271 HP engines in Mercury Comets

here is a nice article for you. A google search of "Hi-Po engine in Mercury Comet" will give you plenty to read.

http://www.hemmings.com/mus/stories/20…n_feature6.html

according to this article, a Hi-Po Mercury Comet Cyclone has not the special identifier letter in the VIN to show if the car came with a 271 HP engine, or not. One must rely on a build sheet.

Z.

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I have found various info on K code engines in Mercury Comets. One source shows a K code Comet to be the same as an A code Mustang with a 225 HP engine. Another source shows 64 and 65 Comets with the 271 Hp engine. If the Comets had a 271 HP engine, isn't it pretty much the same as the K engine in a Mustang?

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It's been a while since the '64-65 Comet K Code question has been raised around here. If you search the site Archives, you can find some some fairly detailed posts regarding these rare cars. Mercury certainly made things tough for us to decipher because certain Comet V-8 engine codes don't follow the standard Ford format we're used to.

In 1964 Comets, the K Code in the 5th position of the VIN indicated a "low compression" 289 4V engine with hydraulic lifters, and is NOT the optional 271 hp solid lifter engine available in Fairlanes. The 271 hp engine was available in Comets <i>only by special order</i>, and these cars are difficult to verify because the HiPo engine code does not appear in the VIN. A scant few have been documented with build sheets discovered inside body panels. A 6 digit DSO code should also be present on the door plate.

For 1965, the 289 HiPo was still available by special order in a Comet, but there was no specific engine code used to identify these cars either. Although the 1965 Mercury Master Parts Book refers to "Warranty Code D" for the 289 HiPo Comets, it does not appear stamped on any survivor cars that I know of. Instead, there will be an engine code "A" (289 4V) or a <i>blank</i> in the 5th position of the VIN. Like the '64 models, a 6 digit DSO code will be present on a factory 1965 HiPo Comet. Other spotting features include a 4 speed manual transmission, a heavy duty export brace, large diameter alternator pulley, and a 9 inch rear axle. Due to clearance issues, the Comets could not fit the HiPo exhaust manifolds, and did not come with a factory dual exhaust system either.

The actual engine is the same as any Fairlane or Mustang K Code, but certain HiPo Comets came with an optional transistor ignition system that wasn't offered on Fairlanes or Mustangs.

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