Point Reyes Station Street Sighting - 1961 Comet sedan

Oh dear, here we go again with another Falcon. Or is it? Nope, this is a Comet. We've already had a 1962, 1963, and 1964 Mercury Comet show up here, so why not an early one that predates the car's official association with Mercury? Originally devised as a baby Edsel for 1960, the Ford brass nixed the horsecollar grille in a hurry when the Edsel brand went down in flames and made the Comet a stand-alone economy brand for two years. Aside from some cosmetic touches, the Comet's Falcon roots are plainly evident. But hey, it was 1961 and you got four headlights AND tailfins on a compact car that was no less frugal than the bargain-basement six-cylinder Falcon.

Instead of flying onto the scene and fizzling out quickly like a shooting star, the Comet caught on and continued well into the 1970s in various forms. This example has certainly lingered, but it looks quite a bit worse for wear. The funny thing is that the body looks pretty straight, however it apparently lives along the coast and that salt air isn't doing the car any favors. There's significant rust in the rockers and it's starting in the hood, trunk lid and C-pillar. The paint's shot and obviously should be resprayed, but not until the car's undergone a proper stripping and received thorough rust repairs to evict the tinworms. Much of the chrome appears to be salvageable, though the rear bumper is pretty mangled and several chrome details have pitted badly. Judging by the modern license plates, apparently mobile condition and the fact it was parked outside of a shop, I'm hopeful that this Comet will come back around sometime.