We just got a 41000 mile 72 comet gt. It is in very nice original condition. We are trying to find the correct tire and battery info? We are new to the site and hope this is the right forum for this type of question. thank you
What purpose? Are you looking to put an original battery such as a branded Autolite/Motorcraft battery in the car or do you just want one to work? Also, are you wanting original style tires? These would be concours restoration pieces. These items are reproduced but are more expensive than modern safer and more reliable replacements. Original tires would have been bias-ply (non steel belted radial) tires. They do not ride as well as modern radial tires. Your typical auto parts store can set you up with a battery. Same for the tire store on the tires. But, if you want original stuff: Tires- http://store.cokertire.com/catalogs...make=MERCURY&model=Comet&size=D70-14&q=D70-14 Battery- http://www.stang-aholics.com/ShowItem/110160%2064%20-%2072%20Mustang%20Autolite%20Battery,%20500%20Amps.aspx
Autolite would be correct up until 1973. It depends on the way the tires were optioned, some actually had a white wall, others had raised white letters. Polyglass GT's were more common up until 1973 (compared to Firestone Wide Ovals), I've seen cars with both.
Here is a portion of an article in a previous edition of the MCG http://www.maverickcometgroup.com/ newsletter on 1972 Comets. Also, an alternative to buying an expensive Autolite reproduction battery is to purchase a fake Autolite battery cover. They look nice and are available for about $30 and will fit over many 24F flat top batteries (such as those made by Exide & NAPA). EXTRA CHARGE OVER STANDARD 6.45 x 14 BSW TIRES (5) 6.45 x 14 WSW……………………………………………..…...27.40 (5) C78 x 14 belted BSW……………………………………………37.00 Standard on all 4-door sedans with 250 CID 1V engine and air conditioner or 302 CID 2V engine with or without air conditioner. Standard on 2-door sedan with 302 CID 2V and air conditioner. (5) C78 x 14 belted WSW…………………………………………...64.40 (5) D70 x 14 wide oval belted WSW………………………………..91.80 (5) DR78 x 14 radial ply WSW…………………………………….160.90 EXTRA CHARGE OVER C78 x 14 BSW TIRES (5) C78 x 14 belted WSW…………………………………….…….27.40 (5) D70 x 14 wide oval belted WSW……………………….….……54.80 (5) DR78 x 14 radial ply WSW……………………………….…...123.90
72 gt So I guess the questions become, How do we know what the correct tires are, D70-14, good year, fire stone, whitewall, red stripe, or something else? Should the battery be the S24F or S27f? This car is a survivor, it will not really be used as a driver and we want it to be correct. Where would we look for this type of info? Do these type of cars have build sheets hidden in them? Can we get this info from the VIN? thank you for the information
The 24 series batteries would be correct. A Marti report http://www.martiauto.com/index.cfm would tell you what tires came on it, if you are unable to find the build sheet. If the car is an an untouched survivor, there is a good chance the build sheet is still there somewhere. Here are some of the usual locations: Under rear seat bottom cushion Behind rear seat backrest Under front seat bottom cushion Inside driver's seat backrest Under carpeting Under trunk mat The most likely location is under the springs on one of the bottom seat cushions. Does it have the original spare tire yet? All that being said, nobody else will know what it came with without these documents either. If your car has 6" wide wheels, the D70-14's would definately look the best IMO.
Seth, The link you posted for the battery ... AWESOME site! Just put it in Favorites ... I have been researching A/C hardware. These guys have a huge list of stuff ... unreal. With regard to Goodyear Polyglas GTs ... the correct ones would be the small letter version (solid letters) ... Polyglas GTs changed to a larger outline letter version a bit later (perhaps 75 or so). I worked for GY in 1980, and found three sets of small letter tires buried in the backroom ... at the time, thought to myself "boy, are these things ever old" ... EDIT ... just did a search .... good luck finding D70-14 Polyglas GTs .... what is available starts at one size up .... http://www.kelseytire.com/pages/preformancetires2.html
A Marti Report will tell you which style tire the car came with, but it all depends on the time of year it was built to what brand it would have. I have some order forms, with a few different dates on them, and each shows different brands of tires. There is no Concours Maverick/Comet judging, so as long as you are as close as you can get, that would be fine with anyone. Those re-popped Polyglass GT's are pretty scary, they are like driving on marbles.
I had the Goodyear Polyglass tires on my 1970 Grabber. I got them from Kelsey Tire. Dave is right.....kind of a rough ride.
Hell, they were like that when they were new tires, too. My first Comet almost killed me several times.
which is why our parents didn't like us driving in the rain/snow or at night back then. It was a lot riskier back then with the inferior equiptment. With the tires, suspension, batteries and lights on the vehicles today it is a lot less risky to drive in adverse weather conditions or when it is dark outside. Still not a great idea for inexperienced driver to do these things frequently but it sure is a lot mor forgiving.
The customer could specify their preference of brand of tire (as long as it was OEM) and most times the request was honored if possible. Goodyear Polyglas GT's, Firestone Wide Oval's were generally what was used by Ford during that era for white-lettered. Uniroyal was also used. My '72 Torino Cobra Jet (which was a car my dad ordered new and I bought back) showed Wide Oval white-lettered tires on the window sticker, but it came with Goodyear Polyglas GT's, which dad specified when he ordered it. When ordering it, the dealer told him that he had about a 90% success rate in getting the brand specified by the customer.
Interesting, I have order sheets from Ford, some of the early dates spec "Goodyear" and others spec "Firestone" but I guess you could have asked for either...So really, either one would be correct.
D70-14 polyglas We looked in the back seat cushions, the front seat cushions and under the trunk mat, but did not find the build sheet The spare is a D70-14 Goodyear polyglas, with some of the little nubs or whiskers or whatever they are called on it. So Goodyear polyglas it is. Are the approximately 1'' long valve stem extenders, which are in place on all 4 tires, correct? What type of oil filter would be correct? The head lights are Power Beams, I am pretty sure they are not correct, what type should the car have? Thnx
