1960 Mercury Comet 4-door sedan 200 cid six

Summary:

Stylish, small and economical, but a bit of a handful to drive

Faults:

Leaks terribly.

Bad fuel pump.

Needed rebuilt front suspension, new front seat.

Needs new door and trunk seals.

General Comments:

A good sized car, but a little cramped for larger people.

Access to the trunk is not great.

Back seat useable, but not especially comfortable for adults.

Steering wheel not as comfortable to hold as it could be (shape doesn't conform to hand well).

2-speed automatic transmission is not the best... it really needs a three speed for best performance.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th April, 2008

12th Jan 2009, 02:46

I am the original poster on this comment thread.

I've since replaced the leaky 200 six with a rebuilt 170 six and rebuilt two speed. The engine and tranny are now better balanced to each other, and the car is running much better.

31st Aug 2009, 00:45

Yes, the 200 six was out of a '70s Maverick. These are often swapped in as replacements for the 144/170 engines.

In 1960 only the 144 was available (in the Falcon also, I believe). The 170 wasn't introduced until 1961.

5th Nov 2010, 13:11

My mom had a 1960 Comet with the standard engine when I was a kid. We called it "Chug chug". Very slow.

25th May 2023, 03:27

My dad owned a green 1960 Mercury Comet standard transmission green color. He owned it for close to twenty years in Iran and sold it for more than the purchase price. The car was built like a tank, heavy and rather slow, which I attributed to my dad’s cautious driving more than engine power. This was not a very popular car in Iran with folk's preference geared more towards Chevys, Chryslers and Opels. My distaste for the car was its horrible heating mode for it took forever to heat the interior of the vehicle in cold weather. How fast life flies!