’64 Comet a Caliente little number
The year 1964 gave us the British Invasion in music, gasoline for 30 cents a gallon, a new house for $13,050, an average annual wage of $4,576, the introduction of colour TV and the final selection of the design that would become Canada's flag.
The Mercury division of the Ford Motor Corp. introduced a newly designed 1964 Comet with an average price of $2,688. It had a more square shape than the 1963 model, but it was built on the same unibody chassis.
Styling changes included 14-inch wheels rather than 13-inch ones, a wider stance, and many modifications including quad headlights resting horizontally in a mesh grill. Remnants of tail fins remained.
Caliente was one of the trim level options you could order with your Comet. Engine options included the 170cubic-inch and 200-cubic-inch six-cylinders and the 260-cubic-inch and 289cubic-inch V-8s.
Transmissions included the manual three-speed on the column or the fourspeed on the floor. Those who didn’t want to operate a clutch could upgrade to the Merc-O-Matic.
Many colours were available — including the beautiful Trafalgar Blue, in which this Caliente was ordered.
Born at the Mercury plant in Los Angeles, this Comet found its way to Texas, where it spent most of its life. It went through a body-off restoration there in the late 1990s, and eventually found its way to Victoria.
In 2002, local race car legend and Hall of Famer Gary Kershaw imported the car and started putting his finishing touches on it. Over time, he turned it into the beauty it is today.
Changes included a complete engine swap-out from the factory 260-cubicinch V-8 to a Ford Racing 302-HO/GT-40 crate engine putting out 335 horsepower, backed by a C4-TCI 3 speed automatic transmission pushed by an eightinch posi-trac 3.55 rear set of gears.
On the ground are a set of nostalgic five-spoke American Racing wheels wrapped in 205/60 R15 TA Advantage rubber. Other features: stainless exhaust, aluminum radiator, RRS power rack steering, four-wheel Stainless Steel disc brakes, MSD electronic ignition, polished billet serpentine system, billet ididit steering column, Ron Francis wire harness, polished billet hood hinges.
The roller 302 has had 2,000 kilometres of use to date and is running beautifully.
I was in the right place at the right time when Gary’s childhood friend Terry Hyde approached me to say Gary was ready, after 14 years of ownership, to part with the Caliente.
After viewing the car the next morning, it was a no brainer to purchase it. I've owned the car for a year, and what a treat it is to drive.
It will be on display at the 2017 Rock and Roll for Little Souls charity car show May 26 to 28 at the Pearkes Recreation Centre.
The event is organized by the Saanich Fire Fighters Charitable Foundation, which works with the Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island and Victoria Hospitals Foundation to help make a difference for children and their families.