What's with the hood...

[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

[tommy d]

A "K" code in a Mercury is not the same as a "K" in a Ford.

[Stewart Way]

Alex D may chime in here. He had a write up on a web site years ago explaining why the K code means a different thing in a Merc vs a Ford. He did state that the lower HP 289 was in fact a K code in the Merc.

[Alex Denysenko]

Originally Posted by tommy d

a "k" code in a mercury is not the same as a "k" in a ford.

correct

[Gary Smith]

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

Thanks Dick for clearing that up, and PLEASE, no offense to you was intended. Some folks here feel I fell of the turnip truck just because I'm not racing right now, but I've been involved in the battle and around long enough to know how ugly the 289 fight once was....when dad fought Cloy Fitzgerald in '76 for 210 in early '65 A code 2+2 (ours has factory date code 8/64, came with 5 bolt bellhousing). Got shot down 3 times and gave up, went bracket racing. Then I noticed Huffman running that same combo in Div 7....the same deal dad, Charlie Hoffman, and Greg Foreman fought for. It's just upsetting to see how lax the rules have gotten, wondering what else we could get away with.