Where do I start?

Hey folks, I've been lurking on here for a bit, trying to find some info on my 1974 Mercury Comet. I had some questions about how to go about fixing up my Comet. I LOVE my car, I got it for $700. I just had the carburetor rebuilt, new distributor put in, new spark plugs, but I'm still having some problems, I was hoping you guys might be able to help I'm not car-savvy, don't know much other than what I've gleaned through research online, so I'm coming to you all in this wonderful community. So a few questions:

1) my valve compression isn't great in a couple valves I guess. Is this a problem? All valves rate at over 100 except one which rates at 95 now. Is this a major concern?

2) I'm not sure where the leak is but I know my exhaust is leaking. Are there common exhaust problems related to the Comet?

3) my cowl vents leak. I'm unsure of how bad the damage is to my passenger floor pans but the carpet has been wet for a while now. Is there any quick fix to this?

4) is there any way to modify it to fit 3 car seats? Have 2 bench seats and only 2 belts in back, I was thinking of replacing the back with a 3-belt seat but I can't fit a rear-facing seat back there with the current front bench or bucket seats I imagine. Has anyone else converted theirs to fit with current car seats?

5) lastly, in terms of getting this car in top shape, where do I start?

Sorry if it's a bit vague, if more info is needed I'm happy to respond. FYI car has the original 250 I6 in it, it's a two-door.

 

Good Morning...

3) my cowl vents leak. I'm unsure of how bad the damage is to my passenger floor pans but the carpet has been wet for a while now. Is there any quick fix to this?


this would be my first concern...
I would pull that carpet to minimize any further damage...are you sure it's the cowl and not the windshield gasket?
did it just start leaking or was it leaking when you bought the car? there are no easy fixes to this problem.
...to the madness...:Handshake

Frank

 

Hi Frank, thanks for the response!

The car was dry when I bought it, but I live in western Oregon where it rains a lot, and the whole passenger floor is now soaked. I'm not sure if it's the windshield gasket, but from the research I've done it seems that a leaking cowl vent is what's really going on - it's only the floor on the passenger side (and only the front passenger side, it doesn't bleed into the back or onto the driver's floor), and it's the only thing that's wet. Of course, I'm not really known for my automotive prowess (though because of my job I do know a lot about cars in general), but I figured I'd let you know.

You said this would be your first concern. I don't know how bad the damage is but I imagine it can't be too bad. From what I've seen of cowl vent leak damage online as well as the testimony of the guy I bought it from, my car has only recently developed this problem. However, I won't know until I pull up the carpet, but then again I don't know much about carpeting a car and I don't have the money right now to get it replaced or get the cowl vent repaired if that's what it is.

 

could be...heater core leaking...

if you can get it inside ( garage/carport), just pull the carpet loose from under the dash, fold it back and let it dry out.
I hope it's the heater core...

 

Frank is correct. It's vry possible the heat core is leaking. That don't mean it's the only leak. It is the least involved to fix. After pulling the carpet - I wud pull the hoses from the core and plug them, or put something in them to loop them, bypassing heat core and see if the floor stills gets wet. If not, that is most likely the problem..

 

Taking a look at what the heater core does (I'm so new at this whole "taking care of a classic car" shtick lol), it seems that may be it. I've noticed that regardless of what I do the heater doesn't seem to want to heat the cab, either, and I can't for the life of me get the air to turn off. So if the heater core isn't working right or it has a leak, how hard of a fix will it be?

 

do you have A/C?
if not it will be a piece of cake...

 

Have someone lean over the cowl opening, holding a hose, then lay on the floor, and look up under the dash, with a flash light, and see if you can see any water coming in...I'd rule out the cowl 100%, before you start tearing into the car! when your knowledge is limited.

 

@71gold: No A/C, so that's good

@Dave: It's actually raining fairly hard at the moment, would you be able to see the water coming in just with the rain?

 

Yes, if it's coming down good.

 

Okay, I didn't see any water coming into the car from under the dash, but I DID notice something that might be odd:

The floor itself is wet, but the carpet leading under the dash (you know, where the incline from the floor to under the dash is) actually isn't wet - the only wet part is actually just on the flat part of the floor.

Does that help at all?

Sorry for all the questions, you guys have been so helpful. Hopefully I can get some serious work done on the car and have it be really pretty so I can show off like all you guys

 

Crawl under the car, and look at the floor. Could be a hole..if it's been raining for a few days.

 

Hi Don, thanks for the response.

For starters, I really want this car to be a daily driver, truth be told. That's why I was asking about modifying the seats to fit three seats - I have a five year old, a three year old and a one year old, and I can only fit the older two because they fit in boosters and not a rear-facing car seat.

As for my vision of the car, I just want it basically back to where it was in 1974, at least in terms of reliability. I'd love to make it a show car if I have it a long time, but right now I just want something that can reliability get me from one location to another - and look awesome doing it

A hole where, exactly? I guess I'm a bit confused by this statement

 

A hole in the floor.

 

Lol fair enough. I understand how hard it can be to find parts and to keep it in top shape. I've been searching for a new car to fit the whole family in, just gotta find the right one.

Guess I'll be trying to make it into a show car now haha.

Also, while I'm replying to you, might as well as ask this:

Could bad seals cause the entire passenger floor board to be completely (and continuously) soaked, even though it hasn't been raining until just recently? It doesn't seem like the water is leaking from a bad seal, but then again I am still new to this.