What's with the hood...

[X-TECH MAN]

I hate to inform you but this is another NHRA tech deal if this is indeed a Super Stock car. This hood only came later on the 1964 A/FX 427 Comet Calientes (sp?) after Mercury found out they flowed more air to the carbs than the T-Bolt style hood scoop. Ronnie Sox recieved the first of the new style hoods. The early 1964 A/FX Comets had the T-Bolt style hood. All were fiberglass in 64 and 65 ! More NHRA stupidity. Even the 64 289/271 cars (very very few made) had the standard steel hood. The 289/271 engines cars that were not B/FX in 1965 were more plentiful yet still had the standard steel hood.
The rest of you are smoking some good stuff as Mark Y is 1000 % correct. The same style hood scoop came on the 1965 A/FX cars on the Cyclone body. They also came on the 1965 B/FX Cyclones with the 289's. Just another NHRA "BJ". The Super Stocker in the picture is bogus yet NHRA seems to allowed it.

[Dwight Southerland]

Probably need a FoMoCo historian on this one, but I seem to remember that the hood was made available on Caliente models only to commemorate the East African Safari deal. Base engine on the Caliente was a 6-banger so I doubt it was considered a real performance option. The question is whether or not it was cosmetic or really a fresh air service as it was installed on production cars.

[Jeff Kempton]

A friend still has the hood from his old Caliente in the rafters of his garage. It was a small block car and the hood was factory installed and fibreglass. I don't recall the year of his car offhand though.

If I recall correctly, a recent Hemmings Musclecar issue featured a restored Comet with this hood and it was documented as factory. I'll have a look for it when I get home.

[Chuck Garey]

Look under auto imagery, Mr Lux has been running that hood for a while now

[dlux]

Well everyone, thanks for noticing the hood on my Comet. I'll give you guys the short version of a long story that started about three years ago. Beside my 1964 289CI, 210HP/220HP Mercury Cyclone K Code Comet, I have a 1964 427CI, Mercury Cyclone K Code Comet that I asked NHRA to approve like they did for the 427 Thunderbolt Fairlanes for Stock. I did alot of research about Comets over a two year span to get the 427 approved by NHRA. During that time I guess I became a Comet Expert.
NHRA will not approve the 427 and if I pushed it more it would have to be decided in a court of law. I think we have a good chance to win or NHRA would have to make some combinations being run today also not legal. I don't want the latter so we laid off.
The hood was questioned at Englishtown last year and I gave NHRA some of the documentation. After that I raced several points meets, Bristol and Indy and did not get one comment from any of the Top three tech including one from "Headquarters".
The only comment was a threat that if I kept pushing for the 427 Comet the hood could be illegal.
The fact of the matter is the hood was an option available late in the 1964 model year on only Mercury Comet Cyclones that were K code with a 210HP, 225HP, and a 271HP.
For your information I have seen no performance gain from the hood.
If anyone wants to see some of the documentation I'll be glad to show some.
Thanks for the comments on the paint job and God Bless America and you.
D Lux

[Harry 6674]

Originally Posted by dlux

Well everyone, thanks for noticing the hood on my Comet. I'll give you guys the short version of a long story that started about three years ago. Beside my 1964 289CI, 210HP/220HP Mercury Cyclone K Code Comet, I have a 1964 427CI, Mercury Cyclone K Code Comet that I asked NHRA to approve like they did for the 427 Thunderbolt Fairlanes for Stock. I did alot of research about Comets over a two year span to get the 427 approved by NHRA. During that time I guess I became a Comet Expert.
NHRA will not approve the 427 and if I pushed it more it would have to be decided in a court of law. I think we have a good chance to win or NHRA would have to make some combinations being run today also not legal. I don't want the latter so we laid off.
The hood was questioned at Englishtown last year and I gave NHRA some of the documentation. After that I raced several points meets, Bristol and Indy and did not get one comment from any of the Top three tech including one from "Headquarters".
The only comment was a threat that if I kept pushing for the 427 Comet the hood could be illegal.
The fact of the matter is the hood was an option available late in the 1964 model year on only Mercury Comet Cyclones that were K code with a 210HP, 225HP, and a 271HP.
For your information I have seen no performance gain from the hood.
If anyone wants to see some of the documentation I'll be glad to show some.
Thanks for the comments on the paint job and God Bless America and you.
D Lux

Good to hear. In 1971 I owned a 64 Cyclone 271hp with the scooped hood. I always assumed it was original but with all the different opinions on this site I wasn't sure if it was original or not. Cool car.

[Jeff Lee]

But a "K" code is only one engine; 289/271 so I don't get why the other HP 289's are lumped in together?

[X-TECH MAN]

The "K" code stands for the 271 HP 289. I dont remember what the 210 HP code is and there was no 225 HP in 1964. It came along in 1965. Ten 427 Hi Riser Calientie coupes were built and one station wagon (Ugly Duckling) raced by Dyno and Eddie Schartman. Dont know how many still exist. Dont forget that the firewalls were slightly modifed for a little better weight tranfer for the hard 10 Racemasters of the day on the A/FX cars.I guess with NHRA anything is legal these days with enough "documentation" from almost 50 years ago.

[427_ED]

Is this the former Tax Group, Mike Cates, BeCOOL car?

[dlux]

Yes this is the X Tax group car