Buying advice

Hello, my name is Sean and I’m looking to buy my first Cougar. I’ve loved these cars for years and have been on the hunt for the right one for a while. I’ve found the right looking car (year, paint, trim, engine…) But am not sure about the underneath. There seems to be a lot of funny welding going on, and being somewhat unfamiliar with these cars I was hoping somebody on this forum would take a moment to browse through some of the pictures I have taken to see if they can spot anything right / wrong with what I’m looking at. I’m mainly concerned with some shotty looking welds, the use of Subframe Connectors and the extent of rubberized coating (potentially concealing rust).

I realize these are only photos so getting a good idea of what’s there may be tricky. Also, I am only looking for advice, I appreciate that ultimately the buying decision is mine and mine alone (no liability). However any and all help / advice you could lend me regarding this car would be greatly welcomed!! Thank you all very much!

For convenience I have uploaded these photos to Flickr:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/142838334@N03/

Hi Sean

Welcome to the forum and congrats on finally taking the plunge into the Cougar hobby. Yeah, those welds above the bushings at the strut bar are a bit questionable and, in all honesty, rather sloppy. To compare, here are are couple pics from my 69.

Looking at your pictures I think this car may need new floor boards and torque boxes and the front frame rain under the battery box forward may be in need of repairs. But with the undercoating smeared on like that it is hard to tell. All of what I see can be repaired, but can cost a fair amount of money to have done. You could tackle it your self if you have tools and time(ambition needed)

622 by Sean P, on Flickr
The car it’s self looks nice. But I would be looking at the back side of all the sheet metal for signs of repairs.

The asking price is $7500 CND. I’m not sure what it is worth exactly. It’s got a 351 Windsor 4bl in good shape, most of the chrome needs to be redone.

Definitely was in a front end accident. You can see the ripples in that front frame rail, and cracking around the hole where they pulled it to the max. So the radiator support would have been replaced, which explains the welds at the front of the strut rods / bushings.

Power steering drop bracket was welded in - which is the right way to do it, otherwise they eventually pull the nuts out of the frame and make a mess.

As for the goop on the underside around the torque boxes… There is only one reason to seal all that up: to keep water out. There is gonna be rusty holes under there, so be prepared. If you aren’t sure, see if the seller will lift the carpet and show it from the top side. Expect the worst and haggle accordingly. It can all be repaired, but that gets expensive. Or you can try to get a better price on it and just enjoy it for what it is - a car that was rough, but someone loved it enough to try and repair it as best they could on a budget.

Sean as Mike and Neal have said there is a lot going on under that Cougar. If it was me I’d probably pass and move on to the next car. The welding looks poor at best. If that is what you can see imagine what is hidden by the undercoating. Either way good luck with your search/purchase.
Steven

I have to go with Steven on this one. It looks OK for what it is, but in reality it needs a lot of work. I think in this case somebody put lipstick on a pig.

Welcome!!! The car is worth about $2500 US (from what I can see) but would only be good for a person that never wants a nice car. To make it nice it would cost you triple or more of what a “nice” car would cost you. Have you seen our videos on how to examine a car before purchase?

https://www.youtube.com/user/WestCoastClassicCoug/videos

Welcome here. I fully agree with you and owners knows for sure. Have you driven it?

Yes, I’ve driven it. It’s got a freshly rebuilt 351 that seems to have some good pull. The steering is a little loose, but it’s literally the only old car I’ve ever driven so I’m assuming that’s normal. The brakes feel good and there wasn’t any noticeable rattle or flexing at higher speeds while turning. It’s an automatic and seemed to shift well.

Thank you all so much for the support, you’ve given me a very clear picture of what I can expect. Right now I’m leaning toward walking away, but I plan on giving the owner a call tonight to explain why. Unfortunately I drove about 1300km to see the car so I can’t do it in person. He said he’s flexible on $7500, but put about $4500 into the motor and body a few years ago. I can appreciate him wanting a good price for the car, but with what I’ve seen, the value isn’t really there for me. The chrome is all pitted, the paint is fresh but chipped all over. The interior needs a fair amount of work. The exhaust comes out in front of the rear wheel (failed safety because of that). The radiator is too small for the engine and overheats. The windshield is cracked. He also mentioned something about the steering column, but couldn’t remember why the mechanic failed it.

I’ll let you know how it goes!

Pass!!! By the looks of the welds, you can bet the repairs that matter (frame pulling) were NOT done correctly. I think Don’s price is being very “nice”. There are way too many good cats out there.

Don’t make a mistake!

Pass this one up.

Sean,

I would also pass on this car. I highly doubt that this car will track straight and hold an alignment. In the end, it is ultimately your money and your decision. We all just want your Cougar experience to be a positive one!!

Coach Jack

Quick search turned up a few comparables in a similar price range…

http://www.searchtempest.com/search?search_string=1969+Cougar&category=8&Region=na&cityselect=zip&location=97124&maxDist=50000&region_us=1&srchType=&hasPic=&keytype=adv&minAsk=&maxAsk=&subcat=cta

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/5650604800.html

http://modesto.craigslist.org/cto/5611321097.html

http://salem.craigslist.org/cto/5624008594.html

http://portland.craigslist.org/clc/cto/5632096646.html

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/cto/5614173385.html

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/eat/cto/5634472375.html

http://jonesboro.craigslist.org/cto/5611349693.html

And that’s just the stuff that is obvious, 10x that will be lurking under the surface. I think your conclusion is spot on.

RUN as far away from that car as possible!!!

$7500 CND = $5650 USD; $4500 CND = $3400 USD - What do you get in USA for that kind of money?
Yes steering of a classic is normally looser than today’s car, but should’nt be excessive.
1300 km away from home… transportation and boarder crossing are not costless, nice saving saving if it could be driven back.
Failed inspection not good: at the very least exhausts and steering must be fixed before it can be driven… and this is your first project!
On the other hand, if you decide to go for it, then it puts you in a very strong negiotiating position… What’s the value of a part car? Of good working drivetrain (that needs be removed if sold alone)? I tend to beleive that the seller realizes that.

Someone posted this one on the other forum: http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/cto/5630324402.html
Kind of a mess, but great potential.

There is one here local with only 28,000 miles. We looked it over pretty good, do not like the color, lack of options and mouse smell.

https://salem.craigslist.org/cto/5624008594.html

Thank you all again for all of the replies. I called him today to discuss my issues with the car and just spoke honestly and respectfully. I don’t think he was aware of the extent of damage underneath (it was his son’s project car, his son has been gone from home for years). He seemed surprised, but understanding. I told him I wasn’t interested in low balling, but that the cars value is significantly impacted by the frame / body damage underneath. Long story short, I offered him $4000 for the car. He mentioned he had put $4500 into the engine alone a few years back, and I told him I was aware of that. I told him I wished I could have given him $7500 (well worth it in my opinion around here if the frame was ok) but realistically I’d have to put several thousand dollars into it to make it safe to drive. He mentioned getting it looked at by a local mechanic and I urged him to. Told him to get back to me if he was still interested after getting it looked at.

I think it’s safe to say this deal won’t happen, and as eager as I am to acquire a nice cougar and join this community, it’s looking like I’m going to have to search a little longer and a little harder. I live in Nova Scotia, Canada and it’s pretty slim pickings around here. I’ve gone to a few barns to see a few cars, but salt on our winter roads is unforgiving. I guess because there are fewer cars around here people expect to get more for them, which I understand. I wish the US were closer! :smiley:

The seller got back to me, agreed that there was some serious issues underneath and came down to $5000. I could probably snag it for $4500 (Roughly $3500 USD).

I’m actually considering getting it and maybe just keeping the car as is, not totally sure. I’m tempted because she’s pretty and really the only cougar I’ve found ‘close’ by. Somebody please tell me I’m crazy. I think the right thing to do would be to wait a year or two until I’ve got a larger chunk of change and buy a nice one. (BUT ITS SUMMER TIME!!!)