Every now and then, a simple, honest project car pops up that feels like a blank canvas, and this 1972 Mercury Comet listed on craigslist out of Jackson, California might fit that description. Priced at $3,995, it’s being presented as a complete project that hasn’t been modified into something else yet, which is getting harder to find. Between the original California plates and the straightforward drivetrain, it’s the kind of car that could go a lot of different directions. Thanks for the tip, Rocco B.!
The seller describes it as a Grabber Blue car with a white interior, powered by a 200 cubic-inch inline-six and paired with a manual 3-speed floor shift. That alone already sets a tone, it’s not a high-option muscle car, but more of a basic, driver-focused setup from the start. It’s also said to have factory air conditioning, a radio, and a bench seat, which lines up with what you’d expect from a Comet of this era.
There’s also some history tied into it. The listing calls it an original owner car and notes that it still carries its original blue plates, along with San Bernardino Ford plate frames. Those little details tend to catch attention, especially for people who like cars that haven’t been through multiple transformations over the years.
Condition-wise, the seller is pretty direct. They say the car needs a complete rebuild and restoration, but also describe it as a strong starting point. According to the listing, there’s a small rust spot in the left rear lower quarter, with no other rust mentioned. They specifically call out the floors, rockers, and window areas as being solid, though that’s something buyers would likely want to confirm themselves.
What makes this one a bit more interesting is the optional drivetrain package the seller is offering separately. For additional cost, there’s a 5.0-liter V8 from a 1994 Mustang, along with a T5 5-speed transmission, Explorer intake, and a complete wiring harness with factory computer. The seller frames it as a relatively straightforward swap, which opens the door to turning this mild Comet into something much more lively.
From an enthusiast perspective, this is where things get interesting. You could keep it close to original and bring the six-cylinder car back to life, or lean into the V8 swap and build something more performance-oriented. Either way, it doesn’t sound like the car has been heavily altered yet, which gives the next owner a lot of say in how it turns out.
At under $4,000 for the car itself, it feels like an entry point rather than a finished product. That’s not a bad thing, it just depends on what you’re looking for.
The seller right, this would make for a good candidate for a V8 and 5spd swap. Not sure if he’d be a good source or if it’s better to source them yourself, the price might be too high for a project Comet that probably needs everything.
Steve R
Unless this Comet was Frank Sinatra’s weekend getaway decoy car? This car will be equipped with a V-8 before the ink dries on the title transfer.
Are you kidding me? In rough condition for $4k and “could have” a V8 (if a new owner installed one!).
This MIGHT be worthwhile if half that work was already done. Otherwise HA.
i see a 1k parts car here. there are better 1s out there
Hey its worth a shot toss it out there with this price and see if it sticks. Personally if it was in my yard and the engine was strong I would pull the drive train for a different project and part this thing out. Yes I know the little 6 cyl aren’t the most powerful things out there but somewhere there is a 65 mustang missing its engine and you could get it back on the road.
Just what I had been looking for AND it’s only 1.5 hours away. Plus the engine swap parts are there already. But, it would be so far back on the project list it just won’t fly. To build something different, install the T5 speed. (it bolts right up to this engine) And then take a walk through the Clifford catalog. With “some” performance mods and some added rear gear. (3.73?) It won’t be a screamer, but could just be a fun, different, daily driver.
Two things I noticed. A totally junked up rusty dirty items on floor that look like theyve been there for years. Not the best photo for a sale. The other thing is the 66 F100 parked next to it. Might be a better deal? As said, too much for this car. Take a half hour to remove the trash.
A lot of haters here. I think it’s a good candidate for windsor/4 spd swap. Those small bumpers and grabber blue original color would seal the deal for me but $2500 is the right number.
How is that hood being held up? Somebody must be on the roof of the car.
Or extremely rusted hinges
Or it’s tied to rope hanging from a tree branch, LOL!
So few nice restored Comets and Mavericks around. I don’t really understand why. They were great looking cars, and with an 8 cylinder in them, they’d really scoot.
I agree! The body shape really speaks to me. Lowered down an inch or two. With tires and wheels that will up the fenders and some additional horsepower. And you would have a nice cruiser.
Yeah, for sure. I don’t know how much these weigh but with a V8, I would imagine they would be quick!
Haven’t seen one of these in person in a long, long time. Probably since maybe the 80s? And the last one I remember seeing was when there used to be a street racing scene in Brockton, MA and there was a white Maverick with red flames on it. It was really wicked cool!
The center section of the grille is missing and finding a replacement could be hard, but other than that and the taillight panel, everything else is stock Ford and Maverick parts. True, wrecked parts cars and NOS parts are getting harder to find, but not yet impossible. $4k seems a bit much for this one, though, given the condition both inside and out. A lot depends on how much the seller wants for the 5.0L and T-50 five-speed to go with it, and what kind of shape they’re in! Throw both in for an extra grand, and it might be worth it, but without the V8 and five speed to go with it, this is a $2k car, maybe $2500 at most. Oh, and BTW, the A/C is an aftermarket unit, not a factory installation, so deduct points for that!
This one will take a lot of money, time and effort to bring back to reasonable condition, especially if you don’t have a place to work on it and/or the skills to tackle the body and paint work yourself! California car or not, these were unibody rust buckets back in the day, which is why so few are left. As part of the restoration, I’d try to find a pair of bucket seats from a Comet/Maverick with the Luxury decor Option (LDO), as well as the factory A/C vents and factory HVAC control panel, and ditch the aftermarket “knee knocker” unit, LOL!
The Craigslist pictures show significant rust bubbling through the paint in the lower rear quarter panels, so if that’s the only significant rust, it’s not horrible. But if there’s more rust hidden under that paint, look out! Here be dragons! Can you say, “Money Pit”? Sure you can! The presence of air vent knobs and air vents in the package shelf confirm that this is NOT a factory A/C car! A factory A/C car would have eyeball vents at each corner of the package shelf and the manual air vent knobs would be gone!
If I were going to do a full restoration/restomod version, I’d strongly consider adding an aftermarket frame, if the budget could stand it, to stiffen the notoriously flexible body and allow the shock towers to be cut away, to give more space in the engine bay for something bigger, like a Coyote or 572 big block, LOL!
An outfit called “Maverick Man” offers a wide variety of hop up parts for both the Comet and the Maverick, including carbon fiber hoods and deck lids, functional hood scoops and suspension pieces, among other things (see link below).
https://maverickman.com/
Like the skinny bumpers
Me too. The park benches really ruin the style of there Comets/Mavericks.
I’m with you on the skinny bumpers, but I like the turn signals above the bumper rather than below it, and the proper glove box and three-point seat belts the later models got. If I could get a post ’73 model, then back fit the skinny bumpers to replace the Federal “Bash Beams”, that would be ideal!
An uglified maverick, not worth the asking
Wouldn’t uglified mean someone made it that way? Maybe thru neglect but not intentional. Some call it patina.
Oldsmobile and pontiac uglified the nova and merciry uglified the maverick
True, but that was how business was done back in the day. Throw some extra chrome and a vinyl roof on a down market model to make it suitable for the more expensive models, and call it good. Thus, a Ford Maverick became a Mercury Comet. A Chevy Nova became a Buick Apollo, an Olds Omega or a Pontiac Ventura. A Plymouth Valiant became a Dodge Dart, or a Plymouth Duster became a Dodge Demon/Sport. This extended throughout the model lineup, as even the full-size cars got the “uglification” treatment, as the only thing between Steve McGarrett’s Mercury Marquis and Dan-O Williams Ford Custom 500 was some extra chrome and hideaway headlamps, LOL!