Also there are imperfections in the paint, cracked vinyl on the drivers side arm rest, a crack in the dashboard, a need for some new rubber seals around the windows and the back bumper needs to be rechrommed. All of these things are superficial looks only and don’t affect the functionality of the car itself.
I would first suggest that you post the VIN and the information on the door data plate here. In case you do not know what the data plate is just open the drivers door and you should see a sticker in the door jamb, that is the data plate. It will have the VIN and other codes on it. That will tell us a lot about the car. Be sure that the VIN matches the one visible through the windshield on the drivers side, the VIN on the title, and see if there is a buck tag too. The buck tag is a metal plate about the size of a normal business card that will be on the face of the radiator support usually on the passenger side. This tag will also have some codes on it, post those codes as well.
Next from what I can see your car is a base standard model Cougar. This is not as desirable as the XR-7 model. It appears that the bottom of the drivers seat has been repaired as the stiching does not match the passenger seat. It also looks like some form of electronic ignition has been added. There appears to be some sort of white jug in front of the radiator, probably an add on radiator over flow jug. The odometer cannot say 185,000 miles. It only goes to 99,999 then it will roll over to zero and start again. Look at it again to see exactly what numbers are shown. The last number is tenths of a mile, not a full mile.
One question most potential buyers will have is how much rust does the car have? How are the floor pans? How is the trunk floor? How is the drain rail around the trunk opening? How are the lower inner corners of the doors? How are the lower corners of the front fenders? How are the quarter panels? How are the front fender aprons? How is the front suspension crossmember? Rust may not be much of an issue being a CA car but for many buyers in other parts of the country rust is an issue.
To get an idea of value try searching ebay to see what other Cougars are selling for. You can also check other sites too such as craigslist or other automotive sites. Good luck with your sale.
Randy Goodling
CCOA #95