Photo: AutotopiaLA
“Lost brakes…HOLD ON!” is the last thing you’d want to hear while riding shotgun in a 1,300 HP beast of a ‘64 Mercury Comet.
As AutotopiaLA’s Shawn Davis revealed in a recent YouTube video, December 17th is a date he will never forget. It was the first time meeting Russ for an interview about his fiery red Comet, which he built on his own.
Harnessing a 632 Merlin big-block Chevy with a 1471 BDS blower on it, this Mercury is no slouch – except when it comes to braking power. The owner mentioned an important detail that could’ve balanced out all that horsepower - he hasn’t touched the car’s brakes in the past 17 years.
Somehow that didn’t stand out during the interview, and after chatting with Russ about the car, it was time for a casual ride and some rolling shots. Who needs harnesses when you have lap belts, right? Wrong.
A sticking accelerator and the smell of brakes started ringing the alarm, but multiple stops reassured the guys that everything was OK. Until it wasn’t…
Next thing they know, brakes die, and the Comet hits a minivan that was waiting at a stop light.
While the car wasn’t going over 50 mph at impact, both Russ and Shawn suffered multiple injuries. It could have been a whole lot worse, though.
Still, you can’t fix blown elbows and broken teeth for free. Both guys have recovered, but they have learned a painful (and costly) lesson.
This serves as the perfect reminder that safety should always be top of mind – especially when you’re dealing with 1,300 HP. But whatever you’re driving, check your brakes and get something better than a lap belt.
For now, Russ has put the Comet on hold, but he plans to work on it again in the future. It will probably be a good idea for some better brakes to get prioritized on his wish list.
Harnessing a 632 Merlin big-block Chevy with a 1471 BDS blower on it, this Mercury is no slouch – except when it comes to braking power. The owner mentioned an important detail that could’ve balanced out all that horsepower - he hasn’t touched the car’s brakes in the past 17 years.
Somehow that didn’t stand out during the interview, and after chatting with Russ about the car, it was time for a casual ride and some rolling shots. Who needs harnesses when you have lap belts, right? Wrong.
A sticking accelerator and the smell of brakes started ringing the alarm, but multiple stops reassured the guys that everything was OK. Until it wasn’t…
Next thing they know, brakes die, and the Comet hits a minivan that was waiting at a stop light.
While the car wasn’t going over 50 mph at impact, both Russ and Shawn suffered multiple injuries. It could have been a whole lot worse, though.
Still, you can’t fix blown elbows and broken teeth for free. Both guys have recovered, but they have learned a painful (and costly) lesson.
This serves as the perfect reminder that safety should always be top of mind – especially when you’re dealing with 1,300 HP. But whatever you’re driving, check your brakes and get something better than a lap belt.
For now, Russ has put the Comet on hold, but he plans to work on it again in the future. It will probably be a good idea for some better brakes to get prioritized on his wish list.
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