1965 Comet 202 Sedan hobby bracket racer

[W-409]

This is a very interesting project, I think that Sedan body looks better than the HT, very nice work with that body conversion! Great job with the chassis too, intersting to see how this one turns out.

[Reeves Racing]

Wow . You can really see how banged up the #2 cylinder header is. I see you used a turn buckle on the motor mount. I like how you're fixing the top on this build.

Lol yeah. My next upgrade was going to be a set of headers from Crites but I sold it before that happened.

The turnbuckle is part of the alternator bracket I fabbed up. I used a small high amp GM alternator and it was the only thing belt driven off the crank pully. So i had to make all the brackets.

[STYRENE-SURFER]

About bashed headers   https://youtu.be/azPKIjxmmdU   LOL.

I am luv'n this old school type build. Go Go !

[mk11]

This sure is one mean little coupe      Looks more aggressive and crisp with that sedan roof.

The decision to 'adopt' the '66/67 fairlane/comet chassis and eng compartment style may have cut development time and probably won't matter to the majority of builders but it kind of throws a curveball at projects like this when you want to build it right.

Just got back from a 'dig' to find some parts... 

'66 Comet chassis in middle, '67 Mustang parts on the right...good for a more detailed front end and various drivetrain stuff.

<edit>Credit where credit is due dept...With some further research, it looks like the sweat invested by moebius on updates/backdates to the '66 chassis bring it closer to accurate than the mustang floorpan would be, but efforts to further detail front suspension will not be wasted

The inner fenders and brace shown here are actually from the trumpeter falcon (credit the eagle eye of Chuck K for noticing this ) and are probably as close as you'll get in scale, other than the ones you're using. Who'd a thunk it?   

 

mike

Edited January 13, 2017 by mk11

[Reeves Racing]

This sure is one mean little coupe      Looks more aggressive and crisp with that sedan roof.

The decision to 'adopt' the '66/67 fairlane/comet chassis and eng compartment style may have cut development time and probably won't matter to the majority of builders but it kind of throws a curveball at projects like this when you want to build it right.

Just got back from a 'dig' to find some parts... 

Here's a comparison with a '67 mustang chassis on the right; probably the one to go with for basic accuracy and more detailed front end.

 

The inner fenders and brace shown here are actually from the trumpeter falcon (credit the eagle eye of Chuck K for noticing this ) and are probably as close as you'll get in scale, other than the ones you're using. Who'd a thunk it?   

 

 

mike

Thanks, I like the hardtops but I always liked the coupes too.

Great reference material. I have one of the Trumpeter Falcons, I am going to open it up and look at what I might be able to use or copy for this build.

Thanks for posting the comparisons. This will help a lot of guys wanting to use the chassis on other builds. The Moebius kit is a great kit (I think the AMT 66 Fairlane is a great kit too) and it will build a great shelf model of a 65 Cyclone.

 

Edited January 6, 2017 by Reeves Racing

[espo]

Lol yeah. My next upgrade was going to be a set of headers from Crites but I sold it before that happened.

The turnbuckle is part of the alternator bracket I fabbed up. I used a small high amp GM alternator and it was the only thing belt driven off the crank pully. So i had to make all the brackets.

I don't want to get away from your build, but another thought on the smashed headers. Kurt's provided link reminds me of a personal experience with headers. When I was young and thick of hair and thin of waist unlike now, The first thing we did was put headers on our cars even if they were stock otherwise. This was the first step to upping the horse power and they sounded good. I happened to be living in southern California at the time and would attend the Saturday night Drags at Orange County Raceway. Hooker Headers would sometimes wonder thru the parking lot looking of engine and chassis combos that they would use to test fit and build prototype headers off of. One night I found a request on my car to see if I wanted to let them use my car. You of course know the answer to that. They eventually used my El Camino 396/350 4-spd, '68 Bel Air 427/385 4-spd and my '72 Nova SS 350 4-spd for prototyping. In return I got a free set of headers installed by their shop at no cost. It was like winning the lottery. Where I went wrong was on the Bel Air. When I was given the option on the header size I always thought bigger was better , so I requested the largest primary tubes I could get. They warned my that  I would lose low end torque if I didn't further modify the engine. This was the wife's driver and she wasn't to keen on the idea that I further modified the engine. They were right because it felt like I dropped at least 50 HP with the headers until I replaced the Quadrajet with a Holly. The thought is that you might not have lost that much power after all.

[10thumbs]

Now how cool is this!

A post door mid 60's race car.

Excellent Mitch, I love it!

I don't mean to take your build off topic, but how about a few details about the motor you ran?

On another note, I don't even remember seeing a Comet body like this.  I really like the project.

[Phildaupho]

I am really impressed with your modifications and fabrication. It must be a thrill for you to bring your old drag car back to life in scale.

[Reeves Racing]

Now how cool is this!

A post door mid 60's race car.

Excellent Mitch, I love it!

I don't mean to take your build off topic, but how about a few details about the motor you ran?

On another note, I don't even remember seeing a Comet body like this.  I really like the project.

It's not off topic just a little deeper on the subject. 

It was a 302 Ford from a 1985 Mustang. Bored .30 over with new  hypereutectic flat top pistons with stock rods and crank. World Products Windsor Jr. cast iron heads hand ported and polished with Manley stainless steel valves. Parker Funnel Web intake and Comp Cams 294/306 .554/.558 XTREME ENERGY cam with hydraulic flat tappet lifters. ProComp gear drive.  ProForm aluminum needle bearing roller tipped rocker arms. Crane Cams hardened push rods and guide plates. Ford Racing windage tray. ProForm HEI distributor with MSD cap and rotor and Pertronix  Flame Thrower ignition module and coil. Moroso Ultra 40 Plug wires and Autolite Racing spark plugs. Holley 650 double pumper with a machined off choke horn and 50 cc accelerator pumps. ProComp SFI harmonic balancer, ProForm electric water pump. Melling oil pump. Cyclone headers and polished aluminum fabricated valve covers. My dad and I built the engine.

It ran 12.70s and never ever broke on me except on the maiden voyage when the transmission bell housing broke and twisted up the driveshaft.

 

 

[Reeves Racing]

I really appreciate all the interest in this WIP guys. I plan on getting a lot done this weekend, so more pictures to come.

Please feel free to comment and ask questions. We all do this because we love cars and building models is much cheaper than building the real ones...

[10thumbs]

Thanks Mitch for the info, greatly appreciated.  I always liked built small blocks in small cars.  Seems like the motor you guys built made to spin and the numbers from a small block and a probably fairly heavy car could still whoop on anything Detroit made from the muscle car days.  I'll bet it sounded pretty healthy too.  I remember in '66 or so a local Ford dealership sponsored a couple of cars, notably a Falcon with a really loud, snappy 289 block.  The car was immaculate and ran well too and I enjoyed having a peek at the car on the property of the dealership, a notable Ford performance dealer.  a Thunderbolt was also there.  Very cool cars.

Thanks.

 

[Reeves Racing]

Thanks Mitch for the info, greatly appreciated.  I always liked built small blocks in small cars.  Seems like the motor you guys built made to spin and the numbers from a small block and a probably fairly heavy car could still whoop on anything Detroit made from the muscle car days.  I'll bet it sounded pretty healthy too.  I remember in '66 or so a local Ford dealership sponsored a couple of cars, notably a Falcon with a really loud, snappy 289 block.  The car was immaculate and ran well too and I enjoyed having a peek at the car on the property of the dealership, a notable Ford performance dealer.  a Thunderbolt was also there.  Very cool cars.

Thanks.

 

Thanks, It wasn't a world beater but it was dependable and a super fun hobby racer. My dad has a 63 Biscayne called Bis-Quick and we both used to race together a lot when I lived in Kansas.

[W-409]

I really like the look of both cars. What ETs does that Biscayne run and what engine it has? That's not the lightest car, but it has lots of cool factor!

Spending some great time with dad at the Drags is a lot of fun! I drive a '74 Malibu in Stock Eliminator and we built the car together with my dad and now we're racing together too, daddy-o being the second and only team member.

Edited January 6, 2017 by W-409

[DrKerry]

You make it look oh so easy Mitch!!!! Keep up the good work!!!!

[10thumbs]

Looks like your Dad has a 283, correct?

I'd put my money on your car.

Really great stuff that you two can be together like this, what a wonderful deal.

I like both cars.

Just one thing of interest now, this pic;

The tilt of the front wheels when leaving, this was a definite Ford thing.  GM and Mopars did not show this, if I remember correctly.  The Thunderbolts were extreme, there were two in my area and they ran well.  I'll never forget the way they looked when launched.

I don't have a clue to the terminology.  Just it seems only Fords showed this, bottom of tire way out when the body lifted.

Edited January 8, 2017 by 10thumbs

[Modelbuilder Mark]

Very cool,  clearly a lot of work going into this one

[Reeves Racing]

I really like the look of both cars. What ETs does that Biscayne run and what engine it has? That's not the lightest car, but it has lots of cool factor!

Spending some great time with dad at the Drags is a lot of fun! I drive a '74 Malibu in Stock Eliminator and we built the car together with my dad and now we're racing together too, daddy-o being the second and only team member.

Thats cool Niko, I think its great when you can spend good times with family.

The Biscayne was running similar times as the Comet but in all the time we raced (a couple of dozen) Dad never beat me. His car has a 350. Its faster now it runs 12.50s, 

[Reeves Racing]

Looks like your Dad has a 283, correct?

I'd put my money on your car.

Really great stuff that you two can be together like this, what a wonderful deal.

I like both cars.

Just one thing of interest now, this pic;

 

The tilt of the front wheels when leaving, this was a definite Ford thing.  GM and Mopars did not show this, if I remember correctly.  The Thunderbolts were extreme, there were two in my area and they ran well.  I'll never forget the way they looked when launched.

I don't have a clue to the terminology.  Just it seems only Fords showed this, bottom of tire way out when the body lifted.

Dads car has a 350. When we raced head to head he never beat me. He has since done some more work to his car and it runs 12.50s so as of the last time I was able run the Comet before I sold it he's faster now. The GM cars can have a lot of negative camber on launch too. You probably just saw more Fords with the front ends up than you did Chevys...

 

[Reeves Racing]

I cleaned up the manifold and I decided to us the lower control arms from a Revell 66 Mustang kit.

 

[John Pol]

Great project how did you make that manifold that would be great for a couple builds for sure

[RancheroSteve]

 

The tilt of the front wheels when leaving, this was a definite Ford thing.  GM and Mopars did not show this, if I remember correctly.  The Thunderbolts were extreme, there were two in my area and they ran well.  I'll never forget the way they looked when launched.

I don't have a clue to the terminology.  Just it seems only Fords showed this, bottom of tire way out when the body lifted.

On the Thunderbolts at least, they had to make some modifications to the front suspension in order to make room for the big block - moving the shock towers and mounting points outward and re-engineering (likely shortening) the upper arms - so anything close to factory geometry went out the window. I'm guessing those modifications produced some unusual camber curves when the car launched and the front lifted.

[Reeves Racing]

Here is some more from last night. These new pens I got are really something. I used them on the valve covers.

I made springs for the front end and got the first coat of primer on the body. 

[MarkJ]

Great job on the body mods.

[Reeves Racing]

Thanks, quite bit of sanding and priming left to do..

Started working on the Competition Engineering rear ladder bar set up.
Its not perfect but it looks similar to the real deal.

[Alan]

Loving this build Mitch !    I am going to try this conversion myself, thanks for that, like I need another project !