Hi. I'm new here and looking into possibly getting a 77 comet. It is truly a 1 owner little old lady car. I have yet to physically see the car but want information on the value and what to look for as far as problem areas. Also the possibility of a v8 swap and gt clone. And how hard is it if at all to swap the older style thin bumpers on.
... problem areas...rust, rust, rust. pour some water in the cowl vent at the base of the windshield, if it comes out into the floor below the dash...run. rusted out front floorpans is also a sign the cowl leaks. rusted out pass. side floorpan is a sign of a leaking heater core. check drip rail for cracked seam sealer/rust. the rust you see is only about 1/4 of what is there. check for any wrinkles in the rad. support, it's a sign of a front end collision. swapping the bumpers is not a hard job, finding them is. http://mmb.maverick.to/threads/for-those-of-you-interested-in-doing-the-i-6-to-v-8.4581/ good luck...Frank
from your neighbor in Wisconsin! Like Frank said - rust is the big problem. Have to tell a quick rust story. Ran into a '75 Comet 2dr, little 'ole ladies car with only 55,000 miles. One owner. Mint interior with what looked like no body rust and excellent original paint. I was thinking I found another excellent survivor car, until I went under it. You could literally squeeze the frame rails with your bare hand and crush it into dust. While it felt like being superman, it was totally heart breaking realizing that awesome looking car was a victim of road salt, time, and the crappy steel Ford used in those dark days of the mid '70s. I bought the car and parted it out.
to rust and cowl repairs! Mine was a little old lady-owned, low-mileage car, too! See link in my signature below...