(first posted 7/14/2016) At the very beginning of this summer, I found myself taking inexpensive public transportation to the western Chicago neighborhood of Humboldt Park. One of my oldest friends from my ten-plus years in Chicago had made her annual return from Chile, where she had moved several years ago. Our mutual friends had some of us over to their house for beers, beats and conversation on their back patio. Whenever Shar is in town, I pretty much drop everything, knowing it will be another year before she and I will have another chance to catch up in person.
The neighborhood itself is beautifully flavor-rich with Latin American culture, and a welcome change from my own, diverse neighborhood up north in Edgewater. This was the canvas upon which I came across this Mercury Comet parked on the street not far from where my friends live, to the sounds of salsa and merengue music softly thumping in the background from a nearby house. This moment took my breath away.
I’ve never seen a Mercury Comet of this vintage in the wild, or an actual comet. I was in elementary school in 1986 when Halley’s Comet made its most recent appearance to the naked, human eye. Much was made at the time of it being the only such comet visible perhaps twice in one lifetime – every 75-76 years. I missed seeing Halley’s Comet back then, which was actually my first thought when I spotted this car. My second thought was that its paint (which might have been original for all its wear) looked like the color of Comet cleanser. It was, literally, a Comet-colored Comet.
This car has clearly led some kind of life, but it also looks completely stock and original – down to its painted steel wheels and dog-dish hubcaps. Referencing my title to this piece, perhaps this Comet hasn’t “fallen” so much as it has risen above what could certainly be much worse wear-and-tear from fifty-plus years of adventures. Even the trunk lid still has its pot-metal dealership emblem fastened to it, advertising one “Ron Butler” in a city and state I couldn’t quite make out. I didn’t risk taking interior shots, as house doors and windows were open, and I’ll admit it – I probably looked more than a little suspicious snapping all these photographs of this old Mercury. I’m glad I did, though.
The other thing that struck me about this Comet was just how Lincoln-like the front end styling appeared. The car on the above left is a ’63 Continental. The Comet’s “face” looks like a horizontally squished version of the big Connie, down to the quad headlamp arrangement, the horizontal line connecting each pair, and the placement of the turn signals. In direct profile, however, the Comet’s busy lines are in direct contrast to the Lincoln’s smooth sides.
This Comet is identifiable as a mid-range “404” model by the chrome trim on the sides. The four-door was the most popular 404 for ’64, with just over 25,000 sold out of 46,500 404 submodels, and out of almost exactly 190,000 Comets sold that year out of five bodystyles, including a convertible. (This was against close to 300,000 Ford Falcons sold for that year.)
It’s a blessing to be able to see stars as clearly as I can in my neighborhood in the city, and one of my favorite times to look up at the sky is dusk. Everything looks that much more magical against the backdrop of that luminescent indigo that appears before day turns to night. On this Friday evening in Humboldt Park, combined with the music and delicious food smells coming from nearby houses, and the tinkling bells of a passing ice cream truck, this ’64 Mercury Comet seemed to welcome me as a visitor to the neighborhood. Looking old and a little tired, yet content, it helped to set the tone for what ended up being a wonderful night with long-time friends.
Humboldt Park, Chicago, Illinois.
Friday, June 3, 2016.
Related reading from:
- Laurence Jones: Curbside Classic: 1964 Mercury Comet 202 – To the Moon and Back; and
- Paul Niedermeyer: Black Car Day Finale: 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente – Hot, But Not Exactly In The Best Way.
I didn’t pay much attention to Comets when they were new. Focusing on it now thanks to your pics and writing, the front end strikes me as more Nashy than Lincolny. Definite Pininfarina flavor.
Frankly, back in the day, most Comets weren’t worth the attention, much like their full-size brethren. I state this as more a judgment on FoMoCo’s handling of the brand than of the cars themselves.
Were they premium, or just fancy Fords? Depends on the year. Just like their full-size brethren.
I’m not a fan of the Montegos these cars became in the ’70s, yet I’ll acknowledge the positioning was more consistent. They seemed to have a more distinct and premium identity from their Ford equivalents.
I just remember, even as a kid in the late ’60s, there was something that stuck out about the ’64. It was special, having an extra cool factor, and in 2-door hardtop form, made a quintessential “dare to be different” hot rod.
Still, with all this said, today, any of these old Comets are a welcome sight. Cool find.
Joseph, Nice story and a good CC find. Humboldt Park looks like a nice place. It almost looks like the neighborhood car owners are giving this well worn classic a wide berth (but that may just be the camera angle).
I understand your reluctance to photograph the interior. Perhaps Paul should issue “Official Curbside Classic Photographer Cards”. We could wear them around our necks on identical Curbside Classic Lanyards.
Then you could get those interior shots with abandon. Notice I said you and not me. I’d be carted off for “observation” with or with out the CC Card.
Back to the car, over 50 years on the road and no rust. Does Chicago use salt during snow storms? That alone makes it a real curbside classic.
Rlplaut, those “CC Photographer Cards” sound like a great idea! I’m sure folks in my own neighborhood are used to seeing me walk around taking pictures of things, but it’s probably another story when I’m somewhere else…LOL.
Chicago does use plenty of salt during the winter – perhaps, though, not as much as I remember from where I grew up in mid-Michigan.
Good call on the conty face. Nice survivor.
Joseph, didn’t you see the Hale-Bopp comet back in the mid-’90s? I remember that thing being around for quite a while. One very late night, I “followed” it home on the freeway thinking, “I’d better pay attention. How many times will I be in a car chase with a comet?” 🙂
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Hale%E2%80%93Bopp
Ah, one of my other hobbies, Amateur Astronomy. Yeah, Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake almost exactly a year before it. Every generation seems to get lucky enough to have a “Great Comet”, and we were lucky enough to have two! After a disappointing Comet Halley in 1986, and the overrated Kohoutek in 1973, these two comets in 1996 and 1997 (counter-respectively) were awesome.
As to the Mercury Comet (a sungrazer with a name like that perhaps? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sungrazing_comet) ;o) – and the CC affect, about a week or so ago, I saw a beautiful bright red ’63 out and about on a sunny day. Sadly I wasn’t quick enough to get a picture, but if I had to guess, this guy was on his way to a classic car gathering.
Inspired connection, Aaron!
Aaron, I missed the Hale-Bopp! Sadly. Around that time, my energy was probably consumed with whether or not I would return to college that fall, and what I would do if I didn’t. But strangely, I hadn’t remembered that comet until you mentioned it! Thanks for jogging my memory with that one!
Theres a nice mint low mileage Comet that model round here it was on a used car lot recently that has a few US used imports, Not a car we had new we barely even had Falcons untill local assembly got underway in 66, you needed overseas funds to get one and a no remittance import licence, unless you were a farmer that was hard to get.
There’s a ’64 Comet hardtop around these parts, in that pale yellow common in this era. (I could look up what that color is called, but I don’t feel like it right now and in any case, I’m pretty sure most of you know the color I mean.) I’ve always like the ’64, although it’s right behind the ’64–’66 Thunderbird as my working definition of “jukeboxy” — lots of gratuitous detailing, some of it embellished liberally with chrome.
“Jukeboxy” is the perfect description, AUWM. I do like this car, though!
Nice looking car. I don’t mind the patina, as long as it doesn’t affect the structural integrity of the rest of the car.
My best friend’s father drove one of these back when we lived in Burlington VT. in the mid-60’s…they were a Mercury family since they later bought a ’68 Colony Park Wagon. Lots of chrome on both of them, and the image of the Mercury guy was also in chrome. My Grandfather was driving a ’63 Ford Fairlane at this time, which he thought of as a “small” car that didn’t ride as well as he wanted due to lack of weight…he later traded it in on a ’72 Chevy Biscayne, which I guess was the right size for a better ride….never drove his Fairlane, but did drive the Biscayne after his passing, before my Uncle got rid of it.
Interesting “balancing act” FoMoCo carries of on the Comet, Give a little Lincoln look in front to keep a family resemblance, but make sure the rest doesn’t copy it, so as to not “water down” the Lincoln!
Nice write-up Joseph. I never really noticed the styling similarity between the ’64 Comet and the ’63 Continental, but your picture shows that quite clearly.
Apparently, Wikipedia noticed it too…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Comet#1964.E2.80.931965
I really like your writing style. You really paint a picture with your articles. They definitely speak to the mantra of this fine site, “Every Car Has A Story”.
Thanks, Retro-Stang Rick – I appreciate that. I normally turn off the TV and music when I’m writing, to remember as many details and collect my thoughts as best I can. It seems to work. 🙂
Great find, Joseph, and wonderful, evocative writing as usual. Your descriptions make me feel like I’m actually there!
Love the Comet too, but there’s one thing that bothers me about it–why is the cut-out on the rear door lower corner *so far* ahead of the rear wheel opening? It just looks odd, and the curves don’t even quite match. Other than that, though, these Comets were quite good-looking (if somewhat busy).
Was the Comet on a longer wheelbase than the Falcon? Don’t have time to look it up, but for some reason that sticks out in my memory, which would explain the “filler panel”.
Yep, 114 inches vs. 109.5 inches…
The Comet, since 1960, was just a Falcon center section, with different skin, and a wheelbase stretch in the rear, hence the awkward “stretch marks” there. The Comet wagons had the same wheelbase as the Falcons, as tooling up a new wagon body would have been too expensive.
“…………but there’s one thing that bothers me about it–why is the cut-out on the rear door lower corner *so far* ahead of the rear wheel opening? It just looks odd, and the curves don’t even quite match.”
They learned that trick from GM, its the method they used to stretch the A and/or B-bodies to create Bonnevilles from the common Chevy-Catalina body shell.
Love these Comets. As a kid I noticed the Lincoln-like front end on these. I had no idea that Mercury sold nearly 2 Comets for every 3 Falcons sold – that was a really solid performance for a Mercury in the days before “The Sign of the Cat.”
My mother had a cousin who drove one of these – a beige sedan. At the time, I had assumed that it was older than a 1964. Our 64 Cutlass looked so much more modern than the Comet did – perhaps it was all of the chrome detail work on the Comet that was becoming scarce by 1964-65.
The 1960 Comet was something of a surprise hit, in terms of sales. I don’t have the numbers in front of me, but the numbers were very substantial. It proved that folks were wanting a nice, reasonable-sized car. And I think it somewhat blunted the success of the B-O-P midi-compacts, which might have directly led to them becoming mid-sizers in ’64. Or not. 🙂
Mercury dealers must have been very happy and pleasantly surprised in 1960, given the rough patch they were going through.
The 1960 Comet didn’t debut until early 1960, if I recall correctly, and it still scored over 100,000 sales for the 1960 model year. Given the desperate condition of Lincoln-Mercury in the late 1950s and early 1960s, I’d say that the Comet was more important to Lincoln-Mercury dealers than the Falcon was to Ford dealers.
Comet kept Lincoln-Mercury dealers alive from 1960 on, to wit, the calendar year production, in round figures, in thousands: 1960: 198; 1961: 186; 1962: 145; 1963: 151; 1964: 195; 1965: 162. It wasn’t until 1965 that full-sized Mercury sales exceeded the Comet, by then the Mercury Comet.
Whatever you do, never refer to a 1960 or 1961 Comet as a “Mercury Comet” within ear-shot of its owner, he’ll take great pains to inform you that his Comet was not yet a Mercury, wouldn’t be until 1962!
This was a sensory head-trip back to my NYC days. I could almost feel the weight of the Summer air, smell the barbeque smoke and spice on the breeze and hear the music and voices drifting out into the street from backyards and alleyways. Thanks for that. Urban Summers are a mixed bag. There’s so much that just just feels so communal and “right” about Summer in a tight city neighborhood, and then there’s the inherent CLOSENESS of it all, which gives an underlying intensity to daily life that’s not always welcome. The Comet’s a great catch, but the write-up itself really was a welcome 7 minute vacation to another place and time. This makes me feel all the more pleased with myself for booking a trip to NY next month to visit friends. Some would ask if I need my head examined for going to Harlem in August, but others among us know better.
MTN, thank you for the kind words, and I hope a few details of what I hope will be an awesome time for you in NY make their way to CC in some form!
So this is your way of shoehorning a 404 into 404 Week of Peugeot Fest Well played! 🙂
Paul, I was going to keep quiet, but I have to come clean – I hadn’t even thought of that. Perhaps in my subconscious. 🙂
This reminds me a lot of my Dad’s first car – a 1967 Ford Fairlane 4dr that he bought when I was about 8. I think the Fairlane was better looking.
Cool find, back in the day I used to walk by a ’64 Falcon and really liked the body style. Black with red interior, 2 door, V8, bucket seats.
The Comet, to me was a step backwards in the looks department. Why pay more for an awkward body style?
Now that the Conti connection of the grill has been pointed out, once again I can’t un “CC” it.
It is cool to see a 52 year old car still being used for its intended purpose on the streets.
I wonder if Peugeot objected to the 404 name. Around this time they stopped Porsche from using the 901. I believe it had a patent on 3 numbers with a 0 in the middle.
Lincoln-Mercury pushed the performance image in 1964 Comet advertising. Their record-setting 100,000 miles at 100 miles an hour endurance run at Daytona was heavily promoted in singing commercials on national network radio and television. The featured Comets were fastback Caliente two-door hardtops, built up like the full-size Mercuries driven by the likes of Darel Dieringer on the NASCAR circuit, but with the Comet’s smaller 289 c.i. engine. Four international sanctioning bodies oversaw the event.
“…roaring past the flag went a team of Comets,
Comets like you’ve never seen before!
“Especially equipped and prepared for high-speed driving…
For high-speed driving was their chore!
“A hundred thousand miles at a hundred miles an hour
On the banks of the rugged Big D!”
Five Comets started. All were still running at the end, but one had needed repair. The final record was 100,000 miles at 108.3 mph, and it took forty days and nights of continuous running with only normal pit stops for fluid replenishment, tires and driver changes. Existing records were all smashed long before, at 50,000 miles.
The lead Comet was preserved and still exists, even having run an additional 1,000 or so miles since Daytona.
CC here: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/great-28-car-number-9-and-cc-cinema-196465-mercury-comet-the-100000-mile-durability-champion/
A college friend had joint custody of one of these when we were in college, in the early seventies. In actuality Bob got to keep the Comet full-time because his sister was joined at the hip to her fiancé (later husband). It was a good vehicle for college because you could park it anywhere and not have to worry much about something happening to it. My most lasting memory was the Saturday Bob and I drove the Comet from Lexington to Paducah to take a bunch of stuff home for his sister. It was late in the school year and one of those Kentucky days with 85 degree temperatures and 80 percent humidity. The trip to Paducah went by without a problem, but on the trip back to Lexington a rear tire blew out. No real issues with losing control or anything but we did have to wait about 20 minutes for the wheel to cool down enough for us to change it. Good times.
These cars were quite common when I was younger. The hardtop coupes and convertibles with the optional, factory wheel covers that looked like chromed wheels – complete with what were supposed to be chrome lugnuts – really stood out at the time.
By 1964, the intermediate Mercury Meteor was gone, so the Comet filled the gap left by the Meteor’s demise, while keeping one foot in the compact market. The 1964 restyle tried to make the car look “bigger” and “more important” to fill this role. I’m sure that the front’s resemblance to the front of contemporary Lincoln Continentals was part of that plan.
For 1965, Mercury gave the Comet stacked headlights and smoothed out the sides and tail. It’s not a bad-looking car, but this 1964 model has worn better over time, in my opinion.
The 64 Comet uses elements from Lincoln both front and rear: the Continental in the grille and the tail treatment and lights and gingerbread from the 58-60 Continental, used in much the same way as the 61 and 63-64 Monterey. The Comet also mimicked the convex shape of the full size 64 Mercury grille.
The body sculpturing is also as dramatic as the 58-60 Lincoln, though having the same door skins as the Falcon dictated that more than anything from Lincoln’s book.
I drove one of these back from where it had been left by a friend after a night of drinking at the Oar House in Santa Monica. Well used, it took half a turn or more to get the car to respond to it’s steering. Entering a curve to get to the 101 was scary.
OMG, the Oar House in Santa Monica, I hadn’t thought of that in years. I used to go there when I was in graduate school at USC circa 1970-72. I remember some very blottoed evenings there. Not that I want to admit to it now.
From CC: the profiles are similar in their basic lines. Especially the trim strip that runs from front the rear at an angle.
65 was when Mercury got serious about their Lincoln connection with their cars being built in the “Lincoln Continental Tradition” according to the ads of the day. The 65 full sizers even won the Car Life Car Of The Year enginnering type award
The Lincoln theme didn’t really filter down to the smaller offerings, though.
Dweez,
Actually, the taillights on the ’62 Comet S 22 were the same part as the ’60 Continental taillights (see your picture above).
I love hearing the first-hand accounts and mostly love for these Comets!
And I, too, was shocked when I found in my Encyclopedia Of American Cars that the Falcon had outsold the Comet by only a ratio of 3-2.
Rachel Veitch got over 550,000 miles out of a 1964 Comet. Ford seems to have produced very durable cars that year.
Rachel Veitch, a wonderful woman, who has a great perspective on life, being grateful for all she has, even while going blind. She had to stop driving her Comet after 576,000 miles.
A great quote from her circa 2009: “”When I buy gas, I write down the mileage, the date and how many miles per gallon I got. I’ve never been a destructive person and I’ve just taken care of everything, except my husbands.”
Having had both a ’63 Continental and ’64 Comet Caliente as convertibles, there were no other comparisons other than the imitation Lincoln styling pasted on the front and rear. It did make the ’64 front quite attractive, though looked like a big car mask held on with long rubber bands down the sides and across the rear. Mercury had been doing watered-down variations of the ’58-’60 Lincoln rear styling on various series since 1961.
Its an indication of the dearth of styling ideas Mercury studios had to see vague imitations happily stuck on its mid-level offerings. But, they’d do it again to the big Mercury for ’65, this time apply not only mediocre frontal styling for their all-new full-size line but also restyle Lincolns to match. The marketing folks were happy with their “Styled in the Lincoln Continental tradition”, but it was just a lousy hack job.
Thanks for the memories of my first car. Same color too. 260 V8, 3 speed C4 A/T.
Bought it for 375 dollars when it was 9 years old in 1973. Learned a lot about mechanics too, punctured carb float, leaking transmission, brakes and bad motor mounts. Still was a great ride and if not for the four doors….Well it didn’t keep it from shutting down a 1970 LeMans one night on a quiet Nor Cal Interstate….California’s add on smog control for 66-70 models really choked performance.
I enjoyed reading your story. Looks like a rather peaceful scene on the street of a big city. I dig it. (Luv those ‘dog-dish’ hubcaps on the Comet).
My name is Wayne Schmitt, and I purchased this 1964 mercury comet off on north ave and Kenzie. I bought it off of an older Hispanic man and over the summer I have fixed the car up to a good running automobile. I remember coming to pick the car up with my girlfriend on a hot summer day. You could tell the car has been outside most of its life, but surprisingly everything on the car worked. Me and the owner took a test drive, and the car had is flaws and kinks and showed its age, for a 54 year old car she was a true survivor. I asked the gentlemen how much do you want for the car, and he replied by asking 1500 dollars, and we ended up settling on 900 bucks. As I drove home I was the new owner of this Mercury. I have painted and the car, done engine and upholstery work, but she needs a lot more work. As I was looking for parts tonight, I stumbled upon this photo, and thought I should respond by showing a before and after picture. Hope you enjoy. She is know my daily driver.
Wayne, thank you so much for posting this! Too cool! When I got these photos, it was early June, so the next time I’m that way, I’ll have to check out the new paint.
I must have missed when you posted these pictures on Saturday – it was a busy weekend. Peace and be well!
This is the progress so far of the 64 Mercury Comet.
Looks awesome! I dig the pin-stripes on the hood.
Beautiful car, thank you for preserving it!
CC QOTD: What’s your first reaction when you see the numbers 404?
1) Peugeot
2) Comet
3) HTTP error code for URL not found
4) Atlanta area code
5) Other
Some of the many aviation buffs here, might choose ‘5) Other’. As when I’m browsing this site, I may occasionally think readily of the Martin 404.
I took this pic roughly a decade ago in a parkade. Couldn’t resist.
That’s hilarious, assuming it’s a random state-issued plate.
I’m pretty sure it was!
.
We have a winner!!
Atlanta (lived in Dallas GA as a kid), then almost immediately or simultaneously the error code, then Mercury, then nothing.
Looks better than this 1964 Comet does after modifications gone horribly wrong 😑 (NSFW language)
https://youtu.be/5oO226PgSkg
This is hard to watch. If I smelled brakes on my standard 2 barrel 289 with all of 180 hp I’d have stopped like, NOW and investigated.
Hoping to get mine pass the Austrian inspection and on the road soon after a 2 year hiatus due to the C and g/box issues…