1973 Mercury Comet GT Takes First Drive in 36 Years, Almost Turns Into a Fireball

Basically a rust bucket after more than three decades in a backyard, this Comet GT will probably never get a second chance at life. That's because a proper restoration would be too expensive relative to its current value. The Comet isn't the most sought-after classic out there.

So taking it for a spin around the block is the most an owner can do to a car in this state before he decides to sell it or dismantle it for parts. Amazingly enough, the stuck engine agreed to come back to life and, a few upgrades later, the Mercury was able to run under its own power.

But that didn't last long and things went downhill quite rapidly. After a few failed attempts to keep it running, the V8 caught fire and the folks over at RevStoration needed a couple of minutes to put it out.

Things would have been easier if they had used a fire extinguisher from the very beginning (instead of rags), but luckily enough the fire didn't extend beyond the engine bay. This classic was inches away from turning into a Mercury Fireball GT. Well, this one definitely calls for a "don't try this at home, kids!"

This Mercury is part of the sixth and final generation Comet. The nameplate debuted in 1960 as a stand-alone marque and became a full-fledged Mercury in 1962. A compact until 1966, the Comet became a midsize car until 1971, when it was revived as Mercury's version of the Ford Maverick compact.

The brand sold the sixth-generation Comet with a couple of inline-six engines and a V8 mill. This GT comes with the latter, but the 302-cubic-inch (5.0-liter) unit was rated at only 138 horsepower in 1973.