HomePick of the DayPick of the Day: 1964 Mercury Comet with performance-tweaked V8 engine

Pick of the Day: 1964 Mercury Comet with performance-tweaked V8 engine

The original 260 is still under the hood of this good-looking 2-door compact

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The Pick of the Day is a very clean and appealing 1964 Mercury Comet 2-door sedan in authentic-looking restored condition but with some modern performance underpinnings.

“It’s powered by a 260 Ford V8 with only about 200 miles since being rebuilt, mated to an early C4 automatic transmission with a Ford 8″ rear and 3.80 gears,” according to the Tampa, Florida, dealer advertising the Comet on ClassicCars.com. “During the rebuild, the engine had upgrades installed like roller rockers, solid lifters, comp roller cam, Holley performance carburetor, Dougs headers, Holman Moody intake, Holman Moody valve covers, and Holman Moody air cleaner.”

comet

Sounds like a nice runner, and of course, the 260cid engine would have been correct for this model year Comet; it also was used in Ford Falcons, Fairlanes and Mustangs before the advent shortly after of the 289.  The engine in this car was tuned to get the most out of it, and it should feel strong in the lightweight compact.  A posi-traction rear has been installed for quick getaways.

The Comet was produced originally as a slightly upscale version of the Falcon, giving Mercury dealers and customers a compact car all their own. This 1964 example would be the first year of the second generation, with stylistic updates giving it more of the square-off look of contemporary Mercurys and Lincolns.

comet

The 2-door post styling with the so-called “Thunderbird roofline” of its C pillar give the Comet a sporty appearance, including some ebullient chrome trim, which on this car looks correct.  Some subtle pinstripes have been added to the finish.

“The exterior has a very clean curb appeal,” the seller says. “Painted in a Teal Metallic paint with matching wheels, redline tires, quality chrome bumpers and trim, and even red pinstriping designs.”

The interior also appears to have been authentically restored and appears in the photos to be like new.  The Comet runs on stock-style wheels with dog-dish hubcaps and red-stripe radial tires.

The dealer is asking a modest $18,000 for this nicely turned-out Comet.

To view this vehicle on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day

Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen is a longtime automotive writer and editor, focusing on new vehicles, collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. He is the former automotive writer and editor for The Arizona Republic and SPEED.com, the website for the SPEED motorsports channel. He has written free-lance articles for a number of publications, including Autoweek, The New York Times and Barrett-Jackson auction catalogs. A collector car enthusiast with a wide range of knowledge about the old cars that we all love and desire, Bob enjoys tinkering with archaic machinery. His current obsession is a 1962 Porsche 356 Super coupe.

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