How to tell if it's a real Comet GT?

Are you sure about this?
If you read into the vin real close I think you can tell it was a original GT car by the rear axle ratio code, motor code, paint/trim code.
I may be mistaken but I thought you could
But looks like a real car to me

My car doesnt have the stripe on it anymore. But it does have the GT grille, scoop, had bucket seats, etc etc

 

Yep. The code in the vin, 31, just shows it is either a standard 2 door Comet, or a GT. There is no designation between the two like the standard 2 door Mav/Grabber. As far as the engine/trans/rear codes go, it doesn't really make a difference as the GT could come with whatever engine/trans/rear was ordered. Nothing special was noted for the GT version on those parts. The trim code is AA, and all I can find for that code is "AA - Black - Melrose / Corinth. Vinyl". Doesn't say buckets, but probably is. I am looking these up at: http://home.comcast.net/~petebre/maverick/decode/1972.html . Now the thing that confuses me is the color code and trans code he gave me. The color code according to him is 3G, and the trans is GX. I cannot find these codes anywhere. The trans code is especially strange to me. It's a stick on the floor, so I was expecting the code to be 1. Where the hell does GX come from, and what does it mean? I can't find the paint color code either. Maybe he misread or gave me some other codes I am not familiar with.. Humm.... Maybe some other Comet GT owners are famillair with and can help me out with these codes??
-Corbin

 

A Marti report is the only way to tell for sure. But thats only for the 71-73. After that there would be no way except for the original invoice. At one time I had a couple of GT grills and sold them, so you cant really go by that either. If someone has a brochure that tells exactly what the GT package bought you, I'd sure like to see that. I believe you could probably get a GT package with bench seats. My Marti report on mine just says "GT Appearance Group" so I doubt it had any extras like thicker sway bars.

 

I am sure Seth will chime in here but my understanding is , that unlike Grabbers, Comet GT's came only with Bucket seats ... Lucky dogs ...

 

Corbin Actually even the buckets are not gonna be an exact way to tell cause as the brochure says the buckets were available on Standard comets as a option. Here is the brochure pages I have that show both models. Isnt there a ford Motor company Number you can call that gives you a report like the marti report?As far as the trans code I have no idea what the gx means . Good luck in your quest and let us know what you find out.If these are to small to read shoot me a e-mail at tjw@gcronline.com and I will e-mail you the full size scans.

Later Tim

 

Hope it's real.

Hope you end up with it.

"My Marti report on mine just says "GT Appearance Group" so I doubt it had any extras like thicker sway bars."

I'd like a Comet GT also, but because of the above it's really a back burner kind of thing for me, when I find a steal I'll have one. Now if the GT's and grabbers had come with a 4v motor, and suspension package, to go with the window dressing, I'd be on the GT or Grabber only wagon. But just an appearance group is a ho-hum for me. It does make them rarer though.
The cheap, and quick, Marti report is only $18 I think.

 

Marti reports do take a while to get ... I think they may also offer a quick turnaround via phone (for a price) to verify whether it is a GT ...

 

I'm with maverikrick, this is why I don't think they will ever command big money, I may be wrong. I would rather have a rust free shell to start with and I could make it what I want it to be. You can make a grabber clone and no one could tell the difference, heck if you have a dash out of a grabber(vin tag)you can change that and have a grabber that one could argue against until they are blue in the face. Now Corbin, the fact that this is a great shell already and a factory floor shift, bucket seat model to me would make it worth it to begin with, but chances are that it is a GT anyways, but if it wasn't and you got it and made it a GT who could argue?

 

I feel strongly that it is a real Comet GT. The fuzzy dice hanging off the miror is a dead give-away.


Good luck with the purchase (c'mon, you know you're gonna buy it)

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VIN's are also marked on the fender aprons and I think one other place one the car in the trunk area. Since it's a federal crime to swap VIN's on cars it is probably not a good idea. Things like this are definitely things that the collectors of other Muscle cars check. If Grabbers and GT's continue to bring much more money than the standard version it may be something worthwhile checking before laying out a chunk of cash to somebody that swapped the VIN ..

I have no problems with clones ... Shelby guys do it all the time with Cobra's and Mustangs ... however, if it is a clone it should always be advertised it is a clone ... IMHO ..

 

What the heck is a power dome hood? I see buckets was a part of the GT package according to Tims picture.

 

And I agree with Ward.

On the big money thing. Appearance packages never go up like real performance packages. They do demand a little more money but a nicely built standard will usually get as much. Never cared about the clone thing, I'd rather customize a standard over spend the money to make it look like something it's not. I'd always feel obliged to tell everyone it wasn't real and that would make me like it less.

 

Dan, I've also seen a rotted 67 cobra jet stang be switched over to a 67 fastback 289 car, vins and all. should this cobra jet just go away? Is it any less of a cobra jet being switched over ( to me, yes) but does this car go about the rest of its being as a cobra jet, yes, even sold as the high priced car it is. I believe that the fender apron is the only other place on the mavs and it seems to rot right along there before anywhere else. if I have 2 clear titles, one rusted grabber and one nice body I'm going to switch them over and turn in the title to the other car and have a new life grabber. All this is just my opinion, Don't get me wrong I think grabbers are cool as well as GTs, stallions, and sprints, but them just being appearence packages doesn't make them that unique to me. Look at Dans stallion and Dennis' sprint, they are way more valuable in my eyes in them making them what Ford should have done with all these specials. Well I'll step down for now.

 

I hear yah ..

but Dennis' Sprint and Dan's Stallion went down the Assembly line and are Authentic cars ... Anybody can convert any car into something it wasn't when it came off the assembly line ... I would not be a happy camper if I found out the pristine 67 Cobra Jet Mustang I just bought was just a refurbed non-Cobra Jet car that had a VIN swap ... Does a car have a soul ... of course not ... but there is more involved in buying a classic car than what options the car currently has ... its more of what the car was when it rolled off the assembly line and the history behind it ....

FYI ... I keep hearing people say the the Grabber was just an Appearance Package .. I agree it was an Appearance Package but keep in mind that Ford gave it it's own Model Designation ... therefore it is a different model than the standard 2-door ...

 

Maverick, Comet, Grabber, GT, Stallion, Sprint, all kick ass!!! If it is restorable, restore it. There are not too many left and they are not making any more. I have a real Grabber and one that I am cloning. I don't care what they are worth because I'm not selling them. In fact the non Grabber is worth more to me because it is my first car and part of my family. What matters is what they are worth to you. If it is important to you to have a real GT than make sure it is. I won't think any less of the car if it is not a GT. Long live the greatest cars ever built!!!