I own a 1967 Cougar that has sat in a barn and garage for the past 35 years. I bought it from the original owner’s wife, yes, she was an older lady. The motor is getting upgraded, and I’m putting a shift kit in it. What I am currently pondering, is what to do with the front end system. Should I change it over to a Mustang II, or upgrade using original Cougar parts? This car will have approximately 450 horsepower, and just not sure which direction to take with the suspension. Any ideas or suggestions?
In the end, its going to depend on your goals. The factory frame and front suspension (with subframe connectors, a monte carlo bar, and one piece export brace) is more than up to the task of handling it in a general sense, but your intended usage might put some conditions on that. Are you going to be drag racing? Auto crossing or road racing? Is it mostly just going to be a street cruiser with the occasional stop light to second or third gear run? I’ve personally run well into the 10’s on factory suspension with little more than traction bars, 6cyl front springs, and dropping the sway bar.
If you’re going to budget for a rebuilt suspension…I personally would keep with good stock replacements and quality bushings. Perhaps go with roller spring perches, and adjustable strut rods if you’re really ambitious. In the end though, unless you need a lot of clearance (remember they came with big blocks!), or need to shave a lot of weight, there’s no real reason the stock system wouldn’t be good enough.
Hope that helps!
You also need to consider the current condition of the shock towers. If they are not cracked(even if it was an old lady car), consider reinforcing them with a plate on the outside under the upper control arm. This was done to the Trans Am Boss 302 cars to strengthen the shock towers and stiffen the front end.
Thanks for the input!!! Looking forward to taking this cat back and showing the seller that I have taken good care of her husband’s car.