The Power of the Dark Side...

I am being pulled to the dark side and I willingly embrace it!
This is the suspeneded animation chamber that she has lived in since 1996.

I'm off for the next 10 days and it'll be at my house before I have to go back to work


Standard 302 - 2V (assuming 2 valves? haven't looked it up yet, I'm so ignorant about Ford engines)


105K one owner miles...look a Chilton's manual WOOT!


Original paint - Lime Frost


I got a lot of crap to move before she's free.

My wife's Mom, bought new in 1968 in El Paso, moved to Laffayette, Louisiana then on to South Florida in the mid 70s. Have never seen the underside of it.

Originally a vinyl roof, rust holes in the usual places. Hood pretty thin up front.
302 - 2V, C4 auto, 2.79 rear. Nothing special, but it is an XR7.....1 of 32,709. Doubt it has any special options on it, but the vin doesn't show any.

It's very straight, never in an accident. Hoping to get it going fairly easily and drive it like it is, maybe fix the rust up a bit and get some newer rims as it has all four factory hubcaps.

Then if I hit the lotto, do full on resto mod, ha ha ha.

My biggest challege will be making my two car garage able to hold two!!! May have to rent a warehouse for a bit...

Believe it stood for a 2 venturi as in 2 barrel carb and thats my favorite body style Cougar!

yup it means 2 bbl.....well we can fix that easy enough and some headers and flowmasters and a cam, and.....ha ha ha

Hmmmmm... fun.

In HS a senior girl had a 68 cougar with a 390 and aC-6 and I believe it had small GTA emblems on it.Anyway
I had a 67 Mustang so thats all I needed to ask her out.She saw right thru that and told me to just ask for
the keys and get it over with.Car had a major traction problem when the road was wet.Her car was all white
with no vinyl and a maroon interior that was beautiful.Did mercury ever offer the cougar with a real leather
interior?It had a very nicely done interior,I remember that well!

1. get running.
2. torque thrusts
3. don't touch body. Don't even wash it.
4. be cool

^^^ Ignore #3. Save that thing! XR7 was a trim upgrade with hide-away headlights, IIRC... and it has AC which was a BIG deal back then. If the frame is in good shape, it's worth putting some effort into. There aren't a whole lotta survivors out there today. With a little TLC, that thing will be a fun cruiser; should get over 20 mpg.

.
and if you ain't feelin' much love for it, shoot me a price.

and more pics, once you get it out of the cubbyhole it's in.

Up until recently cougars were such an underdog and you could pick them up cheap because the
mustang was the musthave!Times have changed and now the 1st gen cougars are going up in value fast.Since it is a one owner family heirloom RESTORE it and screw this rust and flat paint
craze.If the car is solid underneath make it nice please!

Umm, you guys are missing my point with #3. If it is just going to be patched up, I like #3. If he is going full resto, ignore #3. I'm not condoning flat paint.

To Jims point, that is why it has sat there for so long. When I got serious with my wife, it wasn't worth getting it going as I have to dump 2-3X it's finished value to get it where it should be. Honestly, though I wish I woulda at least got it running, so I'd have alot less work to do.

The plan is that it'll be staying around a good long while.

1. Get it running and clean it up.
2. Get some new rims and tires (I'd love a set of period correct slot mags)
3. Drive it
4. Fix the rust while enjoying it.
5. Paint it down the road.

Parts catalog already in the mail, lol.

Of course this all has to mixed in with the Healey and getting Jade back together and on the road (hot rod wagon).

Oh geez, I just found Restomod magazine for mustangs......ooooo t-56 ha ha
I just saw one for a stang on CL a few weeks back for only 800.....the wheels go round and round baw haw haw

I guess this is what it's supposed to look like, lime frost metallic

Sprocket wrote:

To Jims point, that is why it has sat there for so long. When I got serious with my wife, it wasn't worth getting it going as I have to dump 2-3X it's finished value to get it where it should be. Honestly, though I wish I woulda at least got it running, so I'd have alot less work to do.

1. Get it running and clean it up.
2. Get some new rims and tires (I'd love a set of period correct slot mags)
3. Drive it
4. Fix the rust while enjoying it.
5. Paint it down the road.
.

Gordon is right! Don't think though, that you MUST spend big bucks and make it cherry. That seldom happens because it is just too expensive and daunting a task. Don't let the "numbers matching" loons preach to you. The big thing to do to it (to show your love) is to arrest (that means stop) the rust from spreading and protect the metal, after cleaning it up first of course. I can recommend the Westwood rust arrestor spray paint because its so easy to use an not expensive as hell like POR-15. Oh yes, and it wipes off your skin, unlike the demonic POR. Anywhere you take off a door panel, roof liner, etc., spray that rust paint on any questionable, 'inside' sheet metal. Westwood doesn't give you a tube, so I made my own from 1/8" tubing super-glued to the nozzle for 'distance' accuracy. You can run the tube into any access holes in the frame to coat the normally inaccessible inside-of-the-'boxed-in' areas of the frame. Frames rust from the inside too, not just the outside.
Lastly, please don't phuck it up like soooo many idiots do to beautiful old survivors around here: Jack it up (like in that last pic), cut it up, and put some monster, undriveable pos engine in it trying to be the baddest ass on the planet. All you will succeed in doing is making it so un-enjoyable to drive that it will sit in your garage for 360+ days a year. Making it a fun, weekend cruiser is the way to enjoy it. You will have a pretty unique ride., and chicks will still want to fellate you.

Wow,someone actually agreed with me and I guess I should go back and read what I said.Yes
I forgot what I said and for those of you who think thats funny,your time is coming!

Nice!!! I ended up selling mine when I was unemployed for a period. Once you get it out of there post some more pics.

Jon

I'm hip Jimbeau. gonna stop the rust, and put stockish size tires on it. I kinda like the late model stang rims (torw thrusty looking) and I know I can pick up a set of take offs in my limited mod budget.

1. driveable is #1 on the list
2. start Chemo on the rust
3. enjoy while #2

The (crappy) pics you posted show what looks like a pretty decent interior. You'll be surprised at how light the thing feels & handles.

.
PICS!

First thing you do is get that mold out of the interior as it could be bad for your lungs.Just parking
it outside in the sun with the doors open will help.Probably much nicer inside than you think.That
is such a great project to keep in your family and get back in running condition.

Mold is easy. Buy a can of Lysol aerosol disinfectant and empty the can on everything inside of the car.
It doesn't stain... or remain... (I'm a poet). You can almost soak the fabric areas if you have to.
Close the winders & doors to incubate the area. A day later... no mo' mold or stink!

Clean as much mold out as you can because the propellent in Lysol is potent enough to do damage before it evaporates!

Flasheroo wrote:

Clean as much mold out as you can because the propellent in Lysol is potent enough to do damage before it evaporates!

This is news to me
Please share. I want to learn.

... and another 'senior moment' rears it's ugly head.
When I said "Westwood Rust Encapsulator", it turns out that I meant: "Eastwood Rust Encapsulator".
I must have been thinking of that cool old movie: "Eastworld".
or maybe the actor: Clint Westwood.
This info should make it easier to find... duh.

Well I went to the crypt and made some progress unburying the car tonight. I took my 25 gal compressor with me and pumped up the tires. They took and seemed to hold air. we shall see tomorrow when I go back.

Aggressive schedule tomorrow includes renting Uhaul, emptying my garage and then the other house, AND getting the car towed to my place (may get put off for another day or so).

Sorry I took so long to get back to you jimbeau.What I meant about the Lysol is that it will dry
out the leather by completely removing all the protective oils.Probably not a big worry on leather
in good shape but be careful on any spots where the leather is cracking.I prefer to park the car outside on a hot sunny day with all the windows up tight to get rid of as much mold as possible before using the Lysol.

Roger that. I have never owned leather; hence the ignorance on it.

10-4 good buddy!

Don't get all squinty-eyed on me. I ain't no fan of leather, and I buy old cars which, in the past, have gone to the yard after I was through with them. Tears were shed at times.

Lime frost green,...

only ford would think up such a cool description for Urine green.


Nick

What about that puke colored, 50's 'Seafoam' green?

actually I found out last night the car had been repainted and even uglier color of green than original and non metallic. glad it's shitty, cuz the piss green in the trunk is better looking. It's a low budget re-animation, so may go spray cans for the first year. we shall see.

Tires are holding air. got half my garage cleaned out, still not enough room, but getting closer. This weekend it'll be here.

Don't go cans. Do it how I did. You'll be happier with the result, and you already own a big compressor. Hell, I can even give you the HFT sprayer that Crovo uses, all you need is paint and some thinner.

That looks like my GTO when I pulled it out of it's garage hibernation. Cougars are cool, like the hidden headlights and sequential tail lights.

Even if you don't have the resto funds, stuff like this makes great garage art!! I know!

Well I got shot down by AAA today. Twice I had my wife's dead mitsubishi towed with expired plates and never was asked for a registration, they just showed up and towed it where I wanted it (I have 100 miles towing on my policy). I also bought a 1965 Dodge pickup and drove it two blocks and had it towed 30+ miles home.

Today when I called, they asked alot of questions about make, model, why I needed a tow.
The agent asked me if it ran fine when I parked it. I replied, "Yes, it ran fine when it was parked, and now it won't start." Well it was parked in Dec 1996.

So the tow truck guy shows up in 10 minutes! Great I think, until he tells me that he can't tow it as the plate is 15 years old. Goes on to say he's roadside assitance and DOT can fine him 1000 bucks for towing a non registered car. If he got caught he'd lose his job.

Of course I don't want anyone losing their job, so I waved bye bye and he left. I dunno, I figured he gets paid to tow the car so what should he care, but maybe they passed some new laws in the last couple of years.....

So now I'll find out if the trailer light socket works on Dusty as I have to go rent a uhaul trailer for 55 bucks.
the really sucky part was having to push it back up the driveway and into is hibernation chamber.

Good news is it rolled out of the garage and the brakes worked!

I have learned something today. If I want AAA to move a dead vehicle for me, I will make sure it has a current plate on it; legal or not.

Damn straight switch the plate and call them back hehehe

Well in Florida putting a non registered plate to that vehicle on the car is a criminal offense.
I had to spend about 800 bucks for a lawyer/court costs and do 20 hrs of community service.
Mind you the judge wanted to give me 100 hours, but the lawyer money was well spent IMHO.
All that to move a car 10 miles, and had the 1 in 100 chance of a cop pulling me over for a random license check.

As for calling them back, the driver noted in his log why he couldn't complete the tow so that ain't gonna happen

Cougar in the den! pics to follow soon, it's late and I'm tired

Okay so yesterday was the moving day. Got a trailer and hooked it up to Dusty.
Things went pretty smoothly with no surprises.


Been a few years since I pulled a trailer, but it's like riding a bike. I was worried the lights on the RMW wouldn't work with the trailer, but bought a 7 pin to 4 pin adapter at the marine store for 8 bucks and it worked like a champ! Hooray Industry standards!


Got spooked by the AAA guy and the rental agent for the trailer asking about current registratons,
so I took the 1996 plate off and found.....a 1980 LA plate that I couldn't get off!
It was kinda funny.


Only took 10 minutes to load it up. Got a dip in the driveway and it rolled pretty well.


Ready to roll. I was taking up the whole street and backed it up here a bit.


Thank goodness it's a southern car, all the rust is on top!




Meow, Kitty in the house. Doesn't even look like I have a wagon problem here.

Lucky you. NICE specimen.
No dents or rust on the bumpers or trim... dayum.

Why does it not give your location in the "Location" header?

jimbeau wrote:

Lucky you. NICE specimen.
No dents or rust on the bumpers or trim... dayum.

Well the rocker panel trim on the passenger side is missing and some of the wheel well trim is dinged up, but over all she it pretty complete and straight. Driver's front corner isn't perfect as her Mom hit something at a bank (pole most likely) and the bumper and fender don't line up.

More pics of the rust issues etc. to follow.

Oh and hats off to Flash Gumby for helping out with the move (that's him in the second pic between the wagon and cougar).

jimbeau wrote:

Why does it not give your location in the "Location" header?

Fixed. Stupid auto password tool I have updated everything to Sprocket

That wasn't really what I was going for, but screw it; I give up.

jimbeau wrote:

That wasn't really what I was going for, but screw it; I give up.

I live an hour north of Miami. While everything has a price, I seriously doubt my wife wants to part with it, being the first car her Mom ever bought.

Feel free to contact me offline if serious and I'll get you and her connected to discuss. It's her's not mine, I'm only going to make it go and then melt rubber off the rims with it

That's what I was afraid of...
The butchering begins.

jimbeau wrote:

That's what I was afraid of...
The butchering begins.

there will be no butchering, trust me. subtle tasteful mods, no big ass motor, no ladder bars, no giggle juice, maybe a 4 barrel some tasteful rims (hopefully period correct), tint and paint someday. Nothing that can't be put back.

Maybe I spoke too soon.......I have a line on a full fiberglass front clip for under $100! Need to borrow a truck to go get it....I could make a front flip for it, that would be bitchin'

Yes! Yes yes yes!