1965 MERCURY COMET CALIENTE HARDTOP

Owner/Seller: The GA$ tank is full. LOL. It will be nice and warm and safe in my garage under the included car cover (and insured) until the car carrier comes! Thanks.

Owner/Seller: One final word. Anyone that knows how to build a classic car can see that this one has been “overbuilt”. I had all the wiring for the starter/alternator/battery/emergency shut-off switch/etc. made to specifications by a local custom wiring jobber. If you look closely at the photos (no.87), the wires are huge. As I recall, they are all at least 10 gauge. All wire bundles have been encased in “Power Braid”. The ignition system has been upgraded to all-electronic. A chrome Pertronix “Flame Thrower” coil was installed. A Holley four-barrel carb. sits atop the Edelbrock intake manifold. Wilwood disc-brakes improve stopping power on all four corners-fed by an upgraded booster. The exhaust system has been doubled for better breathing. Attention to detail was the order of the day for this 10-year rotisserie rebuild. I have left it up to the new owner to decide ‘what and where’ to install for an aftermarket tach.. This muscle car must have one. It has been specifically designed for the harshest desert conditions here in The Valley. The Mopar “Inferno Red Metallic” paint (PRH paint code) just screams in the sunlight. The photos do not do it justice, but shot no. 17 comes the closest. You really must see it up close and in person to appreciate it. Thanks for your time.

Owner/Seller: I think I neglected to mention that the motor needs about 200 miles more of break-in.

Owner/Seller again. The car also has a manual choke. I don't think it would ever be used in AZ though. Not too many cold weather starts here. It is the silver knob to the left of the real driver side air vent (black) knob.

Owner/Seller: Under Known Imperfections, I forgot that the trunk lid gap is a little high on the driver side. Twenty minutes with a good Body Man should do it. The lid has been a tight fit since installing the new gasket!

Owner/Seller. Yes, AGAIN! This car is the top-of-the-line trim model in the Third Generation Mercury Comet line. “Caliente” means ‘sexy-hot’ in Spanish. The body style was only made for two years. 29,147 Hardtop Coupes were made in ‘65. It is he only year with the sexy “stacked headlights” front end (and the “electric razor” grill). Pontiac did the same thing with their GTO, etc. I wonder how many of them are in the junkyard after 62 years? MSRP was a romping $2352. If you research them on The Net, you will find that they were called “The Square-Body Racing Comets”. Apparently, many California Gearheads bought them, yanked the small block and shoe-horned a 427 under the hood. Legend has it that no one could touch them at the drag strip for years. They may have been one of the first Unibody cars? Regardless, they were very light. Ford used an export brace to keep the front end from getting twisted off from all that torque. This one sports a re-worked heavy duty Shelby export brace that was built for Mustangs.

Additional information by Seller/Owner: This car came out of the L.A. Ford factory and spent time in Cali. and AZ exclusively. The dashboard parts were re-chromed and the wood grain decals are new. New dash pad also. All the trim was polished. Original exhaust manifolds were both "Cera-Coated". New PS pump. Original driveshaft has new U-joints. The original Ammeter was converted to a Voltmeter. A new brake booster has been added with a two-well master cylinder. All new front end parts-including coil springs. New American Autowire wiring harness and ignition switch. New Edelbrock "Victor Series" water pump. New 4-row Champion aluminum radiator. New Spal-Italian-electric fan and relay. This car was built with AZ heat in mind. The entire cab has been insulated (see photo). New front and rear oversize anti-sway bars. New battery. New Heavy Duty Shelby Export Brace. New "Perfect Fit" AC kit by Classic Auto Wire. Original center console has been painted Hot Rod Black. New door panels and seat panels to match. New Molded Carpet Set. New kick panels with front speakers. All new rubber seals and moldings. All new belts and hoses. New exterior door handles. New stainless steel chromed striker plates. Re-chromed bumpers with new chrome mounting bolts. New custom finned "289 Powered by Ford" script valve covers. New custom finned air cleaner to match. New V8 badging to match body paint. New package tray. Emergency shut-off switch installed. Grade 8 fasteners were used as appropriate. Many parts have been powder-coated, including the original jack parts. Just a thought for the new owner. This muscle car would look great with either hood-pin latches or even a Mercury Cyclone hood. They are available in fiberglass. The car totally reminds me of the Goats of the era with the stacked headlights and long rear deck lid. Thanks for your time!

@Azgc – The "Classic Auto" AC is new and working. There are photos of it under the hood. The vents under the dash. The kit before install. The compressor box, etc.. ...

AC is also listed under "Interior".

@[email protected] – No mention about AC does it have it and is it working ...

The "Classic Auto" AC is new and working. There are photos of it under the hood. The vents under the dash. The kit before install. The compressor box, etc..