My Daily Driver Is A Fifty-Two Year Old Mercury. Let Me Tell You Why...

"J. Drew Silvers" (drewcoustic) 06/15/2014 at 10:10 • Filed to: daily driver, mercury, old cars, will it daily

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About two weeks ago, my daily driver bit the dust. Shockingly, the 1997 Thunderbird I had been driving for a few years only had 95,000 miles on the clock when it went into a massive state of overheating, which, in turn, led to a massive welding of the Modular V8's innards in such an awesomely intertwined effort that the car is now useless. Unfortunately, the cost to resurrect such a car from the dead is actually a greater expense than the running car would be worth as a whole, so I had to start shopping around for something else.

The thing is, I am a carpenter by trade, second generation actually, and the most "logical" decision for a new daily ride would be a pickup truck. However, I am also the person who sold his practical daily driver and bought a 1979 MGB back in 2009 which proceeded to catch fire on three separate occasions. Following the sale of the MGB, I bought a 1979 CJ7 which came with no doors, but it did at least have a bikini top. Did I mention that before any of this, I restored a 1966 Mustang between the ages of fifteen and sixteen, which I drove daily until the end of high school, between 2001-2004? I have a thing for old cars, but what I don't tend to have is a thing for practicality - to a point...

Enter my new daily driver:

A 1963 Mercury Comet - Born on July 12th, 1962

Yes, this makes absolutely no sense to most people, but the fact of the matter is that I am unlike most people. I have this need to drive cars that are not all that common because the older I get, the more I realize I don't want to be like everyone else out there. The funny thing is that I don't want an uncommon car specifically for attention, but for appreciation of something that doesn't exist anymore - a pure car.

I am only twenty-eight years old, but my mentality about personal comfort by today's standards precedes my birth date by a few decades at the least because I thrive on mechanical knowledge and like things I can fix with a wrench and the occasional hammer. My preference is to not have power windows, climate control, "infotainment", heated seats, an automatic transmission, nor a sunroof. The less distraction I have in the car I drive on a daily basis, the better, and when your car is a three speed on the column, this mantra rings even more true.

Seatbelts were federally mandated in the United Stats in 1966, so would you like to guess what my Comet doesn't have? (I'm adding them later. The mounting points are pre-threaded, under the carpet.)

I bought this car from the second owner and I have no idea how long he had owned it prior to that point, but it spent quite some time in storage and I did have to do some catching up on the maintenance end of things. Why buy a car from an air conditioned showroom when you can buy one straight out of a barn, right?

The oil on the rocker arms was actually petrified and crunchy.

The gear oil had the consistency of burnt deep fryer oil and oddly smelled like lacquer thinner.

The truth is, I could have bought something newer and I could have bought something more practical to my career, but I couldn't have bought anything that has more character than my little Mercury Comet. I'm sure something will break in the near future and I'll have to spend some time doing roadside repair, but that's just the thing for me because aside from a catastrophic, internal engine/transmission/ring and pinion issue, most problems can be patched up roadside in under half an hour on a car like this. After owning an MGB for a few years, I can attest to this as being true as long as you keep a tool bag and about $50 worth of spare bits in the trunk at all times.

One of the few friends I still speak to from my childhood works in Research and Development for Nissan USA and he laughs every time I buy an old car because even though his career and passion is in the more cutting-edge and advanced aspect of the automotive experience, he appreciates hearing about my adventures in the old steel of the past. Today he said: "I give you a year in that thing. Yes, consider it a challenge.". Mutual respect from the other side of the spectrum. I love that.

You may be saying in your head:

"That's fine for people who live in the middle of nowhere, like I bet you do. Driving a car like that everyday wouldn't work in the city."

Actually, I live in Metro Atlanta, a little over half an hour from downtown and our traffic is notoriously horrendous in every direction. My biggest adjustment is having to shift gears on the steering column, but that is becoming as second nature to me as shifting on the floor was before that point. Most of the dozen cars I have owned have been manuals because even in bumper to bumper traffic, driving a slushbox is torture to me.

Really though, the Comet still needs a few odds and ends which I will add to the process along the way (including getting rid of those awful wheel covers), but I'm more proud of this car than I would be of anything fresh out of the showroom any day.

I live in a world where everyone who has "made it" drives a BMW and blends in with every other person sitting in traffic.

Not me.

I try to buy cars that match my personality. I don't buy cars that make my personality match everyone else's.

Grace and Peace,

-J. Drew Silvers

http://www.jdrewsilvers.com

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > J. Drew Silvers 06/15/2014 at 10:20

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Dude, were automotive preference twins, I am the same way to a tee, I tell people my preference on cars and they look at me like I'm speaking latin. This is freaky. I am good with electronics, and I know cars. But in my opinion a car should not be an electronic device, the only thing with a circuit board that should be built into a car is something to play music off of (preferably with a tape player or aux input). If I were to live an any other year solely for automotive reasons It would be 1967. And I'm only 20

E92M3 > J. Drew Silvers 06/15/2014 at 10:44

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That's awesome! I don't know how you live here without AC though.

J. Drew Silvers > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 06/15/2014 at 10:45

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For me I think it was starting off with my Mustang that pushed me into the simple wants with cars. It was my dad's car and I played in it as a kid when it was rotting away in a barn almost every day. Our ideal eras are pretty much the same. People like old cars, but most people in their 20's-30's haven't ridden in an old car so they don't realize it is a night and day experience from a standpoint of "comfort". I would rather diagnose an issue by listening to the car and tune it with a screwdriver than have to plug it into a scan tool and have it towed over a malfunctioned sensor. I do appreciate newer cars and the emissions control parts, but driving something older has paid its dues in being useful and eco-friendly compared to mass production of any modern car, I'm sure. Haha.

J. Drew Silvers > E92M3 06/15/2014 at 10:48

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Haha, thanks! I've owned over a dozen vehicles and only four have had A/C. You don't miss it as much if you spend enough time without it. Like TV. I haven't had that in about two years and I don't miss it at all anymore.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > J. Drew Silvers 06/15/2014 at 10:50

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Ive really had no first hand day to day experience with older cars, but I come from a household where the main reason for a car, is to be good on gas, comfortable and to be a honda that isnt fast. So, I want to strive for something different, so I dont become boring like my parents, and take risks. Also, Im an artist and (this doesnt just apply to cars btw) I like my things to have unfabricated character.

E92M3 > J. Drew Silvers 06/15/2014 at 11:16

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I suppose you're right. I spent my childhood in cars with no AC. I remember when my dad finally bought his first car that had working AC (89 crown vic which he still drives everday). He refuses to use it to this day.

J. Drew Silvers > E92M3 06/15/2014 at 11:48

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I have two uncles. They bought their first A/C cars when they were in their sixties. One a new F150 and one a new 2500 GMC. Neither of them have used the A/C in those trucks - ever. When the Mustang was my daily, girls wanted to ride in it all of one time usually. Haha.

jkm7680 > J. Drew Silvers 06/15/2014 at 12:36

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Nice write up! Are the hubcaps first to go?

J. Drew Silvers > jkm7680 06/15/2014 at 12:44

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Soon enough. I'm going to paint the wheels with a white, single stage lacquer and put chrome hub covers or baby moons on them. Right now I'm doing maintenance and polishing pits out of some of the chrome.

jkm7680 > J. Drew Silvers 06/15/2014 at 12:47

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Awesome! Some baby moons would look great on her. I'm liking the seat covers.

Reborn Pyrrhic > J. Drew Silvers 06/15/2014 at 17:03

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I am right there with you on the car preference. I like older, analog cars. That Mercury sure looks like the kind of car I'd like to buy. How much did you pay for it?

Also, do you know Robert Rauton?

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > J. Drew Silvers 06/16/2014 at 11:01

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THRIFTPOWARRRRR

I hadn't seen this post yet - this is awesome.

I should tell you, there's a business in Charlotte, NC that specializes in Falcon parts, so anything oddball you need mechanically, they might have. Also, I'm ripping the three-speed, engine, and rear diff out of my Falcon Ranchero, so if you need them, I often travel to Atlanta: give me a heads up.

I should warn you, the rear diff is the comedy low range version: 4.10:1.

bob and john > J. Drew Silvers 06/16/2014 at 12:29

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you know, I dont actually watch that much TV now tht I think about it. the occasional episode of how its made, but not much more then that

J. Drew Silvers > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 06/16/2014 at 17:32

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Oh, awesome! Hopefully I won't need them, but is it the 140 or 170?

J. Drew Silvers > bob and john 06/16/2014 at 17:36

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Those are bootlegged on YouTube. Modern Marvels can be watched on history.com as well. I don't really watch those either, but I know they're out there.

bob and john > J. Drew Silvers 06/16/2014 at 17:39

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probably. thats why i'm not thinking: should I even bother with a TV when i grow up and get my own place? (19 right now) I know its societal norm...but...all I have is the xbox and my alienware...I could just get a kick ass internet package and run those....

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > J. Drew Silvers 06/17/2014 at 09:00

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It's the 140, because mine had no options other than a brown seat (color not offered in Falcons), green paint (color not offered *on* Falcons), and a low diff. We think it was a forest service truck.

J. Drew Silvers > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 06/17/2014 at 18:17

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Very cool. Add me on Facebook so we can stay in touch as you gut your Ranchero in case I decide to grab that stuff from you. Or if you're not on Facebook, save my email addy drew.silvers@gmail.com

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > J. Drew Silvers 06/17/2014 at 18:39

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The previous owner actually yanked the engine - so it's apart, and the head's off. It's all there, but hasn't been redone at this point - though it has a tag on it from a Ford authorized rebuilder - may have been rebuilt in the 70s or some such as a factory crate. I pulled the trans a couple weeks ago. As to the rear axle, that'll probably come available whenever I get around to re-cutting my Jag rear suspension and can use it instead.

I have not used Facebook much for the past year +, but I may add you there anyway just because. Definitely will save the e-mail.

J. Drew Silvers > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 06/17/2014 at 20:27

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Just looking for a way to be sure we don't lose contact since things tend to go awry on kinja regularly. Haha. Thanks!

JR1 > J. Drew Silvers 08/03/2014 at 19:22

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I would love love to DD a classic the safety of a classic though is what keeps me from DDing one

J. Drew Silvers > JR1 08/04/2014 at 16:44

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I guess I'm of a more rare type who doesn't care. I've had two friends and three acquaintances who were thrown from their cars because they were not wearing their seatbelts. The investigators all said that had they been strapped into their cars, they would have not had a chance of surviving. My thing is that you can't prevent what anyone else does on the road and any car can kill you, depending on what happens in a fraction of a second. Aside from having kids in the car (but I have no plans for children) I don't even think about that aspect.