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When Ford launched the original Maverick for the 1970 mannequin yr, Dearborn custom required {that a} Mercury-badged model be created. That automobile ended up being the Comet, constructed from the 1971 by means of 1977 mannequin years. Here is a kind of first-year Comets in tough however recognizable situation, present in a Denver self-service yard not way back.
The Comet name had spent the Nineteen Sixties affixed to the flanks of Mercurized Ford Falcons (1960-1965) and Fairlanes (1966-1969). Because the Maverick was the successor of the Falcon — gross sales of which went into an irrecoverable downward spiral as soon as its sportier Mustang first cousin hit the streets — it made sense to maneuver the Comet title over to the Mercury model.
Practically each American Mercury model ever offered was a U.S.-market Ford mannequin with a unique title and a few gingerbread slapped on. Notable exceptions to this custom embody the 1999-2002 Mercury Cougar (mechanically based mostly on the Contour however with a novel physique) and the 1991-1994 Mercury Capri (an Australian-built mashup of Mazda components borrowed from the Ford Laser).
The Comet was by far the most cost effective Mercury mannequin accessible in 1971, although it was thought-about extra prestigious than its Maverick counterpart. The value tag on the ’71 Comet two-door sedan began at $2,217 (about $16,505 in 2022 {dollars}), whereas the ’71 Maverick two-door sedan value $2,175 ($16,193 right now).
In the meantime, AMC would promote you a brand new Hornet two-door sedan for one greenback lower than a Maverick, Chevrolet had the Nova coupe for a greenback extra than the Maverick, and Plymouth supplied the Valiant Duster for $2,313 ($17,220 now). Toyota had a Maverick competitor as nicely that yr, with the Corona at $2,150 for the sedan and $2,310 for the coupe. Having pushed each one of many aforementioned fashions, I would take the Duster if I went again in time and had to decide on one (as a 1969 Corona owner, I am not a fan of the 1971 facelift, although the Corona’s construct high quality beats the Duster’s).
The build sticker on this automobile tells us that it was constructed at the Kansas City Assembly Plant (the place Transits and F-150s are made today) and offered by means of the Los Angeles district gross sales workplace (there was a DSO in Denver, so it is a near-certainty that this automobile did not begin out in Colorado). The paint began out as Vivid Blue Metallic (it is neither shiny nor metallic 51 years down the street) and the inside was achieved up in Medium Blue Fabric & Vinyl.
The construct sticker says the unique engine was a 200-cubic-inch (3.3-liter) pushrod straight-six, rated at 115 horsepower (and maybe that is that very engine, although swaps are rampant on Detroit automobiles of this period). That is a 15-horse improve over the bottom 170-cube six, and it value the unique purchaser an additional $39 ($290 in 2022 bucks). This engine served as the premise for the HSC four-cylinder designed for the Ford Tempo a bit greater than a decade later. A 250ci six with 145 horses and a 302ci V8 with 210 hp have been also available within the 1971 Comet.
The bottom transmission within the 1971 Maverick/Comet was a three-speed handbook; the Maverick had a “three-on-the-tree” column-mounted shifter as base gear whereas the Comet obtained a sportier floor-mounted shifter at no additional value. No four-speed handbook was ever accessible from the manufacturing facility on a highway-legal U.S.-market 1970-1977 Maverick or Comet (although I am certain some dealers put in them in new cars), however a three-speed computerized was accessible for $183 additional ($1,362 right now) on the 1971 Comet.
All in all, a reasonably cool financial system automobile from a half-century in the past, and its two-door structure makes it appear to be a fantastic candidate for some trendy working gear and a normal sprucing-up. Sadly, there’s rust. Oh sure, there’s rust. Many years of rain and snow stepping into the passenger compartment have eaten large holes within the flooring, for starters.
Then there’s the rot within the typical locations. It is repairable, however the associated fee could be much more than the worth of the tip end result.
The physique has some alarmingly thick layers of physique filler, hiding who-knows-what outdated injury.
The inside has been totally ravaged by the weather as nicely. A 1971 Mustang on this situation may be value restoring, however not a Comet.
Bobby Hull thought it was nifty.
A small automobile can solely be first… if it lasts.
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