The owner of 40 years contacted me wanting help re-homing his beloved GTE. The 427 is long gone and replaced with a 400hp 428cj. He tried to keep it away from winter driving but it has had some rust repair and as evidenced by the shock towers needs some more TLC. It is a driver as it sits. He is asking $60k but is not set on the price. He is looking for a person to buy it from him who is younger than he and will put some love into it. Originally it was a low option car, I believe the console was added at a latter date.
Don it looks like a great GT-E. I thought all XR7s had consoles or am I wrong? What other mods have been made other than the obvious in the pictures?
Steven
Consoles are optional. They were not part of the XR-7 package.
I think the overhead console is a part of the XR-7 package, but the lower console was a separate option like Royce says.
Lord, I remember seeing that GT-E blasting down the D.C. beltway when I lived in the area in the '80s.
And when I worked downtown I would see it in public parking. Waited around but never could track down the owner.
I have some pictures of it in a parking garage somewhere.
Ah, the good 'ole pre-internet days…
- Phillip
Thanks guys for clearing that up for me. This GT-E is very tempting being on the “right coast”.
Steven
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Was the gold accent an option to the grey, or a custom touch?
A little more info…
Don, It was a pleasure speaking with you yesterday. I am a retired university professor. I taught economics at American University here in Washington DC for more than 20 years. I bought my Cougar in 1975 in Winnipeg, Canada, when I was a PhD student at the University of Manitoba. What attracted me to the car was its sequential signal lights. So when I saw one advertised in the local newspaper, I called to go and see it. The seller was a young man who had just gotten married and his wife had given him an ultimatum to get rid of the car or else. So he was eager to sell the car and save his marriage. When I offered him C$1000 he accepted it with alacrity.
I took it home and later had a buyer’s remorse. That car was too fast and guzzled too much gasoline. But then something happened. People started asking me if I wanted to sell the car. One time there was this particular guy who followed me all the way to the University and when I got out of the car, he said he would offer me twice the price that I paid for the car. He said he had been looking for a GTE for ages and had all the other types of Cougars but not the GTE. I declined the offer and said to myself that the car must be valuable if people wanted to buy it off from me.
I came to the US with the car in 1981. Went to teach in Nebraska and then Pennsylvania before finally settling down in Washington DC. When I came to the US I bought another Cougar, an older model – 1993 1994 – and used that as a daily driver. My other Cougar is green with a white top. I drive the classic oily when it was nice outside – never through rain or snow. So it has been well kept – there is no rust on it.
In addition, I have a room full of parts that come along with the car. In 1998, I was fortunate enough to find a 1968 XR7 at a junkyard. I bought it for $200 and cannibalized it. The doors were okay, as well as the trunk lid. In the interior, the XR7 dashboard was also okay. All these parts as well as air-conditioning are coming along.
The VIN number is 8F93W535648. It originally came with 427 that generated 390 HP. That engine got busted and it was extremely difficult and expensive to find a replacement. So I plunked down at 390 and when that too got busted I decided to go back as close as possible to the original. I took a 428 cobra jet and rebored it to generate 400 HP. So what I have now has more horsepower than the original.
As I indicated on the phone I have enjoyed the car for more than 40 years and I think it is time for somebody else to enjoy it too. I have not had any issues with the car – no accidents, no rust, etc. It is in a fairly immaculate shape and it would take a little bit of investment – I would say about $10,000 – to bring it up to show room status.
George
BTW - Jim Pinkerton has seen this car in person and has some details that one would want to know before pursuing it further. I always suggest that one contact the registrar on any make that is closely followed.
I think it’s cool seeing another GT-E for sale. They’re becoming few and far between.
Did this car sell?
No and for good reason… “Shady past”. Anyone interested would be wise to talk with Jim P the GTE Registrar as he has seen it in person.
Rebody?
According to the current owner of record the car has been rebodied.
hate to bring back a thread from the dead, but it seems like this car is back up for sale after changing hands. As said above, shady history, but price reflects.