70 eliminator tribute

Cougar Community Classic Cougar Community Discussion
1

Greetings,

I recently (just the other day) joined MCN and posted a question over there before finding this site.

THREE times now over the last 10 hours in trying to respond to the thread I started the site stops my posts for “administrator review” (paraphrasing). I have no idea what gives and after reading how much better this site is I figured I’d give it a whirl over here.

Looking to convert a 70 cougar into and orange eliminator tribute or buy one that is already finished that somebody is selling.

Lo and behold (life is so strange) a completed 70 orange tribute became available.

http://www.thielmotors.com/for-sale/3070000/mercury/540765/

As you can see it’s in DeWitt Iowa and I’m in California.

Does anybody by chance know the history of this particular cougar?

If not, looking for somebody in the area who will look her over and take her for a spin. I will gladly pony up some loot for a cougar enthusiast to take a gander at her as opposed to finding some inspector blindly on the net.

ANY and ALL thoughts you have on this particular cougar would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you and nice forum you have here.

2

Looks like a nice car, but I would ask for pictures from the underneath side. I am in Arizona so I am easily scared by a the rust weevil. The one thing I would add to it would be one of Rocketman’s in dash tachs to replace the clock.

3

OH! and Welcome!

4

Can’t help with the look see/test drive. Welcome to CCC!!! Looks like a really nice cat. It has been a while since I had a HT, and I am NOT nit-picking, but does something look ‘not quite right’ in the two shots of the rear seat? Seems like a lot of wrinkle above the arm rests at the package tray area… at least to me…

5

Check rust belt cars over carefully. Rusty cowls torque boxes and frame rails are not fun to deal with.

6

It doesn’t look like a high-end job. The fenders were not removed for the respray, there’s too much black in the engine compartment, and the tailights are '69.

Even so, it looks pretty decent and it could be much cheaper than building your own if this one is close to what you want.

7

I’ll bet that car is disappointing in person. My spidey sense has been tingling ever since I looked at it. Not to mention they call it a '69 in the description. Makes it seem like they don’t really care.

8

I would have been extremely careful with this car. It has all the signs of a car that has been made the easy way. You will need good large size pictures showing details and undercarriage to make sure the car is worth buying. I am not saying the car is not worth the money, but it is better to find out what it is before you buy than after.

9

It looks like it was pieced together with several different cars. I’m guessing a 69 parts car was used since in addition to the aforementioned taillights, the door panels, interior quarter panels and rear seat are also from a 69. Since you’re looking at a clone, correctness probably matters little to you but it might matter to the next guy. In this price range, you could probably find something that has been more carefully “restored”.

10

Hey gents, sorry for not saying “hey”. That got lost amongst everything that was going on. My apologies.

If you haven’t read my post over at MCN I am a total and complete newbie to the classic cougar. I think it is one of the coolest looking cars around and by far my personal favorite of the bunch is a 70 eliminator in competition orange. But I think they all look good.

I currently own a 68 mustang that with the help of my friend I have restored and modified (note: not very fond of the word “restomod”). And when I say that he helped me I mean he did the majority of it while I “attempted” to learn how. LOL!!!

I’m also the proud owner of a 64 falcon station wagon that me and my buddy are restoring and is about 60% complete. This girl will look pretty much period correct on the outside but she may have some modifications in the engine and trans (2.3 out of a ranger?) but that is still to be determined. Hopefully, she will be finished before December 13 2012 when the world ends.

Next up is the cougar. Obviously, I have no qualms about finding a solid base model 70 and converting it. However, in this case, I would prefer to purchase one that somebody else completed and is selling. I’m only interested in an orange 70 and I don’t need a big block. That is why I have taken such a hard look at the one I posted.

I want to thank EVERYONE who has responded in this thread and after reading the replies almost all of you appear to be saying “buyer beware” on this one. Therefore, probably going to pass on it as you guys would know and I appreciate your honest answers.

I called the guys over at that dealership about it and asked them a bunch of standard questions (motor, trans, suspension, rust etc.) The salesman on the phone was less then helpful. He seemed as if I was bothering him with my list of questions (kinda like pulling teeth) and his knowledge of the car was quite frankly poor. About as, or worse then the description of the car on ebay.

He didn’t know if it had headers on it, whether or not the front suspension had been rebuilt, if it was a 9” rear end, what the gear ratio was, if it was a C4, C6, or AOD. Whether or not it leaked fluids or even if the sequential taillights worked. On and on and on. Couldn’t answer a thing.

He did however state that it was an A/C car but that the A/C was not hooked up and it didn’t have the compressor. I asked him if he could list my concerns take some more pictures and get back to me which he did. Must to my dismay, he only got back to me with some of my questions and I never got any more pictures. I guess business is so good that they don’t need my kind of hassle.

Noticed that too. For a cougar, is the material in that area generally fabric?

Thanks, didn’t notice the difference. Still learning…

Thanks for the heads up.

Since you’re looking at a clone, correctness probably matters little to you but it might matter to the next guy. In this price range, you could probably find something that has been more carefully “restored”.

Thanks.

Seeing as i’m only interested in an orange 70 and the fact i’m new and just now searching how often would you say a better version of this particular clone will come up?

11

Good luck with your search for the orange 70 tribute. It is a buyer beware world. Feel free to ask questions here and if a seller dosen’t know the answers…move on to another car. Oh and I almost forgot WELCOME to the Classic Cougar Community! :wave:
Steven

12

There was a total of 1374 Competition Orange Cougars Coupes made back in 1970. How many that came in a different color and that has been repainted in the same color is of course impossible to say. If you have time and patient I am sure you will find a better one and at least a more correct one.

When that is said, I totally disagree that the Cougar you are interested in is a clone. :eh: The term “clone” is used about a car that is made to be exactly as another model, usually a more fancy model. That is why they call it a clone :bulb: The only thing this car has that might be Eliminator correct is the engine (M-code) , the rear wing, front spoiler, the hood scoop and the Eliminator stripes. If I should be picky, even some of those parts are not entirely correct for a 70 Eliminator, like the front spoiler is the fiber glass type that I personally dislike and the rear wing look like a Mach1 style rear wing. The interior is mostly from a 69, but the seat covers does not have the comfort wave material, the dash does not have the camera case finish and the switch blocking plate is not there. The front grille is not all black, the taillights are wrong, same goes for the gas door emblem. The rod to hold the trunk lid open is missing as well. As you see there are lots of details missing on this car to make it a clone. The seller calls it a tribute car. Personally I would have called it a Cougar with Eliminator stripes… :smiling_imp:

13

not very much of a tribute to me. Missing a lot of the smaller details.