Sons 68 Mercury Cougar slight update

[bigstraight6]

The ‘68 Mercury Cougar my 19 year old son imported back in the summer has turned out to be an excellent buy, it hasn’t needed much work so far with just a new brake master cylinder needed to pass an MOT, we also replaced the starter motor, alternator and voltage regulator to cure some starting and charging issues and it’s fine now. All said parts came off the shelf from UK suppliers and were keenly priced.

The amazing thing is he’s managed to get insurance on it himself from a specialist broker for under a grand, so he’s spent plenty of time driving the car over the last few months and he loves it. He also managed too trace the grandson of the first owner of the car on the internets who remembered the car well and confirmed that his grandmother hardly ever drove it backing up the fact the car only has 48,000 miles showing....

Being a California car there is no rust anywhere, the paint is a bit tired but my son is happy to leave it as is, he likes originality. Here’s a few pics...

[mercrocker]

This is lush...I was wondering how it was going.  Is that your Zody with the rare Webasto?

[bigstraight6]

This is lush...I was wondering how it was going.  Is that your Zody with the rare Webasto?

Yep, been in my custodianship for 15 years now....

[mercrocker]

Hnnnnnn....Every time I see one I want another!   

[LightBulbFun]

ohhh thats nice looking! I hope its been rust proofed to an inch of its life!

 

 

BTW I have noticed a lot of Yank tanks on US Style plates recently, is that legal now? I always thought you had to use UK spec plates regardless of the car?

[Uncle Jimmy]

Hummm, did I see that at a show near Dursley in the summer?

[Uncle Jimmy]

Ah, no, that was the similarly greened Riviera.

[JeeExEll]

Great pics

The one alongside your Zodiac is fantastic.

A friend of my dad's had a Mk3 Zeff 4 with column change in same colour as your Zody. Off the road around 1975. Used it to tow trailers for his joinery business.

 

Cougar reminds me of this. Early 70s Matchbox 68 Mercury Cougar in green. My one was an earlier version with different wheels.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I love Cougars - are these basically a posh Mustang?

[bigstraight6]

Love that car

Whats under the air cleaner 2 barrel or 4?

I want to go back to the coporate blue covers on Shitey not a fan of the bling on mine at present.

It’s a 4 barrel Edelbrock carb, the engine is a ‘J’ code high compression 302. She can shift a bit....

[bigstraight6]

I love Cougars - are these basically a posh Mustang?

It’s basically a Mustang with a diffent body style Rev, hence the great parts availability!...

[somewhatfoolish]

If the interior is as green as the exterior this is the car of a winner.

[danthecapriman]

It’s basically a Mustang with a diffent body style Rev, hence the great parts availability!...

It’s the thinking mans Mustang!

 

Gorgeous car, glad your son likes it. There’s one I’ve seen near here, it’s not as tidy as yours but still looks great, sounds the absolute sex too!

[Junkman]

It's the Mustang for those with a college degree.

[Bren]

Looks fab.The cougar was to the mustang what the corsair was to the mk 2 cortina. Slightly upmarket.

[JeeExEll]

^^ Hit the nail on the head there Bren.

Same windscreen is obv.

 

Re Cortinas and Corsairs I could never understand why a UK V4 Cortina was never an option.

In Mk2 or Mk3.

[bigstraight6]

How do you find the Edelbrock?

Need to change from my Summit (Holley Double Pumper Knockoff) and everybody keep recomending Edelbrock

Yes very good, never have any troubles starting her. Even a couple days back with the temperature in single figures she fired right up! Haven’t even tuned the carb yet either, other than turning up the idle. Can’t really go wrong with an old Edelbrock unit I’d recommend it...

[bigstraight6]

If the interior is as green as the exterior this is the car of a winner.

It is.

[eddyramrod]

I have a nagging feeling that car could be more gorgeous, but buggered if I can see how!

[Uncle Jimmy]

Looking at the interior shot it appears the seat back has offset hinging, allowing better access to the rear; an incredible element of ergonomics in an American car!

[barrett]

Does any other 19 year old have a car as cool as this? Struggling to get my head around it tbh, when I was 19 I was riding round on a shitty old mountain bike ffs

[bigstraight6]

Does any other 19 year old have a car as cool as this? Struggling to get my head around it tbh, when I was 19 I was riding round on a shitty old mountain bike ffs

Yes the boy has done well, he and the car were featured in the Classic American car mag recently as it’s probably a given he’s the youngest owner of a Yank motor in this country, people can’t believe it when they see him behind the wheel!

He worked and saved very hard to by his dream motor, and is continuing to slum it daily driving the £500 year 2000 1 litre VW Polo I bought him as a first car when he past his test, a car which he really respects and looks after.

[Wack]

ohhh thats nice looking! I hope its been rust proofed to an inch of its life!

• LocationPlymouth

I hope so too , looks lovely though

[Ghosty]

UNDER A GRAND?

 

I think I need Junkman to find me a car.

[captain_70s]

Does any other 19 year old have a car as cool as this? Struggling to get my head around it tbh, when I was 19 I was riding round on a shitty old mountain bike ffs

When I was 19 I was riding my Dad's mountain bike because I couldn't afford a bike... 

[mat_the_cat]

How do you find the Edelbrock?

 

Need to change from my Summit (Holley Double Pumper Knockoff) and everybody keep recomending Edelbrock

 

If you can wait a month or two I can give you more feedback on mine. First impressions are great - started easily and ran smoothly straight from the box, but not been able to drive it yet.

 

 

Sorry for the thread tangent!