Ten days ago when I had the Cougar up on the lift working on the transmission filter replacement I had some time to look around the undercarriage of the car. I was checking out the suspension parts and noticed some significant cracking on the strut rod bushings.
I still had some money left from my second place finish in my Fantasy Baseball league from last year. I figured I would get some more parts for the Cougar to install. On Monday after work I bought a strut rod bushing kit from the Mustang Corral in Edwardsville. The Mustang Corral sources the kits they sell from American Pony Parts. Here's the description listed on their website:
STRUT ROD BUSHING KIT 1967-73
Includes the steel cup washers.
We use a softer grade of Midolyne for strut rod bushings. Too firm and it can snap the rod. Strut rods stop the body when the brakes stop the suspension. Worn and compressed bushings create eratic handling and result in a "CLUNK" sound and feel when braking Kit does One (1) Car.
I am not hearing the "clunk" noise they are describing, but replacing worn out bushings with new polyurethane replacements can't be a bad thing. I hope that when the new gas shocks and this kit get installed that the handling on the Cougar becomes even better. However, I'm sure that there will be a few other things to correct as well. I am also thinking about having the manual steering box rebuilt too.
Just more items for the list…
I promise to take pictures of this project when I get to it in the next couple of weeks.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
A Cloud Of Dust
I spent two hours cleaning the garage tonight.
And I'm not done yet...
See, I knew when I started working on this project tonight that I would not finish in just one evening. Getting started had been my problem in the past. Too cold, too hot, too windy, not enough time - too many excuses. So, at least I got started...right?
The weather is turning more beautiful by day and soon I will want to bring the Cougar home for the summer.
I decided to start with my wife's side of the garage since there was less to deal with on that side. I pulled everything out of the corners and away from the walls so I could sweep all the dust, grass, leaves, rocks, and dead bugs. I thought that dealing with the grime first would get me to continue to clean the garage later. *COUGH* *COUGH*
I rearranged some things that we would not be using anytime soon and put them out of the way in the back corner on my wife's side of the garage. Other than that I swept up the dirt and grime, put some items in the trash or recycling bin, and organized items so we could get the cars back into the garage.
The next step is to figure out how to arrange and organize the garage to get the most use out of the area.
I recently picked up a magazine to help with that process and gather ideas. I have thought about higher shelves and a way to hang up some items like my bike, the lawn spreader, and other cumbersome items. Maybe some paint too...
My side of the garage contains the workbench, a shelf with miscellaneous items and the tool chests. The back wall has the shovels, rakes and implements of destruction as well as two cabinets and the lawnmower and a door on the right side. My wife's side of the garage has the trash can, the recycling can and a couple of windows. The garage has a 10 1/2 foot ceiling.
Hmmm...what to do?
And I'm not done yet...
See, I knew when I started working on this project tonight that I would not finish in just one evening. Getting started had been my problem in the past. Too cold, too hot, too windy, not enough time - too many excuses. So, at least I got started...right?
The weather is turning more beautiful by day and soon I will want to bring the Cougar home for the summer.
I decided to start with my wife's side of the garage since there was less to deal with on that side. I pulled everything out of the corners and away from the walls so I could sweep all the dust, grass, leaves, rocks, and dead bugs. I thought that dealing with the grime first would get me to continue to clean the garage later. *COUGH* *COUGH*
I rearranged some things that we would not be using anytime soon and put them out of the way in the back corner on my wife's side of the garage. Other than that I swept up the dirt and grime, put some items in the trash or recycling bin, and organized items so we could get the cars back into the garage.
The next step is to figure out how to arrange and organize the garage to get the most use out of the area.
I recently picked up a magazine to help with that process and gather ideas. I have thought about higher shelves and a way to hang up some items like my bike, the lawn spreader, and other cumbersome items. Maybe some paint too...
My side of the garage contains the workbench, a shelf with miscellaneous items and the tool chests. The back wall has the shovels, rakes and implements of destruction as well as two cabinets and the lawnmower and a door on the right side. My wife's side of the garage has the trash can, the recycling can and a couple of windows. The garage has a 10 1/2 foot ceiling.
Hmmm...what to do?
Monday, March 29, 2010
Why Are There Not More Cougars On The Prowl?
I was doing a little reconnaissance (er...research) today on 1967 and 1968 Cougars on eBay. I do this from time to time just to check what's out there for sale and see if there's any interesting ideas on other rides that I could steal. The thing that caught my attention was that there were a lot of Classic Cougars for sale on the site today. Of the 50 total Cougars listed for sale (1967-2002), almost half of them (24 to be exact) were 1967-1970 models. Wow! There is a lot of classic Dearborn iron and steel out there for sale.
There could be a few reasons for that upsurge in old metal for sale. First, Spring is here and it starts the classic car selling season. Second, tax time is less than a month away and people need to pay some taxes or pay off some debt. Third, Spring cleaning season is here and the wife wants one of the "project cars" to go. Finally, the seller has gotten the itch for another car and the current one has to go to fund the new car.
So, that got me to thinking...with all of those Cougars for sale to make viable car show vehicles why are there not more Cougars on the prowl?
According to The Classic Cougar Network site Mercury produced over 150,000 cars in the first year 1967 and over one-hundred-thousand units the next two years in a row.
1967 Cougar – 150,893
1968 Cougar – 113,741
1969 Cougar – 100,085
Total – 364,719
If you throw in the 1970 Cougar, which shares much of the same characteristics as the 1969 model, there another 72,365 Cougars produced during a 4 year span bringing the total number to 437,084. Many consider the 1970 Cougars to be the end of the muscle car era for Mercury and the 1971-73 were just the beginning of the bloated, luxury models of the 1970's.
Most Cougars that I see for sale are still mostly in original condition with at most only the engine, paint or interior modified from stock. If modified, these Cougars usually have at least one of those areas still mostly original.
Further, the buyer can pick up a Cougar in very good condition for under $10,000 and almost anything over that threshold is either rare (i.e. GTE, XR7-G, or Eliminator) or in great or perfect condition. This is one of the reasons why I chose to buy a classic Cougar in the first place. The Cougar is a reasonably priced muscle car that usually came with more options than the Mustangs. So why would the Cougar popularity wane unlike the other 60's pony cars?
Another reason that I chose to buy a Cougar is that every car that rolled off the assembly line in the classic period (1967-1973) has a V-8! That fact should be a huge incentive for car guys. There are no 6 cylinder engine swaps to figure out here like the Mustang or Camaro. There is either a V-8 engine in the bay or the empty motor mounts are ready for one to be dropped into place. The Cougar also came with motors that are both desirable and easy to find parts to rebuild or find more torque and horsepower. According to research done by the The Classic Cougar Network site, the 1967 came standard with the 289 and the buyer could also have opted to buy the big block 390. In 1968, the engine options got even better - buyers could check the box for a 289, 302, 390, 427, and the 428 Cobra Jet. The zenith came in 1969 with the addition of the standard 351 Windsor engine, the Boss 302 and the 428 Cobra Jet/Ram Air to the line up, and in 1970 the 351 Cleveland was added too. The 289 was dropped in 1969 and the 390 was dropped in 1970, but you get the picture.
Cougars have the same issues as other muscle cars from the era. Rust can be prevalent in the floorboards, cowl, shock towers, rocker panels, lower doors, lower quarter panels, and behind the rear window. Other issues tend to happen with the vacuum operated flip up headlamp doors and the electronic sequential turn signals. Both of these issues can be remedied rather easily if most of the stock components still survive. The only issue that I see keeping Cougars from prowling the streets is the lack of new sheet metal to fix rust. There are companies that sell floors and patch panels, but no one sells full doors, hoods, trunk lids or fenders.
Production Numbers
1964 Mustang – 126,538
1965 Mustang – 409,260
1966 Mustang – 607,568
1967 Mustang – 472,121
1968 Mustang – 317,148
1969 Mustang – 299,824
Total – 2,232,459
1967 Camaro – 220,906
1968 Camaro – 235,147
1969 Camaro – 243,085
Total – 698,138
1967 Firebird – 82,560
1968 Firebird – 107,112
1969 Firebird – 87,011
Total – 276,683
1964 Barracuda – 22,443
1965 Barracuda – 64,596
1966 Barracuda – 38,029
1967 Barracuda – 62,534
1968 Barracuda – 45,412
1969 Barracuda – 31,987
Total – 265,001
There could be a few reasons for that upsurge in old metal for sale. First, Spring is here and it starts the classic car selling season. Second, tax time is less than a month away and people need to pay some taxes or pay off some debt. Third, Spring cleaning season is here and the wife wants one of the "project cars" to go. Finally, the seller has gotten the itch for another car and the current one has to go to fund the new car.
So, that got me to thinking...with all of those Cougars for sale to make viable car show vehicles why are there not more Cougars on the prowl?
According to The Classic Cougar Network site Mercury produced over 150,000 cars in the first year 1967 and over one-hundred-thousand units the next two years in a row.
1967 Cougar – 150,893
1968 Cougar – 113,741
1969 Cougar – 100,085
Total – 364,719
If you throw in the 1970 Cougar, which shares much of the same characteristics as the 1969 model, there another 72,365 Cougars produced during a 4 year span bringing the total number to 437,084. Many consider the 1970 Cougars to be the end of the muscle car era for Mercury and the 1971-73 were just the beginning of the bloated, luxury models of the 1970's.
Most Cougars that I see for sale are still mostly in original condition with at most only the engine, paint or interior modified from stock. If modified, these Cougars usually have at least one of those areas still mostly original.
Further, the buyer can pick up a Cougar in very good condition for under $10,000 and almost anything over that threshold is either rare (i.e. GTE, XR7-G, or Eliminator) or in great or perfect condition. This is one of the reasons why I chose to buy a classic Cougar in the first place. The Cougar is a reasonably priced muscle car that usually came with more options than the Mustangs. So why would the Cougar popularity wane unlike the other 60's pony cars?
Another reason that I chose to buy a Cougar is that every car that rolled off the assembly line in the classic period (1967-1973) has a V-8! That fact should be a huge incentive for car guys. There are no 6 cylinder engine swaps to figure out here like the Mustang or Camaro. There is either a V-8 engine in the bay or the empty motor mounts are ready for one to be dropped into place. The Cougar also came with motors that are both desirable and easy to find parts to rebuild or find more torque and horsepower. According to research done by the The Classic Cougar Network site, the 1967 came standard with the 289 and the buyer could also have opted to buy the big block 390. In 1968, the engine options got even better - buyers could check the box for a 289, 302, 390, 427, and the 428 Cobra Jet. The zenith came in 1969 with the addition of the standard 351 Windsor engine, the Boss 302 and the 428 Cobra Jet/Ram Air to the line up, and in 1970 the 351 Cleveland was added too. The 289 was dropped in 1969 and the 390 was dropped in 1970, but you get the picture.
Cougars have the same issues as other muscle cars from the era. Rust can be prevalent in the floorboards, cowl, shock towers, rocker panels, lower doors, lower quarter panels, and behind the rear window. Other issues tend to happen with the vacuum operated flip up headlamp doors and the electronic sequential turn signals. Both of these issues can be remedied rather easily if most of the stock components still survive. The only issue that I see keeping Cougars from prowling the streets is the lack of new sheet metal to fix rust. There are companies that sell floors and patch panels, but no one sells full doors, hoods, trunk lids or fenders.
So what makes the other Pony cars more desirable? Let's start with the Mustang. For many classic car enthusiasts the Mustang is an affordable entry car to get into the hobby. This can certainly be said for the Mustang Coupes. Due to their production numbers Mustangs are ubiquitous at car shows and in the print media. Over 2.25 million cars were produced from 1964-1969 and Ford was the clear leader with almost 2.6 million Pony cars (Mustang + Cougars) produced from 1964-1969. The popularity of the Mustang means that parts are available from a wide number of sources giving the owner easy access to restore one of these cars or even clone their favorite example. The Mustang prices start to go up when rarity enters the picture (i.e. Shelby, or GT cars) or when the words Fastback or Convertible come behind Mustang. Furthermore, Dynacorn makes shells for 1967-70 Mustang Fastbacks and you can build a completely new classic car from scratch. The 1967 or 1968 will set you back $15,500 and the 1969 or 1970 is $16,500.
Production Numbers
1964 Mustang – 126,538
1965 Mustang – 409,260
1966 Mustang – 607,568
1967 Mustang – 472,121
1968 Mustang – 317,148
1969 Mustang – 299,824
Total – 2,232,459
Similarly, the Chevrolet Camaro has been pre-eminent through the car show circuits and gracing the covers of car magazines for years as well. However, in recent years, prices for Camaros have skyrocketed along with other popular GM models. A buyer can hardly afford a rustbucket or a shell for under $7,500. The popularity has also led to negativity too. The First Generation Camaro has received scorn from some dyed-in-the-wool car guys because it seems as if a magazine like Hot Rod, Car Craft, or Popular Hot Rodding can’t go to print without having a First Generation Camaro on the cover or as a featured car inside the magazine. Furthering the popularity meter, Dynacorn is even making complete replica shells of this icon in both hardtop and convertible platforms for 1967 and 1969.
1967 Camaro – 220,906
1968 Camaro – 235,147
1969 Camaro – 243,085
Total – 698,138
The Pontiac Firebird seems to fall somewhere in-between the Camaro and the Cougar. A buyer can still buy a decent Firebird hardtop for under $10k and they aren’t as many at the car shows around town. According to Trans Am World site, Pontiac made only 276,683 of the First Generation Firebirds, which is 88,036 less than the Cougar production numbers from the same time period. That’s like another year of production numbers for one of those cars in that era. Nevertheless, Dynacorn still produces both a hardtop and convertible shell of the 1969 Pontiac Firebird. Where’s the love for other Ford models from Dynacorn?
1967 Firebird – 82,560
1968 Firebird – 107,112
1969 Firebird – 87,011
Total – 276,683
Finally, the Plymouth Barracuda is a different beast altogether. Plymouth never did sell too many Barracudas in the first place. From 1964 to 1969 they sold less Barracuda's than Pontiac dealers sold from 1967-69. This could partly be from the fact that the Barracuda didn't receive a big block until 1969 and never received a Hemi between the front fenders. The Second Generation Barracudas are popular among the drag racing guys, but the money really goes up when the year on the title shifts to 1970's. Mopar parts are easier to come by generally, but due to low production numbers these cars are rare in general and the passing of 40 years has sent plenty of these cars to the crusher.
1964 Barracuda – 22,443
1965 Barracuda – 64,596
1966 Barracuda – 38,029
1967 Barracuda – 62,534
1968 Barracuda – 45,412
1969 Barracuda – 31,987
Total – 265,001
So, if you're looking for a muscle car to get into the hobby why not choose a Cougar? There are many surviving vehicles with a combination of options including power steering, power brakes, automatic transmission and even air conditioning. Further, 1967-1973 Cougars share the same platform as Ford Mustangs and so parts for floors and shock towers are easy to obtain. Finally, Ford crate engines and transmissions can be dropped in with ease. Get out there and start looking or get in touch I know where a few are right now!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Research Material For The Library
Recently, we received an e-mail for a 40% off any regularly priced item from Borders good for this weekend. Since Borders has drastically decreased the size of their music and movie sections I find myself looking for books rather than CD's and DVD's.
If you have read most of the posts on this blog you'll know that when I bought the Cougar I received what is supposed to be the original engine along with the sale. The car came from the factory with a 289 cubic inch Ford Small Block with a two barrel carburetor, but currently the car has a 302 cubic inch engine with an Edelbrock intake and four barrel carburetor. Eventually, I thought that I could rebuild the 289 and put it back in it's rightful place between the shock towers - with a few upgrades of course.
Today, my wife and I dropped our daughter off at my parents house so we could get some lunch and shop at a few stores. After stopping at Applebee's for lunch and then Office Depot and Old Navy, we went to the Borders in Edwardsville. My wife wanted to get a nice hardback edition of the Lewis Carroll classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass for Elsie's birthday this summer, but while at the store she changed her mind like any good woman. I looked through the automotive section for this book, but they didn't have it in stock. The coupon expired today so I didn't think too much more about it and figured I would buy it at a later date.
After we retrieved our daughter from my parents house, my wife decided she wanted to go to Jo-Ann's Fabrics and Crafts in Fairview Heights. There is another Borders nearby so I figured we could stop again and look. Our daughter fell asleep shortly after leaving my parents house. We went to Jo-Ann's first and my wife picked up what she needed and I stayed in the car with our sleeping daughter. When my wife was done and we went to Borders, the little one was still asleep. So my wife and I took turns going into the store. Sure enough this location had the book and they also had the edition my wife wanted to buy for our daughter. The book I bought was regularly priced $24.95 and with the 40% off coupon I bought it for $14.97 plus tax.
I checked the Amazon later tonight and the book was selling for $16.47 plus shipping unless I bought over $25 then the shipping was free.
Now I can start doing some research on rebuilding the 289 when the time is right...
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Red Puddles On The Floor
As I mentioned in my previous post, I had scheduled to work on the Cougar project list again this weekend. I met Steve at my parents house at 11:30 a.m. to get started on this project.
Steve wanted to take a ride in the car to see how the transmission was acting. After a splash of gas at the local station, I was driving the back roads to let Steve hear how the C-4 Cruise-A-Matic was shifting through the gears. We put the Cougar through some paces and tried slow and fast starts from a dead stop and manually shifting through the gears forward and backward. Steve determined that the shift from 1st gear to 2nd gear seemed smooth, but when shifting from 2nd gear to 3rd gear something was slipping, but not each time.
I drove the Cougar back to my parent's house and proceeded to get started. I put the car up on the lift and gathered tools to get going. Steve said that I would be turning the wrenches and that was fine with me because I learn better that way!
Parts List:
Wix Transmission Filter and Pan Gasket PN 58923 - $6.98
1 gallon Automatic Transmission Fluid
24 oz. bottle of Lucas Oil Transmission Fix - $11.99
Tools List:
3/8 inch socket wrench
1/2 inch socket
7/16 inch socket
1/4 inch socket wrench
5/16 inch socket
Common screwdriver
Torque wrench (Inch lbs.)
Fluid catch pan
I started by loosening the eleven 1/2 inch bolts on the bottom of the transmission pan. Steve advised that I completely remove bolts on one end to start to empty the fluid from the pan. If I loosened all of the bolts and dropped the pan then transmission fluid would be all over the floor. After I removed the bolts from one end I inserted the screwdriver between the pan and the body of the transmission to pry open the pan and let some of the fluid out. The fluid splashed down in the catch tray and I continued loosening the bolts and repeated the process with the screwdriver until I had to remove all the bolts holding the pan to the transmission to get the rest of the fluid out.
The next step was to remove the filter from the bottom of the valve body. This was pretty easy as it was attached with mostly 5/16 inch bolts plus one 7/16 inch bolt. I took the old filter off and put the new one on with ease.
I cleaned the transmission pan and getting the pan gasket ready I put the pan back on and tightened the eleven bolts back down. As I was putting the pan back on Steve used the torque wrench to adjust the bands from the outside of the transmission. I added the Lucas Oil transmission fix and most of a gallon of transmission fluid. I got too much fluid in there and created a puddle on the floor so we needed to take some out. We removed roughly a quart of fluid to get back to the correct level on the dipstick.
After checking the level one last time, Steve and I went for another ride. The car performed normally when we started moving and there were no leaks when backing out of the garage. Steve directed me through the same series of tests from before. The slip from 2nd to 3rd was still there so I'll just have to live with that for a while until it's time to rebuild the transmission.
As we were working Steve knew where to find the tags and part numbers for the transmission. Here's what we found out about the transmission in the Cougar. With a little more research we could probably find out what month and year the transmission was produced.
Steve wanted to take a ride in the car to see how the transmission was acting. After a splash of gas at the local station, I was driving the back roads to let Steve hear how the C-4 Cruise-A-Matic was shifting through the gears. We put the Cougar through some paces and tried slow and fast starts from a dead stop and manually shifting through the gears forward and backward. Steve determined that the shift from 1st gear to 2nd gear seemed smooth, but when shifting from 2nd gear to 3rd gear something was slipping, but not each time.
I drove the Cougar back to my parent's house and proceeded to get started. I put the car up on the lift and gathered tools to get going. Steve said that I would be turning the wrenches and that was fine with me because I learn better that way!
Parts List:
Wix Transmission Filter and Pan Gasket PN 58923 - $6.98
1 gallon Automatic Transmission Fluid
24 oz. bottle of Lucas Oil Transmission Fix - $11.99
Tools List:
3/8 inch socket wrench
1/2 inch socket
7/16 inch socket
1/4 inch socket wrench
5/16 inch socket
Common screwdriver
Torque wrench (Inch lbs.)
Fluid catch pan
I started by loosening the eleven 1/2 inch bolts on the bottom of the transmission pan. Steve advised that I completely remove bolts on one end to start to empty the fluid from the pan. If I loosened all of the bolts and dropped the pan then transmission fluid would be all over the floor. After I removed the bolts from one end I inserted the screwdriver between the pan and the body of the transmission to pry open the pan and let some of the fluid out. The fluid splashed down in the catch tray and I continued loosening the bolts and repeated the process with the screwdriver until I had to remove all the bolts holding the pan to the transmission to get the rest of the fluid out.
The next step was to remove the filter from the bottom of the valve body. This was pretty easy as it was attached with mostly 5/16 inch bolts plus one 7/16 inch bolt. I took the old filter off and put the new one on with ease.
I cleaned the transmission pan and getting the pan gasket ready I put the pan back on and tightened the eleven bolts back down. As I was putting the pan back on Steve used the torque wrench to adjust the bands from the outside of the transmission. I added the Lucas Oil transmission fix and most of a gallon of transmission fluid. I got too much fluid in there and created a puddle on the floor so we needed to take some out. We removed roughly a quart of fluid to get back to the correct level on the dipstick.
After checking the level one last time, Steve and I went for another ride. The car performed normally when we started moving and there were no leaks when backing out of the garage. Steve directed me through the same series of tests from before. The slip from 2nd to 3rd was still there so I'll just have to live with that for a while until it's time to rebuild the transmission.
As we were working Steve knew where to find the tags and part numbers for the transmission. Here's what we found out about the transmission in the Cougar. With a little more research we could probably find out what month and year the transmission was produced.
- Transmission Part Number: C6DP-7006-A
- Transmission Tag: PEE C 2896M27B4
- Servo Cover Tag: C6AP-70027-C
- Valve Body Tag: 2P 3
- Paint the hood scoop red and take off the rear spoiler and fill in the holes
- Check out the transmission - adjust bands, add new fluid, new filter, and pan gasket
- Install new KYB gas-a-just shocks on all four corners
- Start gathering parts for the missing heater system
- Shine wheels [half done]
- Wash and wax car
- Aim headlights
- Flush radiator
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Makin' Them Shine!
This morning Elsie and I went to my parents house so they could see Elsie and I could work on shining the wheels on the Cougar. The current set of wheels are 14" Centerlines from American Racing and while I would rather have something else on the car the funds are not available at this time to change wheels and tires. I would rather spend my money on upgrading other parts of the car first and trying to make the current set of wheels look better first. Another post will be dedicated to researching which wheels will fit and be going on the car in the future.
To get started on this project I got out the air wrench and a 13/16 socket and jacked up the car. I removed a wheel from the car and placed it on a portable workbench. I used a three step process to clean these all-aluminum wheels. First, I wiped the metal cleaning polish on the wheels with a microfiber rag to start to loosen the dirt and grime. Second, I used a polishing ball in a portable drill to clean the majority of dirt and corrosion off the wheels. I moved around workbench and the wheel with the portable drill in a clockwise direction to keep the polishing ball from jumping off the wheel. Finally, I used a clean microfiber rag to wipe off the excess product and dirt and buff the wheel clean.
I cleaned the two wheels on the driver's side today and now I just need to clean the passenger side. I spent about 45 minutes to an hour cleaning each wheel twice as they are quite dirty. In the future I will likely use a Mother's wheel product on the wheels, but first I wanted to see the difference between the other two wheels with the cleaning product alone.
I forgot to take pictures of the results today, but I will be posting them here soon.
To get started on this project I got out the air wrench and a 13/16 socket and jacked up the car. I removed a wheel from the car and placed it on a portable workbench. I used a three step process to clean these all-aluminum wheels. First, I wiped the metal cleaning polish on the wheels with a microfiber rag to start to loosen the dirt and grime. Second, I used a polishing ball in a portable drill to clean the majority of dirt and corrosion off the wheels. I moved around workbench and the wheel with the portable drill in a clockwise direction to keep the polishing ball from jumping off the wheel. Finally, I used a clean microfiber rag to wipe off the excess product and dirt and buff the wheel clean.
I cleaned the two wheels on the driver's side today and now I just need to clean the passenger side. I spent about 45 minutes to an hour cleaning each wheel twice as they are quite dirty. In the future I will likely use a Mother's wheel product on the wheels, but first I wanted to see the difference between the other two wheels with the cleaning product alone.
I forgot to take pictures of the results today, but I will be posting them here soon.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Time Is Running Out On Winter Projects
As Spring quickly approaches it's time to start thinking about getting the Mercury out of the garage again. Last Saturday, I went to my parent's house where the Cougar has been sleeping for the winter to rouse it from its slumber. I started the car and let it run for a while and then my dad and I took it for a ride around the country roads. Today would have been a perfect day to drive as it was in the low 70's and sunny all day. However, you can't always count on that
Projects:
As a Christmas present my dad offered to pay to have the hood scoop and rear spoiler painted. However, I would like to remove the spoiler as I don't think it looks right and takes away from the lines that I like about the car. So, I need to call my dad's friend Tom and have him check the paint color so he can match the scoop and trunk lid for the right color. I would also like to see if he can paint a
Tonight, I called my dad's friend Steve and tentatively scheduled a day to drop the transmission pan and check out the guts of the C-4. Hopefully, the gears look good and will not need a rebuild.
I found out recently that another friend is moving back to the area in a few weeks and I plan on asking him to help with the installation of the new shocks as I have never tackled this sort of project myself.
Last weekend I stopped by the Mustang Corral and got some prices on what I needed to put the stock heater system back into the car. This will help keep the rushing cold air from coming inside the cabin and help with rides later in the year when the weather gets cooler. I asked about a possible trade for the spoiler and they said that was possible so I'm happy about that prospect.
Next I need to think about what car shows I might want to attend.
Projects:
- Paint the hood scoop red and take off the rear spoiler and fill in the holes
- Check out transmission - adjust bands, add new fluid, new filter, and pan gasket
- Install new KYB gas-a-just shocks on all four corners
- Start gathering parts for the missing heater system
- Shine wheels
- Wash and wax car
As a Christmas present my dad offered to pay to have the hood scoop and rear spoiler painted. However, I would like to remove the spoiler as I don't think it looks right and takes away from the lines that I like about the car. So, I need to call my dad's friend Tom and have him check the paint color so he can match the scoop and trunk lid for the right color. I would also like to see if he can paint a
Tonight, I called my dad's friend Steve and tentatively scheduled a day to drop the transmission pan and check out the guts of the C-4. Hopefully, the gears look good and will not need a rebuild.
I found out recently that another friend is moving back to the area in a few weeks and I plan on asking him to help with the installation of the new shocks as I have never tackled this sort of project myself.
Last weekend I stopped by the Mustang Corral and got some prices on what I needed to put the stock heater system back into the car. This will help keep the rushing cold air from coming inside the cabin and help with rides later in the year when the weather gets cooler. I asked about a possible trade for the spoiler and they said that was possible so I'm happy about that prospect.
Next I need to think about what car shows I might want to attend.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
I just bought a 2010 Honda Accord Coupe...
At Meyer Honda, me and Joe Duco just after signing the paperwork.
At home in the driveway for a photo shoot
...but I really wanted to buy one of these. I know the clip from Top Gear is a couple
of years old, but the coolness is still there. Too bad I don't have over $40K to throw
at a car. However, I could be inclined just to get the 1968 Mustang Fastback with
the 390 instead. Old technology - yes. Coolness factor - over the top!!
of years old, but the coolness is still there. Too bad I don't have over $40K to throw
at a car. However, I could be inclined just to get the 1968 Mustang Fastback with
the 390 instead. Old technology - yes. Coolness factor - over the top!!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
I Need To Clean The Garage!
Although I live in a house that is only a few years old I am constantly thinking about updates that could be done to the house. A couple of years ago my wife decided to buy some faux stone and replace the fireplace surround. The stone sat around for about a year, but eventually last winter (2008-09) we removed the original tile surround from around the fireplace and my brother-in-law, my wife and I installed the faux stone surround. The fireplace is set into a corner of our living room at a 45 degree angle so we had to cut each stone on the edges to fit. Because it was winter and very cold outside we cut the first day in our garage. This was a BIG mistake! The dust from the tile saw covered every surface in our garage and the next day we cut outside which cut down on additional dust, but the damage had already been done.
During this project we also removed the original fireplace mantle and my wife's brother built a new one out of oak from scratch for us. When he came over to install the mantle it needed a little bit of wood taken off each side where the 45 degree angle meets the wall. So, he sanded each side of the mantle a few times to get the right fit. Since it was still cold outside this was also done in the garage and now even more dust collected on every surface.
During 2009 I never did get around to cleaning the garage. I parked the 1967 Cougar that I bought in April in the garage all summer and early fall, but I constantly worried about stuff falling on the car or getting a ding from my wife's car in the garage. This winter the Cougar has spent its time in a large, heated garage at my parent's house. I like things to be organized and I can frustrated when things are out of place, but I will also admit that I am not a big fan of cleaning and tend to put this chore off indefinitely. However, this year procrastination is no longer an option. The garage is a complete disaster! I have added a generator that my dad gave me plus we added two large trash cans (one for garbage and one for recycling) from the village where we reside. This spring I will need to pull everything out of the garage and start from scratch.
I am looking for low budget ideas on organizing the garage and maximizing the space that we have and keeping an adequate amount of space around the cars. I want to get all of my tools and extra stuff organized so finding things is easy and putting them back is a breeze. I am researching, but I am open to ideas from anyone who is actually reading this post. Now I will continue to procrastinate until the weather warms up a little.
During this project we also removed the original fireplace mantle and my wife's brother built a new one out of oak from scratch for us. When he came over to install the mantle it needed a little bit of wood taken off each side where the 45 degree angle meets the wall. So, he sanded each side of the mantle a few times to get the right fit. Since it was still cold outside this was also done in the garage and now even more dust collected on every surface.
During 2009 I never did get around to cleaning the garage. I parked the 1967 Cougar that I bought in April in the garage all summer and early fall, but I constantly worried about stuff falling on the car or getting a ding from my wife's car in the garage. This winter the Cougar has spent its time in a large, heated garage at my parent's house. I like things to be organized and I can frustrated when things are out of place, but I will also admit that I am not a big fan of cleaning and tend to put this chore off indefinitely. However, this year procrastination is no longer an option. The garage is a complete disaster! I have added a generator that my dad gave me plus we added two large trash cans (one for garbage and one for recycling) from the village where we reside. This spring I will need to pull everything out of the garage and start from scratch.
I am looking for low budget ideas on organizing the garage and maximizing the space that we have and keeping an adequate amount of space around the cars. I want to get all of my tools and extra stuff organized so finding things is easy and putting them back is a breeze. I am researching, but I am open to ideas from anyone who is actually reading this post. Now I will continue to procrastinate until the weather warms up a little.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Thinking About Better Weather And Hitting The Road
As I write this we are getting snow outside so it's weird to be thinking about summer and car show season. However, the NASCAR drivers raced in the Daytona 500 today and ESPN2 is showing their coverage of the Winternationals from Pomona, CA. The official start to car show season is fast approaching. Here are some big events for the year.
My goal for 2010 is to attend at least one National Car show event so that means start planning now! Here's a few events that I have penciled in for reference -
Dates - June 5 - June 12, 2010
Route -
- Saturday June 5 - Iowa Speedway, Newton, IA
- Sunday, June 6 - Downtown Springfield, Springfield, IL
- Monday, June 7 - DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, DuQuoin, IL
- Tuesday, June 8 - Warren County Airport, Bowling Green, KY
- Wednesday, June 9 - Chattanooga State Community College, Chattanooga, TN
- Thursday, June 10 - Regions Park Stadium, Birmingham, AL
- Friday, June 11 - Downtown Mobile, Mobile, AL
- Saturday, June 12 - U.S.S. Alabama, Mobile, AL
Other Stops - TBA
Registration Fee: $70.00
For those of you that don't know, the Hot Rod Power Tour is an organized event where car enthusiasts from the hobby drive a pre-planned route or "tour" through parts of the United States. The Power Tour began in 1994 when Hot Rod Magazine staff members decided to take some of their project cars on a cross-country drive from Los Angeles, CA to Norwalk, OH. Thousands of people participated along the route, but only seven participants (other than staff members) made the entire journey and were inducted into the original "Long Hauler Gang". Since its inception, the event has continued to gain in popularity and is now one of the most anticipated automotive events each year. The Power Tour is usually scheduled for six to eight consecutive days and is typically held during late May or early June. During the last few years, the Power Tour has evolved to become a Dylanesque "never ending tour" around the United States. Organizers have started the event in or near the location where the tour ended the previous year. Each stop along the Power Tour route is organized around other events or activities that vary as much as the participants themselves. See the Hot Rod Power Tour page for the magazine's 2009 coverage of the event or the main Power Tour page for coverage from previous years.
I don't see myself attending this event this year unless it's for the couple of days that it's in Illinois.
Carlisle All-Ford Nationals 16th Annual Event
June 4-6, 2010
Carlisle Faigrounds
Carlisle, PA
Adult Admission: Th.-Sa. $10 /Sun. $7
Child Admission: 8 and under - FREE
Gate Times: Th.-Sa. 7am-6pm / Sun. 7am-3pm
Child Admission: 8 and under - FREE
Gate Times: Th.-Sa. 7am-6pm / Sun. 7am-3pm
The Carlisle All-Ford Nationals is a three day event featuring the largest gathering of Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles in the United States. Everything from rare to common vehicles are featured as well as a marketplace full of parts and accessories. See this link for a recap of the 2007 event. Although it would be nice to get together with other Cougar owners from around the country, the problem with this event is the distance from home - over 750 miles and over 12 hours away.
July 16-18, 2010
Minnesota State Fairgrounds
1880 Como Ave.
St. Paul, MN
Pre-Registration: $45
The Car Craft Summer Nationals is a three day event featuring over 4,000 cars of all makes and models and attracts over 45,000 people. Ten years ago this event was only drawing 1,200 cars so they're certainly doing something right to triple or quadruple the particpants. Those in attendance can stuff themselves with a basket cheese curds while gawking at the shiny cars and watching the activities along the way. The Summer Nationals features a Miss Car Craft Contest displaying the best bodies, an autocross challenge to determine the best handling car, a dyno contest (a meausrement to see which car makes the most horsepower) and a launch box challenge. Extras include a burnout contest featuring smoking tires and the smell of burning rubber. There is also a car corral, family fun zone, and performance marketplace to look at all things car related. See the Car Craft site for coverage of the 2009 event by clicking here.
This is the event that I could see myself attending this year. First, I like Car Craft magazine the best of the car magazines that I read. Second, the entrance fee to the event is an affordable $45 and St. Paul, MN is roughly only 9 and a half hours and 545 miles from home. I have also visited the area and driven most of the route in the past so it's familiar territory. We could maybe stay in Stillwater, MN like we did last time - there are several bed & breakfasts and a historic hotel in town - the Water Street Inn.
Another option would be to attend one of the various Good Guys events that are held throughout the year. There are a few that are held in the Midwest that are only a few hours from home.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Cougar Home Movies
Found this video on You Tube. The person who uploaded the video says that these are 8mm home movies of his father-in-law's first car, a 1967 Mercury Cougar. The photography of the car almost seems like a Mercury commercial of the time. Enjoy!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Time To Renew My Registration
The other day I received my renewal from the Illinois Secretary of State office for the 1967 Mercury Cougar. Most of the time I cringe when this envelope arrives for the other cars we own. However, this time I had a smile on my face. For the next five years the registration for the Cougar only costs $30.00! That's only $6.00 per year! This is a relative bargain when compared to the $79.00 per year Illinois residents pay on passenger cars.
I run antique plates on the vehicle even though restricts the amount of driving that you can do with the vehicle. You might be asking why. Most of the time I will be driving the car to a car show or to work on something in my dad's garage, but for those days that I do drive the car to work I can always advise the officer that I am driving to a show out of town or to a repair shop. Besides, the cost is much cheaper on both registration and insurance.
A no brainer really...
I run antique plates on the vehicle even though restricts the amount of driving that you can do with the vehicle. You might be asking why. Most of the time I will be driving the car to a car show or to work on something in my dad's garage, but for those days that I do drive the car to work I can always advise the officer that I am driving to a show out of town or to a repair shop. Besides, the cost is much cheaper on both registration and insurance.
A no brainer really...
Thursday, October 22, 2009
A New Series Of Posts - Cars From Our Past
My recent post about a couple of cars my parents owned in the 1970's prompted a comment from my wife about doing a post on her parents series of Volkswagen Beetles they drove in the late 1960's and into the 1970's. This comment created a new idea about doing a series of stories on cars from our past.
A couple of years ago my wife also had the great idea of doing a book for my dad for Christmas with a list of his top 15 favorite cars. We dug through pictures in my parents and grandparents photo albums and found enough pictures for a coffee table book AND a calendar for my dad. We uploaded everything to Shutterfly and ordered them for Christmas. He loved it and still keeps them on the coffee table!
These series of posts will deal with cars that hold memories in our lives. A car is like another family member at times, or a companion, a place that we feel like we live, or to some it is just a mode of transportation. No one can deny, however, that the cars that we buy and we drive provide memories of places, people, events, and more. Cars take us to work, back home, on road trips, on vacation, help us move, visit friends and family, run errands, and other exciting adventures.
Now, if you haven't paid attention to your car lately - get out there and wash it!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Chauncey & Me
In the mid 1970's my parents took me to Piasa Lincoln-Mercury dealership in downtown Alton, IL to see a real live Cougar! Originally the spokescat for the Mercury Cougar in print and television advertising, Chauncey the Cougar became the spokescat for all Lincoln-Mercury dealers products not just the Mercury Cougar. The Cougar was so recognizable in advertisement that the Lincoln-Mercury slogan became "At The Sign Of The Cat." The Cougars from the advertising campaign would tour the country and visit dealers to promote Lincoln-Mercury. In 1975, Chauncey died and his replacement became Christopher. At Piasa Lincoln-Mercury my parents dealt with a salesman named Harold Sackalarus and he likely told them about this special event at his dealership. How often would a real live Cougar visit a car dealership?!? This visit by Christopher made such an impression on me that I started to refer to the dealership as "Harold's Cat House."
To learn more about the Lincoln-Mercury spokescats see the following articles from The Classic Cougar Network site
For an overall history see this article
These next three links are from a speech done by the Cougar's handler Pat Derby on July 14, 2001 at an event for the Stray Cats Cougar Club of Northern CA
Part One: Tanya
Part Two: Chauncey & Christopher
Part Three: Q & A
Here's a video I found of a similar event from a Lincoln Mercury dealer in the early 1980's
In 1976, my mom was driving a 1973 Buick Riviera and my dad was driving a 1972 GMC Sprint (read: GMC version of the El Camino). That year my parents traded their 1973 Buick Riviera and bought a Lincoln Continental Mark IV as a third car. At the time this was the most expensive American made vehicle. As you can see from the picture above the vehicle was dove gray with a matching dove gray landau vinyl roof, and light gray leather interior. Lincoln-Mercury sold this as a Cartier edition, a part of their line designer editions which also included Bill Blass, Givenchy, and Pucci. My name for this car was the "Foo Foo Car." I remember riding around in this car as a toddler on summer evenings in the late 1970's making my parents drive around to find the source of spotlights flooding the night sky. The spotlights with their bright light would be advertising a car dealership, a movie, or some other promotion. My parents also remember my devastation after losing a balloon through the sunroof one evening while riding in that car.
In 1976, my mom's office had moved from downtown St. Louis to a renovated IGA grocery store located in a parking lot at a suburban mall. At the time she was driving a 1975 MGB roadster. She felt nervous driving this little British sports car on the interstate with all of the 18 wheel tractor trailers. However, they let me ride in the area where the top folded up when it was down or on my mom's lap when the top was up. Go figure.
Since they had just bought the Lincoln, my parents decided to stick with Lincoln-Mercury to replace this car. They put the MGB on consignment with Piasa Lincoln Mercury and they bought a 1977 Mercury Cougar. This was the newly redesigned fourth generation Cougar. The classic Cougar era ended with the 1973 model year and in 1974 the Cougar began an association with the Ford Torino. This ended the Cougar's seven year association with the Ford Mustang platform. Then in 1977 the Cougar began a long run of being based on the Ford Thunderbird chassis. These changes made the car longer, less sporty, and even more luxurious than before. Here's a description from the wikipedia article on Mercury Cougars:
Since they had just bought the Lincoln, my parents decided to stick with Lincoln-Mercury to replace this car. They put the MGB on consignment with Piasa Lincoln Mercury and they bought a 1977 Mercury Cougar. This was the newly redesigned fourth generation Cougar. The classic Cougar era ended with the 1973 model year and in 1974 the Cougar began an association with the Ford Torino. This ended the Cougar's seven year association with the Ford Mustang platform. Then in 1977 the Cougar began a long run of being based on the Ford Thunderbird chassis. These changes made the car longer, less sporty, and even more luxurious than before. Here's a description from the wikipedia article on Mercury Cougars:
Customers to Lincoln-Mercury showrooms were surprised by the all-new Cougar this year [1977]. New sharper and straighter styling that mimicked the Ford Thunderbird and Lincoln Continental Mark V replaced the "fuselage look" of earlier Cougars. The Cougar now shared its body with the Thunderbird, which was downsized to the intermediate bodyshell this year from that of the Continental Mark IV and shared the Cougar's 114-inch (2,896 mm) wheelbase, putting the T-Bird squarely in the intermediate personal-luxury car market as opposed to its previous higher-priced segment of that market shared with the Buick Riviera and Oldsmobile Toronado.
My hunch is that my dad probably just remembered this advertisement with the late Farrah Fawcett (pre-Charlie's Angels) from a couple of years earlier and wanted to get one.
Since my mom was driving a lot farther to work she noticed that the V-8 engine in the Cougar was a lot less fuel efficient that the four cylinder in the MGB. She figured that she would just drive the Lincoln to work and my parents got rid of the Cougar. They had the car for such a short time that I have yet to find a picture of the car. The Cougar would be the last Blue Oval product they would ever buy.
My parents kept the Lincoln Continental car as a third car for a few more years and ended up selling it in December 1983 to a daughter of one of my dad's friends. I have always wondered what happened to that car.
If you look closely you can see my dad's 1972 GMC Sprint in the background.
In this picture you can barely see the end of the Orange MGB parked in the garage.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Update on Junkyard Crawl II
Today, I posted my story from yesterday to the Classic Cougars group on yahoo.com for the VIN registrar to see. Here is his reply:
Hi Scott,I wrote Phil back and advised that it was okay to reprint my story. That was a nice gesture on his part. Later I found someone on Craigslist selling another 1968 Cougar in Marissa, IL. I wonder if the same person used to own the one that is now sitting in the yard. Hmmm...
Great write-up. Would you consider allowing us to print this in the CCOA newsletter "At The Sign Of The Cat" I bet people would enjoy re-living their own junkyard adventures by reading this.
This VIN was reported in 6/88 and was still on the road at the time in Marissa, IL. It was red, white interior and had a 4-speed at the time.
Phil
Monday, October 19, 2009
Junkyard Crawl II
In the mid 1980's I went to a salvage yard in Mascoutah, IL with my friend Rob and his older brother Bill. With a freshly issued Illinois driver's license, Bill had started driving a 1964 Chevrolet 4 door sedan with a 283 cubic inch V-8 that his parents had received as a wedding present about 15 years prior. The car, white with a blue interior, had seen better days, but had been parked in the garage for the last few years. We used to play in the car for fun and actually used it as the Batmobile in a Batman movie we made around 1989. Bill had started to "fix up" the car with no real prior knowledge about cars. Somehow, he found out about this salvage yard and thought he could find some parts. The salvage yard was overgrown with trees, but had many cars from the 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's. I remember that the guys working there were all rough and tumble with attitudes to match. There were hubcaps hanging all over the office. We asked about parts for a 1964 Chevrolet and they directed us to where they were. We bought a replacement rear door and maybe some other parts and headed home.
A while back, after some research, I finally tracked down this salvage yard again and decided to stop in for a look. I came across the owner, Dan. He told me that he had been here since the early 1950's. He said that they had a fire a few years ago and lost a building and some of the cars. He had parts stored to restore some older cars and lost much of those parts in the fire. Finally, he asked if he could help me and I asked if he had any late 1960's Mercury Cougars around the yard. He said that he did have one left, but that most everyone had gone for the day and I would have to come back another time if I wanted to see the car.
Today, I went back to the salvage yard in search of that Cougar. I walked in and found one of Dan's sons behind the desk. I told him that I had been here before and asked if I could see the Cougar. He talked to his dad and they started asking what I wanted. I told them nothing specific, but just wanted to see if there was anything on or around the car that I could use. Finally, they relented and had one of the old guys that worked there take me back to the car. This guy was dressed in a dark blue automotive type work outfit with a scraggly beard and hair and horned rimmed glasses. He unlocked the gate to the back part of the yard and he got in the car and we drove back down a slightly rocked road. On either side of the road still buried in the trees were cars from the past. I saw a 1967 Thunderbird, some old Chevy and Ford trucks, a 1964 Chevrolet wagon, a late 1950's Ford, a whole row of Corvairs, and many more classics. I always find these trips fun and sad at the same time. All of these cars have stories and reasons why they are there. These hulks just rotting out there could either be put back on the road or save other cars that need to be saved. They just need the right person to come along.
All the way in the back of the yard next to a mid 1950's Cadillac sat a 1968 Mercury Cougar (VIN# 8F91F507828). This car is red in color and is basically a shell. There is no engine or transmission, no interior, no dash, no driver side front fender, no front end in front of the radiator support, and no trunk lid. I could not get the data off the door tag since that was long gone. The windshield was still intact, but the back glass had been broken out. There were many miscellaneous parts lying around inside the car. I found blue parts, yellow parts but the car I was looking at was red. There was a white passenger side front fender on the car as well as a blue hood sitting over the empty engine compartment. Later, Dan told me that at one time had several early Cougars, but most were sent to the crusher or bought. He said that they have always piled miscellaneous pieces of the cars inside the same make and model car.
I did find some salvageable parts to buy lying around inside the car and the trunk. I found a bumper guard, headlight trim ring, driver side quarter glass assembly, headlight panel (2), and passenger side dash panel. I asked the old guy if they would sell me these parts and he said yes. We loaded up what I had found and headed back to the front of the yard. I asked the old guy how long he had been working there and he replied, "Since 1971." He's been working there longer than I've been alive!
We got back to the front and I talked to Dan. I showed him the parts that I found and asked him how much he would charge. He told me that I could have everything for $50 + tax. I could have had a rear bumper for $35 too, but figured that I didn't really need it at this point. I asked if they would sell the entire shell as well. He said that it depended on if I needed a title. He said that they had lost many titles in the fire and it was a hassle to apply for a burned title. They would sell it if I didn't need a title. He also mentioned that another guy would come by periodically to look at the car and scavenge some parts. He had asked them not to crush it just in case. I noted this and I paid, we said our goodbyes and I went on my way.
Maybe you can find some hard to find parts for your classic vehicle at:
Dan's Auto Body & Towing
10201 State Route 177
Mascoutah, IL 62258
618-566-2161
A while back, after some research, I finally tracked down this salvage yard again and decided to stop in for a look. I came across the owner, Dan. He told me that he had been here since the early 1950's. He said that they had a fire a few years ago and lost a building and some of the cars. He had parts stored to restore some older cars and lost much of those parts in the fire. Finally, he asked if he could help me and I asked if he had any late 1960's Mercury Cougars around the yard. He said that he did have one left, but that most everyone had gone for the day and I would have to come back another time if I wanted to see the car.
Today, I went back to the salvage yard in search of that Cougar. I walked in and found one of Dan's sons behind the desk. I told him that I had been here before and asked if I could see the Cougar. He talked to his dad and they started asking what I wanted. I told them nothing specific, but just wanted to see if there was anything on or around the car that I could use. Finally, they relented and had one of the old guys that worked there take me back to the car. This guy was dressed in a dark blue automotive type work outfit with a scraggly beard and hair and horned rimmed glasses. He unlocked the gate to the back part of the yard and he got in the car and we drove back down a slightly rocked road. On either side of the road still buried in the trees were cars from the past. I saw a 1967 Thunderbird, some old Chevy and Ford trucks, a 1964 Chevrolet wagon, a late 1950's Ford, a whole row of Corvairs, and many more classics. I always find these trips fun and sad at the same time. All of these cars have stories and reasons why they are there. These hulks just rotting out there could either be put back on the road or save other cars that need to be saved. They just need the right person to come along.
All the way in the back of the yard next to a mid 1950's Cadillac sat a 1968 Mercury Cougar (VIN# 8F91F507828). This car is red in color and is basically a shell. There is no engine or transmission, no interior, no dash, no driver side front fender, no front end in front of the radiator support, and no trunk lid. I could not get the data off the door tag since that was long gone. The windshield was still intact, but the back glass had been broken out. There were many miscellaneous parts lying around inside the car. I found blue parts, yellow parts but the car I was looking at was red. There was a white passenger side front fender on the car as well as a blue hood sitting over the empty engine compartment. Later, Dan told me that at one time had several early Cougars, but most were sent to the crusher or bought. He said that they have always piled miscellaneous pieces of the cars inside the same make and model car.
I did find some salvageable parts to buy lying around inside the car and the trunk. I found a bumper guard, headlight trim ring, driver side quarter glass assembly, headlight panel (2), and passenger side dash panel. I asked the old guy if they would sell me these parts and he said yes. We loaded up what I had found and headed back to the front of the yard. I asked the old guy how long he had been working there and he replied, "Since 1971." He's been working there longer than I've been alive!
We got back to the front and I talked to Dan. I showed him the parts that I found and asked him how much he would charge. He told me that I could have everything for $50 + tax. I could have had a rear bumper for $35 too, but figured that I didn't really need it at this point. I asked if they would sell the entire shell as well. He said that it depended on if I needed a title. He said that they had lost many titles in the fire and it was a hassle to apply for a burned title. They would sell it if I didn't need a title. He also mentioned that another guy would come by periodically to look at the car and scavenge some parts. He had asked them not to crush it just in case. I noted this and I paid, we said our goodbyes and I went on my way.
Maybe you can find some hard to find parts for your classic vehicle at:
Dan's Auto Body & Towing
10201 State Route 177
Mascoutah, IL 62258
618-566-2161
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Work Has Started On The Safety Items Checklist
I had needed to take back the body seals for the back up lights to the Mustang Corral for a couple of weeks now, but just never found the time. See this previous post for details. On Saturday we were out running some errands and we agreed this is something we could mark off the to do list.
After getting some doughnuts for breakfast and a couple of other stops we headed to the Mustang Corral in Edwardsville. I knew that I could not exchange these body seals for cash back so I was either going to find something or just get some store credit. One of the owners, Tim, helped me. He is always very nice, in a good mood, and at work on some project or another. I started to look around and one of the first things I saw was the battery hold down clamp kit for 67-70 Mustang. I bought the the battery hold down clamp (PN C5AZ10718A), two J bolts (PN D0AZ10756A), and mounting nuts for $15.85 minus my credit.
Later, I checked the West Coast Classic Cougars site and found they were selling for $11.00, but I would have had to ship it here so that would have made up the extra cost that I paid today. I am going to try to keep buying what I need from the Mustang Corral until the parts become only specific for the Cougar. I can get the parts I need as I need them while supporting a local business. Then, I can order what I still need from my list from West Coast Classic Cougars.
Before I install this kit, however, I have to replace and relocate the makeshift radiator overflow that a previous owner installed. He used plastic water bottle and zip tied it to the radiator support and wedged it between the battery and the radiator support. Therefore, the battery does not completely sit flush with the tray. *SIGH* Just another car guy not taking the time to do something right...
After getting some doughnuts for breakfast and a couple of other stops we headed to the Mustang Corral in Edwardsville. I knew that I could not exchange these body seals for cash back so I was either going to find something or just get some store credit. One of the owners, Tim, helped me. He is always very nice, in a good mood, and at work on some project or another. I started to look around and one of the first things I saw was the battery hold down clamp kit for 67-70 Mustang. I bought the the battery hold down clamp (PN C5AZ10718A), two J bolts (PN D0AZ10756A), and mounting nuts for $15.85 minus my credit.
Before I install this kit, however, I have to replace and relocate the makeshift radiator overflow that a previous owner installed. He used plastic water bottle and zip tied it to the radiator support and wedged it between the battery and the radiator support. Therefore, the battery does not completely sit flush with the tray. *SIGH* Just another car guy not taking the time to do something right...
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Cougar Safety Item To Do Checklist
After I installed the backup lights (see previous post) Mary came home from the Strange Folk Festival. Right about then Elsie got up from her nap and we all went to dinner. After dinner I made a pit stop at Auto Zone to get some amber bulbs for the front parking lights on the Cougar (PN 1157A). The store was out of the normal packages of two bulbs, but the clerk ended up selling me a box of 10 for commercial accounts for $1 more than I would have spent if I bought two. His reasoning was that it was better to make a sale rather than none at all. NICE! Now I have some in reserve for my emergency kit.
After we put Elsie to bed I installed the light bulbs for the parking lights. This was easier said than done. The parking light housings are a little worn and I needed to spray some WD-40 to get them moving again. I finally got both of the lights in after much pushing and twisting and a few choice obscenities. Unlike the backup light project this bulb replacement yielded great results! Both of the bulbs worked as they should. When I pulled the switch on the dash out partially the parking lights came on. When I pulled the switch out all the way the parking lights went off. Good so far. Then I tested the turn signals. Both bulbs also blinked when I turned the turn signal switch left and right. This is an exciting development because now the other drivers in front of me will know when I am turning left and right again! Sometimes little victories are just as sweet as the big victories.
Along with my thoughts about the emergency kit is to focus on the safety features of the Cougar rather than aesthetics first. This would include getting all the lights to function as they should, making sure that I can change a tire if the need should arise, and make the windshield wiper system function as it should. A secondary issue with the ride and steer ability. The shocks that I bought a while back need to be installed and a front and rear sway bar should help in controlling the car through corners.
Parts Needed
Replace driver side exterior mirror - $124.95 (Mustangs Unlimited) - $122.85 (WCCC)
Replace tinted windshield - $199.95 (Mustangs Unlimited)
Replace turn signal switch in steering column - $79.95 (Mustangs Unlimited) $84.75 (WCCC)
Replace windshield wiper blades - $9.95 each (Mustangs Unlimited) $17.00 each (WCCC)
Replace front sway bar - $99.00 (Mustang Corral)
Replace scissors jack - $135.00 (WCCC)
Replace scissors jack - $135.00 (WCCC)
Replace lug wrench - $ ?
Replace spare tire -
Replace spare tire -
Install Door Jamb courtesy light switch passenger side door - $4.85 (WCCC)
Install windshield wiper motor - $104.96 (Mustangs Unlimited)
Install windshield wiper reservoir - $34.95 (Mustangs Unlimited) $23.85 (WCCC)
Install windshield wiper lines - $5.95 (Mustangs Unlimited) $6.85 (WCCC)
Install taillight wiring protectors - $29.95/pair (Mustangs Unlimited) $23.85 (WCCC)
Install fan shroud - $49.95 (Mustangs Unlimited) $48.85 (WCCC)
Install horn - $99.00 (Year One) - $27.85 (WCCC)
Install Battery Hold-down Clamp Kit - $11.00 (WCCC)
Install radiator overflow - $ ?
Install rear sway bar - $99.00 (Mustang Corral)
Install rear sway bar - $99.00 (Mustang Corral)
To Do:
Install KYB gas shocks - previously purchased
Aim headlights - no cost
Flush radiator
Flush radiator
Saturday, September 26, 2009
New Back Up Lights
This is the classic tale of going to buy something cheap and ending up spending more than you planned. Today, I stopped by the Mustang Corral in Edwardsville between events. I was going there to buy two 1142 bulbs for the Cougar's backup lights. While I was there I thought about the condition of the current back up light housings that were on the car (pitted) and wondered if there was something wrong with the connections rather than just the bulbs. I asked if they had the backup light housings in stock and they did so I decided to buy those too for $39.99/each.
After I left the Mustang Corral, I went to my parent's house to pick up Elsie and then to O'Fallon to the Strange Folk Festival where Mary was selling some items with a couple of friends, Tasha and Elizabeth who had a booth. Here's a link to their craftylicious items: Tasha and Elizabeth. Not long after I arrived the storm clouds were brewing and we hurried up and put up tarps around the tent and braced for the rain. We stayed dry (thanks Beth for the Girl Scout level of preparedness was appreciated) and after the rain let up I scooped up Elsie and headed for my waterlogged Cougar. Not knowing exactly what to expect, the interior stayed surprisingly dry and I was pleasantly surprised with the way the car performed in the rain. I kept my distance from the other cars and I think I only spun the tires once after starting from a red light. The windshield wipers don't always wipe exactly parallel all the time, but they worked well enough to get me home.
After I got back home from the festival I put Elsie down for a much needed nap and I went outside to wipe the rain off the car. While I was outside I thought I would jack up the car and look to see how they are attached. The back up lights are only attached by two screws built into the housing that push through the lower rear valance and are attached by a washer, lock washer and small nut. The lights are connected to the electrical system with a plug so there is no wiring involved in the disassembly or assembly.
Both of the of the backup light housings came out very easily. A problem came up when I was checking the fit of the new parts where the old ones had been. When I went to reinstall the new back up light housings I had to reuse the existing rubber body seals instead of the new ones that I purchased. These body seals sit between the chrome plated housing and the painted valance below the rear bumper to keep from scratching the paint and keep water out and prohibit rust around the hole in the valance. The original rubber seals are oval shaped, but the new seals are more circular and did not fit easily. I would have had to cut the new ones to fit and I did not want to do that. If they still didn't fit then I could not return them. So with the housings reinstalled, I inserted the light bulbs, reattached the clear plastic lenses and plugged the wires into the electrical system.
Now it was time to test out the new lights. I got in the car and turned the key to the on position, but did not start the car. I pulled the gear shift into reverse and got out to check the lights.
Nothing.
Grrrr! I didn't have much time to diagnose because Mary had called after I got the first one reinstalled and said she was on her way home. However, it could be a fuse or it could be a connection at the transmission or something hidden in the wiring.
This was a frustrating ending to a seemingly simple project, but hopefully it is easy to remedy the problem.
After I left the Mustang Corral, I went to my parent's house to pick up Elsie and then to O'Fallon to the Strange Folk Festival where Mary was selling some items with a couple of friends, Tasha and Elizabeth who had a booth. Here's a link to their craftylicious items: Tasha and Elizabeth. Not long after I arrived the storm clouds were brewing and we hurried up and put up tarps around the tent and braced for the rain. We stayed dry (thanks Beth for the Girl Scout level of preparedness was appreciated) and after the rain let up I scooped up Elsie and headed for my waterlogged Cougar. Not knowing exactly what to expect, the interior stayed surprisingly dry and I was pleasantly surprised with the way the car performed in the rain. I kept my distance from the other cars and I think I only spun the tires once after starting from a red light. The windshield wipers don't always wipe exactly parallel all the time, but they worked well enough to get me home.
After I got back home from the festival I put Elsie down for a much needed nap and I went outside to wipe the rain off the car. While I was outside I thought I would jack up the car and look to see how they are attached. The back up lights are only attached by two screws built into the housing that push through the lower rear valance and are attached by a washer, lock washer and small nut. The lights are connected to the electrical system with a plug so there is no wiring involved in the disassembly or assembly.
Both of the of the backup light housings came out very easily. A problem came up when I was checking the fit of the new parts where the old ones had been. When I went to reinstall the new back up light housings I had to reuse the existing rubber body seals instead of the new ones that I purchased. These body seals sit between the chrome plated housing and the painted valance below the rear bumper to keep from scratching the paint and keep water out and prohibit rust around the hole in the valance. The original rubber seals are oval shaped, but the new seals are more circular and did not fit easily. I would have had to cut the new ones to fit and I did not want to do that. If they still didn't fit then I could not return them. So with the housings reinstalled, I inserted the light bulbs, reattached the clear plastic lenses and plugged the wires into the electrical system.
Now it was time to test out the new lights. I got in the car and turned the key to the on position, but did not start the car. I pulled the gear shift into reverse and got out to check the lights.
Nothing.
Grrrr! I didn't have much time to diagnose because Mary had called after I got the first one reinstalled and said she was on her way home. However, it could be a fuse or it could be a connection at the transmission or something hidden in the wiring.
This was a frustrating ending to a seemingly simple project, but hopefully it is easy to remedy the problem.
Friday, September 25, 2009
What to do in an emergency?
A couple of days ago I was driving in my daily driver 2001 Honda Accord. Per my previous post here you may remember I had just had some work done to it at the dealer last Friday. I was driving and I had Elsie in the car travelling to the babysitter's when I noticed a noise in the front end of the vehicle. Initially I thought this was a road noise due to the pavement, but then I noticed that the noise increased when I let off the accelerator and diminished when I accelerated. Finally, I decided to pull over and check this out. Instictively I opened the trunk and went for my lug wrench and I'm glad that I did. I checked the lug nuts on both front tires and three lug nuts were very loose and I could move them easily with my fingers. However, all of the lugnuts on both tires were loose to some degree. I proceeded to tighten all of the lugnuts on the front wheels and checked the back wheels and continued on about my route.
During the day I thought how lucky I was that I had not lost any of the lugnuts before I tightened them up! After work I filled up on gas and checked the lugnuts again on the front tires and snugged them up. Now to drive the 35 miles home.
This experience got me to thinking about having an emergency kit for the Cougar. An emergency kit can be an essential tool for any vehicle including a classic car. Whether you're taking a relaxed trip to the country or a longer trip to a classic car show, it is always best to be prepared ahead of time. If you have the right stuff in your auto emergency kit it could often mean less time stranded and more time on the road and having fun.
Having driven old cars while I was in high school I understand that sometimes you're going to have an unexpected problem. I have an extra tool box that I won a couple of years ago that I could use. So I began wondering what should the emergency kit include?
During the day I thought how lucky I was that I had not lost any of the lugnuts before I tightened them up! After work I filled up on gas and checked the lugnuts again on the front tires and snugged them up. Now to drive the 35 miles home.
This experience got me to thinking about having an emergency kit for the Cougar. An emergency kit can be an essential tool for any vehicle including a classic car. Whether you're taking a relaxed trip to the country or a longer trip to a classic car show, it is always best to be prepared ahead of time. If you have the right stuff in your auto emergency kit it could often mean less time stranded and more time on the road and having fun.
Having driven old cars while I was in high school I understand that sometimes you're going to have an unexpected problem. I have an extra tool box that I won a couple of years ago that I could use. So I began wondering what should the emergency kit include?
- Your classic car insurance company details.
- Tools for minor car repairs including flat head and Phillips screwdrivers, vice grips, adjustable wrench, pliers, pocketknife, or a multipurpose tool containing many tools in one. Other items that can come in handy during a roadside emergency include oil, antifreeze, windshield washer fluid, rags or paper towels, duct tape, and an ice scraper.
- A spare tire, vehicle jack, tire pressure gauge, and lug wrench. Another handy item to have available is a bottled tire inflator. If the tire is not completely flat, you may be able to inflate the tire enough to get to a service station.
- Jumper cables
- First aid kit containing basics gauze, bandages, adhesive tape, antibiotic ointment, scissors, instant ice pack, instant heat compress, and aspirin or other pain reliever.
- A blanket.
- A bottle of water.
- Food such as Granola or energy bars.
- A flashlight with extra batteries.
- Emergency flares.
- Pen and paper.
- A help sign to place in the window for passing vehicles to see in case you are stranded inside your classic car.
- Replacement light bulbs - 1157, 1142, 1157A, etc.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Rain Out
On Saturday, my wife, daughter, and I made our monthly visit to the Belleville Flea Market. The weather was nice and we enjoyed walking around the booths outside and inside. Mary found a couple of old tablecloths and we bought some coffee for her dad. I found the one seller that I like who has old paper related ephemera for sale: magazines,advertisements, books, road maps, etc. Since I received a copy of the October 1966 issue of Popular Mechanics magazine when I bought the 1967 Cougar (see story here) I have wanted to see the other similar issues from the 1960's. As I posted before here, this issue was the yearly new car issue put out by the magazine that gave details about the new cars coming out that fall. So, I decided that each time we are at the flea market I would look for more of these issues from other years. I have also found that Popular Science also put out a similar issue each October to compete with Popular Mechanics.
This time I found the following issues for $1 each:
This time I found the following issues for $1 each:
Popular Science - October 1966
Popular Mechanics - October 1967
Also, I couldn't pass up this issue with the rear engine dragster on the cover that posed the question: Are Drag Racers Really Crazy?
Popular Science - December 1963
About 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon I started to clean up the Cougar for the car show at Culver's in Collinsville. I washed the car, vacuumed the interior, cleaned the windows and treated the tires. We loaded up about 5:30 p.m. and headed out. I was going to park in the grass like I did the last time, but my dad had saved us a spot next to his car. We hadn't eaten dinner yet so we went inside to have some dinner with my mom in tow and my dad stayed out by the cars. We ate and had some ice cream and headed back outside. When we walked outside we could feel that there was a slight mist falling. We got back to where the cars were parked and I decided that if I was going to see anything that I better start walking around now because most guys would start leaving soon. My hunch was right. The rain kept falling and the cars started leaving. Some cars were ones that I see quite often because these are the guys that are in my dad's car club, including a 1969 Mercury Cougar Eliminator owned by the current President of the club. However, I find it interesting that each time I go to one of these shows I see some cars I've never seen before. This time there were not one, but two DeTamaso Panteras at this show! I also saw a couple of cool rat rod trucks and a 1954 or 1955 Oldsmobile with a very early 60's style gold and white paint job. There was a very original looking 1930 Ford Model A sedan and there are always quite a few Mopars in attendance. One couple made a brochure for 1968 Plymouth Barracuda which I thought was a good idea. I think I might do one for the Cougar one of these days. When I have time...
When I got back to the cars my daughter was having a good time trying to hold the umbrella that my parents got out. We waited it out another few minutes and decided that it was time to go. It was raining and it was getting dark. There will be another time as there are no make up dates for car shows.
Friday, September 18, 2009
With The Accord In The Shop, I'm Driving The Cougar To Work
I drove the Cougar to work again today.
My daily driver, a 2001 Honda Accord Coupe with over 180,500 miles, is at the dealer today for an air bag recall and an oil change. That car also needs a run channel for the driver's side window and the timing belt, but those bigger ticket items (read: expensive) will have to wait.
When I left the house this morning about 6:30 a.m., the temperature was only about 55 degrees outside. I dropped off Elsie at my in-laws house and headed out to work. I made a beeline for the gas station after that. Since the gas gauge is not working I had no idea how much I had left and knew I had driven enough that the tank had to be low. As I was filling up a guy pulled up in a truck from utility company and just said, "Nice!" I replied with a "thank you" and he went on about his day. That always makes you feel good...
After 11.9 gallons of gas and nearly $30 later I was on my way again. Once I got up to speed on the Interstate I realized what Mary was talking about the other night when we got some ice cream. The fresh air blowing into the cabin through the hole under the passenger side dash was cold! Brrrr! This is where the heater assembly was removed by a previous owner for some unknown reason. I realized right then and there that this issue would need to be rectified before I took this car on any kind of long road trip.
The Cougar made it to work without incident. The Honda dealer called me about 10:15 a.m. to advise that my car was ready. The recall, oil change, and emblem were only going to cost me about $50. Nice!
Tomorrow, I am going to try to go to the show at Culver's in Collinsville hosted by the Lakers Car Club. I need to give the Cougar a bath and get it ready to go. I don't think that I will be able to make the Ford show over in Crestwood, but maybe can drive by at some point.
SEPTEMBER 19th ~ SATURDAY ~ CULVER'S BUTTERBURGERS & FROZEN CUSTARD RESTAURANT CAR CRUISE ~ 6pm till 9pm, on the 3rd SATURDAY of each month, MAY thru OCTOBER ~ hosted by The LAKER'S CAR CLUB ~ Dash Plaques 1st 100 participants ~ Invite your Friends and Family ~ 50's 60's D.J Music ~ 50/50 Drawing ~ Attendance Prizes ~ info: (618) 344-8780 ~ Exit #11 from I-55/70 and then North on Hwy 157 (North Bluff Rd) to 100 United Drive, 3 blocks on left ~ Our next Cruise will be our Halloween Party Cruise! ~ COLLINSVILLE, IL
SEP 19 SAT ~ 22nd Show-Me Mustang Club: Mustang & All Ford Show ~ register 8am until 4pm ~ Dash Plaques 1st 150 participants ~ $20 entry fee ~ info: (636) 561-8976 or (636) 916-3696 ~ held at new location... Crestwood Court, 109 Crestwood Plaza ~ ST. LOUIS, MO
Good start to a great weekend!
My daily driver, a 2001 Honda Accord Coupe with over 180,500 miles, is at the dealer today for an air bag recall and an oil change. That car also needs a run channel for the driver's side window and the timing belt, but those bigger ticket items (read: expensive) will have to wait.
When I left the house this morning about 6:30 a.m., the temperature was only about 55 degrees outside. I dropped off Elsie at my in-laws house and headed out to work. I made a beeline for the gas station after that. Since the gas gauge is not working I had no idea how much I had left and knew I had driven enough that the tank had to be low. As I was filling up a guy pulled up in a truck from utility company and just said, "Nice!" I replied with a "thank you" and he went on about his day. That always makes you feel good...
After 11.9 gallons of gas and nearly $30 later I was on my way again. Once I got up to speed on the Interstate I realized what Mary was talking about the other night when we got some ice cream. The fresh air blowing into the cabin through the hole under the passenger side dash was cold! Brrrr! This is where the heater assembly was removed by a previous owner for some unknown reason. I realized right then and there that this issue would need to be rectified before I took this car on any kind of long road trip.
The Cougar made it to work without incident. The Honda dealer called me about 10:15 a.m. to advise that my car was ready. The recall, oil change, and emblem were only going to cost me about $50. Nice!
Tomorrow, I am going to try to go to the show at Culver's in Collinsville hosted by the Lakers Car Club. I need to give the Cougar a bath and get it ready to go. I don't think that I will be able to make the Ford show over in Crestwood, but maybe can drive by at some point.
SEPTEMBER 19th ~ SATURDAY ~ CULVER'S BUTTERBURGERS & FROZEN CUSTARD RESTAURANT CAR CRUISE ~ 6pm till 9pm, on the 3rd SATURDAY of each month, MAY thru OCTOBER ~ hosted by The LAKER'S CAR CLUB ~ Dash Plaques 1st 100 participants ~ Invite your Friends and Family ~ 50's 60's D.J Music ~ 50/50 Drawing ~ Attendance Prizes ~ info: (618) 344-8780 ~ Exit #11 from I-55/70 and then North on Hwy 157 (North Bluff Rd) to 100 United Drive, 3 blocks on left ~ Our next Cruise will be our Halloween Party Cruise! ~ COLLINSVILLE, IL
SEP 19 SAT ~ 22nd Show-Me Mustang Club: Mustang & All Ford Show ~ register 8am until 4pm ~ Dash Plaques 1st 150 participants ~ $20 entry fee ~ info: (636) 561-8976 or (636) 916-3696 ~ held at new location... Crestwood Court, 109 Crestwood Plaza ~ ST. LOUIS, MO
Good start to a great weekend!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Junkyard Crawl
Back on September 4th, I went to lunch with my friend Tim. I was driving my Cougar and along the way I thought I spotted a Cougar at an auto sales place between my work and the restaurant. I didn't have enough time that day to stop and so I told myself that I should stop and check it out when I had time. I belong to a Classic Cougars group on yahoo.com
Today, over lunch, I went down to see if the car was still sitting there. As I pulled up to Wilson Towing 2605 South Old Highway 141, Fenton, MO - (636) 349-3228 corner of Route 21 (Tesson Ferry Rd) and Hwy 141 in St. Louis County I didn't see the car, but as I pulled into the lot I finally saw it. A 1969 Cougar convertible.
This is an auto sales/salvage yard place and I talked to the owner. I asked him how he was and he told me terrible. He said he had been robbed. I thought he was joking, but then he went into a story about how his lot had been broken into and thieves had stolen some parts from some cars. Then, he mistook me for someone that had called earlier and was coming to look at a car. I advised that was not me and I proceeded to explain my intentions of looking at this 1969 Mercury Cougar and just getting the VIN, but he said that he got the car from a school and should have been scrapped years ago. He didn't want to get into any trouble.
The Cougar was in pretty sad shape, but still had some salvagable parts. This auto sales place was really "down by the river" and the owner told me the lot had been flooded in the spring. The convertible top was almost gone, but I did notice that it had a University of Kansas sticker on the back window. The guy told me he had sold the console & the rear axle. He said that thieves had stolen some XR7 emblems off the car. We raised the hood and the engine and transmission (automatic) was still in the car and looked like a 2 bbl. Door on passenger side was crumpled in. I think this was originally a St. Louis car because there was a sticker from Sunset Ford (Since 1912) on the rear decklid and that dealer is still in business and only a few miles away. Car was painted medium lime metallic and looked like it had a black interior. This one will likely end up as scrap one of these days.
After talking about the Cougar I thought that I would stall after I spotted some late 1960's and early 1970's Chevrolet trucks across the lot. I have a soft spot for these because my first vehicle was a 1971 Chevrolet Cheyenne pick up truck. I went to look at these trucks and he followed me over. He said that one of the trucks was bought by his father new, but all three trucks were now in pretty bad shape. I was hoping he would leave me alone so I could get the VIN off the Cougar, but he kept talking to me.
After looking at an old late 1960's Chrysler I told him I had to get back to work. We parted ways and he went back to work on something behind some large trucks he had parked there. I quickly went over to the Cougar and I was able to see the VIN number plate on the partially cracked driver door. I was able to get this VIN off the door, but I could not get the door open to get the data plate info. I also could not see a VIN on the passenger side dash. The VIN on the door was 9F91H585255. I came back to the office and after I looked up what I had on the Classic Cougar Network site, I posted the information that I had to the group.
I received a post in reply from Jim Pinkerton who said, "Something rotten in Denmark here. In May, 2003, from Kansas City, MO someone has reported 9F91H585255 / 65A-S-1A-25F-42-6-X Somehow or other I suspect you may have made a mistake somewhere in the vin number."
I replied that I did write down 9F91H585255 on my piece of paper without thinking about what the 91 meant (Standard Hardtop) until I looked it up back at the office. When I got back I questioned myself and thought I had made a mistake and it was 9F94H585255. The code was hard to see through the crack in the door, I checked it a couple of times, but didn't want the guy to see me and left. However, the car was with out a doubt a convertible. Now it has me thinking that the door has been changed sometime over the years. The data plate should read 76A or 76B if the car was a convertible instead of 65A.
Damn!
Today, over lunch, I went down to see if the car was still sitting there. As I pulled up to Wilson Towing 2605 South Old Highway 141, Fenton, MO - (636) 349-3228 corner of Route 21 (Tesson Ferry Rd) and Hwy 141 in St. Louis County I didn't see the car, but as I pulled into the lot I finally saw it. A 1969 Cougar convertible.
This is an auto sales/salvage yard place and I talked to the owner. I asked him how he was and he told me terrible. He said he had been robbed. I thought he was joking, but then he went into a story about how his lot had been broken into and thieves had stolen some parts from some cars. Then, he mistook me for someone that had called earlier and was coming to look at a car. I advised that was not me and I proceeded to explain my intentions of looking at this 1969 Mercury Cougar and just getting the VIN, but he said that he got the car from a school and should have been scrapped years ago. He didn't want to get into any trouble.
The Cougar was in pretty sad shape, but still had some salvagable parts. This auto sales place was really "down by the river" and the owner told me the lot had been flooded in the spring. The convertible top was almost gone, but I did notice that it had a University of Kansas sticker on the back window. The guy told me he had sold the console & the rear axle. He said that thieves had stolen some XR7 emblems off the car. We raised the hood and the engine and transmission (automatic) was still in the car and looked like a 2 bbl. Door on passenger side was crumpled in. I think this was originally a St. Louis car because there was a sticker from Sunset Ford (Since 1912) on the rear decklid and that dealer is still in business and only a few miles away. Car was painted medium lime metallic and looked like it had a black interior. This one will likely end up as scrap one of these days.
After talking about the Cougar I thought that I would stall after I spotted some late 1960's and early 1970's Chevrolet trucks across the lot. I have a soft spot for these because my first vehicle was a 1971 Chevrolet Cheyenne pick up truck. I went to look at these trucks and he followed me over. He said that one of the trucks was bought by his father new, but all three trucks were now in pretty bad shape. I was hoping he would leave me alone so I could get the VIN off the Cougar, but he kept talking to me.
After looking at an old late 1960's Chrysler I told him I had to get back to work. We parted ways and he went back to work on something behind some large trucks he had parked there. I quickly went over to the Cougar and I was able to see the VIN number plate on the partially cracked driver door. I was able to get this VIN off the door, but I could not get the door open to get the data plate info. I also could not see a VIN on the passenger side dash. The VIN on the door was 9F91H585255. I came back to the office and after I looked up what I had on the Classic Cougar Network site, I posted the information that I had to the group.
I received a post in reply from Jim Pinkerton who said, "Something rotten in Denmark here. In May, 2003, from Kansas City, MO someone has reported 9F91H585255 / 65A-S-1A-25F-42-6-X Somehow or other I suspect you may have made a mistake somewhere in the vin number."
I replied that I did write down 9F91H585255 on my piece of paper without thinking about what the 91 meant (Standard Hardtop) until I looked it up back at the office. When I got back I questioned myself and thought I had made a mistake and it was 9F94H585255. The code was hard to see through the crack in the door, I checked it a couple of times, but didn't want the guy to see me and left. However, the car was with out a doubt a convertible. Now it has me thinking that the door has been changed sometime over the years. The data plate should read 76A or 76B if the car was a convertible instead of 65A.
Damn!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Really?!? A 2010 Mercury Cougar?
I stumbled upon an entry for a 2010 Mercury Cougar here and I got really excited. The only text was the options and features listed below. I didn't know if this was real or not so I did some quick searching and found that the image above is likely a prototype from the Detroit International Auto Show or something similar and the pictures below are photoshopped. The nail in the coffin was that I didn't find anything at the Mercury website. I don't know why I got excited in the first place because my first gut instinct was skepticism. In this day and age of new car debuts I would have heard about this development already. Nothing is secret any more. Grrrrr - (no pun intended) - I really liked the car pictured above too...
Engine
2.0L displacement double overhead cam (DOHC)
inline 4 cylinder configuration gas engine
16 valves 125 hp @ 5500 rpm
130 ft-lbs. @ 4000 rpm regular unleaded fuel
DriveTrain
5-speed manual transmission front wheel drive, four-wheel independent suspension front and rear stabilizer bar
Exterior Features
alloy rims 15 in. rims, P205/60R15 tires all season tires, spacesaver spare tire steel spare wheel, variable intermittent wipers rear defogger, rear window wiper
Safety Features and Ratings
ventilated front disc / rear drum brakes child seat anchors
2 front headrests engine immobilizer
Comfort and Convenience Features
Front Seats
4 person total seating capacity bucket front seats
cloth upholstery height adjustable driver seat
Rear Seats
bucket rear seat split-folding, rear heating ducts
Power Features
power door locks power windows, 1 one-touch power windows power mirrors, heated mirrors
Convenience
cruise control power steering, tilt-adjustable steering wheel remote trunk release, front door pockets front console with storage
Comfort
air conditioning interior air filtration, dual vanity mirrors front floor mats, cargo area light
In Car Entertainment
AM/FM in-dash single CD player stereo 4 total speakers
mast antenna
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