Having already made Comets for a dozen years through four generations, not to mention several totally different body styles and sizes, this 1971 Mercury Comet is what a lot of us automatically think of when we think of the Mercury Comet. This one can be found here on craigslist in historic Albuquerque, New Mexico and the seller is asking $3,900 or best offer.
1971 was the first year for the fifth-generation Mercury Comet and it was the first year of its kinship with the related Ford Maverick. These early small-bumper cars are preferred by most people, myself included. They were made through 1977 when they gave way to the new Mercury Zephyr for the 1978 model year. A show of hands who would rather have a ’71 Comet than a ’78 Zephyr? I thought so, me, too. It’s not that I don’t like the Mercury Zephyr because I do, but against a first-year two-door Comet, that’s a no-brainer to me.
This car has a flat right rear tire which is no big deal since the next owner will be getting new tires anyway. This Comet has been sitting since around 1996 so it’ll need to have every mechanical thing checked out thoroughly. They say that for sure it’ll need to have the gas tank boiled out and/or otherwise cleaned out since it’s been sitting for so long. I recently dug into an 8-hp snowblower that had been sitting for 5-6 years without being stored properly (i.e., draining gas or adding a fuel-stabilizer product) and the yellow-greenish gunky fluid that came out of the tank was horrendous.
The interior looks fantastic in that it has a three-speed manual on the floor! This car is looking better and better. The seats are a no-brainer to repair and most of the rest of the interior wouldn’t be a big problem to restore. There appears to be at least one decent-sized crack in the top of the dash which is unfortunate. Before this post went to “press”, the craigslist ad went away – luckily I saved it here.
The seller says that this dusty, dirty engine is a six-cylinder but they don’t say if it’s the base 170 cubic-inch inline-six or the 200 six. They say that it runs good but it should have the fuel system cleaned out. This looks like a great, fairly easy project for anyone wanting to jump into the old car hobby. Have any of you owned a fifth-generation Comet?
If it were an automatic, I’d buy it for maybe $2500. The floor shift in this car with straight 6 isn’t exactly a stoplight dragster, so give me the auto and I’ll just daily-drive this thing as-is, and 10 people a day will tell me how they had one in high school. I didn’t, but my friend did.
These tastefully restomodded with a V8 look very good. This one would be a good candidate.
“10 people a day will tell me how they had one in high school.” Yep, this is one of those cars (if one includes the Maverick) that ‘everybody’ had, back in the day. In my case, Grandpa had one, along with the sister of a friend.
What a great find, kind of the “Studebaker Scotsman” of the ’70’s. I remember, a lot of basic Fords had floor shifts. I think it was a lot cheaper than a column shift to make, but yeah, nothing sporty about this car. Amazing you could get a car like this. While these could be jazzed up considerable, this car was for someone that wanted a basic car, but was willing to spend the extra $200 bucks over a Maverick, mostly for the name Mercury. There was a vendetta agin the VW in the early ’70’s, which at the time was the least expensive car in America at $1,995.( The Gremlin under cut the VW by $65 bucks) I read a new Maverick could be had for around $2,000 and a base Comet like this about $2,200, so all the “cheapies” hovered around that range. They were great cars, took the abuse and non-maintenance well. Rust usually was the final nail in the coffin.
Howard A is so right. I ordered a 1971 Comet Gt for about 2150. I was 16 and my parents never had 2 cars so they let they let me buy something ‘practical’. When I saw the 3-speed manual in here it reminded me of my old one. After I modded the v8, bolted in a Mustang 4-speed, a nine-inch rear and decent radial tires (radials were pretty new back then) it was a little less practical but a whole lot faster! That car was a blast. It was so light and it put out decent power. Plus, the cars coming out after 1971 just kept getting slower. But the rust came, right on schedule, and I moved on.
I had a 1971 Comet GT Mercury Blue with a white top, 3 speed on the floor ($2995). I wish I could find it just to see what condition that it is in.
Posting has been deleted on this Comet. However, someone in Portales, NM is selling a 6 cyl still pictured in a 72 Maverick. Looks as though it could have been rebuilt sometime in the past with that blue paint?
I bet cars like this with a “beak”, such as some t-birds, cyclones, montegos, etc. had some body shop repair bills with those front ends.
Great find!! The neighbor that lived behind me growing up had one like this with a 6 and a three speed on the column!! He would give me a ride to school in it before I had my license!!! It was a cool little car!!!
I believe some of you have never driven a straight 6 with a 3spd. They were definitely sporty if you know how to use them. I grew up 2 cars st my disposal. 71 Mercury marquis wagon with a 4bbl 460 under the hood. But to be honest I probably had more fun with dad’s 70 fairlane green on green with rubber floor mats and column mounted 3pd behind a simple straight 6.
Tell a 16 year old that’s not sporty! Don’t think dad ever knew how I really learned to drive his cars. This comet is small/lighter and I’m guessing would have been even more fun/sporting.
RobT my first truck was a 69 ford van three on the tree with a 240 cubic inch six under the hood or more like next to you when you drove!! I’m still looking for another one!! I later had a 74 three speed with the 302!! I liked the six better!!!
don’t think any 6 cyl. Comets had floor shifts from the factory……