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1965 Mercury Comet Caliente With 302 V8!

The Comet was Mercury’s entrance into the compact car scene. Based on the 1960 Falcon, the Comet was a line of its own until Mercury badging was added in 1962. The 1965 model, like the one for sale, took on a squarer appearance, including the use of stacked headlights. This one runs and drives, but old age has taken its toll on the paint and interior. It can be acquired via the Buy It Now function here on eBay or you can also make an offer. Tacoma, Washington is where it currently resides.

Comets adorned Mercury brochures on two occasions, from 1962-69 and again from 1971-77. The latter run was as Mercury’s clone of the successful Ford Maverick. They always wore a little better trim than their Ford counterparts. The second generation appeared for ’64 and ’65, and the ’65 models looked quite different from just a year earlier. Most Comets came with either a 200 cubic inch inline-six or a 289 V-8 although the Cyclone performance model would be more robust. The Comet saw production of about 165,000 units that year, with nearly 30,000 of them being Caliente coupes, like this car. The Caliente was the top-of-the-line Comet.

This 1965 Comet Caliente appears finished in a rather tired coat of Aquamarine. The seller says there is only one rust spot on the car by the rear trunk seal area, but another is brewing inside one of the door openings. We’re told it was in a minor accident years ago that required the driver’s fender to be replaced and the inner well still has a crease from that run-in. The rest of the body is pretty straight, so it wouldn’t take a lot to get this one looking new again. The glass is good except for some chips in the windshield.

The interior is said to be complete, but very sunburnt, especially on the passenger side. We’re told the floorboard are good, but a lot of the rubber bits are dry and cracked like the window seals. The headliner is missing and the panel behind the rear seat has enough holes for five speakers. Under the hood lies a 302 V8 with an automatic transmission and we’re told the car runs and drives. This would not be the original engine as a 289 would have been the V8 flavor of the day in ‘65. The fuel system has been restored along with the sending unit, pump, and hoses. It will need a new power steering pump hose and other rubber items under the hood replaced. The stated mileage is said to be 89,000, but we don’t know how much is on the replacement motor.

The going rate for a nice one of these Comets is in the mid-teens, so at the seller’s asking price there may actually be some room to give the car a thorough refresh and have a bit of equity in the end. But when cars have been sitting as long as we suspect this one may have, there are always unseen problems that surface once you are well into the project.

Comments

  1. Avatar Mitchell Gildea Member

    Fix the front seats, swap a set of Cragars/Torque Thrusts, and cruise

    Like 3
  2. Avatar Snotty

    This 65 Mercury Comet is the best looking “stacked headlight”automobile to come out of the mid sixties. Love that full grille. The whole car oozes cool. Nice rearend aah-aah I mean tailights.

    Like 4
  3. Avatar FordGuy1972 Member

    Assuming the rust is as described, this Comet looks like a decent car to restore and the price seems fair for what you’d be getting. The interior is a mess so a full trim kit would be the way to go. The 302 can be built up to as fast as you can afford. I like it, it’s got the potential to be a nice car when freshened up. I’d keep the wheels, though; something a little different than the usual Cragars, Magnum 500s or Torque Thrusts.

    Like 5
  4. Avatar dave Member

    Nice, but I wonder what the story is on the ‘55 chevy poking out of the unit in the first pic…

    Like 1
  5. Avatar David M. Sawdey

    Sweet Comet. Always liked the Comet better than the Ford Falcon

    Like 2
  6. Avatar Johnmloghry

    I really like these comets and Fairlane of this era. This particular example has a lot of possibilities. Wouldn’t take much to make it driveable, but obviously the entire interior needs to be replaced. The rust issues are not massive but should be taken care of very soon. The paint as far as I’m concerned is shot, thereby needing a paint job. Baby blue is not my favorite color so for me a color change is in order. I have three daughters, many grandchildren and nephews, nieces, nephews and a sister all living in the greater Tacoma area so I could possibly get someone to check it out, but you never know. I can see dropping another $10 grand in this to make it nice, so for $15,000.00 a person could have a nice classic.
    God bless America

    Like 1
  7. Avatar Tort Member

    Brings back memories of a Mercury Comet Cyclone racing at McBride Dragway, now Mid Michigan Motorplex in the sixties. Always been a Chevy guy but always liked the syling of 65 Comets.

    Like 2
    • Avatar Steve

      Was that a red/red car Tort?

      Like 0
  8. Avatar Kuzspike

    Sort of has a Gasser stance to it. I’d reverse that if it were mine. Not something you see much of anymore. nice resto-mod starting point.

    Like 1
  9. Avatar jerry z

    Just hope the floor and torque boxes are intact. Made that mistake buying a ’66 Cyclone 390 thirty five years ago. Make it a Jack Chrisman or Don Nicholson A/FX replica. Oh yea!

    Like 2
  10. Avatar Morley Member

    Oh how I wish it was a 4 speed and actually a 64 model Please there must be one out there.

    Like 0
  11. Avatar chrlsful

    top of the line for me (1 step better is cyclone GT but I’d set 1 of these up like it), still the lght body (econo car), straight lines B for the later ’60s, stacked hdlghts (1st yr? & lead the others?) never ‘blue’ – it is the oe color ‘frost turq’ – 9397376, a beaut!
    https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1967_Ford_Fairlane_Ranchero.jpg

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Terry

    My wife’s first ride was a Aquamarine, 1965 Calenite back in 1969, sure would love to replace it… need a good price.

    Like 1

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