Steven,
Thanks for the explanation on the pivot assembly.
On the grease zerks, they make ones specifically for the application where the right angles are very tight and the zerk is long so it can be reached. You might consider getting a set, would be money well spent.
Good eye, I went back and looked at my pictures from when I did this to confirm your statement, and found that you’re correct. When I did mine I looked at some Cougars in the junkyard to make sure. The tab indeed goes on the inboard side.
Progress looks good Steven! I’m going to try the orange paint on my gauges / needles too.
John thanks so much. I missed that and I had pictures to go by for reassembly. At least now it’s a easy fix, later it might have been a pain.
Bob After my test fit I have enough clearance to get my grease gun hooked up.
Thanks Andrew. I know the needle painting isn’t a big step for most but it will sure make a difference when everything else is complete. I just read your update and your Snowball project is looking good also.
Steven
I painted the passenger side coil spring today. As I cleaned off 46 years of gunk, dirt and rust I found paint markings on the spring. One color was violet and the other color looked like a faded yellow. So I thought I’d recreate a similar look including paint runs / drips. While this may not be 100% correct I think it will look fine for my build. After all I’m not building a concours show car, I’m missing the hardtop. 
At the factory what did the paint markings tell the assembly line workers? Was it the rate of the springs?
Steven
It told them which ones to pick up and put on the car! Your violet looks blue! As for how you applied it, too neatly I think!
Steve, seeing that spring reminded me that on my cat, I’ve noticed that the front end sits a bit higher after the conversion, I assume because of the loss of weight in the middle of the car and extra weight of the vert frame structure, etc toward the back. Did you notice that with yours?
Jody right now I think the ride height is pretty close to where I want it. I thought about changing the springs for the 1" drop type but from everything that I have read you don’t get the full 1" drop just by changing the springs. I figured I need to have the car fully dressed (windshield, complete interior, spare tire) so I can see how she will really sit when complete. Here are a couple of pictures of how everything sits right now.
If there was ever a car that should have been built as a convertible, its a 67-68 Cougar. Those lines are made for a convertible. Looks fantastic!
You know, you need to get convertible door glass, right?
Scott those pictures were from before I changed the Cougar glass out for the convertible glass. I didn’t like the look of the rear convertible Mustang 1/4 glass frames because they showed to much of the Mustang body line. I modified the Cougar stainless trim and made lexan 1/4 windows so I can keep the Cougar window and the “hockey” trim body line.
As I mentioned in a earlier post Top Cat had a front end accident at some point in it’s life. Everything was fixed but not up to my or most of the Classic Cougar Community standards. Heck probably any normal persons standards . So I have to replace the inner fender on the passengers side. I’ve got the damaged area removed and the new replacement inner fender in place and ready for final fit and welding.
Previous accident damage repair and inner fender removal:
New replacement panel in place and ready for welding:
Progress has been slow due to the holidays and spending time with my family. I spent some time in the shop this morning, I welded the inner fender in place.
Another small step towards the finish line.
Steven
I started assembly of the passenger side suspension and steering components today. I have everything done for the most part. I still have the flexible brake line to hook up to the caliper, install the shock and put the spring cover back in place.
New rubber insulator pad for the spring.
Getting the spring in place over the spring compressor.
Fitting the upper control ar and spring.
Setting up and comparing the tie rods.
New lower control arm, sway bar bushings in place.
I learned one thing for sure today. Putting the cotter pins in place after the various nut were installed is tough when wearing bifocals. 
Steven
Oohh, shiny stuff! btw, I know exactly what you mean re the bifocals!
Not much has been going on with the conversion project. It’s been a cold winter and that has limited my shop time. I’ve just been stocking up on parts for the last month or so. I received my shocks and front brake lines for the calipers. I’m pleased with the appearance of the top of the shock. Other than the color it appears to be the same shape as the factory “smooth barrel” as compared to the sculpted barrel on other brands. With a $20 price for each I can’t complain at all.
I noticed today that my water pump exits on the drivers side and the aluminum radiator I purchased months back needs to have it on the passenger side. Does anyone know what part number I would need for a 68 J code 302 water pump with the neck exiting on the passenger side?
Steven
Beautiful!
Steven: I got to thinkin’ today (which is always a bad thing for me to do) and I wonder how difficult it would be to modify/fabricate a new top frame section that could accommodate the shape of the original cougar quarter window glass? Looking at the profile of my car and comparing it to roofed versions, I miss the more formal line of the Cougar quarter glass. The Mustang shape just bugs me. So, I figured since you aren’t anywhere near putting a top on yet, I’d run an idea past you. My thinking is that if a fellow were to shave off the L shaped flange that the weatherstrip mounts to (on the rearmost section of the top frame), a new, Cougar-glass shaped L flange could be welded on in its place and some weatherstrip bonded to it. This would mean that part of the top frame would show behind the glass, but I think I could live with that. It would also mean that using a 68 Mustang top would be out and a custom top would have to be stitched up. What do you think?
Jody I had actually thought about this area in great detail when I modified the Cougar quarter glass window trim to fit the frame top. My concern at the time was two fold. 1. Using the Mustang top was out and a custom top would have to be made and in my area of South Carolina that might be a tall order. 2. If this area was reworked to accept the Cougar quarter glass unmodified would it lead to other mods, i.e. boot, fold down height profile. I opted to go the route that the “Convertible Cougar Conversion forefathers” have gone. I just knew I didn’t want to modify the Cougar body lines as a trade-off for using the Mustang quarter glass. That’s why I used the Lexan as you did but I added the modified stainless trim. I’m still a while away from putting the top on the frame and I might look at this area again with fresh eyes.
Steven
I got some shop time in this morning. I disassembled the drivers side upper control arm, lower control arm, disc brake/spindle assemblies.
Now the parts are loaded on my truck so I can use some tools at work to strip, clean and paint them before adding the new parts to the mix. I’m also going to have a friend do some fiberglass work to a XR7G scoop I have.
Steven
Maybe cut out the scoop and make it a lil functional?