Mercury’s Comet changed from the compact Ford Falcon platform to the intermediate Ford Fairlane platform for model year 1966, and Mercury’s entry-level offering traded its budget-minded focus for a more upscale and sportier place in the market. This 1967 Mercury Comet Caliente convertible in Saugerties, New York served one owner for its entire lifetime, being driven and garage-kept since new, according to the second owner-seller. The 289 V8 runs without issue, the power top works, and this baby blue Mercury seeks a new owner here on eBay where $15,495 makes it yours via Buy It Now, or you might get lucky with the Make Offer button.
The Caliente trim level topped the charts for the Comet, offering two-tone vinyl and other niceties. An even fancier Caliente Grande interior combined cloth and vinyl with diamond-tufted upholstery on seats and doors, but this looks just right, and vinyl is often default on a convertible that might get caught topless in a sudden rain shower. This classic wears its 94,000 miles well, and deviations from stock appear minimal.
A full-width trim bar and nicely scultped tail lights with integrated reverse lights takes the Mercury upscale compared to the Fairlane’s backside. Other pictures show a repainted left front fender in a slightly mismatched hue, but the unmolested Mercury offers little else to complain about.
Few 1967 cars retain their original air cleaner housing, supporting this Caliente’s one-owner status. Nothing obvious refutes the claim of lifetime garaging either. This tidy drop-top could make the perfect winter project, needing only a review of safety components front to rear before making its way to your favorite car show spots. Personally I like seeing cars in their natural condition, at least for a while, before they have their history erased and reappear in better-than-new perfection. Ironically, classic Mercuries often command less value than their comparable yet originally down-market Ford stablemates. Can you see yourself cruising in this garage-kept drop-top Comet?
I don’t think this looks very good in that exterior color.
What’s with all these cars in weird colors this week?
It’s an unusual color for its’ time – 10 years older or newer and it would’ve been a popular one – but I like it.
A truly uninspired design. Very not caliente.
Love everything but the drop top. Never liked a car that could be opened up with a RAZOR BLADE.
I had the same year same color combo, only mine was a hdtp. Anyone know why Mercury used two different style of taillights, vertical ( more
appealing) like this one and horizontal lights?
The 66 had horizontal taillights.
I too had the 67 hard top. Same color with a white vinyl top.
Sam, whoever buys this one is going to garage it and drive it on sunny days with the top down. I’ve had a 63 Impala convertible for 30 years and it’s only gone down the road a hand full of times with the top up.
If you have to park it outside with the top up, put everything valuable in the trunk and never lock the doors. That saves the crooks time cutting the top because they just get in and look around to find nothing of value.
My 63 does have a trunk release in the glove box, so a crook could get into the trunk but I doubt the average crook knows that the chrome knob in the glove box of a 63 Impala is the trunk release. I might even be able to lock the glove box, but I never tried it.
The real problem with a high performance convertible is . . . . if you get it upside down, a ton or two of steel comes down on your head. I was building the original 250 HP 327 in my 63 Impala into something a lot more when the local racing engine builder reminded me of the “No Roof” problem. I ended up with the original 327 block built into a 350 HP 327 with a 69 Z/28 top end. But I still remind myself of what could happen every time I get in it. In NW PA that’s not happening for a few months anyway.
That Also. My Cousin had a 64 Olds Dynamic 88 Convertible. ( Central Pa.) Mid Dec. and we hit a patch of Black Ice on Old RT 15. We hit the ditch and lucky it was the ditch. We were under it for about a 1/2 hour before someone got us out. NO DROP TOPS.
I can relate to this Sam as I grew up south of Pittsburgh for many years and then in Erie. Do you still live in PA?
In 67 yes, but who is going to drive a classic car today when there is black ice? My convertible is only driven in good weather.
Jack, I got the Hell out of Pa. in 1975. Joined the Navy. In 1985 they stationed me in Ebensburg for a year as a recruiter. When it snowed in April, I remembered one the reasons I left. Moved my ass back to Florida and the only time I got back now is for funerals.
there it is! The stacked hdlghts. I think the comet had it earlier than the bigger fairlane/ranch etc.
Not the fender scoops, tho. Friend has a 202 w/try BBD carbs.
G R E A T color (for the era) here’s nother the fairlane’n chero 1/2 way down the page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Fairlane_(Americas)
The Comet went to stacked headlights in 1965, one year before the Fairlane.
I read once that a study was done that found droptops less likely to be involved in a fatal accident than hardtops! They figured soft top drivers were more careful.
1966 Comet’s had horizontal tail lights 1967 Comet’s had vertical tail lights
1966 Comet’s had horizontal tail lights 1967 Comet’s had vertical tail lights
I’ve owned several convertibles in my fifty-five years of driving and I enjoyed each and every one of them. And if you think a steel roof will stop a determined thief then guess again. I popped many a door lock with a Slim Jim or wire coat hanger in a variety of cars because me or someone else locked their keys in the car. That started to get a lot harder in the 1990’s but a ’67 Mercury is a piece of cake. As to a rollover; well you are in deep stuff even if you have a bit of steel and glass overhead. We are talking vintage cars here. After a motorcycle the next best thing is a top down ride on a warm summer evening. Personally I like drop tops. My current one being a 1993 Jeep Wrangler. No doors either!
I love this car. Not in my (nonexistent) budget though. The trepidation over convertibles amazes me. I’m on drop top #5 and I’ve never had a car on its roof despite auto crossing, drag racing, track days and lots of black ice (the trick to surviving black ice is to always drive like there’s black ice).
Perhaps someone could explain to me what exactly a “Drop Top” is. I never heard that expression~
Drop Top is slang for convertible. When you put the top down you’ve dropped the top.
Bobby, I just turned 70 last month and I had never heard it called Drop Top till a couple of years ago.
Thanks for that info. I guess I was born under a rock all these years. (LOL0 I had many drop tops in my youth. I might add all automatic.
If a person is so afraid of getting hurt driving a vintage car, may I recommend quilting lol.