I can’t honestly tell you when I first saw a cougar being as my dad has owned one since I was born. What I can tell you is for as long as I can remember he would tell me “Adam that car will be yours one day”. I remember getting a ride to school here and there in the cougar and falling in love with the car. The last ride I ever took with my grandpa was in the cougar. The story behind the car is my uncle bought the car in 1974 (I have the paperwork from that sale) my uncle died in 1979 leaving the car to my grandpa. The car was driven maybe three times a year untill my grandpas death in 1989. After my grandpas death the car remained parked untill 1997-1998 when the engine and transmission were rebuilt. It was then driven a few times untill 2000 when it was parked again. I have been asking my dad when he is going to do something with the cougar for a long time. The last time I asked him what he was going to do with the cougar he said he wanted me to come by the house. When I got to the house he was ready to tow it. I asked where we were going and he said it’s yours now we are going to your house. When I asked my dad why he never worked on the cougar he said it reminded him too much of his twin brother who passed away in 1979. The cougar is now mine and I am slowly getting it going. I hope this cougar stays in my family for a long time to come. I appreciate all the help and support you all have given me in my quest to restore a family heirloom.
Great story behind your Cougar and best wishes for its restoration!
Cool story on the Cat’s family history. I am looking forward to watching your build progress
Wow, that is really touching. I wish I had a connection to a Cougar like that. Maybe it is good I do not as it would be an obsession. Speaking of obsession, just caught “Love The Beast” on Netflix, I really enjoyed it.
It has become quite the obsession for me Don. Being as I have waited so long for the cougar I cant leave it alone. I have redone the whole fuel system and I am currently working on the brake system. I have been getting alot of advice from your guys at WCCC. You have a great group of people there.
I’ve seen about the first half of that. I need to watch the rest.
70FamilyCat, great background on your car! So is your dad going to help you work on it some?
I was just wondering to myself today why I have a Cougar. Then I remembered that we had a 76 XR-7 when I was 10 and it was the first car I drove after getting my learners permit. Then a step-brother always wanted a first gen Cougar and I liked them then. Finally, this car showed up on E-Bay, and since it was pretty cheap, and a stick, I threw a bid out there. I never really thought I would win the auction. So when I did I panicked, since I really couldn’t afford it. As luck would have it, the owner was willing to take payments and three months later it was all mine. The only drawback was that the wife didn’t know a thing until the tow truck was pulling into our driveway . (Thus the argument was worth it theory was tested… and passed)
Mike, my dad has actually been coming by to see what progress I have made. When he was here last I was just putting the carb back on and he helped with that. He is working six days a week so we don’t get much time together. When I fired the cougar up that day I could see the pride in my dads eyes.
That’s awesome!
When you get a chance, you need to get a pic of you and dad working on the car 
+1 Take lots of pics, they will mean a lot. I wish I had taken more.
I will definately take alot of pics. It is really nice when there are three generations of us working on the cougar at the same time.