Wheels: Memories of 1974’s Mercury Comet

I appreciate high-value and meticulous vehicles, they’re the stuff of concourse events and car shows alike, and they attract crowds. But at the opposite end of the collector spectrum is where I live. My classic and antique vehicles need to earn their keep, no trailer or garage queens among them. And my tastes are eclectic so no absolute favorites, just vehicles I would like to own or drive before passing them on to the next appreciative steward in favor of another possibility.

So it was recently that I picked up a car similar to one I had in college. My 1974 Mercury Comet was a junkyard dog, twice totaled and revived. First, it was acquired by my buddy Dave from the jaws of the crusher, by his father to be used as a parts car for his Ford Maverick that suffered a front end hit at a particularly nasty intersection shortly after Dave got his license. It turned out that the Comet was in pretty good shape, complete with clear plastic seat covers over the original upholstery, Gramma’s furniture style. The Comet, in a baby blue color, was crunched in the right rear but a good tug with a friend’s frame straightener brought the coupe close enough back to spec to be drivable. And it didn’t look too bad with a little Bondo, stick-on chrome trim, and a rattle can spray paint finish in a convincingly matching generic shade of blue.