I have another “Cougar rescue” story, in hopes the last one was entertaining and left you wanting more…
currently working on the write up of the latest (and one of the coolest cats) that needed to be rescued!
He’s a pic showing a morsel of the coming story…
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Nice one Bill
Ram air or non ram air?
What transmission?
Any idea of options yet?
Bill, what is the picture of? Looks like the beginning of an eye chart?
Looks like registration label for 0F92Q536156
that expired 08/98
1970 XR7 hardtop with 428-4V CobraJet
I answer the phone and hear “did ya get my email?”
Of course not! I hadn’t even had my first cup of coffee, it’s 4:30 am!
"Look at it and call me back…click… "
So I fire up the notebook, get coffee in my mug and watch the “wonderful world of Windows” take over the blank screen. I hit the round “e” and there is his email. I open it and click on the link.
“1970 Cougar $2000”
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Thinking to myself “why’s he interested in this car?”
Pickin’ up the phone, I hit redial and he answers a few rings later…
Whats so special I ask, he responds…
"look at your email again. "
It opens to a poor pic of the windshield emissions sticker. I can make out 0F93O…
wait… I’m baffeled. “O”??? Running the codes thru my brain, H, M, S, Q, R, no R in 70 so what gives?
He says it has to be a “Q”.
Well I’m not biting.
I know it’s a sticker for Colorado vehicle emissions and these are easily mistyped.
The tech couldn’t see the door tag on this 70 cause it’s made of paper, long gone!
Windshield VIN tags are black and usually dirty, very dirty, and this one is no exception.
He asks me to go look at it since I live close. So, firing up the trusty '67 XR7 down the road I go. 20 minutes later, pulling up to a house with a young kid standing in the driveway, I get out and introduce myself. He leads me to the back yard and there it sits…
She’s a rough “back yard cat”. The years have not been good to this poor kitty. The color is long gone now replaced with grey latex house paint and rolled on!
Over the last 20 + years I’ve seen many “Alley Cats” smashed, rotted, rolled, and just plain junk. This one looked no different!
As I look closer it’s clear she really needs someone who can do the “Six Million Dollar” thing on her. There are certain cool items on it, like tilt, and what looks like the top to a rear window defog, but I just don’t see much else.
I tell the owner I just don’t see any real money with the car being so rough and him asking $2000.
So what about the VIN? Looking at the windshield tag, its hard to see, but I can make out,
0F93…
It does look like a O…
No, it’s got a tail…DAMN it’s a Q !!!
I try to contain myself and I ask about the original drivetrain. He says it’s long gone, something about his uncle and dad taking it out 20 years ago.
Oh well. I can’t give him much. He tells me he has an offer at $900. Wow, $900. I was thinking a max of $500 so I’ll have to pass, damn. 10 Cats at home and a BOSS… the wife!
I call my friend back and tell him about the car in detail and the offer. He laughs, thanks me and we end the call.
Fast forward a couple of weeks.
I needed to call him about a 8" in a customer’s 68 Cat (he’s a pro in drivelines), so after I get the info, he says in a low voice, almost whispering "you remember that Q code? "…
“Ya, the '70 right?”
“Well”, he says, “I got it for $800, but it’s over at my friends tow lot, I’m gonna let it sit till spring so I can sell it for a profit.”
Well that did not go over to well with me. I did go look at it on my time!
So we started the “bargaining chant”… he wants to make some money, but he’s asking too much. We “dance” a bit and he finally says I can have it! We exchange cash for title, and I’m waiting to pick it up.
While I waited I go on-line to Marti’s site and order a basic report.
Fast forward a week and I get the report via e-mail…
Take a look…
STANDARD MARTI REPORT
Proud to display this symbol
Copyright Kevin Marti 2011
Thank you for your interest in our services. We have determined the following information for your car from the Ford Database we have:
DOOR DATA PLATE INFORMATION
Serial Number 0F93Q536156
0 1970
F Built at Dearborn
93 Cougar XR-7 Hardtop
Q 428-4V CJ Engine
36,156th Mercury vehicle scheduled for production at Dearborn
01/70 Built: January, 1970
65B Cougar XR-7 Hardtop
6 Bright Blue Metallic Paint, Ford #3077-A
6B Medium Blue Leather Bucket Seats
R 3.25 Traction-Lok Axle Ratio
6 Four-Speed Close Ratio Manual Transmission
54 Seattle Ordering District
DEALER#: 54G289
Your vehicle was ordered with the following features:
Traction-Lok Differential
Four-Speed Close Ratio Manual Transmission
Optional Axle Ratio
Traction-Lok Differential
F70X14 Belted Tires
White Sidewall Tires
Ram Air Induction
Automatic Seat Back Release
Console
Power Front Disc Brakes
Power Steering
Tilt Steering Wheel
Rear Window Defogger
AM Radio
Rear Seat Speaker(s)
Tinted Glass-Complete
Deluxe Belts/Warning Light
Styled Steel Wheels
Your car was actually produced on January 6, 1970 --one day ahead of schedule.
Kevin Marti
Can you believe it ?
A 428 Cj 4 speed ram air Cougar??
Well I’m off to pick up my new “Q” cat!
Stay tuned, part 2 coming soon!
That is a great find and great story. I have also gone out to look at a couple of “O” code Cougars. LOL
Wow, that is a great story and what a catch! I think I would be going back to see if Dad and the uncle still have the drive train sitting someplace.
Just found this thread. Nice thought, but… I have a prediction.
The engine/transmission were pulled for a Mustang. Wanna know how I know? Wanna? OK. I know of a '69 Q code. 4-spd trac loc car. Medium gold with white int. white vinyl top. Engine, tranny and rear all pulled for a Mustang restore. Yep. A probable 1 of 1 car was parted to “save” a probable 1 of 10K car.
The 1969 Talledega’s also suffered the same fate back in the 1980’s. I know a guy that bought them cheap, because nobody wanted to restore them. He said that at that time, they were just oddities that hadn’t caught on. Who was getting excited about big gas guzzling cars with big honking noses with bench seat, and column shifts?
That’s a real shame.
YEP! Good call! Forgot all about the Talledega’s!
Pretty nice Talladega sold at BJ last night.
I enjoy this thread about Cougar rescue. The worst part is the thought of a 1 of1 Cougar being parted for a Mustang rescue. Grrrrr!! 
Steven
The worst part is… the '70 is a Colorado car. Gotta be pretty solid. The '69 I know about was a southern Montana car. Again, pretty solid car.