Hi All, I wasn’t sure where to post this, so I just wanted to make sure I document the vehicle before I sell it, if that’s the proper thing to do. We have a 1970 XR7 that my parents bought new. Story was that my dad almost bought an Eliminator, but my mom couldn’t drive a manual so they went with the XR7. I remember riding in it about 25 years ago, then my dad put it away in storage. It sat in a garage for about 10 years, then outside under various tarps and covers until today. Unfortunately, now there are only remnants of the black vinyl top, pinholes in the roof (I put a cover on it last year), and before she decays anymore, I think it’s time to let her go. I’d love to get it back together, and give it back to them, but that hasn’t happened in the last few years I’ve been talking about it. It may be just a parts car now (I hope not), but should I document it first in the registry, then post it for sale? Is the correct registry at http://www.cougarclub.org/? It’s an all matching numbers car (1 owner of course), 53,667 miles, rust and some rust holes from sitting, faded paint, rusty roof, miraculously, the seats look like they’re in good condition, dash is severely cracked, probably rust under the carpets - I haven’t looked. I probably should have vacuumed out the headliner foam on the seats before taking these pictures, but you get the idea. I also didn’t want to post to the classifieds without a price, because I don’t have any clue what it would be worth (other than sentimental value), so if any members can chime in and help me out for what it’s worth, that would be very helpful. Also, please let me know if there’s anything else I should do documentation-wise before selling it, or if that’s even relevant to the next owner. The car is located in central New Jersey, Monmouth County. Thank you.
Welcome - interesting story! Too bad you’re having to let go of it. Hard to say if this one is a restoration candidate, or a parts car. It looks like it could be somewhere in the middle.
First thing I’d do is take off those aftermarket bumper guards. They’re pretty obtrusive and don’t belong there.
The seats and door panels do look surprisingly good! So that’s a strong point. Since the headliner is shot, you might just remove it so it’s not hanging down like that. Keep the rods. Some general cleaning would help highlight the condition of the interior.
On the outside, you could finish peeling off what remains of the vinyl. That way it’ll look less ratty and people will be able to see the condition of the roof a little better. And if you can air up the tires, or find some rollers that will work, that’ll help things.
Since you’re in NJ, prospective buyers will be very concerned about rust. If you can get the car up in the air enough to take decent pictures of the undercarriage, that will answer a lot of people’s questions.
WCCC has done some videos on what to look for when buying a Cougar, maybe you can get some ideas there. Here’s one on a 1970 convertible:
Thank you for the reply and link. Good call on the bumper guards. I’ll get to some general cleaning on it this weekend. Watching videos of restored/good condition Cougars puts the thought back into my head about keeping it.
For a New Jersey car it looks solid and in your region folks are hungry for solid well optioned projects like yours. That is a special order paint normally only seen on Eliminators. Vacuum it, go to your local tire store with your wheels in hand and ask them to mount 4 bald tires on it that hold air and put it on ebay with a brutally honest pictures (about 100) give as much history as possible (era photos are great) put it on a no reserve auction at $1 and it will get anywhere from $2500 - $4000. Keep in mind a tilt column is worth HUGE money so make sure you post a www.martiauto.com report that lists all factory options. As a dealer I would pay about $2500 as a parts car even if the bottom side is rusty. Make sure and post the auction link to as many sites like this to get the bids rolling in. Lets hope the new owner restores it and pulls up in your driveway with a big smile in 2 years and tosses you the keys for a Sunday cruise!
Great color combination! Nobody doesn’t like Competition Blue (aka Grabber Blue). Yes, you can add the VIN and details at the CougarClub.ORG website in the Registry section.
If you can’t get it up on a lift, then get down on the ground and take pics of the underside as best you can. Get that cell phone or camera under there and spam the pics so you can choose the best ones. You should be able to get shots of the torque boxes (big metal boxy structure under the driver’s feet) and floor pans pretty easily. If any of it has a crusty look, take a pic: any wheel well lip rust, lower corners of the back windows, lower corners and bottom edges of the doors. These are typical rust areas, so buyers will want to see pics.
Underhood pics are also a must. If there is rust at the tops of the shock towers, show that, or at least have a pic of the entire engine bay where it can be seen.
For the headliner… I would get some safety pins or black spring-clamps (like for office papers) and just clip it closed and up out of the way. This will give the interior a less “stripped” look than removing it completely - plus it is less work for you.
Give the whole thing a good vacuuming and wash though. While everyone thinks a dusty barnfind is cool, buyers like to see what they are buying.
If you do decide to keep it… Start small to maintain interest and gratification! Don’t worry about strippng it and repainting it immediately - that can come later. Get the car clean first - that’s easy, and gives you a sense of how it might eventually look when you are done. It also gets you familiar with the car and what it “needs”. This is also a chance to really figure out if it is worth it to you to keep the car, or if you are ready to let it go.
Get it running and driving. A running driving car is a useful car, and even in “ratty” condition you will get looks and thumbs up, and people will talk to you about it ~ “I had one just like it, except it was green, and a '67!” And that always feels good, and keeps you motivated.
Running and driving cars also sell easier, and possibly for slightly more money ~ but don’t fool yourself into thinking you will get out what you paid into getting it running and driving. The purpose of driving it is to enjoy it and help you decide if you want to keep going on it or not. And hey, you can always sell it later, after the fun wears off again 
Good luck, and keep us posted.
Wow! Thank you so much for the replies. It’s nice to see such an active community here! I especially would love if someone restored it and brought it back to show me! Great idea on asking for 4 bald tires for it to roll around on Don Rush. Mike_B_SVT great points in there. I think I should really let go and hope someone restores it (if it’s not too far gone). I will definitely get some undercarriage pictures and make an honest listing.
Are there any down sides to registering it on the Cougar website? -Should I save that for the next owner to input their information?
Ebay is your best chance at getting fair market value. If you want to hand pick your buyer and are not worried about squeezing out that last $500 out of it then make a detailed ad and paste it all over the internet. Not at all hard to find 20 relevant sites in addition to craigslist and offer up to list it at.
No downsides. The information is not published or available to the public. It also helps record / preserve the history of the vehicle by recording previous and original owner information in the club database. Some people like to know the history of their cars 
Thank you Mike B.