figure out how to keep it running the coolest now, because I won’t be able to blast the heater in a pinch.

And I don’t really know what I want to do for the future. Seems like lots of things have already been done to it. I’ll need to tighten the steering nut (not sure what it’s called?) because it’s got quit a bit of play now, though I’m getting used to it. I’d like it a bit louder, but not high pitch. Eventually I’d like shiny chrome wheels, cragars maybe? In my head I thought I’d do a bigger tire in the back but I guess that’s out of the question because of the body over the back wheels. I already had to swap the front tires from 75 to 70 because they were rubbing.

I am happy with it the way she is though. She feels pretty powerful. Really fun to drive. A head turner for sure.

[Joe Travers]

Yeah the coolant looks gross and rusty. Here’s the thing, I don’t think it has a heater? From what I can tell the hoses come out the firewall and go to nothing. Just hang there. On one hand I live in Florida and I don’t think I’ll need heat but on the other hand I live in Florida and might need to turn that on haha. Hence why I’m trying to figure out how to keep it running the coolest now, because I won’t be able to blast the heater in a pinch.

My first car was a '62 Galaxie my Pop bought when we lived in Key West. He bought it with heater delete, no need for it. When we moved, he had a heater installed for colder winters.

Always loved Turquoise Blue

JT

[Jims65cyclone]

Here’s the thing, I don’t think it has a heater? From what I can tell the hoses come out the firewall and go to nothing. Just hang there.

Sounds like the heater core was probably leaking and the PO just pulled the hoses and installed a short loop between the supply and return on the front of the engine. A cheap and, in Florida, semi-permanent fix. But, as you say, you don't have a parachute to help dump extra heat if you don't get the cooling issue fixed. Makes the flushing project a top priority since it's probably getting hotter by the week down there.

Jim

[aslowburn]

Right! I flushed it yesterday in the 94 degree heat, so fun! Drove it around today and seemed to be fine. I’ll keep an eye on it!

[SASSY]

Just an idea, and a cheap one at that.
In the 80s I raced a 289 powered Falcon in a street stock class
circle tracker. I just used the tiny stock rad plus I took the heater core and mounted it behind the headlights.
The motor ran at about 4 grand plus all the time never hit
200 on the temp gauge.
Yes I got a lot a sideways looks about it but out ran most of them on the track too!
Or you can spend the bucks on aluminum.
Fred