1964 Merc Comet Caliente front suspension rebuild and modification

Having just recently acquired this car, I set to work on the rehabilitation. Since the engine is already out this is a good time to rebuild the original suspension. I wanted to upgrade the suspension on the whole car with some improved parts and also make some inexpensive but valuable handling modifications. Here's what I did to the front.

 I retracted the coil springs up in the shock towers with a spring compressor and removed the brakes, knuckles and upper control arms as a unit. The rest was simple unbolting.

1978 Honda CB750K

I sold my Harley Davidson down the road and ended up unexpectedly committing some of the cash proceeds to the purchase of a 1964 Mercury Comet. The cash I had left over was what I was left with for my next bike. I didn't know what kind of bike I'd be getting, but I had one concrete criteria- a Kick Start lever must be attached to the motorcycle (and it must be cheaper than the product of Comet purchase money subtracted from Harley Davidson sale money). I shopped craigslist for weeks until this sweet little gem popped up- a 1978 Honda CB750k, the last year of the original SOHC engine and last of the kick start 750 Hondas.

 Pro's: Kick start, 750cc engine, less than 10k miles on odometer, good tires, immaculate original paint and seat, 4 chrome mufflers, chrome fenders, tons of style.

Tribute to a good riding companion 1990 HD Softail

I love motorcycles. Back in 2009 I picked up a neglected Heritage Softail. I limped it home on bad tires, oil soaked brakes and with the choke pulled wide open just to keep it alive. It was in full dress, windshield, tall bars, bags, his and her seat, sissy bar, Conchos and tassels. I loved the bike but hated the look. I took to stripping it down to the essentials and making it my own. I de chromed pieces, changed the bars (several times), changed the seat, stripped the turn signals, speedo and dash and other un needed doo-dads. I wanted a pure machine, the only luxury I was allowing was the full fenders, as I really like the look. I took to repairing any faults over time and wound up with a reliable and awesome Harley Davidson that served me for six years, way beyond my humble original expectations. With mixed feelings, I sold it in tip-top shape a few weeks ago to try something different.

          Here's Black Betty at her peak of fitness, a few days before I found her a new owner.

1964 Mercury Comet Caliente Convertible: the modern gentleman's rocket ship cruiser

A few weeks ago I sold my Harley Davidson motorcycle of 6 years. 20 minutes later I was sweeping up the garage, wad of cash in pocket, and fate brought one of my distant neighbors over for a visit. This would be no ordinary visit though, as he was there on business. He wanted to sell me his project car, a car which had been solely in his family since new- a '64 Comet convertible. He had undertaken a mechanical restoration years ago, but life interfered and the project stalled on him...for 15 years. Now I don't need another car, nor do I need another project, but I am a sucker for a cool 60's FOMOCO product and I can't resist. So we made a deal and pushed the shuttle a few blocks from his garage to mine. Follow along as I perform a sympathetic mechanical and cosmetic restoration of the Comet. It is my ambition to have her back on the road by November(ish)...we'll see about that (as I write this it's August 9, 2015).

 

Here is my first glimpse of the '64 comet. The engine and transmission have long ago been removed

BMW 2002 M10 engine build

Well, the old girl was a smoker, no matter how much I drove her and pushed her and tuned her, she had a nasty habit of expelling a cloud of bluish-grey when taking off from a stop. The longer she idled, the more embarrassing the cloud. I figured (optimistically) that the valve guide seals were deteriorated from sitting, so I embarked upon replacement of the seals. If you know your M10's, you know BMW doesn't make this an afternoon project like, say, a Chevy 350 engine. No, BMW insists you remove the camshaft and rocker shafts, and to do so requires you to remove the cylinder head from the engine. No big deal, that's a chore that takes around 3 hours working at a reasonable clip.

                                                      1975 BMW 2002 losing it's head