'66 Comet Cyclone GT

[mbrunson427]

This weekend I was successfully able to use the coronaviris threat as an excuse for my fiance and I to spend some time in the shop buffing and waxing the Cyclone 
My Dad and Uncle changed the water pump out while we put some work into the paint.
In the future I think this will end up with a big cubic inch, low rpm FE. For now we're just keeping it on the road so it can be enjoyed.
Next week I'm taking a set of 14x6 wheels to the painter to be painted body color. We have a set of dog dish wheel covers to throw on it and some "Wide-O-Oval" G70 tires to put on it.

[66FAIRLANE]

Very nice! Nice shop too.

[BruceS]

Mike, love that car.  Be sure and post pics of the painted wheels with the Merc dog dish caps when ready.  Also, what's that gizmo mounted on the front of the shock tower?   

[jayb]

Really cool car, Mike.  I used to have one of those, wish I still did...

[machoneman]

Yeah, one of my favs as well. Wish I had one, then or now.

[mbrunson427]

Also, what's that gizmo mounted on the front of the shock tower?   

Funny you ask! We were scratching our heads, following all the vacuum lines. It's for the intermittent wipers, vacuum module. I still don't completely understand the function, I was planning on diving into that more next time I work on it.

Thanks guys! This popped up on one of the facebook pages a couple months back. The guy had a story about it that was eerily similar to the story our Cougar had...."Bought this car from the original owner at an estate sale, owned it for a couple years, completely original car, has a bunch of original paperwork with it, 50,000 miles". Figured if it was in similar shape to the way the Cougar was purchased then it was a total win. It got here and sure enough, it's pretty dang nice. I drove it around yesterday, came back and adjusted the timing, went back out and it was day and night different. Pretty fun/simple to drive, automatic trans.

[57 lima bean]

         Great looking shop!Much diversity with the Hurst Billboard car too.

[machoneman]

Also, what's that gizmo mounted on the front of the shock tower?   

Funny you ask! We were scratching our heads, following all the vacuum lines. It's for the intermittent wipers, vacuum module. I still don't completely understand the function, I was planning on diving into that more next time I work on it.

The answer to your question:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"The wipers in my 66 Parklane only go one speed but are supposed to have an intermittent feature.

The switch is real cool, its a single speed on-off outer knob with what I presume is either a rheostat or some sort of adjustable timer knob in the center. The on-off works fine but the intermittent function doesnt. With the rainy season coming in the NW Id like to get a replacement. It rains a lot out here in the winter but it hardly ever rains hard so Id be turning the wipers on and off constantly as the single speed is way too fast for our drizzle.

Found an NOS 1966 Comet switch on eBay. There are also some later years. I havent had any luck finding a re-pop. Anyone know if the Comet switch is the same? I would presume so but with a no returns policy on a $150 switch I want to check to see if anyone around here knows before I pull the trigger. How about the later switches? The 66 part number is C6GY-17A55-D and the 67 part number is C7MY-17A553-B. I dont have an elementary understanding of Ford part numbers so havent a clue if these are interchangeable or not.

I could easily make something work but I want to keep this car as original as possible. Its an 85,000 mile one owner ride and it has not been messed with at all.

The only work Ive done is bolt on and I plan to keep it that way. It's just too nice to chop up.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
has the two speed interval wiper system. The wiper motor is electric, but the interval portion of the circuit uses vacuum from the engine. There is a vacuum modulator/controller (not sure what its really called) under the hood on the drivers side. Is positioned next to the windshield washer tank. There are several vacuum lines going to it, one goes to engine vacuum (tiny one), and the others go back to the wiper switch. If there are no vacuum ports on your wiper switch, someone must have installed an incorrect switch.

Hope this helps..."

[67gt350]

Very cool car Mike one of my favorites, sure like the design of those. There was a black on black one in my area when I was younger and he had painted steel wheels with the dog dish caps very nice look. The back wheels were a little wider so big cool factor.

[e philpott]

Sweet Merc but also digging your Hurst Chrysler !

[mbrunson427]

Very cool car Mike one of my favorites, sure like the design of those. There was a black on black one in my area when I was younger and he had painted steel wheels with the dog dish caps very nice look. The back wheels were a little wider so big cool factor.

Sweet Merc but also digging your Hurst Chrysler !

         Great looking shop!Much diversity with the Hurst Billboard car too.

Thanks guys! It's funny how many comments that Hurst car gets! Maybe I ought to take some pictures of it and post a little story about it in the "non-fe" section. Long story short, it was willed to my uncle by a family friend. It's a fairly nice car.....definitely needs some TLC, but as far as priority goes, I think it's pretty close to last. I've asked my dad a few times in the past about taking it down and having him do the necessary work, but right now he doesn't have the space, and I sure don't have the time.

[WConley]

Thanks guys! It's funny how many comments that Hurst car gets! Maybe I ought to take some pictures of it and post a little story about it in the "non-fe" section. Long story short, it was willed to my uncle by a family friend. It's a fairly nice car.....definitely needs some TLC, but as far as priority goes, I think it's pretty close to last. I've asked my dad a few times in the past about taking it down and having him do the necessary work, but right now he doesn't have the space, and I sure don't have the time.

Yeah those are cool!  Fantomworks did an episode on a 300 Hurst car:

https://fantomworks.com/project/1970-chrysler-300/

[machoneman]

Thanks guys! It's funny how many comments that Hurst car gets! Maybe I ought to take some pictures of it and post a little story about it in the "non-fe" section. Long story short, it was willed to my uncle by a family friend. It's a fairly nice car.....definitely needs some TLC, but as far as priority goes, I think it's pretty close to last. I've asked my dad a few times in the past about taking it down and having him do the necessary work, but right now he doesn't have the space, and I sure don't have the time.

Yeah those are cool!  Fantomworks did an episode on a 300 Hurst car:

Always had to laugh at the hood pins, as if that tank of a hood needed ANYTHING to hold it down, save its own weight! LOL
https://fantomworks.com/project/1970-chrysler-300/

[mbrunson427]

The hood and trunk are funny. They are fiberglass skins bonded to the normal metal under-structure. There's zero weight savings there, purely aesthetic.

[SSdynosaur]

That's similar to the method that Plaza Fiberglas used for the "LW" T-bolt doors with almost the same outcome. It was a circumferential steel door frame, sandwiched between inner and outer fiberglass shells; practically zero weight reduction, especially when considering the effort.

[Cobrajet2]

Your Comet is sharp!  Great color combination, too.

Mike

[mbrunson427]

Here's the car with the new wheels, we finally picked them up from the painter and got them all mounted up.
I'm still working on the wheels covers. I got some black paint pens to color in some of the black that had worn off but I wasn't happy with how they were turning out.

[Gregwill16]

Very nice!

[cjshaker]

From someone who works closely with a grounds crew that takes care of about 300 acres, that yard is clean! Not a single dandelion or weed to be seen!

Oh yeah, the car looks nice too. 
In my experience, masking and spray painting is the only way to get wheel covers looking nice. Even rattle can paint will look good since you're talking about small areas. Yes, it's a lot of work and a real PITA masking, but the outcome will always look 100% better.

[T U Bar]

Love the look the way it is, beautiful car!

[475fetoploader]

Great looking ride!

[mbrunson427]

Thanks everybody for the kind words.

Doug, I'm taking your advice and painfully taping every line on the wheel covers.

[FElony]

Finally found this thread. Great car. Here is a cousin with lettered Merc caps. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPSfYxzblpo  I have a '67 GT S/410 TL rag, but a '66 has always evaded my tentacles. Good score.

[6667fan]

Great looking car and I love parchment for interior color. Those cars are cool/weird in my opinion.  Super cool dash but then the trade off is the heater control and radio is in a weird place. I’m shopping some buckets out of a 67 this morning to a guy who found a Craigslist ad I have for a Fairlane trunk lid.
Felony, I like the GT that comes up on You Tube next after the one you linked. It has the stripe which I think those cars need. 

JB

[FElony]

...Felony, I like the GT that comes up on You Tube next after the one you linked. It has the stripe which I think those cars need. 

JB

That's exactly what my '67 looks like. Cardinal Red with white stripe, white top, white interior, Magnum wheels. Paint was done in the 80's so it's time for a redo. Original color was pale yellow which I could not stomach on that car. Probably change color again.

[66FAIRLANE]

Here is a cousin with lettered Merc caps. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPSfYxzblpo

Great car. Points of interest for me are the power windows (how rare?) and the substantial mirror joystick compared to a Fairlane. Did all the 66/67 Mercs have the fuel filler in rear quarter rather than behind the plate?

[FElony]

Here is a cousin with lettered Merc caps. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPSfYxzblpo

Great car. Points of interest for me are the power windows (how rare?) and the substantial mirror joystick compared to a Fairlane. Did all the 66/67 Mercs have the fuel filler in rear quarter rather than behind the plate?

Yep on the quarter panel fillers. Power windows real rare, but we don't know if these were swapped in. Lastly, I don't usually compare my joystick size to others, so I can't answer for sure.

[TimeWarpF100]

The hood and trunk are funny. They are fiberglass skins bonded to the normal metal under-structure. There's zero weight savings there, purely aesthetic.

Very nice car! Factory mag wheels would look good as would the cyclone wheels.

If ya ever decide to sell let me know!

If there were ANY car I could have it would be a 1966 Cyclone. Have owned a few but every time I moved always had to let something go. I prefer it to any other mustang, shelby etc