The only real issue he had was the sound system.Īlthough the original AM radio was in the dash, an aftermarket system with “huge speakers” and trunk-mounted amps had been installed. “Then being black, I loved it,” he recalled.
The interior had been redone in “tuck and roll,” but was in great condition, without any wear or tears. “The body never had a dent, no Bondo or rust,” he said. When he got there and did his own evaluation, Larry was pleased. “After a half a dozen conversations with the owner on the phone, I took my car trailer down there,” Larry said. His friend said the body and interior were in great shape. Since this was the era of “idiot lights” that told of a fatal engine problem rather than warned of an impending one, that was important.
It had factory bucket seats, center console and full gauges. Unlike the Mustang K-Code, Comet’s K-Code was rated at a lower 210 HP and did not have solid lifters, but still was a peppy engine for the day. It had a K-Code 289 CID engine with a C-4 auto trans. Larry had a friend in SoCal go to Indio, where the car was located, and check it out. Knowing Larry’s interest, he let him know about the Caliente. While vacationing in SoCal, Ed saw an ad in a magazine for a ‘64 Mercury Comet Caliente. Then he got a call from fellow Roamin Angel Ed Johnson (no relation) in January of this year. However, after six or seven years, Larry had pretty much given up on finding one in decent condition for a decent price. “You never see a Caliente on the road,” he noted. Plus the Caliente is rarer than the Falcon.