1969 Standard Convertible S-Code (390 4v), C6 Auto for Sale. A/C, PS, PB, PW.
Dark Red / Maroon w/ Black Decor Interior and console; Black convertible top 125,500 mi (25,000 on rebuild)
It was a fleet vehicle per the Marti report. Built 10/28/68, and sold on 11/11/68.
Here’s how the Marti shakes out:
VIN: 9F92S514616
76A Cougar 2-Door Convertible
W Yellow Paint, Ford #3120-A
BY White Vinyl Decor Bucket Seats/Nugget Gold Components
21K Scheduled for build October 21, 1968
52 Los Angeles DSO (District Sales Office)
6 3.00 Conventional Rear Axle
U C-6 Select Shift Automatic Transmission
Options:
- White Power Top w/Glass Backlite
- E78X14 Wide Oval White Sidewall Tires
- Power Side Windows
- Console
- Power Steering
- Power Front Disc Brakes
- Air Conditioner - Whisper-Aire
- AM/FM Stereo Radio
- Tinted Glass-Complete
The good:
It is a convertible, and it is a big block. It starts, idles, runs, steers and stops very well. It has power steering, power front disk brakes, and factory air. It has a console (the lid’s been repaired). The white interior had black inserts sewn in a long while back, and the entire interior has now been dyed black (seats, door panels and rear panels). It’s a great driver and a lot of fun. It has vintage cherry bomb mufflers, which I’m convinced must have been installed in the 70’s or 80’s. They sound fantastic, with rumbles and pops on throttle lift… kind of a fun game in and of itself! The paint’s now presentable after some polishing and waxing. The top goes up and down (the system needs bleeding, I think, as the lines gurgle with air bubbles, and the top needs a slight push form the interior to get it started to put it down - and a minor pull to get it started on the way up). The boot is in great shape (may be aftermarket). Wheels are original steel, with XR7 wheel covers. Tires are new Cooper Cobras with less than 100 miles on them (Firestone Firehawks from 1982 were dry-rotted). Rim blow repaired, and now honks from most “squeeze points”. The prior owner, who owned it for 15 years said the motor was rebuilt at 100,000 miles, and he had the brakes re-done in 2015 when the trans cooler line was repaired. He’s trying to locate his folder or past receipts for me as I pull together the history on this relatively rare cat. Deluxe Marti report included.
The bad:
The car is NOT rust free, but the underneath is solid. I’d comment on the torque boxes and things like that, but I’m not an expert. I do know it looks solid and original, and I have a video I can share. The prior owner was trying to rust it from the inside out in the driver’s side floor thanks to the poor tarp job and Chicago springs and winters, I’m sure. That driver’s side hole was patched with stainless steel followed by rust inhibitor (photos available; full disclosure’s a very good thing). It’s now solid and structurally sound, but welding in floors like a big boy is the right way to do this if the car is to more than driver quality. The driver’s side rear was also “retaining water” and had a small hole in theback outside corner wher ethe moisture settled, I believe. Same thing here; a patch panel (4"-5"x 3") and rust inhibitor. Otherwise, the passenger side had some surface rust in front and and a very small rust hole in back. The original tar soundproofing was still in tact when I took out the carpet and began the rescue effort. ** Note: Do not store your Cougar outside in Chicago, and if you do, do not use a tarp. If you still need to store your Cougar outside in Chicago, DO NOT use the same tarp for 8+ years… There is rust and holes in the bottom of the lower quarters, and the lower back edge of both doors have rust and have separated. Photos show the degree to which this is present. The trunk lid has some rust underneath the rear lower lip, but otherwise is solid.
Black convertible was nice in it’s day - it’s an upgraded material. It now has several rips at the rear window, and I removed the rear plastic window as it was fogged and dry-rotted. Turn signals do not work. Brake lights do, as do hazards, which leads me to believe it is the turn signal switch(?). Sequential flasher relay under dash has been replaced with the Cougars Unlimited version, but I - or the new owner - may still need to speak with Vic at Cougars Unlimited for some more guidance, or to buy his sequential box upgrade.
There’s a minor exhaust leak at the passenger’s side exhaust manifold, which the muffler shop believes may be a crack in the exhaust manifold. They replaced the manifold to down-tube collector, yet there is still a modest sound from that area. It conflicts slightly with the melodic Cherry Bomb tones, but in no way drowns them out.
More photos, videos and Marti Report available at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/yoyBWknuA86r4EV78
Car is now again being garage-kept, 30 min west of Chicago. Contact me at gregoryejones@msn.com or by cell at six three zero, 913-3512 for more details.
I have only owned this car a short while, and it’s been a bit of a rescue mission for me. I considered buying this specific car 8 years ago as I looked for a '69 Convertible to re-capture my youth, as I owned a few Cougars in high school and post-college (a '69 XR7, a '70, and a brief trist with a big cat; a '72 convertible). When I first saw this car 8 years ago, it was parked under a tarp outside a home in the western suburbs of Chicago. It had a broken trans cooler line, and the owner said the car ran, but he couldn’t start it because of the broken line. It was too much of a project for me at the time, and I took a pass. We ended up with a '69 XR7 351 4v Convert, which we still own and enjoy today.
Fast forward to earlier this year. I came across the car - again for sale, and this time it was running. Saw it, drove it, and bought it. It was neglected, and needed attention. Carpet and interior had seen better days, and paint was heavily oxidized. The same tarp was being used to “cover” it now as had been when I saw it 8 years prior, and it was clearly not being driven much. This big block convertible was being neglected. Therein lies the rescue mission: Save this cat from further decay, sort it out, and bring it back to a respectable level for the next caretaker to enjoy as a driver, or pass it along to someone who wants to return it to it’s prior glory when it rolled off the Glendale, AZ dealer’s lot. Originally yellow, with a white top and white vinyl decor interior with nugget gold interior components, I’m sure it was a head-turner.
Greg Jones
