Up for sale is this great 1970 Cougar XR7 Convertible. This car is amazingly fun to drive and attracts loads of attention as it’s moving down the road. Since it is driven rather than trailered, you will find cosmetic issues in the paint and trim, indicative of a car that has seen road time but none of those impede your ability to enjoy the car and participate in the hobby.
This Cougar was originally equipped with PS, PDB, A/C, tilt steering, rim blow horn, AM 8-track, console, intermittent windshield wipers and automatic seat back releases. The intermittent wiper box and switch were removed and replaced with the standard wiper switch before I acquired the car. The car was originally Medium Bright Blue Metallic over blue leather interior with white top, white pinstripes and spoked wheel covers.
When the car was restored in the ‘90s, the prior owner switched the color to Medium Blue Metallic which is a slightly lighter shade of blue. Both colors are nice but the lighter shade provides more contrast with the dark blue interior and looks much nicer. There are some flaws in the paint and several scratches and rock chips from being used regularly but the paint shines beautifully and is very presentable. There is an area on the top of the right rear quarter panel that appears to be an old dent repair and the body filler is now cracking. The doors have the common pimples in the front lower corner and the floor pans have a few holes smaller than a pencil eraser.
The white power top mechanism works great. The top is older and has a few areas where it goes into the top well that are slightly frayed but there are no holes and it is more than serviceable. The folding glass window has a small area that is beginning to separate on one side of the seam.
The gauges, lights, headlight covers, and sequential taillights all work. The speedometer likes to bounce around at lower speeds, particularly when cold but works fine and always mellows out around 50 mph.
The interior is the original blue leather in very good shape. There are a few small areas low on the driver’s seat back where the leather is worn and one small split on the seat bottom and another on the seat back. It is very nice for original upholstery. The automatic seat back releases work. The blue carpet is in great condition as are the blue floor mats and the sill plates. The AM/8-track is in place but isn’t hooked up. I assume it works but it wasn’t hooked up when I got it and I’ve never tried to hook it up. There is a CD player/radio mounted under the glove box that is connected to door speakers in their original location. Rear panels are not cut for speakers like people have done to so many of the convertibles. The steering wheel is un-cracked and very nice although some of the wood grain detail has worn off. The dash pad is still soft and un-cracked. The wood grain on the dash face and console is in very good shape. All the lenses are clear except for the clock which is slightly cloudy. The door panels and rear interior quarter panels are in nice shape with no rips or tears. One snap for the boot is missing from one of the rear panels. The console is in nice shape. The dye on the console lid is rubbing off where you rest your elbow.
The front bumper, chrome ribs on the headlights and anodized aluminum trim on the hood and front fender extensions are all in good driver condition. The anodized aluminum has some minor scratches but still shines and looks nice. The trim around the boot well is beautiful with no pits and is very shiny. The rear bumper is shiny but has some flaws. The taillights and backup light housings are very shiny but have pits and other common flaws that are noticeable upon close inspection.
The original 351W 2V was converted to 4V with an Edelbrock Performer intake manifold (painted blue) and performer camshaft along with a Holley 600 cfm carb. The heads have been rebuilt and a new water pump, new fan clutch, new master cylinder, new A/C vacuum reservoir, new voltage regulator, new starter solenoid, new belts, new hoses, new radiator, Ford 3G 200 amp alternator conversion, new distributor and pertronix ignitor were all added back in 2005. The engine and engine compartment are basically stock appearing and in good driver condition as are the grille and headlight assemblies. The dual exhaust system is aluminized 2.25” pipe with a crossover tube and Flowmaster Super 40 mufflers. The tires are 225/70/14 BF Goodrich radial T/As on original styled steel wheels. This Cougar has 98,300 original miles and has only been driven around 1,000 miles in the last 9 years.
This is a great driving Cougar that is a blast to drop the top on and cruise around. I wouldn’t hesitate to drive this car anywhere. It’s not an absolutely perfect show car but is an extremely well optioned, nice driver. This car has won a number of awards at local shows over the years so while it isn’t perfect; it’s a great people’s choice type car show winner. The car is currently located in Federal Way, WA between Seattle and Tacoma. This car comes with a clean Montana title which is where it has been for the last 9 years. I recently picked it up and brought it back to western Washington for some work and it is now for sale. Delivery in the western U.S. may be possible for an additional fee. Price for the car is $13,750 or best offer. Contact Jeff at jcbingcougar@comcast.net or call/text 253-350-4353.
