Father and Son Comet Project (with photos)

[Groover]

I felt pretty old laying on the ground, grinding and drilling and wrenching... more than once I've noted to myself I'm so glad we did this project when we did, because I don't know if I would start it today.

[SASSY]

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.

Ya I had a 1974 ford 3/4 ton van with the same style power steering assist. It had constant problems with it.

[Groover]

So in the name of originality and in trying to get a radiator that won't leak, we had our original C4 re-cored last summer and just put it back in this weekend.



Getting back to the stock radiator let me get back to the stock aluminum fan spacer.

Even with the two core radiator, the temp runs nice and cool. I'll keep an eye on it when summer heats up, but Pops is still running his stock radiator on that bad boy 289, so I'm thinking we'll be ok with two cores on this 260.

[jpet]

Looks good!

[popscomet]

So in the name of originality and in trying to get a radiator that won't leak, we had our original C4 re-cored last summer and just put it back in this weekend.



Getting back to the stock radiator let me get back to the stock aluminum fan spacer.

Even with the two core radiator, the temp runs nice and cool. I'll keep an eye on it when summer heats up, but Pops is still running his stock radiator on that bad boy 289, so I'm thinking we'll be ok with two cores on this 260.

AND the stock rad is still on it,and so far it still runs cool,I got a alumn rad for a 64 comet from Crites years ago,and I think I got the shroud also ,it is still in the box put away,,I was going to install it one time just for the LOOKS,but best I recall my battery tray was going to touch and I thought it wasn't worth the work,just for the looks and as cool as the stock kept it,I'd just leave it alone.so I have the brand new Alumn put up in the attic,just in case(and it's out of sight,these boys would put it on a race car). pop

[Groover]

Well there is really no good reason why this took nearly three years, but tonight for the first time we now have all four original gauges working correctly.





For some reason, the new temp sender never worked and when I put a new one in tonight, it moved right into place. Should have swapped it a long time ago, but I still haven't learned that -- just because you bought a new part doesn't mean it works

[popscomet]

yep,new don't mean is good,,,most of the after market stuff for these old fords is made out of the USA...years ago I ordered some SHELBY stuff for one of my Stangs,,,when it came in ,it was in a FORD box,,,but the sticker on it said it wasn't built in the USofA !! GLAD you got it all working.....later POP

[poboyjo65]

You've been running without a gauge? or idiot light? 3 years? awe what the heck it's only a motor!

[Groover]

You've been running without a gauge? or idiot light? 3 years? awe what the heck it's only a motor!

Well, temp gauge, yes I do carry around a IR temp probe and get out every 10 miles to check

[lavron]

I just made it through all 30 pages of this, thanks for sharing this info Groover. I need to replace the front torque box (boxes maybe) on my Comet and have never seen how they were constructed, now I see and the prospect is not so scary.

Also I can't find a rust free one anyway but looks like I can make my own, I bought a replacement one for a mustang a few years ago hoping it would match but it doesn't I probably can modify it to make it work now that I know what I am facing.

Thanks again,
Mike

[poboyjo65]

Mike I have some pics with measurements that would aid you in building them. I took the t boxes off a 65 parts car & have several pics with a tape measure wrapped around it for any & all measurements needed .the fronts are basically just two pieces of metal with proper bends. I'll try to post them soon.

[lavron]

Mike I have some pics with measurements that would aid you in building them. I took the t boxes off a 65 parts car & have several pics with a tape measure wrapped around it for any & all measurements needed .the fronts are basically just two pieces of metal with proper bends. I'll try to post them soon.

That would be cool, the parts "car" I have coming has the right torque box is rotten on the front, mine on the back, so I was hoping between the two I could recreate a replacement.

One day when I get scheduled in with the Comet, and mostly get the shed cleared out so I have a place to work, I will try and document what I do, I know right now most people would not even fix my 202 and just use it as a parts car, but she was my high school sweetheart and has been with me for 35 years, I just wish I would have treated her better.

I really appreciate the info you guys share, not just Groover, I just happened to read his post and sure there is 10 years of vast knowledge I have not even seen yet, one day I will get a tech section put together and organize it all

See Ya,
Mike

[Groover]

Will wonders never cease?

So for the past month or so, the Comet's been running rough. When sitting at a stop light, it has been shaking enough to embarrass me. I've been looking all over for a vacuum leak or something wrong with the carb. Couldn't find anything. Drove all right at high speed, but shaking too much at stop. I re tuned the carb and idle mixture and turned up the idle to cut down on shaking while I kept thinking of crazy complicated things it could be. Rechecked all my wires, etc. then my 15 year old daughter says she hears a hiss coming from inside. Hmm. nothing inside could hiss, so I stick my head under the dash and finally I can hear it. Go out to the brake booster and feel under for the OTHER vacuum port off the tee that I can never see or really use. Sure enough, it has a crack. Stick my finger over it and the shake subsides. So I get a plug for it, go back and re set the idle mixture and low and behold... the 9th wonder of the world:



Those of you who know me, know I've been chasing higher vacuum and max MPG since the start. This is way more than I've ever gotten before. Two other things have been changed recently that may have helped.

1. I put longer carb/manifold studs on so I could put a nice thick cork gasket above and below the aluminum spacer. I'm guessing that had always been a potential vacuum leak issue.

2. Earlier when trying to reduce the stumble, I guessed maybe it was too lean so I put the 50 jets back in. Not sure that made a difference but a little more fuel at idle should draw a little more vacuum, right?

Anyway, now I've got my "in drive" idle down to 570 and she hummmmms like a sewing machine (video below).



I know some guys like em loud, but to me, that's the sweet sound of success.

And since she's old enough and smart enough to trouble shoot, she's old enough to take her for a spin. Got her permit a month ago, so might as well get her behind the wheel of the Comet. She says she like how smooth it steers. Still takes a little getting used to the steering and throttle.



Motivation comes from all the success, so I went out and think I fixed my convertible top issue. Think it was the circuit breaker at the solenoid and not the motor. $3.99 later it seems to be going up and down all right now. For some reason I thought that was a fuse and not a breaker, but when the old one broke off in my hand while trying to clean it up, it looks like it has a little metal strip with a wire wrapped around and it breaks the circuit when it over heats, but resets when it cools. I'm guessing it was just intermittent. We'll see.

So now that I don't need the $200 pump motor, I'm going to trade it in for the long awaited new carpet and take this interior to a new level.

oh and I'm gonna get a bunch of sweet drop top driving in over the summer. She's runnin' better than ever at this point. Amazing what a super quiet and smooth running engine can do for a man's morale.

[poboyjo65]

Cool that you found it. has it been like that from day one? Where was it leaking? a tee? on the booster?

[popscomet]

GOOD ...how many times has a vac leak ever been mentioned??? or better yet have you wondered where it was at???......and a girl found it !!!!! that's the COOL PART later.....take care.......pop