1964 Mercury Comet Build sheet K code Super Nice

[golfer]

1964 Mercury Comet Caliente K code build sheet $50,000 in receipts. Nicest car on the market for $20,000 for pics [email protected] or for more info call gary or kevin 770-956-1227

[1970Bluel78]

I may be wrong ( looking into it ) but the " K " code designation for the Comets is NOT the same as a Fairlane. I think 225 HP was all you could get in the Mercury in 64. No 271 HP cars. Curious what the build sheet shows? Many people see a K and think HiPO but K can designate Kansas City build. Depends where it is in the vin

[1970Bluel78]

Looked at a 64 Comet brochure. Cyclone V8 highest was 210 HP. No mention of a K code. All comets with that V8 I think would be A codes

[golfer]

The K code surprised me to, but do more research, there were a lot of K code Comets made, same carb as in the mustang but no solid lifters. Horsepower was listed as 220 in the webb site I found.

[tom406]

It's a really odd thing, these '64 Merc Engine codes being different than the Fairlanes that were likely built in the same plants. The K-code for Mercs was a hydraulic lifter 4bbl regular fuel engine, which was basically the same as the D-code engine you'll find in some early '65 Mustangs.

There were HiPo Comets made in '64, notably the 100,000 mile Durability Run cars and the European Rally cars made that year. In the manuals HiPo Comets are shown to have a "D" code, but all of the HiPo cars found with build sheet documentation are "F" and "K" coded cars that were specially converted. No "D"-code HiPo '64 Comets have ever surfaced.

K-code in the Fords were the 271hp solid lifter engines, and they ALWAYS had 4 speeds (until '66 anyway) and 9" rearends.

Another odd K-code fact is that in '65 a few Canadian Falcons were spec'd with K-code HiPo engines. The "Wild Child" A/FX car started out as a factory HiPo Falcon. No American HiPo Falcons have ever surfaced, however.

For those into Ford Small Block history, the definitive book is Bob Mannel's 700 plus page "Mustang and Ford Small Block V8 1962-1969 Vols I and II", (RPM PRESS). It's a phoenomenal document with extensive pictures and a lifetime of collected info. Imagine a Colvin "By The Numbers" book with actual photographs of everything.

[1970Bluel78]

There were NO RPO 289/271 cars made for Comets in 1964 . That K for the Merc does not mean the same thing as say a Fairlane as Tom indicated. Not sure what you have to sell but Probably a 289/210 horse Cyclone V8 Comet

[1970Bluel78]

P.S. Golfer. What kind of rear does she have. Tappered axles?? What gearing? Is there any indication of the 289/271 on the build sheet? The 64 Hi-Po Comet is one of those Mystery cars. Under the hood,are the support braces welded or bolted ??

[golfer]

Like I have already said, a 64 K code Comet is not the same as a K code mustang. They are still fairly unique, and it apparently has the same hipo carb as the k code mustang. HP rating I found was 220, another place indicated that the highest rated hp for a 289 was 210, but this did not say what the engine code was. I haven't looked at the rear end. Also, since this is different from the K code Mustang, they did come with autos from what I have been able to find out. Finally, the 5th didget in the VIN is a K, the 5th didget on the inner fender, driver's side, is a K, and the 5th didget on the title is a K, and on the original build sheet. If this ain't a K code Comet, which is different from the Mustang, then please tell me what all these Ks in the engine designation position mean?

[1970Bluel78]

Well Golfer I have read an awful lot of stuff about the 64. There was NO K code designation in the 5th digit in a Merc. Some info states there were Hi-Po Comets but ALL would have a A code. I cannot explain what you are describing. Can you post the vin or a copy of the build sheet?? DST ( Dearborn Steel Tubing )made the reliabilty run cars that had 289/271 engines in them. They were off assembly line cars. Either you have something very rare ( no information ) or someone may have tried to make a " K" code car thinking it was the same as a fairlane

[PeteLeathersac]

I'm no Ford guy but remember reading some info on these a couple years back when researching some Canadian Shell Endurance Rally stuff and I was searching for the Tour deFrance winning Mustang that actually ended up in Canada and disappeared..
Again I'm no Ford guy and I may be mixing up some of the Rally prepared car stuff I read but do recall the '64 Comets were being argued but ended up proven as definately built and had unique rears and ratios, distributors and underhood bracing also horsepower like 270...the big-car brakes were the rally cars only I think?.
I'll search and try and find what I read?.
Snce you have a build sheet, doesn't it show exactly what was shipped?.
http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif
~ Pete

[golfer]

I tried to send some pics of the vin and buildsheet. Pics must have been to big. Go to www.atlantamusclecars.com (http://www.atlantamusclecars.com) and see for yourself the VIN on the inner fender with a K, the Vin on the door with a K, the Vin on the title with a K, and the Vin on the original buildsheet with a K. Fellas, it is a K code 1964 Comet, which is rare but not the same as a K code Mustang.

[Charley Lillard]

Looks like K codes on the tag and fender to me.......

[1970Bluel78]

Well I got an E mail from someone on a Ford site who stated that the K in 64 was the 289/210hp engine. Looking further

[SS427]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Windsor_engine#289_.22HiPo.22_.28K-code.29)

"A high-performance version of the 289 engine was introduced late in the 1963 model year as a special order for Ford Fairlanes and Mercury Comets. The engine is informally known as the "HiPo" or the K-code (after the engine letter used in the VIN of cars so equipped). Starting in June 1964, it became an option for the Mustang."

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

[1970Bluel78]

SS427.....Problem is the Fairlane and the Comets used two different versions Fairlane 289/271 Comet 289/210 ( no solid lifters )

[1970Bluel78]

Another e mail....Looks like it is a 289 210 horse 4bbl Comet. Nothing like the hi po 289/271 of the Fairlane. Real Nice car but the K is not what you thought it was

[tom406]

This is kind of getting beaten to death. The C-code, 200hp 2bbl 289 came out in mid-'63. Mercury often tried to have somewhat unique powertrain options (like the 390 2bbl motors that Fords didn't have, or the 410FE, a Mercury-only engine that was basically a 390 bore with a 428 crank). They took the C-code regular fuel 289 and put the existing HiPo intake and a 4bbl carb on it for use in their cars in 1964. This created a 210hp engine that had the same long block as the C-code 2bbl engine. For reasons known only to them, they assigned this motor a "K" designation, even though sister company Ford had already been using that letter designation since mid '63 in HiPo 271hp solid lifter Fairlanes. In Mercury shop manuals, they show 271hp engines available in the Comet line with a "D" as the fifth digit of the VIN. However, no '64 Comets with "D" codes have ever surfaced. Those '64 Comets documented as original 271hp cars all have "F" (260 2bbl) or "K" (210hp 289) codes in their VINS with build sheets listing "HI PERF" conversions, so they were likely pulled from the line after being started as non-Hipo builds.

This is confusing because Ford consistently used the K code for 271hp applications from 1963-1967. They also decided to use the Mercury-spec'd 210hp 4bbl 289 later in 1964 and assigned it a D code, which was installed in Fairlanes and very early 1965 Mustangs (aka 64-1/2's). Thus (in the shop manuals at least) 1964 Comets had the EXACT OPPOSITE nomenclature as 1964 Fairlanes in regards to the 271hp and 210hp 289 engines.

Anyone who wanted a regular fuel 4bbl 289 in their 1964 Comet got a K coded VIN, so many thousands were made, with 3speeds, 4speeds, and automatics using 8" rearends. A very few of these might have been converted to 271hp status, but they would have to be 4 speed cars with 9" rearends and would need DOCUMENTATION to be considered real. Conversely, if you have a K-code Ford product from 1964, its certainly a 271hp HiPo car.

They got their letters aligned for '65, so this confusion doesn't come up that year.

Is the mud a little clearer now? http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/scholar.gif

[mc25t190]

I almost bought a "k" code comet, but, the "K" doesn't mean 289/271 motor. They did have the k in the vin but it didn't designate that it was a 289/271. The car has to have paperwork from the dealership or have the HI-PO engine designation on the build sheet, you can't go by the vin number to say it is a 289/271. I did my home work and almost made a mistake and bought one,but, a local ford guru stopped me and said to have paperwork, buildsheet stating hi-po motor. In other words , they have K's in the vin but that doesn't designate the HI-po engine.