TL;DR at the end

My Mom's first car was a used early fifth-Gen (71-74) Mercury Comet that was given to her on her 16th birthday as a gift from my grandfather. Shortly after my family moved from Chicago to Southern Virginia in the late-80s, it developed mechanical issues that they didn't have the money to fix. They parked it in the driveway, registered it as planned non-op, and it sat there through my elementary and middle school years.

I have many fond memories of sitting in the car, with its bright red dash and interior, and my parents telling me that they hoped I would be able to drive that car someday. Sadly, that never came to be. The shitty neighbors we had around us at that time began to complain to the city about the eyesore it was becoming as it slowly rusted away.

Eventually, my parents caved to the pressure from said neighbors (even though it was registered properly and was not violating any ordinances) and sold it to be parted out. By that time, the floor pans and rockers had almost fully rusted away, and the interior had been damaged from a cat that found it's way inside and gave birth to a litter of kittens in the backseat.

I've gotten into cars a lot over the last few years, and I've noticed that Comets from that time period seem to be pretty available where I am in southern California. I'd love to find a project car, and a Comet is one that I could see myself working on to begin learning for real, especially given the sentimental value it would have for me.

TL;DR - Does anyone know which specific year from the early fifth-Gen Comets that would've had options for a red exterior with a white vinyl top, and an all red interior? From what I remember of pictures my parents had and my own memory, it looks like a 73, but I can't confirm. Did these options come in any fifth-Gen, or am I looking for an earlier model? I've looked online for a while trying to find something that matches, but I'm striking out.