Steep hills and Victorian houses–but not San Francisco.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like (after a few decades) to get another example of your first car? Well, I decided to do just that, and the results were not quite what I expected…
First Comet when I had it, circa 1987.
My parents gave me this 1962 Mercury Comet S-22 when I got my license at 17. Mom had purchased it used back in ’64, and by the time I got it, it had well over 100,000 miles and quite a bit of rust-out which I repaired using Bondo and other dubious methods (story here).
Me and the Comet, 1977.
I have owned several cars from the late 50s-early 60s (plus a number of modern daily drivers) since I sold the first Comet in 1990. But childhood memories affect you throughout your whole life, and I started to wonder what it would be like to drive a 1st-generation Comet after 33 years. Would it be the way I remember it?
Lincoln-Mercury publicity photo.
I was always intrigued by the earliest Comets from 1960-61 with their bigger fins and oddly slanted oval taillights. I occasionally saw these growing up–they were Comets like Mom’s car, but older and kind of mysterious. So I thought if I got another Comet, it might be one of these early oval taillight models.
Another sad victim.
Ah, but where to find one? Nearly all of these were consumed by rust, wear, and neglect half a century ago. Very few early Comets come up for sale today, and those that do are often rust-buckets in bad shape, or are heavily modified, gassers, etc.
But then in late July of 2023, I found this one on Facebook Marketplace. Not too far from me, almost no rust (except for the leading edge of the hood), and mostly original paint.
It had been sitting at an elderly person’s house for a long time–maybe 15 or 20 years. Does it run? Yes–like garbage. Won’t idle. Horrible exhaust leak. “Can I drive it?” “Sure.”
Trashed!
I got behind the wheel with the young, tattooed, muscular seller (who likes sky diving!) and off we went, chugging down the side streets of Elmwood Park (East Paterson) NJ. I had to use left foot braking and pop the car in neutral and rev at every stop sign to keep from stalling. With the exhaust leak, the Comet sounded like a wicked hot rod (or a cement mixer), as we rattled the windows of nearby houses everywhere we went!
144 cubic inch six; 90 HP.
At about 20 MPH I punched the accelerator and the car jumped ahead–which kind of surprised me because I thought this engine/transmission combination would be a real dog. This told me that the engine was basically healthy and the car had some pep.
We got back and agreed on a price: $3000. And that included–miracle of miracles–a rust-free extra hood and a pair of bumpers with no rust pitting on them!
The seller and I went to the house in Hasbrouck Heights where the Comet originally came from. I got the hood and pulled a set of bumpers out of the weeds. In this Google Street View, you can make out what I believe is the Comet under those white tarps in front of the garage door.
What can you get in the collector car market for $3000 these days? Answer: Not much. But I got this.
Shiny new parts.
First thing to do was get it running right and fix all the problems. Adjusting the carb and running some Marvel Mystery Oil through the gas smoothed out the idle. New starter. Then–that most dreaded of all automotive repairs–replacing the exhaust manifold without snapping any bolts! Warren and Jeremy at Kanter Auto Restoration managed to do it, as well as going over the brakes and other miscellaneous repairs. So major kudos to them! I also put in a set of horns from a ’67 or ’68 Mustang (locally sourced from Craigslist).
The bottom edge of the hood was rusted through, but I now had an extra hood!
The hood is white but the car is Batmobile black. I repainted it at home.
Switching hoods.
Also from Craigslist, I hired a local Mobile Auto Body Repairman (“Jake”) to help me switch hoods, replace the rusty back bumper with a nice one, and attach a missing Comet script on the front fender.
New hood installed–no more rust!
A previous owner had painted the grille black for some reason, so I resprayed it bright silver.
Rusty rear bumper replaced with a clean one.
From “trashed” to “neat”.
Driver’s door panel is remarkably intact.
I repaired and “leveled out” the damaged front seat using patches of lamb’s fleece, cotton batting, and heavy cloth. Then covered the seat with a seat cover which also came with the car (but was not installed).
Intergalactic “Jet Age” chromium instrument panel sparkles when polished. All lights and gauges work. Mileage reads 48,000.
The tires were 1990s or older and ugly, so they were replaced with new Milestar whitewalls: $70 each, which isn’t that expensive for new tires. Full wheelcovers sourced from eBay.
So there it is! But what is it like to drive? Is it the way I remember?
Pictured at the John Hill School, Boonton NJ.
For one thing, when I was young the Comet seemed “big”. Now it seems “small”.
1960’s smallest and biggest cars from Lincoln-Mercury: Comet and Lincoln. The Lincoln originally cost over twice as much as the Comet, and is almost 3 feet longer and 10 inches wider.
The Comet engine sounds just the way I remember it, especially at idle. This engine is quieter than the one in the old ’62 because of the new exhaust manifold, muffler, and pipes. The view over the hood, little details of the dash and interior–all very familiar. These cars are solidly built like little tanks.
Gunsight fender ornament–little finely crafted details like this give the Comet its unique charm.
Out on the road, manual steering “feels like a ’50s car”. Steering is slow but smooth, kind of vague in the center, and going around corners requires a lot of “hand-over-hand” motions like you were taught to do in Driver’s Ed.
The brake pedal is harder to push than expected–even after the brakes were adjusted and gone over.
The ride is not as good as I thought it would be, even after new tires. It’s a little stiff and unrefined–not up to the level of a “Torsion-Aire” 57-61 Plymouth/Dodge, or a “Jet-Smooth” 59-60 Chevrolet. Handling is pretty good–you can go around fast turns with little lean.
The engine sprung a surprise–I thought that the 144/automatic combination would be annoyingly slow. Turns out, it’s better than I thought. I may be pressing down harder on the accelerator for a given level of performance, but for normal driving it does what it’s supposed to do.
As a test, I drove up this steep hill in town. Up we went at a decent clip, The Little Engine That Could, with no strain, hesitation, knocking, excessive noise, or any other problems.
I went to my parents’ house . . .
Mom sitting behind the wheel of a Comet for the first time since about 1985.
Dad says, “There’s a lot of empty space in there!”
Would you buy a used car from this man? (Photo by Jacqueline Braun–she thinks the Comet is “Cute!”)
By the way, I’m willing to sell–if anyone’s interested in this Comet, let me know.
So should you buy that lost car from your youth? Will it be as good as you thought it was, or maybe worse, or a mixture of both? Remember–the car hasn’t changed, but you have!
For further reading:
Car Of A Lifetime: 1962 Mercury Comet S-22
Forgotten Future: 1960 Edsel Comet
CC Literature: Secret Classified Documents Revealed–“The Comet Story” (1960)
TOTGA: 1960 (Not Yet Mercury) Comet–Crisis Averted
Steven, what a story! I love it! Nothing like family history mixed with cars. I’ve been there and done that with Buicks. In 1971 I bought a 66 Comet 3 Spd. with a 200 inline 6. It was a great car to beat on and took it like a champ. I was just 18 years old in 71. Great times back then. Thank you for sharing, I couldn’t stop reading your story. I’m a native New Yorker from The Bronx, not too far from Patterson, NJ. I lived in NJ after I married my wife, 50 years ago. We lived in Ft Lee, NJ, Edgewater, NJ, and Cliffside, Park, NJ. Have a good week
Stephen… As the title of my 3rd COAL read: COAL: 1961 Comet – Not Nearly As Bad As I Expected , these were neat little cars.
Now, if my Comet (also a dark 4 door) had had an automatic transmission, my marriage might have lasted longer than it did.
While it seems one can go home again, I’d rather read about your fun with the Comet than try it myself.
Your mom seems really comfortable and happy in the Comet.
Your dad looks like he’s thinking how easy it would be to change the plugs (that’s what I always look for when I open a car’s hood).
Finally, where did you get that used car seller’s sweater?
Wait, WAIT , women think the Comet is cute? That is news to me!
Steve, you are a great raconteur! Love the history. My wife and her sisters bought a 1963 Comet two-door in 1970 through a relative. They paid twice what it was worth at the time. They paid $600.00. However, the three sisters drove it, then the fourth sister drove it when she was old enough to drive and my mother-in-law learned to drive on it and drove it to work. All these ladies are easy on cars. The Comet stayed in the family until about 1976. Now, Bronxite Anthony, I lived at 2206 Valentine Avenue at the corner of 182nd Street, two blocks east of The Grand Concourse and across the street from St. Simon Stock School. Where did you live? We could easily walk to Arthur Avenue where my mother would purchase Italian specialties and my brother and I would go on our own and buy fireworks – the exploding type, which were illegal in New York.
Kanter automotive restoration? are they the same as the famed Mail order Kanter vintage auto parts supply biz?
NJ does seem to be the right location. I recall first seeing ads for kanter automotive in hemmings “magazines” from newsstands in the 1980s. those were more like big 8×11 paperback books with 3/4″ thick spines.
Kanter sold a vast array of front end parts & other suspension parts for most classic domestic cars Including complete front suspension component rebuild kits
“Do it once & Do it right”.
I had bought a 63 galaxie for my first car in late 1984, having grown up in those vintage Fords as a kid. remember getting inner shafts for the upper A arms from Kanter, but not getting them installed before i sold it. bought another 63 galaxie in worse shape -to winter drive – & with v sagged rear springs. Kanter sold air shocks. I installed a pair of those to get the back end up higher.
yours is a V cool comet.
and a story that really gels with my own auto history DNA.
Still, i would never buy another copy of my First car. I have come to enjoy driving much smaller cars.
current fleet: ’13 MINI clubman purchased off the showroom floor. 2000 kinda civic hatchback coupe, 87 ford escort wagon – both v low mileage- inherited from elderly male relatives. – their last cars. Even my SUV- a Honda Element – is pretty small for the times.
Maybe comet or falcon would be my gateway drug to midcentury antique drivers now. tho more likely a brit ford anglia would have greater appeal.
Galaxies were many things, but small? not among their charms.
My galaxies were great platforms to learn general auto maintenance and repair skills on- everything from valve seals , wheel bearings & brakes to mechanical repairs of gas tank support straps and Military field hospital level Auto body repairs. no aesthetic plastic surgery.
I watched my lifelong shade tree mechanic dad’s thought process in diagnosing the “winter” galaxie’s weird automatic transmission problem.
didnt shift to 2nd till about 30 and into high at around 55. turned out to be the kickdown linkage was not operational. corrosion at linkage pivots. the car always drove downshifted- till he solved with a little penetrating oil, then some better grease and it became a docile driver again.
part of my reason to spring for an odd first car was my dad still had his 63 languishing in the yard. figured it could be a part donor. and it did serve that purpose- in the best way. he had gotten the starter rebuild just before some bigger failure put that car to pasture. and his rebuilt one was sitting on the basement steps. waiting for me when mine stopped engaging the engine. 3 bolts, an electrical connection and i was back to reliable starting.
as for the Article’s Comet, the paintwork looks pretty decent for largely original. nicely done revival of a curbside survivor.
My first car in 1970 was a ’62 Buick Special station wagon. V6 with 3 on the tree the car had two rare options: 15 inch wheels and limited slip differential. I drove it about 15 months and sold it to my uncle.
Would I want another one? Meh. If a decent one turned up maybe but they are probably more rare than a ’60 Comet. And, as I have many vehicles in my collection with 1/2 of them on the road I wouldn’t have much time to drive it anyway.
Mine was a 1961 Ford Sunliner. Black with red and white interior, 352 2-BBL and Cruise-O-Matic. I would like to have another, or at least drive one. In my memory it was really nice to drive, with a fairly low cowl and great feel through the unassisted steering.
What a great article! I think the two from my past I would retry for kicks would be the ’69 Lemans and the ’73 Hornet.
What a great find, and story! I’m extremely impressed at your willingness to buy and rehab this survivor. The end result looks great. Also, I love the photos of your mom and dad with the Comet – that alone may have made the whole endeavor worthwhile, and I’m not sure if it was intentional, but your mom’s outfit is very well coordinated with the Comet’s interior colors.
To answer your lead question: Yes, I have occasionally wondered what it would be like to sit behind the wheel of my first car again. However, in my case, I’d prefer to (paraphrasing the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) to go Home Again in my Heart, rather than in reality. I suspect I’d find my first car to be mindbogglingly slow and rattly. But it’s fun to think about.
Great picture here with the Lincoln as well – the overall scene looks convincingly like 1960.
Just as I left home after high school, my parents saw fit to upgrade their much hated ’59 Rambler American to a ’61 Ford Falcon station wagon.
As I had my own car by then, I didn’t need to borrow theirs anymore. However I did drive it a few times and went with my dad when he picked up the car. Unlike our Rambler, the Falcon was equipped had the same 2 speed automatic/144 six combination your Comet featured.
Having the opportunity to drive the Rambler and the Falcon back to back, I was a bit surprised to find that the Rambler – which I had always cursed as a dog – felt quite a bit peppier than the Falcon. This “feel” was probably aided by the Rambler’s 3 speed stick and I imagine the 2 door Rambler body was lighter than a Falcon wagon body. Of course, the Falcon seemed a much nicer car in almost every respect.
While period Falcons (or Comets) were rarely an object of teenage automotive lust, at least they were cars that wouldn’t immediately brand a high school driver as terminally geeky like the Rambler.
I can understand your attraction to getting another Comet. My high school auto memories were formed by our Rambler rather than the Falcon. As terrible as the Rambler seemed at the time, I do admit to the odd sentimental tug when I occasionally see one by the side of the road. That’s as far as I let it go though. If I were to bring one home, I think the wife would quickly be on the phone to my doc telling her that terminal dementia has hit me.
Great post, Stephen! You’re one CC’er that not only talks the talk but also walks the walk. Should you decide to keep it, the little Comet will make a neat addition to your CC collection. If not, I hope it finds a good caretaker (and that you get a decent price.)
Nice Comet. But what about that Unimog? Tell us more!
That belongs to my brother. Good for plowing that big driveway in the snow.
Excellent work all round, Stephen! Sweet little car; nice to see it saved.
My first car was a little gem that my older brother unexpectedly gave to me as he was heading to a contract job in Greenland: a 1963 Corvair Monza 4-door with the higher output engine and 4-speed. This was in 1973.
I loved it and drove it on several wonderful trips. And I knew it was already something a bit special and that I should find somewhere to store it for my old age. Needless to say that did not happen. I’ve toyed with the idea of getting another Corvair but I just don’t have room in my life for another project. But I’d be sorely tempted if one crossed my path.
By the way, I’m willing to sell–if anyone’s interested in this Comet, let me know.
I’m seriously tempted.
It is a super-cute car and I have had plenty of experiences with a 1963 Falcon Futura.
Now – where could I keep it and would my wife let me bring it home?
It’s like the cute puppy dog or kitten that just follows you home. And how could your wife resist those tail fins and lights!!!
The ‘publicity shot” of the sedan is the same color as the “tudoor” owned by neighbors (up the hill a ways) when I was a kid.
They left that house in “early, mid 70’s” as I recall.
Their other car was a “50’s Stude p/u”.
Don’t recall the truck after about “1970’ though.H’mm.
You did a great job on the restoration of this car! It looks very nice like a very solid daily driver. I always liked the looks of both this and the original Falcon. Two very neat cars. Of course, I’d have to have power steering. I remember my dad’s 1966 Mustang had power steering that went out and he never got it fixed. I took that car to college back in the 1980s and it was a bear to steer.
Actually, the manual steering on this Comet isn’t that hard.
To Thomas Merjanian
Tom, I lived at 541 E. 182 ST between Bathgate and Third Ave’s. I could see St. Barnabas Hospital looking East (to my left) out of our front window facing 182nd St. Looking straight out my front window was (looking South) was The Empire State Building, we lived on the 5th floor. You could tell the Empire State was far away. St. Barnabas Hospital bought up a lot of property along Bathgate, and Third Ave’s from !82nd to 183 rd Steet’s. Our building is gone since 1973 along with The Third Ave El.
I think you revitalized that Comet exactly how it should have been done. You didn’t dump a lot of money into it, but you cleaned it up into a nice driver you can be proud of. It’s an addicting thing to do! Good for you that you’re willing to sell one to make room for more!
I’m not in a position to own a hobby car. But I’d enjoy getting behind the wheel of the first car I drove – a 1959 English Ford Zephyr high line. I know they’re still around in the UK, and you might find one in Canada. But here in the USA that would have to be super rare.
Not too shabby ! =8-) .
I thought the ‘cat’s eye’ taillights were 1961, I had a white two door in the late 70’s, super low mileage, dog slow no matter what .
The front end on these isn’t very stiff, going through it then adding good shocks and a “K” brace will really help it handle better .
I recently (2015) bought an old 1959 VW Bug as my last VW before I die, as you mentioned : I have changed, the car hasn’t (it’s dead stock, why I bought that particular one) and I’m not yet done the fettling but I can and do now drive it every & anywhere and I still feel old & decrepit but driving it makes me feel like 1971 again so I love it .
I hope this one fills your hopes & dreams, a decent paint job and re trimming will do wonders for it, there are places that will convert that old Philco AM radio to AM/FM/plug in port (I forget what that’s called) so you can put decent speaker(s) in it and even play CD’s or memory sticks…..
I hope you didn’t toss out the dog dish hub caps ! .
I’m shocked it co$t $3,000.00 but that’s prolly a good price these days .
My very first motor vehicle was a rusty 1959 Ford F100 step side pickup, I don’t think I’d want another but who knows .
Fords of this vintage when not power steering equipped seemed to have very light feel but it took way too many turns lock to lock, difficult to speed ’round the corners in town .
-Nate
> there are places that will convert that old Philco AM radio to AM/FM/plug in port (I forget what that’s called)
aux in. (for auxiliary)
This was a great story Stephen! Nice job you did on the Comet; hope it finds a good home!
Wow, this is very much like the black 60 I looked at and wanted to buy many years ago. The differences – black/white interior, a 3-speed manual, and LOTS more rust. I remember liking the way the car drove.
This is a cool little car, and good job for saving it. I still like those little unique details on the 60, that unique grille and the wide-set headlights.
The first car that I really dreamed of owning was a ’56 Cadillac Sedan de Ville. I saw one for sale in a gas station back in 1966 or so. I was 12 years old. I saw lots of ’50’s Cadillacs in used car lots around that time, if they were unlocked, (most were) I’d slip inside behind the wheel. Fast forward to 1999 and I’d owned a ’94 Seville STS for a few years. I decided to finally get my ’56. I was already familiar with old Cads, I’d had a ’57, ’64 and ’70 in my youth. I found a white over aqua Sedan de Ville. It took a bit of work to get it running reliably, a couple of valves locked up and bent several pushrods, so I tore the top end down. Anyway, once it was running i kept it for a few years, doing more mechanical work, the biggest job was replacing the transmission.
I loved the look of the car, (still do!) it drove like a truck, primarily because it had the hood with the big center hump, which gave that impression. The ’57 had a flat hood and felt more modern.
It had taken me 35 years to realize my dream, I wasn’t disappointed because I knew what to expect. That was a couple of decades ago, I have a great photo of me standing proudly between my ’94 and my ’56. If I can find the photo I’ll post it.
Would I chase another old car dream like that again? No, now the cars just cost too much, and for 25-35K there are much newer cars that I’d like to own.
Thanks for a great read this morning…story and vehicle both very appealing, as yours is the sort of “hobby car” I think I could manage ownership and much of the maintenance for. I’m happy to know you’re keeping up with traffic OK and all that, with so many online complaining about these cars’ pep, esp. with 144/auto.
Pictures with your parents were the unexpected icing on the cake, giving me a smile on a gray, rainy day…..terrific!