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V8 Project: 1972 Mercury Comet GT

In the early 1960s, Ford introduced the Falcon, and the Mercury Comet was born. A decade later, the same thing happened again with the Maverick and Comet. So, you could say lightning struck twice – and we mean this in a good way. This 1972 Comet GT is apparently part of a group of 60 cars that is in the process of being liquidated. While the motor is said to be strong, the rest of the car needs help. It’s located in Miami, Florida and available here on Barn Finds Classifieds for $3,500.

The Comet was a Mercury nameplate between 1962-69 and again from 1971-77. At first it was a compact, then an intermediate and then a compact again. For the sixth and final generation (1971-77), the Comet was mostly a re-badged Maverick, which Ford had found great success with. Most the sheet metal was shared between the two cars, but the Comet had a different grille, taillights and hood. Its taillight pods were from the 1970-71 Montego. The Comet GT was muscle car largely in trim, featuring a blacked-out grille, dual body-side tape stripes, high-back bucket seats, wheel trim rings, dual racing mirrors, bright window frames, black instrument panel, deluxe door trim panels, and a simulated hood scoop. The most potent engine available to the Comet GT was the 302 cubic inch V-8 rated at 138 hp net. Thanks, Wikipedia, for some Comet info.

Maverick sales were always higher than the Comet. For example, in 1972 Ford sold 230,000 Mavericks while Mercury found 66,000 Comet buyers. That would include the seller’s car, which is described as a Ford in the headline, but it’s really a Mercury. The seller tells us the motor is running well and we must wonder if it’s not been tweaked given the possible racing slicks on wide wheels in the back. The transmission a C-6 heavy duty automatic flanked by a 9-inch rear end with posi-traction.

The body looks straight overall, and no major rust jumps out, but we wish the photos would drill in closer so we could better determine. While the car has surface rust here and there, the hood has it 100% so we’re guessing the hood is not original to the car since there is no apparent simulated hood scoop. The interior is going to need an extreme makeover, from seat covers and headliner to the dash pad. The true mileage of the car is not given, and its title is missing, so we assume the car will be sold with a bill of sale and the buyer will have to work it out with the tag agency.

Comments

  1. Avatar Jim

    Would love to find one of these in nice condition. This one obviously isn’t it.

    Fun peppy little car. The 302 was plenty of engine. Got one for my girlfriend back in the late 70s and always liked to get a chance to drive it.

    Like 5
  2. Avatar Al_Bundy Member

    Such a delight to see this featured ! 1987 ranks among the best summers ever for me. I turned 16, got my license and my $300 1972 Comet GT. Red with black vinyl interior and all the trim as described. Drums at all 4 corners ! The 302 had plenty of zip for an inexperienced driver and the stock non-posi rear end would spin rubber off the drive wheel with ease. Almost every night me & my friends would go “thrashin” in it. We’d burn the rubber down to the cords of the 195/14 tires and just rotate them as needed, then get more rubber at the junkyard every couple weeks. The funniest part was the car always filling with rubber smoke since the quarters were rusted allowing all that smoke inside. We’d run it out of oil, overheat it and it just kept on running great. After owning 9 months it finally gave up after all the neutral slams/ reverse into drive shifts at speed. Amazing the C-4 didn’t die sooner. Ended up driving it home about 4 miles in reverse and it sat in my parents driveway and rotted while I would borrow the family Volare. Fuel and brake lines finally rusted through and I put together funds to buy a 1979 Capri 5.0 which I didn’t beat too hard. The insurance company forced me into a 4 banger fox less than a year later as I had a penchant for collecting traffic citations. Thanks for the write up, nice to relive the summer of ’87 in Columbus, OH. What a year and summer 2020 has been, ugh…..

    Like 7
  3. Avatar Troy s

    Yeah, 2020 has been a…….ed up year to say the least. Kinda like this Comet GT, it needs recovery or else. Odd ad that states it came with a C6 and 9 inch posi unit,,, no factory built Comet or Maverick ever came with a 429 or 400 that I know of, that transmission wouldn’t fit the small 302 or even the 351 Cleveland for that matter. Maybe I’m misreading what the seller claims.
    It could definitely have that now as installed by a hard core motorhead at some point, that would be a real thriller !!
    Always interesting to see these former creations.

    Like 2
  4. Avatar James Schwartz

    Just an observation about just how much better these very early Mavericks/Comets look with the small bumpers than the later years with those massive ridiculous bumpers.
    The first couple years of these cars are the ones to have imo.
    A good looking car in 71-72.

    Like 2
    • Avatar Jim C

      Agree with you completely. Loved the look of the early Mavericks and Comets.

      Like 1
  5. Avatar Phlathead Phil

    Still just an oversized Pinto. Many of the parts are of its younger brother.

    Like 0
    • Avatar bone

      How do you figure that ? other than things like the taillights and the steering wheel that Ford used on everything, this is totally different from a Pinto . Different platform ,Different drivetrains , different wheelbase , different size .

      Like 3
      • Avatar Al_Bundy Member

        Flathead fill isn’t wrong in saying that parts between the Maverick and Pinto are similar, but they are nowhere near the same and few parts interchange.

        You can compare the Pinto to Mustang II, not a Pinto to a Maverick.

        Like 2

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