Vehicle Description
Most folks just think of the Cougar as Mercury's version of the
Mustang, but the truth is that they're very different cars with
very different missions. With a unique body and interior, the
Cougar is instantly recognizable, and nice ones, like this 1967
Mercury Cougar coupe, are an absolute pleasure to own and drive,
especially with a fuel-injected 5.0 under the hood.
Originally painted code B Light Aqua, this big cat was repainted a
color that's not too far off and still looks awesome. Refinished
several years ago, the paint remains in good condition, and all
appearances suggest that this car was never rusty or a basket case.
Instead, it appears to be a nicely maintained car that has never
needed major surgery, and the factory-style panel gaps and
alignment bear this out. The paint shows some signs of use and age
but, but everything has a good overall look and nothing stands out
as too fresh or too deteriorated, so it looks right. A professional
cut and buff would probably transform this from a merely nice car
to one that makes people stop and stare, but that's probably
overkill. The chrome is similarly nice and appears to be original,
and the black vinyl top is undoubtedly original and in fantastic
condition. The Cougar offered unique lighting, with folding
headlights up front and sequential turn signals out back, and they
all work properly and look awesome.
Interior design in the Cougar was clearly inspired by aircraft, and
it has a very cool '60s vibe that makes you think of Steve McQueen
and Sean Connery movies when you're at the wheel. The front buckets
have been reupholstered in beautiful two-tone aqua, and the vinyl
is a close match to the original. The vast dashboard features round
gauges with delicate markings and needles, reminiscent of the
Smiths gauges found in British sports cars and the Shelby Cobra.
Especially cool are the toggle switches for interior lighting and
the very aircraft-like levers for the A/C controls to the driver's
left (the A/C blows cold!). An AM/FM/CD stereo has been fitted in
the original location right above the "garage" storage compartment,
and there was no cutting, so it looks like it belongs and can be
returned to original without worries. The surprisingly roomy trunk
is outfitted with a plaid mat and spare tire cover, and the battery
has been relocated to make room for the fuel injected V8 up
front.
The nice thing about the venerable small block Ford V8 is that
they're widely interchangeable. Lift the hood on this Cougar and
you'll find that the original C-code 289 is gone, and in its place
there's a fuel injected torque factory better known as the EFI 5.0.
It's a nice fit and with factory-style fuel injection and modern
hardware, it's daily driver reliable and considerably more powerful
than the original. Power steering is suitable to the big Cat and
the Flowmaster exhaust system gives it that familiar 5.0 Mustang
soundtrack. It's backed by an AOD 4-speed automatic transmission
from a Mercury Grand Marquis, and with 3.25 gears out back, this
Cougar is your next road trip machine. Unusual 14-inch wheels wear
perfectly-sized 205/70/14 white-letter radials.
All the performance of the Mustang, but in a more mature,
luxury-oriented package, with a strong-running engine, all for less
money than a comparable Ford...sounds good, doesn't it? Call
today!
