1969 Mercury Cougar

1968 Brown Metalic Mercury Cougar

2011-09-30T18:36:00.000-07:00

1969 Mercury Cougar XR7 Convertible

2011-09-18T17:08:00.001-07:00

THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM A LINCOLN MERCURY STORE IN MT.VERNON WASHINGTON.

THE POWER-TRAIN IS A 351-W ,VERY FEW MILES , EDELBROCK INTAKE ,EDELBROCK CARB. ,DUAL EXHAUST ,ALUMINUM VALVE COVERS ,POWER STEERING ,POWER BRAKES ,AND POWER TOP !! AUTO-MATIC TRANS. ,FACTORY REAR DIFF. ,AND STILL HAS THE FACTORY HUB-CAPS !!

THE PAINT COLOR IS A DARK BURGANDY COLOR ,BASE/CLEAR AND POLISHED TO A BEAUTIFUL SHINE ! INTERIOR IS BEAUTIFUL THROUGH-OUT , LEATHER ON THE SEAT COVERS IS SOFT , DOOR-PANELS ARE NICE ,CARPET IS CLEAN , AND DASH IS VERY NICE !!! FACTORY TACH. ,SWING-A-WAY STEERING WHEEL ,AND GLASS BACK WINDOW !!

1967 Mercury Cougar in Aylmer Quebec car show

2011-08-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

I have recently been traveling in Ottawa Ontario and attended a car show in Aylmer Quebec. I arrived early to the car show and there were many traditional classics as I was ready to leave I decided to take one more look around the grounds. What really caught my eye was a beautiful 1967 Mercury Cougar arriving to display its wares. The car looked familiar but I could not place it. I asked the owner if the car was for sale recently. He mentioned that it was not for sale.
Then he put out a magazine in the front windshield of the car and I realized I had the same magazine back in Kelowna, BC featuring the car. Small world!!! This car is owned by Michel Lalonde and he bought the car when he retired in 2005. It is a 1967 289 Standard model in Jamaica Yellow.
Enjoy, Don

The ULTIMATE Country Club for your Mercury Cougar!!!

2011-06-01T17:42:00.001-07:00

1970 Cougar on the Prowl

2011-05-22T14:29:00.000-07:00

As we all know, a cougar (Puma concolor couguar) is a carnivorous four-legged mammal found throughout the North American continent.

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, however, thanks to the Lincoln-Mercury Division of the Ford Motor Company, the Cougar personal luxury car became synonymous with a very different kind of creature: A middle-aged American male on the prowl to find nubile young females for sexual conquest.

Cougars on the PROWL !!!!

2011-05-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

Two Cougars are better than one!!!

Two Classic Cars - Quails Gate Winery, West Kelowna, BC

2011-04-23T19:02:00.001-07:00

Cougar put some luxury in pony cars

2011-04-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

After Mustang’s debut, others tried to cash in on popularity

The Mustang introduced by Ford in mid-1964 launched a new class of automobile dubbed the “pony car.” Its long hood, short deck and low profile made it an immediate marketing success in spite of its mundane Ford Falcon underpinnings.

Imitators followed as quickly as they could, but Ford had sprung such a surprise on the industry that it took Chevrolet until the 1967 model year to respond with its Camaro. This was followed six months later by a Camaro clone, the Pontiac Firebird. Chrysler had introduced the sporty Plymouth Barracuda with its huge, wrap-over rear window at about the same time as the Mustang, but it was overshadowed by Ford’s sensational offering.

The new Mustang created such good publicity and profits for the Ford division that sister division Lincoln-Mercury wanted a pony car, too. But the Mercury product planners had to walk the line with their version to fit it between the Mustang and the Thunderbird. For a more luxurious image, LincolnMercury needed a car that was a little more upscale than the Mustang, yet would still not become a Thunderbird competitor. Projected first-year sales of only 60,000 dictated a modest budget.

Lincoln-Mercury chose the name Cougar to conjure up the image of a lithe, powerful cat. The badge design raised Jaguar’s ire and they resorted to the courts. After some skirmishing, a compromise was reached.

To control costs, Mercury used the Mustang deck lid, roof and inner skin and a good number of its mechanical parts. But Mercury stylists masked them well and were able to give the Cougar its own distinctive persona. They stretched the front fenders and hood, and fitted a split grille with quad headlamps hidden behind doors that formed part of the grille. A kick-up added character to the rear fenders and the Cougar’s long-nose, short-deck profile looked sleeker and more expensive than the angular Mustang’s.

The split, vertical-bar grille was echoed in grilllike embellishments for tail-lights that enclosed the somewhat gimmicky, three-element sequential turn signals.

In keeping with its luxurious pretensions, the Cougar’s 2,824-millimetre wheelbase was 81 mm longer than the Mustang’s. It gave only a marginal increase in interior space. The front coil springs and rear leaf springs were tuned for a softer ride than the Mustang’s.

A more luxuriously appointed interior, including generous use of sound-deadening material, assured a quieter cabin. The Cougar came as a two-door, notchback hardtop only because Mercury’s initial budget didn’t allow for the development of other models.
Although well equipped, the Cougar, like the Mustang, offered a long list of options. The buyer could replace the standard 4.7-litre, 200-horsepower V-8 with a 225-horsepower four-barrel-carburetor version or a 6.4-litre, 320-horsepower “Marauder GT” V-8. A firmer “performance handling package” was available with the 6.4 engine, and a GT version came with the big engine, stiffer springs and shock absorbers, a larger anti-roll bar and wider wheels.

Available transmissions, all floor shifted, were a standard three-speed manual, optional four-speed manual or three-speed “Merc-O-Matic” with “Select Shift” that allowed the driver to control shift points.

The 1967 Cougar made its debut on Sept. 30, 1966, and because of a short supply it was marketed first in California, the theory being that if it sold there it would sell anywhere.

It was well received by the West Coast public and the motoring press, selling far beyond initial expectations. Motor Trend made it their 1967 Car of the Year. The addition of a dressed-up mid-year XR-7 version helped push first-model-year sales to more than 150,000, the best year for the first-generation Cougar.

Performance was middling for the era. Car Life magazine tested a four-speed, 4.7-litre version in February 1967 and recorded zero to 96 km/h in 10.7 seconds and a top speed of 177 km/h for the 1,488kilogram two-door. With the bigger engine it was a different story. Car Life’s July 1967 test of a GT 6.4 automatic recorded zero to 96 in 7.7 seconds, although top speed was up only 8 km/h to 185.

The Cougar was little changed for 1968, but it had turned out to be so popular that Mercury still managed to sell over 113,000 of them. For 1969, the Cougar was restyled and a convertible added. In true Detroit tradition it became longer, lower and wider, already straying from its original pony-car roots.

The name survived until 2002 in the U.S. market (the Mercury brand disappeared from the Canadian market in 1999), by which time it was a crisply styled, front-drive, four-place coupe. To many, however, the “real” Cougars were those original 1960s pony car versions.

From an article in the Vancouver Sun from:

Reflections on Automotive History, by Bill Vance, Volumes I, II and III, are available at bookstores or Eramosa Valley Publishing, Box 370, Rockwood, Ont., N0B 2K0.

1969 Mercury Cougar Kelowna BC Canada

2011-03-19T17:15:00.000-07:00

The Mercury Cougar was wider, longer, and heavier for 1969, but a new convertible body style joined the two door hardtop and the Cougar received a serious performance boost mid year with the introduction of the Eliminator package.

The Eliminator came standard with the four barrel version of the Windsor 351 cid V8, rated at 290 bhp. Optional was a full range of engines from the Trans Am inspired solid-lifter 302 seriously under-rated at 290 bhp and the 428 Cobra Jet, with and without Ram Air. In all out acceleration, the 290 bhp 302 cid V8 was overmatched by the Cougar's weight, but the 428 Cobra Jet benefited from the relatively generous wheelbase.

Grip was better off the line that the Mustang and 1/4 mile times were just as good. Standard Eliminator equipment included F70x14 in Goodyear Polyglas tires on styled steel wheels with blank center caps.

The Eliminator was also available in Drag Pak guise with an oil cooler and a 4.30:1 Detroit locker. Eliminator didn't use the shaker hood; its standard scoop was functional only when Ram Air was ordered. A black-out grille, side stripe, and front and rear spoilers enhanced the look, and Mercury offered the Eliminator in a palette of "high impact" blue, orange, and yellow exterior colors.

Even more performance was available over the dealer's parts counters, which offered not only headers and dual quads, but such exotic hop-ups as deep-sump oil pans and quadruple-carb Weber setups. All from Mercury!

Production:
2D Hardtop: 66,331
Convertible: 5,796
XR-7 2D Hardtop: 23,918
XR-7 2D Convertible: 4,024

Engines:
302 V8 290 bhp.
351 V8 250 bhp.
351 V8 290 bhp.
390 V8 320 bhp.
428 V8 335 bhp @ 5200 rpm, 440 lb-ft @ 3400 rpm.

Performance:
428/335: 0-60 in 5.6 seconds, 1/4 mile in 14.1 seconds @ 103 mph.

Barrett-Jackson Lot: 1274.1 - 1969 MERCURY COUGAR CUSTOM CONVERTIBLE

2011-01-20T20:19:00.000-08:00

Barrett-Jackson Lot: 1274.1 - 1969 MERCURY COUGAR CUSTOM CONVERTIBLE

Auction: SCOTTSDALE 2011
Sale Price:
Year: 1969
Make: MERCURY
Model: COUGAR
Style: CUSTOM CONVERTIBLE
VIN: 9F92H580745
Exterior Color:
Interior Color:
Cylinders: 8
Engine Size: 4.6 LITER
Transmission: 4-SPEED AUTOMATIC

Summary: Full one-off custom build by Hot Rod Express. Called the "Cool Cat".

Details: Called "Cool Cat", this '69 Cougar convertible was created by renowned hot rod builder Hot Rod Express. The only original DNA left after creation was the body. Every part of this car was carefully designed, created, picked and fabricated.

Nothing was left untouched, from the serious horsepower of a 32-valve, dual overhead cam Cobra motor attached to a 4-speed overdrive transmission, to a narrowed 9" 31-spline rear end with 3.73 gears, full air ride system and 4-wheel disc brakes.

All of this is supported by a fully custom designed, boxed, tubular frame with Heidt's front suspension and a triangle 4 bar rear.

Sitting on this platform is an all-steel body, fully welded uni-body with notched floors, so the rocker panels are flush to the bottom of the frame.

The factory dash was sectioned 5", all custom dash panels made from imported Carpathian Elm wood, custom ultra leather interior with custom BMW carpeted floors.

The paint is PPG Vibrant Nutmeg. Absolutely nothing was left untouched and way too much detail to list. Featured in multiple magazines and winner of Good Guys Top 5 award, Roush Racing award, Ford in a Ford award, ISCA Top Show Winner, just to name a few.

Barrett-Jackson Lot: 969.1 - 1969 MERCURY COUGAR XR7 CONVERTIBLE Sold $88,000.00

2011-01-20T20:06:00.000-08:00

Barrett-Jackson Lot: 969.1 - 1969 MERCURY COUGAR XR7 CONVERTIBLE

Lot Number: 969.1
Auction: SCOTTSDALE 2011
Sale Price: $88,000.00
Year: 1969
Make: MERCURY
Model: COUGAR XR7
Style: CONVERTIBLE
VIN: 9F94R580031
Exterior Color: GREEN
Interior Color: WHITE
Cylinders: 8
Engine Size: 428
Transmission: 3-SPEED AUTOMATIC

Summary: Rotisserie restored, Ram Air Cobra Jet convertible, Emerald Green, white leather interior, raced at Capitol Raceway. C-6 transmission, Trac-Lok rear end. One of 96.

Details: This car was a 2-year rotisserie restore. Every nut and bolt was restored to like new or better condition. "R" Code with Marti Report.

C6 with cast iron tail. One of 96 with engine/transmission code, 1 of 1 with these options. Raced at Capitol Raceway, time slip says 13.63 at 102mph.

Has date code correct service replacement block. Hood scoop, hood pins, hood stripe, styled steel wheels, rim-blow, air, tinted glass, deluxe seat belts, bumper guards, door edge guards, interval wipers, power windows, low fuel warning, tach, AM/FM stereo, power steering and disc brakes.

Barrett-Jackson Lot: 1247 - 1968 MERCURY COUGAR GT-E 427 2 DOOR COUPE Sold $181,500.00

2011-01-20T19:50:00.000-08:00

Lot Number: 1247

Auction: SCOTTSDALE 2011
Sale Price: $181,500.00
Year: 1968
Make: MERCURY
Model: COUGAR GT-E 427
Style: 2 DOOR COUPE
VIN: 8F91W543367
Exterior Color: CARDINAL RED
Interior Color: RED
Cylinders: 8
Engine Size: 427
Transmission: AUTOMATIC

Summary: Fully restored factory Cardinal Red on red décor interior. One of 357 Factory built "W" Code 427 side oilers sold in 1968.

Details: An extremely rare cougar. Coming off winning Motor Trend's Car-Of-The-Year award in 1967, Mercury designers wanted to create something in '68 that would set the automotive world on its ear.

Already a step above the Mustang with its styling and comfort, they decided to stuff the potent 427 FE into a Cougar package blending ultimate power and styling. The result was the Cougar GT-E.

Equipped with the legendary 427 sideoiler engine Ford used to homologate its NASCAR racing program, the GT-E represents the end of an era, as it was the last Ford product sold with the 427, and the only ford product sold with it in '68.

At a cost of over $1,300, the GT-E package was perhaps the most radical performance package ever offered in a pony car.

Factory options include C-6 Merc-O-Matic transmission, FR70x14 wide oval radial tires, power disc brakes, power steering, AM radio, décor interior group and styled steel wheels.

Factory GT-E package included blacked out front headlamp cover and special front Trim, blacked out taillight bezels, special extruded aluminum body side moldings, 3.50 standard axle radio with nodular 9" rear end, super competition handling package, engine dress-up package, 7.0 Litre/GT-E body emblems and two-tone paint scheme.

Only 78,316 original miles on its matching numbers drivetrain. This tireless five-year restoration was completed recently in carefully documented, factory-shipped detail.

All original or NOS parts used exclusively throughout. Registered with the Cougar National Database and the Cougar GT-E registry. Painstaking attention to detail has resulted in what many Cougar professionals believe to be one of the most complete and correct examples of this rare car known to date.

A must-see for any Ford or investment auto enthusiast.

Barrett-Jackson Lot: 69 - 1969 MERCURY COUGAR CONVERTIBLE - Sold $27,500.00

2011-01-18T19:59:00.000-08:00

Lot Number: 69
Auction: SCOTTSDALE 2011
Sale Price: $27,500.00
Year: 1969
Make: MERCURY
Model: COUGAR
Style: CONVERTIBLE
VIN: 9F92M542444
Exterior Color: DARK BLUE
Interior Color: LIGHT BLUE
Cylinders: V8
Engine Size: 351
Transmission: AUTOMATIC
Summary: 351/290hp "M" Code with automatic. Only 2nd adult owner. Professional rotisserie restoration with photos. Matching number, original documents including owner's manual, Build Sheet, sales receipt and Marti Report.

Details: The Mercury Cougar is often referred to as "the gentleman's muscle car." This 1969 Mercury Cougar convertible is a gorgeous classic automobile that has had only two adult owners. The car is matching numbers and fully documented including original sales receipt, owner's manual, Build Sheet and a Marti Report. An "M" Code provides a 351 Windsor engine with 290hp, FMX transmission and a 9" differential.

This combination provides excellent performance and overall drivability. Options include power steering and power disc brakes. A professional rotisserie restoration documented with pictures and receipts was started after the original owner passed in 2004. The extensive restoration was completed in 2009 and includes a new interior in original light blue color, all new or rebuilt mechanical and body components including engine and transmission, brakes, steering, suspension, springs and bushings, exhaust, radiator, heater core, windshield and new convertible top with glass window.

The exterior received a "concours" quality paint job in dark blue. The famous sequential taillights, hideaway headlights and rim-blow horn work as they should with original NOS components. The car was updated with GT wheels, new radial tires and a Holley carburetor.

The original new spare tire, Autolite carburetor and wheel covers are included. The car has been driven 1,500 miles since completion and drives extremely well. This beautiful American classic is fun to drive and will provide years of pleasure.

1968 MERCURY COUGAR GT-E 427 W CODE EXTREMLY RARE FOR SALE!!!

2011-01-16T08:14:00.000-08:00

This is a extremly rare 1968 Mercury Cougar GTE 427 "W" code. This is finished in it's origiinal color of Carribean Blue with Blue interior.

1969 Mercury Cougar Specifications

2010-12-11T23:11:00.000-08:00

The 1969 Mercury Cougar saw many minor changes in the 1969 model year which added to the weight, handling, and power of this premier Mercury sports styled luxury muscle car. The wheelbase remained the same but the width, weight, and length of the sheetmetal was increased substantially. As such, the Cougar lost some of pounce. However, Mercury introduced the Eliminator and convertible models.

Models: Hardtop / convertible

GT: Firmer suspension and better brakes, Wide Oval tires, low restriction exhaust, bigger sway bars, necessary identification badging, and a big block 390cid motor.

XR-7: Wood-rimmed steering wheel, necessary exterior badging, black face competition type instrumentation in a simulated walnut dash, toggle switches, overhead console, leather T handle automatic transmission shifter, and leather seats.

Eliminator: Trans Am racing inspired styling, upgraded V8 options including the 428 cid. Goodyear Polyglass tires on styled rims, rear deck spoiler, special side stripes. Optional ram air and Drag Pak (4.30 Detriot Locker and oil cooler), optional high impact colours.

Production Numbers:

2D Hardtop: 66,331

Convertible: 5,796

XR-7 2D Hardtop: 23,918

XR-7 2D Convertible: 4,024

Powertrain options:

Cid HP Torque Model

302 290 4V
351 250 2V
351 290 4V
390 320 GT standard
428 335 440

Performance:

1/4 mile, sec @ mph: 14.1 @ 103 (Eliminator 428)

Boeing engineer has Mercury Cougar 43 years and 718,000 miles -- and it still runs!

2010-11-13T21:59:00.000-08:00

ELLENSBURG -- Americans love their cars. We love them so much, we dump them on average after just 5-years so we can fall in love all over again with a new one.
There's something wrong with that thinking, according to the man you're about to meet. In fact, if what you're driving is a good car, why get rid of it… ever!
At a time when all of us are pinching pennies, Lee Bates is an engineer with lesson in economics.

Multimedia Watch The Video "It took 2700 hours and four and a half years." Lee Bates is talking about the airplane he built by hand.

For a lot of us, acting on our true passion comes later in life… when time is something we have to spare.
Lee Bates found his.

"What this is is a big airplane model. I just love airplanes."

Lee spent 45 years building airplanes for other people. He was on the original engineering team that rolled out the first Boeing 747 back in 1968.
It was shortly before than that he saw an ad on TV for a Mercury Cougar.

Lee did his research…

"It was rated #1 by Motor Trend magazine in 1967."

…and so he bought one.

Lee; :41 "I wanted to get a car I could keep for the rest of my life."

People say that all the time… they rarely mean it. But car buyers like Lee are very rare.

A lot has changed since Lee bought the car. But this fact has not… Lee's 1967 Mercury Cougar is still his car.

"I drive it everyday for 43 years and it's got 718,000 miles on it."

That's right, Lee Bates' plane can fly him to the west side and back, but his car has taken him a distance equal to a trip from the Earth to the moon and back… then to the moon again.

Not only did Lee Bates have the foresight to try and find a car that he was going to keep for awhile, but he also picked up a few lifetime warranties in the process. For example, over the last 43 years and 718,000 miles Lee has never paid for a battery. He's never paid for a muffler. In fact he's never even paid for a brake pad. And as you can imagine, all of the businesses that have been paying for Lee's parts, don't exactly consider him their best customer.

After 9 free mufflers at one shop, Lee was kindly asked not to come back. For most however, a guarantee is a guarantee and they're happy to honor it. Lee recently got another free power steering control system from this Yakima NAPA auto parts store.

Jesse Montes De Oca works for the local NAPA store.

; "They keep their receipts and they want to make sure that they get it. If it goes bad, they'll get it."

As you've probably guessed already, Lee has every receipt he ever got for a part.

"I'm proud of the fact that I'm a cheapskate. But my wife calls me frugal. Actually I think I'm a cheapskate."

And he wears the title like a crown.
Most people in town know Lee's car. It is a bit of a celebrity here... even if its driver is not.

"These college girls were smiling and I thought well, maybe the old boy still has it. And they come up and say, nice car. So it kinda deflated me."

The car is well cared for, impeccably maintained, and driven everyday. For Lee Bates, this has never been about running up the miles, breaking records or showing off. It's about proving to anyone who will listen, that in the best or worst of economic times, that old car of yours just might have a few hundred thousand extra miles left in it.

"When I die it'll probably be donated to a museum."

Lee Bates says Ford has told him he has set the world record for mileage on a Mercury Cougar… by a couple hundred thousand miles in fact. We crunched a few numbers to put Lee's time with that Cougar in perspective.

Given what he paid for the car, 43 years ago, owning it has cost him about $4 a month. He puts about 16-thousand miles on the car each year. At that rate, lee will have put one million miles on the car if he's still driving it in 17 years.

West Coast Classic Cougar featured on Gearz with Stacey David

2010-10-31T20:05:00.001-07:00

1968 Cougar XR-7 427 GTE

2010-10-17T18:47:00.000-07:00

What is it about a car-line model designation that quickens the pulse?

The Cougar GTE is a special, limited-production cat Mercury brought to us one year and one year only--1968.

The GTE was a super-sporty, ultra-elegant Cougar that prowled in its own neck of the jungle. It wasn't just a fast factory musclecar, it was an elegant fast factory musclecar with rich woodgrain appointments, leather, lots of accessories, and a stealthy demeanor it still has today.

Early in the '68 model year, ordering a Cougar GTE meant getting the awesome power of a 427ci big-block with a hydraulic camshaft. After April 1, 1968, ordering a GTE meant the newly introduced "poop" of a more powerful 428ci Cobra Jet with greater torque and horsepower ratings.

1970 Mercury El Gato Concept Car

2010-10-16T22:31:00.000-07:00

Sporting a bold lime green paint job, El Gato (Spanish for "The Cat") was produced as a styling exercise for a futuristic-looking Cougar.

Note the shaved door handles, chopped roof, and ultra cool three-spoke 16" wheels, with new-at-the-time Goodyear Polyglass radials. To say this Cat was before its time would be a serious understatement.

While the front end merged styling from both the Cougar and the GTO, it still projected an evil stance. Note how the limited flat black striping ends inside the molded-on hood scoop.

Also, the front and rear pans were rolled---a very advanced looking feature in an era of chrome bumpers. This was the first ever fastback Cougar.

At the rear, LTD-style taillamps were broken at the left by the racing-style gas filler cap. The square center-exit exhaust tips lended a very unique air to the car. It is not known if El Gato still exists but it's presumed to have been destroyed (standard Ford practice for show vehicles at the time).

McCurdy Corner Cougars

2010-09-26T10:04:00.000-07:00

On September 22, 2010 three Mercury Cougars assembled for a beautiful evening at McCurdy Corner in Kelowna BC.

In attendance where Donald Robichaud of Floodlight with his Green 1969 Mercury Cougar, Ted Farr with his 1970 Mercury Cougar and Tony Kenyon of Jerry’s Mufflers with his 1969 Orange Mercury Cougar.

A good time was had by all and many compliments where paid to these fine examples of the Mercury division.

Enjoy the slide show,

Don

Don Rush - West Coast Classic Cougar - How he got Started

2010-08-21T06:37:00.000-07:00

Find out a little bit of the history behind our friends over at West Coast Classic Cougar.

Stacey David's Gearz - Mercury Cougar V8 Interceptor

2010-08-21T06:22:00.000-07:00

This Season Stacey David's Gearz is rebuilding a 1967 Mercury Cougar called the Intercetor.

Click here to see all the details,

Don

V8 Interceptor

Stacey picked up this 1967 Mercury Cougar as raw material for an extreme build! Stay tuned to GearZ to see what he has planned for it---stock? What do you think?! This is Stacey we are talking about...

Get more insight into Stacey's idea for this car at his blog

The idea for the V8 Interceptor has been bangin’ around in my head for a number of years, just waiting for a chance to get out. I have always loved the early Mercury Cougars and figured I wasn’t the only one, so I knew that people would want to see a high performance street machine project that wasn’t just the typical early Mustang or Camaro. I also wanted the feel and direction of the buildup to be based around the natural mystique of the Cougar. These cars with their hidden headlights and sequential taillights were always very sinister and menacing looking on the street, very much like a smaller coupe version of the legendary 68-70 Dodge Charger. When you add to that the fact that a four-footed Cougar is one of nature’s most perfect natual “interceptors”, you’ve got the basis for a great project. I mean, in the wild a Cougar will chase down a Mustang or Firebird, or Impala and eat it!....... is that a great visual for a hot street predator or what!?!

But it didn’t just stop there. Calling a project “the V8 Interceptor” takes a lot of balls, because you’ve got to be able to back that name up, just as the legendary Mad Max car did years ago. So I definitely wanted to add in a little flavor of the original Mad Max car, but also step beyond that and build a car that nobody has really considered or visualized yet. This is, of course, is one of the main purposes and goals of GEARZ. To encourage people to think beyond the boundaries, and limits that they already know and see, and get really creative when they are building their projects. Just because you have a Chevelle or Roadrunner doesn’t mean you have to build an SS or 440 six pack clone. There are SO many other things that you can do to these cars to make them different and up-to-date without destroying the original magic of the car. And if you take your time and do it right, you’ll probably end up with a car that is more valuable and definitely more cool then just another clone, and the idea behind the V8 Interceptor is to prove that point.

The center piece of this project is the incredible Boss Nine engine I am using from Jon Kaase Racing. From the outside this thing looks just like the legendary Boss 429 but this is 520 cubic inches of Ford Hemi that is twisting the dyno at just under 800hp and an astounding 700ft/lbs of torque! Mash the throttle on this thing, and all that torque could affect the Earth’s rotation! Topping it off will be a custom Hilborne 8-stack injection that is going to stick up thru the hood with ram tubes going all different directions. Intimidating???...... you bet!

Backing that up is the new Magnum 6spd tranny from Tremec that is designed to handle that kind of power, and an entire clutch and driveshaft system from American Powertrain.

The only way an engine this size will fit in an early Ford is if you remove the shock towers, and using a kit from Total Cost Involved we did just that. We removed the shock towers and installed TCI’s state of the art independent front suspension that includes a complete subframe assembly to stiffen the unibody. A TCI rear torque arm suspension will do it’s best to plant all that power to the ground and pulling everything to a stop are are Wilwood 13” rotors and 6 piston calipers in front, and 4 piston calipers in rear. The rearend is the massive Fab 9 nine inch Ford from Currie Enterprises and it’s packing a tru-trac posi and forged 31 spline axles.

To bring the original interior and body back to life, we hooked up with the Cougar specialists at West Coast Classic Cougar for things like upholstery, weatherstripping, sheetmetal, etc, and for any Mustang parts we may incorporate into the project we have been using Mustangs unlimited, Year One, and other suppliers.

Of course this is just the tip of the iceburg on this project, but hopefully you get the idea. So what am I going to do with the car when it’s done? Well……… the plans are definitely to run road courses and other racing events like the Maxton Monster Mile…….Blast it down the drag strip from time to time…….Drive it across country on events like Power tour and hit some shows like SEMA so people can get a good look at it……and at some point, take it up over 200 MPH just to show that it can be done. But,…. let’s not forget the most important job of a car like this……to run down and eat anything that tries to get ahead of it…….because…..well…….that’s what Interceptors do! HA….ha……ha…..

Hope this helps

1969 Mercury Cougar XR7 Convertible / 428 Cobra Jet / Ram Air - Barrett Jackson

2010-02-28T18:52:00.000-08:00

1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminator - Naughty Kitty

2010-02-20T22:17:00.001-08:00

What Else Would You Call A Cougar Eliminator With Ford's Nastiest Production Small-Block?

October, 2004 By Eric English

Photography by Eric EnglishWhile the Cougar was marketed to an upscale audience, an alter ego could be found in the low-production Eliminator model. Eliminators were primarily a cosmetic package often paired with mainstream 351 powertrains. Check the right boxes, however, and you could have a hardcore performance engine to go along with the Eliminator's brilliant colors, spoilers, hoodscoop, and special trim-the brainchild of the legendary Larry Shinoda.

Take John Benoit's '70 featured here, which was ordered with the ace of all Ford small-blocks-the Boss 302. the Competition Blue beauty is paired with a four-speed Top loader and backed by a bulletproof 9-inch rearend assembly, carrying 3.50 gears and a Traction-Lok differential. Add staggered shocks, a N-case carrier, and 31-spline axles, and you have one bad cat just the way it was assembled some 34 years ago.

One would have to call Benoit more than just your average Cougar buff, as the desirable Mercurys are the main interest at his Cascade Classics restoration business in Edgewood, Washington. Benoit has owned a variety of the models, including Eliminators, GTEs, XR7Gs, and more. he's also been responsible for any number of top-flight restorations.

Benoit came by this particular '70 in 1999. he had seen the car in a national competition earlier in the decade. The Eliminator looked terrific as it rolled off the transporter at Benoit's shop, but a more thorough evaluation quickly evolved into disassembly and a freshening to the highest standards. The average hobbyist would have found little fault with the car, but when Cougars are your calling card in life, you want to put your best foot forward. To that end, Brandon Huhtala at Automotive Images applied a new two-stage topcoat. the reassembly involved boxes of N.O.S. trim and chrome. As you can see, the results are nothing short of staggering; a fact borne out by the car achieving 498 out of 500 points at the 2000 Cougar Club of America Nationals.

It's worth noting while the musclecar heavyweight 428CJ was available in all Cougar models, the Boss 302 could only be had with the Eliminator package. In fact, according to Kevin Marti (www.martiauto.com), just 469 Boss Eliminators were assembled during the '70 model year-a mere fraction of the 7,000-plus Boss 302 Mustangs built during the same period. Hardware was pretty much the same for the FoMoCo cousins; the only available transmissions were close-ratio or wide-ratio Top loader four-speeds. An exception to their similarities: the Boss 302 Mustang was available with a Ram-Air, but the Boss 302 Cougar Eliminator was not.

Turning to the interior of Benoit's Eliminator, we see the optional Decor Group trim and eight-track tape player, along with the 8,000-rpm tach dash that came in all Boss Cougars. A factory T-handled Hurst stick actually works Ford linkage, stirring the close-ratio cogs that proved the most popular choice on '70 Boss 302s (Mustang or Cougar). Styled steel wheels were original equipment as well, and mount some of the most popular OE skins of the era-raised white letter Goodyear Polyglas GTs in an F70-14 size.

the Boss 302/Eliminator combination might appear to make strange bedfellows, as the high-rev small-block was primarily a homologation exercise for Ford's Trans-Am race teams, in which the '69-'70 Cougars were not involved.

Three decades later, little has changed, and that's just the way John Benoit and other Boss Cougar fans like it.

PRODUCTION
(courtesy of Marti Autoworks)
1969 1970
Boss 302 Mustang 1,628 7,014
Boss 302 Eliminator 169 469

Mercury Cougar Holy Grail – West Cost Classic Cougars

2009-11-14T21:28:00.001-08:00

In the past month I was on a road tour heading down to San Diego from Kelowna BC and as I headed into Salem Oregon I decided to visit West Coast Classic Cougars.
In the past few years I have procured many parts form West Cost Classic Cougars and I decided to visit this Holy Grail of mercury Cougars.
Don Rush the owner of West Coast Classic Cougars gave me and my wife a personal tour of his facility and I was very impressed with the size of his operation and the many parts that he and his team have parted out.
The very best of the trip was the viewing of a 1969 Mercury Red Convertible with an original Mercury CJ 428 engine which Don Rush was preparing for Barrett Jackson’s.
Dons hospitality was appreciated and his tip of heading down the Oregon cost was the highlight of our next day’s driving.
If you get the chance visit Salem Oregon, I recommend visiting West Coast Classic Cougars and say hi to Don Rush and his team.
Don Robichaud

1967–1969 Mercury Cougar: Polished Pony

2009-09-15T21:25:00.001-07:00

When the Ford Mustang ushered in the pony car era in mid-1964, other domestic manufacturers took notice. The Mustang was an instant success and every division within the Big Three wanted a piece of that pie. Mercury was no exception.

Ford's sister company approached the project with an eye toward not only the Mustang, but toward the bigger, more luxurious Thunderbird as well. The new Mercury would fall somewhere in the middle. It would be aimed at a demographic slightly more sophisticated than the Mustang set, yet not so established as the typical Thunderbird buyer.

Development work commenced immediately, and the Cougar debuted in 1967, sharing the basic platform of the second-generation Mustang, though a bit bigger overall, including a wheelbase increased by three inches. It also shared some components with the Mustang, notably in its mechanicals and cabin, though it was better appointed and priced as such.

Styling was reminiscent of the Mustang shape, but a bit more flowing, with a rocker panel character line and a subtle crease above the front fenders, continuing along the top of the doors, and curving up into a broad C-pillar before ending at the rear of the car. A wide grille with vertical bars concealed the headlights, while a similar treatment at the back concealed the taillights.

The Cougar came only as a two-door hardtop and was an instant success, much the way the Mustang had been. The automotive press lauded it as a luxury sports car, and Motor Trend named it "Car of the Year" for 1967.

Standard power came from a two-barrel 289 V8 delivering 200 hp, though a four-barrel 289 with 225 hp was a popular upgrade. Four transmissions were available, including a 3-speed manual, a heavy-duty 3-speed manual, a 4-speed manual, or the Merc-O-Matic, which now included Select Shift to give the driver more control. While based on the Mustang's suspension, the Cougar offered longer rear leaf springs and stronger spring and axle components to control ride harshness.

A GT package placed a serious emphasis on performance. It included a four-barrel 390-ci V8 with 320 hp, dual exhausts, and a firmer suspension with solid rear bushings, a larger stabilizer bar, fatter tires, power steering, and power brakes with discs up front.

Mid-year, Mercury unveiled the XR-7, a more upscale model with wood-grained interior trim, an overhead console, a T-handle automatic shifter, and combination leather and vinyl seats. Also available as part of the XR-7 package was a Dan Gurney Special, which honored the racer's involvement with Mercury's Trans-Am program.

Mercury upped the options list for 1968, to include Tilt-Away steering, a vinyl roof cover, a basic handling package, several radios, and a sports console. Side marker lights also appeared, now federally mandated. Most notable, however, were the new engines.

A four-barrel 302-ci V8 rated at 230 hp joined the lineup, while a second 390 slotted in below the GT motor at 280 hp. To satisfy the most power-hungry buyers, Mercury offered a 427-ci V8 with 390 hp and a substantial 460 ft-lb of torque, though the motor's weight overwhelmed the car and it was replaced late in the model year by the new 428 Cobra Jet. It was rated at 335 hp, though most people peg the mark closer to 400 horses.

Special models for the 1968 year included the GT-E, which came standard with the big-block engine and Merc-O-Matic, plus stiffer suspension, adjustable shocks, wider tires, quad exhausts, special front and rear grille designs, and unique steel wheels. Meanwhile, the XR-7G furthered the Dan Gurney theme. It offered a hood scoop and hood pins, fog lamps, GT exhaust extensions, and could be optioned with just about any component or engine a customer wanted.

For 1969, Mercury restyled its pony car. Wheelbase remained the same, though the car's other dimensions grew in nearly all directions. Gone was the two-piece grille and its vertical members, and the taillights were revised. Gone also was the rocker character line, replaced by a crease that arced down from the front fender.

Mercury dropped the GT-E and XR-7G, though it added a convertible, as well as an Eliminator hardtop. The Eliminator was comprised of two different equipment groups and included several interior and exterior appointments, such as high-back bucket seats, a unique instrument cluster, a rear spoiler, and styled steel wheels.

A two-barrel 351-ci V8 appeared, putting out 250 hp. It came standard on the Eliminator, but with a four-barrel and 290 hp. Optional on the Eliminator was the 428 CJ.

In its first three years of production, the Cougar sold nearly 365,000 units, though 1967 was its best year, with sales declining every year after. In both pony car and luxury car terms, it did exactly what Mercury hoped it would—bridge the gap between the Mustang and Thunderbird, while offering the best of both cars.

The Cougar name would evolve over time into bigger, slower, less sport-oriented cars, but there's no denying the capabilities and qualities that made the first-generation Cougar so attractive to buyers then and collectors now.

by Max Howard / 2009-05-18

1970 Mercury Cougar Burnout!!!

2009-09-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

1968 Mercury Cougar XR-7 GT-E , original unrestored 428CJ

2009-07-19T21:40:00.000-07:00

1967 Mercury Cougar T/A

2009-07-19T17:32:00.000-07:00

The Trans-Am series has inspiredsome fierce rivalries, and one of thefiercest ever raged between the Fordand Lincoln-Mercury divisions in 1967.Led by Sports Car Graphic editor (and,later, AutoWeek correspondent) Jerry Titus,Carroll Shelby’s Mustangs had won thefirst-ever Trans-Am manufacturers’ trophyfor Ford in 1966.

But Dearborn was anxiousto promote the brand-new Mercury Cougarin 1967. So while Ford division retainedShelby’s services for another Mustang effort,Lincoln-Mercury hired NASCAR team ownerBud Moore to prepare a trio of Cougars.Trans-Am cars were different then, farmore like the cars on the showroom floorthan are today’s.

The rules required stockdashboard padding, stock inner door panelsand working window winders with glass inthe doors. The stock unibody was drilled andlightened in places, but relied mostly on theroll cage for stiffening.Dual four-barrel carbs were (theoretically)a parts-counter option for the Cougar’s 289-cid V8.

A hotter cam, headers and as muchporting and polishing as the rules allowedpumped output up to 390 hp. The racingCougar suspension was more stock than not,although the rear leaf springs were supple-mented by a pair of tubulartraction links. Stock brakeswere required, although liningscould be altered, and Mooredrilled holes in the rear drumsfor cooling. For seats (the rulesdemanded two), he chose thesame racing buckets installedin the Shelby GT-350R.

Westside Daze 2009 Classic and Antique Car

2009-06-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

Canada Day International Classic and Antique Car Show 'n Shine

Wednesday, July 1, 2009
10:00 to 3:00
Johnson Bentley Memorial Park
WESTBANK, BC
FREE Registration at 8:30 AM
(See Map)
Pre-registration NOT required but would be nice!
Car Show Categories

3 Valley Gap Car Cruise 2009 Video

2009-06-19T22:37:00.000-07:00

Three Mercury Cougars at Three Valley Gap

2009-06-15T06:44:00.001-07:00

On June 12th 2009 the Okanagan Mustangs and Fords car club had a cruise up to 3 Valley Gap in Revelstoke BC. After a great day of cruising we arrive at 3 Valley Gap Chateau for an evening of entertainment.

Upon arrival I ran into Robert Nowland and his Rocky Mountain Life Insurance 1969 Mercury Cougar. This was obviously destiny as I had just read about the Rocky Mountain Purple Cougars in April of 2009.

Linda Beauregard/Jackson was on the trip with her 1971 Cougar so we took the opportunity to take pictures of this rare occasion.

Don Robichaud

Rocky Mountain Life Insurance 1969 Mercury Cougar

In 1969 the Rocky Mountain Life Insurance of Alberta, special ordered cars for their top salesmen. In all 98 cars were ordered with special WT9083 (purple) paint. White vinyl roof, power steering tilt and tilt away wheel, 351 W 4 barrel and other special options. In 1970 when the company was dissolved, these purple and white 1969 Cougar XR7’s were shipped from Universal in Calgary for dealers to sell.

Rocky Mountain Life Insurance Special Options
Vehicle ordered with the following options. White vinyl roof, immersion heater, FMX Cruise-O-Matic Transmission, E78X14 Tires, White sidewall tires, Power front Disc Brakes, Power steering, Tilt & tilt away steering wheel, AM/8-Track Stereo Radio, Tinted glass complete, Deluxe Belts/Warning Light, Heavy Duty Battery, Door Edge Guards, Wire Wheel Covers & Front Bumper Guards.

Serial numbers start with 9F93M followed by the 5 number sequential serial numbers, Engine is 351-4V Winsor. Interior is Code FA - White leather Bucket Seats W/ Black Appointments. DSO is a 6 character code starting with A6 and the Special order number.

For more information visit Robert Nowland’s Site

A&W Show and Shine the West Kelowna Cruisin the DUB

2009-06-01T20:48:00.001-07:00

Ron Chelsberg is proud to hold a by-weekly car Show and Shine the West Kelowna Cruisin the DUB. The objective is to attract West Kelowna car enthusiast through July and August.

This will happen at the A&W West Westside parking lot. The car show is held in conjunction and supported by the Okanagan Mustangs and Fords.

Dates will be July 9th 2009, July 23rd 2009, August 6th and August 27th 2009. For more information

Contact Bush Halpenny at (250) 718-7727 More details to Follow

1969 Mercury Cougar XR7 Convertible "R" code 428-4V CJ Ram Air engine

2009-04-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

Rare "R" code 428-4V CJ Ram Air engine, Factory A/C, am/fm radio, tilt steering wheel, leather seats, 78,330 three owner miles.

Restored 1969 Mercury Cougar one cool cat

2009-04-19T16:11:00.000-07:00

When Tony Miglecz takes his tasty '69 Mercury Cougar to show-and-shines and cruise nights, he says "a lot of people just walk right on by. They think it's a Mustang."

On its introduction, the Mustang caused a sensation - and created a new segment for high-styled, small-sized personal cars. It didn't take long for other brands to jump on the ponycar bandwagon and one of those brands was Ford's companion brand, Mercury.

The tall foreheads at Ford Motor Company thought they discerned a gap in the product lineup between the Mustang and the Thunderbird. What was needed, they thought, was a car between the two in size and price that offered more luxury than the Mustang. They decided to have Mercury dealers sell the new offering, and called it the Mercury Cougar.

Introduced for the 1967 model year, the Cougar sold 150,893 copies in that first year. The 1968 style was very similar to that of the first-year car, but the '69 version was quite different. Sales that year were down, to just over 100,000, perhaps because Ford had pulled back on the Cougar's very successful racing effort.

In 1990, Tony Miglecz was driving through Inglewood on his way to look at a big-engined Ford Torino. As he passed a used car lot, he spotted a black '69 Cougar and ended up buying it. The two-door hardtop had just over 65,000 miles on it, but it was about to get some hard use.

"I drove it to the rig for five years," Miglecz says. "It's been out Forestry Trunk Road. It's been out to Grande Prairie and all areas north of Grande Prairie." While he was driving the car "all over Alberta," Miglecz says, he was rounding up good parts for its eventual restoration.

"Every year, I'd bring the car in and spend $1,000 on it," he says. Underneath, the car was improved with a negative wedge camber corrector, bigger front and rear sway bars and '71 Torino brakes. "It was a 351 Windsor two-barrel single exhaust car, so right away I got the dual exhaust on it and put on an Offenhauser dual-plane manifold with a four-barrel carb."

Ford products came with one of two 351 cubic inch engines in '69 - either the 351 Windsor or the 351 Cleveland, named after the engine plants where the power plants originated. The Cleveland, Miglecz says, was the engine of choice. "They make really good power. They sound completely different and it's a nice motor, too, to look at."

The Cougar's original Windsor engine did provide one benefit, he admits. "The undercarriage was in good shape. That's part of the 351 Windsor thing because the rear seal used to leak like crazy. On the way up to Grand Prairie I used to stop at Drayton Valley for a tank of gas and a litre of oil. That's what saved the floor - that 351 Windsor slobbering all over it."

Once he decided to get to work on the Cougar, Miglecz started using all those parts he had collected. "I always wanted a Cleveland (with a) four-speed," he says, and that is what now powers the car. One door that he had collected along the way proved to be something of a mystery as it was painted an odd purple colour that was never offered on production cars. What Miglecz discovered was that the door had come from one of 150 cars all painted the same shade and used by an insurance company.

The car, originally black, is now gold, he confides, because there used to be another black '69 Cougar in town that sometimes was driven in an overly-spirited manner. "I got into some trouble a few times because of that," Miglecz explains, "so I figured I'd change colours.

"When you get off work from the rigs, sometimes you're used to graveyards," Miglecz says. "I'd get up at two in the morning and go out to the garage. I always figured it was a successful week if I got one part done."

Something he found a bit liberating was that, unlike more popular cars with large fan bases, some of whom are purists that disparage any change from a car's original configuration, Cougars are just about unknown. This freed him to make some non-stock changes like the side scoops on the car, which came from a Mercury Marauder.

"When I put that side scoop on, 98 per cent of the population doesn't know that it doesn't belong on the car," he says. "I figured I could do anything to it. It's exactly the way I like it. I build them how I like them and if other people like them too, I'm glad to hear that."

1969 Mercury Cougar - Cat Balue

2009-04-19T15:48:00.000-07:00

The blue '69 Mercury Cougar shown here belongs to Jason Bushman-a 19-year-old, dyed-in-the-wool Blue Oval fan from Edmonds, Washington. The good-looking cat has been lovingly restored by Jason and his father, with a little help from the folks at the Northwest Pony Shop. Jason tells us he was born into a Ford family and that he drives this car every day to school and to work. He and his dad certainly had their work cut out for them, as the '69 Cougar didn't always look this good.

The Bushmans discovered this car sitting forlornly at a construction site, the victim of a recent theft and recovery. All the glass had been smashed out and the upholstery was ripped to shreds, but they were not discouraged. For one thing, the Cougar still has its original 351 Windsor engine. Five hundred dollars did the trick for the pink slip, and then the massive amount of refurbishment work began.

The first thing to do was to strip the whole body down to bare metal. Once this was accomplished, Jason and his dad did most of the bodywork at home in the family driveway. The Northwest Pony Shop completed the details on the bodywork and the Cougar was painted '70 Mustang Grabber Blue in place of the original light-powder-blue color. Straight, crisp lines now show on the car's body, along with a perfect grille with the famous hide-away headlights. A fresh set of 14x7 Magnum 500 wheels shod with Pirelli rubber completes the outside look

The Cougar was originally equipped with the deluxe interior package, so new deluxe upholstery and carpeting bring things up to spec. The interior's original instrument cluster is in good condition and the OE Rim-Blow steering wheel is still present. The car was also equipped with the rare rear-window defogger option, while the sound department has been upgraded with an Alpine amplifier, a Sony CD player, and Pioneer speakers and sub.

When Jason and his family discovered the car, it had only 83,000 original miles. As the 351W engine ran just fine, they decided to leave well enough alone-for now. They carefully cleaned and detailed everything in the engine compartment. The engine looks good, sporting a set of Cobra rocker covers and a stock air-cleaner assembly. The only performance upgrades so far include an Edelbrock Performer 351 intake manifold and a 650-cfm, four-barrel carb.

The mild-mannered Windsor mill is connected to the original FMX three-speed automatic transmission, and power then goes back to a nine-inch axle with 3.00:1 gears. An Optima battery adds peace of mind. The whole package now runs low 15s.

All this hard work resulted in a First-Place finish at the Mustang Roundup teen class. The blue cat was also recently displayed at the Seattle Roadster show. We think it's safe to say that Jason does indeed come from a Ford family, as other notable Blue Oval cars in the Bushman stable have included a '69 Cougar Eliminator and a '67 Mustang 2+2. We think Jason sure is a lucky guy to have this great car, as well as such super support from his family.

This Blue Cougar Makes Us Green With Envy
By Wayne Cook
Photography by Jeff Ford

1969 Mercury Cougar "Black Cat"

2009-03-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

Two Cougars TV Commercial - Hagerty Car Insurancee

2009-01-17T12:37:00.000-08:00

1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminator

2008-12-09T22:59:00.000-08:00

Kelowna Daily Courier - Was the Mercury Cougar a better Mustang?

2008-11-29T11:27:00.000-08:00

At posted from the Kelowna- Daily Courier -Friday November 8th 2008 -Was the Cougar a better Mustang?
Donald Robichaud - 1969 Ivy Green Mercury Cougar

Pity the poor Mercury-Lincoln dealers back in the mid-1960s.
Flush with acres of Continentals, Park Lanes and Montclairs, not to mention a few assorted econobox Comets, these folks could only stare in hopeless exasperation as eager prospects flocked down the road to the nearest Ford store.
Why?
The new Mustangs had arrived.

The birth of Lee Iacocca’s baby had resulted in a severe case of mass automotive hysteria and ushered in an era of pony-car madness. Suddenly, every North American manufacturer was chomping at the bit to cash in on this latest car craze.

But Ford’s long-suffering Mercury retailers would have to wait nearly two-and-a-half years after the Mustang’s ground-breaking introduction before they could add some sporty car spice to their meat-and-potatoes lineup.

When the Mercury Cougar finally arrived in the fall of 1966, it was one of several fresh entries into the pony-car race, including the Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Firebird and Plymouth’s clean-sheet second-generation Barracuda.

Mercury took a decidedly different approach with the Cougar. Early advertising touted its luxury car leanings with the tag line, “The Fine Car Touch inspired by the Continental.” Also promoted was the Cougar’s comfortable ride and equally plush bucket seats.

The new “Cat” was built using a Mustang chassis, but its wheelbase had been increased by about seven centimetres. The extra distance created a far more hospitable environment for rear-seat passengers and added to the car’s passenger-friendly ride.

Visually, the Cougar was a pleasant piece. Along with its must-have long-hood, short-deck styling, the car featured unique hidden headlights that remained cloistered behind the front grille until pressed into service. But the real knockout feature was the car’s sequential rear signal lights that strobed in the appropriate direction whenever the stalk indicator was flicked.

Unlike the Mustang, the Cougar was available only with V8 power. The base engine was a 200-horse, 289-cubic-inch unit, while a 225-horsepower, four-barrel-carb version was available as an option.

If this wasn’t enough, the optional GT package featured a more muscular 390 cubic-inch V8 stuffed between the Cougar’s shock towers. Midway into the 1967 model year, Mercury introduced the Cougar XR-7, complete with full gauges, woodgrain interior trim, leather seats and other fancy bits.

First-year sales of more than 150,000 Cougars proved the public was hungry for a ponycar with a little more flair and substance than the rest of the field.
For 1968, the Cougar received the new 302 cubic-inch V8, as well as the horsepower-abundant 428 and racing-oriented 427 cubic-inch V8 options that cranked out 335 and 390 horsepower, respectively.

That year also saw the creation of one of the rarest of Cougar models, the XR7-G. The “G” stood for racing legend Dan Gurney. This model included a special fibreglass hood complete with scoop (non functional, though) and racing-style locking pins, fog lamps, special alloy wheels and interior trim. Only 619 XR7-Gs were shipped from the factory and, of those, slightly fewer than 200 went to Hertz to be used as rental units.

In 1969, the mildly restyled Cougar family grew to include both a base and XR-7 convertible. You could still order the big-block 428 motor, but the raunchier 427 was trimmed from the order sheet. A new 351 cubic-inch-engine series became available that year, with output ranging from 250-300 horsepower.

The hot setup that year became the Eliminator, with its wilder colours, look-at-me decals and striping plus a rear-deck spoiler. All of these items might have worked on any other pony car, but the Eliminator package only served to make the sleek, sophisticated Cougar look decidedly undignified.The Cougar remain basically unchanged through 1970, although the 390 V8 had finally disappeared from sight.

Sales, however, dropped as pony-car buyers shifted to more high-performance offerings that were being heavily marketed by the competition. This seemed to be the signal for Mercury’s product planners to turn the Cougar into a true boulevard cruiser.

Although the 1971 version continued to used the Mustang’s platform, the car became significantly bigger, stouter and pricier, with more luxury touches included as part of its standard features.

But for four solid years, the Cougar represented a softer, more eloquent interpretation of the pony-car revolution and gave its proud owners a taste of how future “personal luxury” cars would evolve.

These days, the Cougar is rapidly gaining in popularity among collectors who consider its unique and tasteful styling and plenty of on-tap power to be a cut above the Mustangs, Challengers and Camaros of that era.
It’s funny, but those are the exact same reasons the original Cougar became such a sales success in the first place.

Malcolm Gunn is a feature writer with Wheelbase Communications. He can be reached at wheelbase.ws/mailbag.html. Wheelbase Communications supplies automotive news and features to newspapers and websites across North America.

1969 Mercury Cougar Kelowna BC Canada

2008-11-04T21:18:00.000-08:00

Donald Robichaud / Kelowna BC, I remember seeing my first Ford Mercury Cougar when I was 11 years old. My uncle Edgar had just purchased a 1967 Cougar and was speaking with my Dad. As I looked at the dark green cougar with the black interior I was taken back by the sleek look and the overall styling.

The pop up head lights really intrigued me and so did the sequential head lights. What truly caught my attention was the ten foot skid mark that my uncle left on the pavement. The sound of squealing tires and smell of burnt rubber has stayed with me for a long, long time.

I personally fell in love with Cougar’s styling and with the second model change; the 1969 Cougar became my dreamed car.

In high school I was fortunate to attend an affluent upper middle class high school and all my friends were driving their dads’ old cars. Those old cars just happened to be cars from the late 60’s. We lived in Clarkson Ontario and were only an hour away from Cayuga raceway which had a quarter mike track.

I lived very close to my Cousin Rudy. He and his friends raced a 440 Road Runner and a 340 Dart GTS at the quarter mile. Sunday mornings we would drop the exhaust. The sound of those cars with straight headers was just amazing.

When I was out of College and ready to purchase my first vehicle I eyed a 1969 Cougar. In a discussion with my dad I was persuaded to purchase a new vehicle and in 1976 I purchased 76 Pontiac Lemans Sport Coupe. For the next 30 years I got involved with life and taking care of my family.

Last year I purchased my 1969 Cougar. After a search of the BC interior where I became disappointed with the term “Great Shape” I decided to take my search south and purchased an all original 1969 Ivy Green Cougar.

I am the third owner and the car has all the horse power I need. With over 330 HP I am now able to relive the dreams of my youth and leave my own ten foot skid mark here in the present.

“I love the smell of Rubber in the morning. It’s the smell of Victory.”

1969 Mercury Cougar Kelowna BC - Silver Star - Mountain Of Memories

2008-08-17T09:11:00.000-07:00

A good time was had by all at the Mountain Of Memories , Silver Star Mountain Resort Saturday, August 16, 2008. This was an exciting cruise. We meet up with Southern cruisers at 8:30 a.m. at McCurdy Corner. Twenty plus cars proceeded north to Vernon and we met up with Northern Cruisers at the Village Green Mall in Vernon where we then headed up to Silver Star. A big thank you to Kelly and Ruth Foy of Canadian Hot Rod for organizing the event.

Enjoy the pictures.

Donald Robichaud

Donald Robichaud - My Favortie cars

2008-08-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

Since 1996 I have taken and down loaded pictues of my favorite cars. They range from Hot Rods to classic drives of all decades. In the last five years I have taken many pictures from the Okanagan.

1969 Ivy Green Cougar - Engine Roars!!!!

2008-07-04T21:47:00.000-07:00

Original Build Sheet Found !!!!

2008-06-20T08:04:00.000-07:00

I am so excited. I just found the original passenger build sheet for my 1969 Ivy Green Cougar. Still in pretty good condition and legible.

I removed the back seat of the car to vacuum and detail around the rear seats. I noticed some surface rust due to moisture and started to peel the carpet back and on top of the insulation I noticed a corner of brown paper and realised that it might be the build sheet. I carefully lifted the carpet has high as I could with out removing the seat and I was able to pull it out.

I then went looking for the drivers build sheet. I was not so lucky. The drivers build sheet was against the floor pan of the car with insulation over it. When I tried to lift it but it disintegrated in my hand . I assume the fact that if had been against the metal for so long dried up the paper.

I also found coins dating back to the date of the car . I especially like the 1969 penny and the 1970 quarter. Just had to share with you car guys.

Donald Robichaud /Kelowna BC

Mercury Cougars 1967 to 1970

2008-06-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

Mercury Cougar has been mostly overlooked by collectors!!!

2008-06-05T05:40:00.000-07:00

1967-1973 Mercury Cougar

It was Motor Trend’s Car of the Year in 1967, and Car Life called it a “Mustang with class.” Yet the Mercury Cougar has been mostly overlooked by collectors, and this relative of Ford’s iconic pony car hasn’t yet ascended to the heights of valuation that many other muscle cars have. This is good news for the budget-minded collector, as it’s still possible to acquire a pretty nice Cougar for what would be a pittance in Hemi country.

The Cougar debuted for 1967 as a two-door hardtop, with an aerodynamic roofline and hide-away headlights. It was based on the Mustang, but with a stretched wheelbase and some suspension modifications for a more comfortable ride. Ford’s idea was to pursue the sports-luxury market, creating a serious rival for GM’s myriad upmarket muscle cars like the Buick Skylark GS and Oldsmobile 442.

To this end Cougars could be had with better appointments than their Ford-badged cousins, with simulated leather bucket seats, a wood-rimmed steering wheel, and a simulated walnut dashboard all offered. Yet the Cougar still had the traditional pony car look, with a long hood and short rear deck. Like with the Mustang, it was possible to find a trim level and drivetrain combination to suit any budget.

The base model came equipped with the venerable Ford 289, making 200 hp with a two-barrel carburetor. A three-speed manual was standard, though a four-speed manual and a three-speed automatic were available. An optional four-barrel setup bumped output to 225 hp, and the GT option got you a 390-ci V8 with a heavy-duty suspension. Halfway through the model year the XR-7 package was introduced, with a deluxe gauge set and a whole host of other interior upgrades.

For 1968, a rare XR-7 option package was available, the XR-7G. Named in honor of famous SCCA Trans-Am Series driver Dan Gurney, an XR-7G could be fitted with one of six different powerplants, and carried a fiberglass hood scoop, styled steel wheels with radial tires, fog lamps, racing-style hood pins and special emblems. A sunroof, the first ever offered by a car manufacturer, was optional. Hertz bought 188 of the 619 XR-7Gs produced, making this iteration among the rarest and most valuable Cougars. Standard power units in 1968 were 302-ci V8s making 210 hp, and the 390 output climbed to 325 hp. Power junkies could be sated by the GT-E option, pairing a 427-ci V8 making 390 hp with a Merc-O-Matic three-speed automatic transmission, along with suspension upgrades and power disc brakes. The 427 was replaced mid-year by Ford’s 428 Cobra Jet Ram Air; while rated for insurance purposes at just 340 hp, many have estimated its true output equivalent to the 390 hp of the 427.

The 428 CJ formed the basis for the fiercest production Cougar, 1969’s Eliminator. The ongoing Detroit horsepower wars were nudging the Cougar further from the luxury realm, and this package included a blacked-out grille, side stripes, a spoiler, and a number of garish color options. Underhood, the Eliminator used Ford’s 290-hp 351 Windsor as its standard powerplant, with the 428 optional. The CJ could propel the big Cougar down the quarter-mile in under 15 seconds, despite 1969’s restyling that saw the car’s proportions grow.

A convertible model was also introduced for 1969, an attempt to broaden the appeal of a no-longer fresh car whose sales were waning. Three more model years saw the Cougar continue to grow in size as its sales shrank. Engine options in 1970 included a list of classic Ford mills: the 351 Cleveland, the Boss 302, and the 428 CJ.

Mercury discontinued the Eliminator model for 1971, though a 429-ci CJ rated at 370 hp was offered. 1972 and 1973 saw engine “choices” shrink to just one, the 351. Just as in the rest of the muscle car market, these last Cougars were neutered by pollution regulations, so the big cat trod a new path more defined by luxury than power.

A collector in the hunt for a Cougar should understand that with so many different equipment packages and options and most parts readily available, there are a lot of cars out there that have been modified with equipment that wasn’t fitted when they left the factory. There is much less of a stigma associated with “clones” among Cougar enthusiasts than elsewhere in the muscle car realm, but you should still know what you’re buying.

If you’re shopping for a Dan Gurney XR-7G or a real GT-E, be sure there’s a paper trail associated with the car before you pay a premium. These models are the truly rare Cougars, with 619 XR-7Gs and 394 GT-Es produced. Know that a Cougar “Dan Gurney Special” is not the same thing as a real XR-7G, just a chrome dress-up package offered in 1967 and 1968. Like most muscle cars, engines determine a large part of a Cougar’s desirability. For 1969 and 1970 Cougars with the Cobra Jet engine, the fifth digit of the VIN should be either an R or Q.

With a large national club and an enthusiastic membership, more advice is readily at hand. If you are uncertain about a car’s authenticity, there are plenty of resources available—try starting at Marti Auto Works (martiauto.com), which offers production reports for all FoMoCo vehicles produced from 1967 to 1973.

Base Cougars are not scarce, so there is no reason to buy a car with any rust whatsoever. Cars requiring mechanical work are less of a problem, as standard Ford parts availability is excellent. Due to this support, and their inherent mechanical simplicity, a Cougar can make a great daily driver.

The market for Cougars is still growing. While they may never reach the peaks we’ve seen for other muscle cars, prices are following the general trend. For the XR-7G, GT-E and Eliminator, expect to pay in the $30,000-and-up range, depending on options and condition. But a standard Cougar, even an XR-7 with decent options, can still be found for $10,000 to $15,000. Convertibles carry the typical premium, but know that many of the more desirable options were not available on the droptop.

Regardless of the model, Cougars sell for chicken feed compared to the premium people are paying for the more popular pony cars. This likely won’t last for long, as we’re already seeing people step up and pay real money for “off-brand” muscle cars from the likes of AMC, Buick and Oldsmobile. Will Mercury be next?

by Marit Anne Peterson - Sports Car Market Magazine

1969 Ivy Green Cougar at the 2008 Peach City Beach Cruise Pentiction BC

2008-06-04T22:39:00.000-07:00

1969-1970 Mercury Cougar

2008-06-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

The 1969-1970 Mercury Cougar was the second-series Cougar, with a longer, wider body on the same 111.0-inch wheelbase and two new convertible offerings. Styling was similar to 1967-1968, but more ordinary, particularly the grille. XR-7s continued to feature a full set of needle gauges and leather-faced seat upholstery as standard, and wore blackout grilles for 1970.

The former GT and GTE models were reduced to option packages available with or without XR-7 trim, but continued to pack big-block V-8s.A new variation was the Eliminator package for the hardtop, sporting appropriate tape striping, a rear decklid spoiler, wide wheels and tires, and a 300-bhp version of Ford's 351 V-8.

Like concurrent Mustangs, these were the last of the true ponycar Cougars.For 1971, Ford and Mercury both bulked up their ponycars, making them heavier and less agile, though more luxurious, than their predecessors. Styling became more like that of the mid-size Montego, which the Cougar was later based on.

Pluses of the 1969-1970 Mercury Cougar:Clean long-hood/short-deck styling
Pleasant combination of performance and economy with small-block V-8
High performance
XR-7s are Milestone cars
Minuses of the 1969-1970 Mercury Cougar:Less distinctive styling and somewhat lower appreciation potential than the 1967-1968
Some electrical headaches
Rocker panel and floorpan rust
Thirsty and nose-heavy
Production of the 1969 Mercury Cougar:2-door hardtop: 66,331
Convertible: 5,796
XR-7 2-door hardtop: 23,918
XR-7 convertible: 4,024
Production of the 1970 Mercury Cougar:
2-door hardtop: 49,479
Convertible: 2,322
XR-7 2-door hardtop: 18,565
XR-7 convertible: 1,977

Specifications of the 1969-1970 Mercury Cougar:
Wheelbase, inches: 111.0Length, inches: 193.8 (1969), 196.1 (1970)
Weight, pounds: 3,219-3,408

Price, new: $3,016-$3,692 (U.S.)

by the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide