differences from comet gt and regular comet?

My '72 red GT has no stainless on the drip rails, but did have stainless in the fender wells.

Most GT's, at least '72's had the 302 engine and auto on the floor. However, I have heard of a few with 6's and also auto on the column. The majority were 302's, though. My gold '72 GT had a 3 speed manual on the floor/ 302. It also had the Cross Country Ride option(whatever that was).

Although many GT's (12,221 in 1972) were produced, few have survived today. When was the last time you saw one at a car show or out on the street? Same for the Sprints( Mustang, Maverick, and Pinto), the Stallions(Mustang, Maverick, and Pinto), and the Maverick Grabber. If being rare made value, my Pinto Sprint would be most valuable one around since there are only a handful of them left in the country. All of our cars that have survived are rare in their own right.

We restore these cars because of the love of doing it, not for the value or profit we will make in the end. Most of us who own Mavericks or Comets of any flavor will more than likely be upside down as soon as the car is completed.

However, you are usually upside down or have lost a great deal of money the moment you drive a new car off the lot. Old cars, to me, are a lot more fun than new cars any day. So, if I am going to lose money on a car, I would rather it be one I really love to drive, not just need it for transportation. For over 4 years, I drove a white '69 Cougar convertible to work each day. Many times, at the stop lights, I would get "nice car" or a thumbs up. I now drive an Explorer to work and never get them, go figure!!!


Jim

 

In general, I believe you will see a higher proportion of early Comets having V8s (GT or not) than Mavs, because Mercury was marketing them harder. In other words .... they made 5 Mavs for every Comet sold, but of all the Comets out there, I have an easier time finding V8s than in Mavs.

Regarding differences in Comet GTs .... another item not covered here is that the early grille is different. There are three horizontal stainless steel bars decorating the center of the grille. The plastic grille is a different piece that accepts these. They will not install on a standard Comet grille.

 

Sorry to steal your thunder, but it was mentioned...

 

Cool .... I was speed-reading. Shot past that.

It does bear some detail, though. You can't put those grille bars on a standard grille ... I tried.... hard .... I opted to do it in paint instead.

 

I am looking forward to seeing if anyone has any order forms or documentation to back up the drip rail trim/delete.

Here is another example of the trim delete. A beautiful car!

 

I bought a new 71 GT it didn't have chrome drip rail moldings. I never saw a true GT in 1971 or 1972 with the drip rail moldings or rocker molding trim. All I ever saw had the wheel lip moldings. I have owned that 71 GT and 2 1972 GT'S. All GT's had the black grill with stainless strips blacked out head light trim. Hood scoop with satin black around the hood scoop and satin black tail light panel. I'm not saying That the didn't come with the drip rail moldings but I have never saw one.

 

My 71 gt, 250 straight 6, c4, no drip rail chrome, chrome wheel lip moldings, scoop/stripe and blacked out grille with 3 stainless strips.

 

My 71 Gt Has Side Pipes,Was That a GT only Option?

 

Side pipes were not a GT option but Bear Cats had side pipes. Is you car a Bear Cat. Look on here under the search option for Bear Cats.

 

My 73 has bright work on the drip rails and bright wheel well mouldings.

 

My 74 has shiny drop rails, but the 72 I used to lust after did not.

 

Starting to sound like 72 and earlier had no drip rail pieces. Maybe the wheel well moldings were always optional..

 

Wheel well moldings were std with the GT package, at least on the early cars... I saw that someplace can't remember where, but maybe a window sticker(was a creditable source)... Dunno for sure about the drip rails, apparently they were not std on the early cars... If they weren't optional, then the factory screwed up on a few or there are some impostors out there...

 

Quality Assurance wasn't big in the 70s, probably a few cars become GTs later in their production cycle.

 

Sounds right. I bet mine were removed cause I do see the screw holes. Still need to look at my 72 to see if it looks like it had the rails or not.

Probably right.. Makes me wonder if the double stamping on my fender aprons has something to do with this type of sceneiro.