Son enjoys driving his father’s pride and joy

Published 12:00 am Monday, May 17, 2004

VIDALIA, La. &045; Given the choice between his father’s ’64 Mercury Comet or his Honda Accord, Scott Duncan will pick the classic.

Duncan, a firefighter in Vidalia, was using the car Sunday on an errand to paint a friend’s house. Parked in front of the home on Viking Street, it stood out from the others in the quiet neighborhood.

&uot;Everything in it is original,&uot; Duncan said, the pride in his voice as much for the car as for his father, Bobby, who began collecting and restoring Comets just a few years ago.

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&uot;His first car was a Comet,&uot; Duncan said, &uot;when he was 15.&uot;

The car Duncan was driving on Sunday has been in Bobby Duncan’s possession for just a few months, after he found it on eBay, flew to Florida to pick it up and drove it back to Natchez. He has found most of his six classic cars &045; almost all Comets &045; on eBay, as well as the parts to help restore them.

&uot;You can buy that right there on eBay,&uot; Scott said, pointing to the thick plastic pull used for the door lock.

The elder Duncan spent most of his weekend with fellow members of the River City Bad Boys Classic Car Club at a car show on the Vidalia riverfront. But Scott Duncan was working on Mother’s Day painting the trim on his friend’s house.

He had time to show off the car, however, pointing out the original AM radio, air conditioning and front rims that won’t quite stay put when Duncan is driving.

While the Comet is now white with its original red trim, a look inside the door shows the original baby blue color. Bobby and Scott plan to restore its original color.

Scott doesn’t drive the Comet every day, but he enjoys it when he does, even pointing out the satisfying &uot;clunk&uot; when he closes the car’s heavy door.

&uot;You’ve got a whole lot more car there,&uot; he said.