Hi
Just looking for some advice from my American friends.
I have been restoring my Cougar for a very long time now,the longest project I have ever taken.
I am in the UK and I believe my car to be the only one in this spec in the country and would think there are very few in the USA.
It is a 67 xr7 390gt with 4 speed manual,9 inch locker,tilt steering,tinted glass,am 8 track etc.
Unusually it was factory ordered with no power steering or air conditioning.
It is numbers matching engine,trans and axle.
I am an auto technician and have spent 14years(with a long break when my brother died)restoring the car to factory specs and keeping it as near to the original appearance except for possibly two things,the exterior colour and interior.
I believe the factory colours are on the more desirable for many,being glacier blue and dark blue interior.
The problem I am facing is it is now in the body shop and ready to paint.
Considering I completely rebuilt the car body and did all the metal work,gaps and got the car to a standard where no repairs are visible at all,I am facing approx 15,000 dollar prep and show finish.
I am being involved at every stage and the detailing the body shop guys are going to is exceptional.
The decision I now have to make,many of you may say is ‘it’s your car do what you want’.
I am now 63 and although I want to enjoy the car I have to think of future values when my retirement comes and I may have to sell.
A 67 Cougar has been on my wish list since I worked on one back when I was 24.
The colour combination I have chosen is the new BMW M5 competition Donington grey silver with an original 67 xr7 dark red interior.
I have to let the body shop know by Monday to go ahead,but in your opinion am I doing the right thing.I believe the above combination will look stunning,but once done it will be something I cannot afford to undo.
I can live with the original colours if it will make a huge difference to the future resale value but it would not be my choice.
Any input on how many of this spec are still alive and projected values would be appreciated.
Thanks everyone and stay well.
Generally when you do a color change on a rare and collectible car it decreases the value of the car by what it costs to return it to factory color. This is particularly true where the interior is changed as well. Many will not even consider buying it at any price if they are looking for originality. Of course if you find the right buyer, that loves what you have done then the price is limited only to what you can agree on.
Your car is the absolute top of the market Cougar for 1967. There were only 905 XR7 GT 4 speeds built. Contrast that to the 2050 1967 Shelby GT 500s or the 1201 Shelby GT 350s. I am not saying your car is comparable in value only that it is a very rare car.
If you were in the USA and you attended a car show with a perfectly stock Mustang, you might be in a row of a dozen equally perfectly stock Mustangs. Once you have seen one, then you have sort of seen them all. For this reason, people do personalize these relatively common cars. It is very rare to see a Shelby that is personalized. Since it is very unusual to see more than a couple of Cougars at a show here, I suspect that your car is going to be incredibly rare in the UK.
As others have told you, it is your car so it is also your choice. Do you want to show people what Mercury built or what you built? There really isn’t a right or wrong answer.
I really appreciate your input thank you
I wish I could tell you what you want to hear… Here is a thought… I tell my kids I am spending their inheritance… Maybe look at it like that.
If you plan to keep the car for any lenght of time, I would paint the car as you will enjoy the car. After investing all those years into the restoration, why do a car you can live with as opposed to the car you want. If you expect to retire soon after the car is completed and sell the car, then the impact a paint change has on value will have more of an impact on your decision.
Steve
Soccer mom grey is trendy right now but mostly with soccer moms. I would stick to the original colors, they will look fabulous and ten years from now they will not be regrettable.
Blue never goes out of style.
- Phillip
Although what your are describing for a custom color combination sounds quite nice, I would have to give the opinion of keeping it all original.
As mentioned there were only 905 built like that, and my guess would be probably less than a 1/4 of that still around.
Thank you everyone.
Over my 47 year career and owning my garage business for 38 years I have a huge portfolio of magazine and show winning cars,motorcycles and an American world war 2 aircraft I have restored and flown.
Not praising myself at all but I have just found something I appear to be good at as I just love machines.
When I bought my Cougar it was in a barn and had fallen apart.I believed if I didn’t do it it would have been another rusted casualty.
I just have this ability to see a project not by the challenge but with a vision of what it will look like when I have finished it.
Sometimes it has been hard but I persevere and get them done.
I must admit this is the first project where I have considered going away from absolutely original and correct.
I am listening to your valued comments and you are telling me exactly what I believed at the outset of the project all those years ago.
I had already bought new blue carpets and started restoring the dark blue interior ready to go with the glacier blue.
With sites such as these over the yearsI managed to find correct date coded factory Holley carb,distributor,centre console air filter casing etc.All very expensive but necessary to keep the originality.
I am going to the body shop today to get a spray panel in glacier blue and hope I fall in love.
I have never seen my car in that colour as the previous owner changed it to white when it entered our country in 1971.
I really appreciate everyone’s help and will keep you posted.
You all stay safe and hope the world comes back to some kind of normal real soon.
Regards
Paul
Hi guys,
Just to let you know I am listening.
I have given the glacier blue Q colour codes to the bodyshop and told them final answer going original.Phew.
I now have some more questions.
I am trying to find a complete dark blue 6b leather seat cover set,again original to the car.Any thoughts?
I have tried emailing jc cougars as I saw a front set on his web site but the email I have keeps returning.
Although all the interior is in dark blue the headlining I took out was in white.
It looked original would that be right?
thank you for putting my sensible head back on.
cheers
You most likely have John’s Cougars old email address. Try the new one johnscougars@gmail.com or call at 616-396-0390 open Monday - Thursday.
I didn’t like Glacier blue when I was younger. I think because most examples I seen were dull & faded. The color freshly painted is a nice color and I wouldn’t hesitate to put it back to that original color.
Congratulations on your color choice! I definitely would have stayed original too, for what that’s worth. And glacier blue with dark blue interior is a great color regardless. I don’t know enough about 67-68 interiors to tell you if white headliner is original, but that would make for a sharp looking contrast. I do know that the upholstery sets are taking many months to get produced in our new covid world. I am waiting on one now. Looking forward to some pics as you progress through the restoration!
I typically like color changes to something more modern but really all depends on the car, your tastes and overall goal. I think you did well sticking with the original combo on yours!
A lot of these old metallic colors really pop when using modern paint systems…in my opinion glacier blue with blue leather is one of the best color combinations for a 67. Good to see you’re keeping it original.
I have a similar dilemma with the brown 71 429 car I’m restoring. Half the people who see it wonder what color I’m changing it to! Like every color under the sun has been suggested. But it’s really one of those cars you shouldn’t change.
Yeah, love it or hate it, nothing could be more 70’s than the brown on your 71 or the gold on my 70.
Yes, there are some period colors I would not change.
I have a 73 with the Bright Green Gold Metallic (4B) paint and the one year Avocado interior. I had the car at a show and a young guy pointed at the car from the end of the row and said to his friend “Wow! That car is so seventies!”. Ever since then I call it “So Seventies Green”.
My old Cheshire Cat was Glacier Blue with Dark Blue interior. Here are some photos that may help you to visualize the finished product:
That looks fantastic.
I am so glad I took onboard the constructive comments from you all about keeping the original colour combination.
I have fallen for the Glacier blue and fortunately was in time for the body shop to carry it out.
Visited the shop today and final preparation is being done for spaying next week.
When I pick it up I will load a few photos of the completed shell ready for the huge,but exciting task of re assembly.
My dark blue rear leather seats are in real good condition and I have located new leather front bucket seat covers which will really put it back to original.
Getting excited after all these years that everything I fit back on the car will now stay on for good,instead of all the trial fitting Ihave done.
Keep well
Paul
Totally agree! The color of mine was changed to black, and it looked good black. But there was really no question for me to return it back to the original competition orange.
Hi,
Looking for some more info to retain the original look of my car.
As mentioned it was found in a barn in pieces having been there since the early 80’s.I have no reason to believe the headlining was ever changed from factory and when removed it looked original.It was white with white sun visors which is a nice contrast with the dark blue interior.I am replacing with white.
I know the lower part of the dash(below the xr7 wood),glove box etc should be and was in satin black but I have a question about the rear parcel shelf.
Again the shelf looks original as do the correct twin speaker grills.The shelf and both grills are in satin black,if correct would the rear screen lower steel trims be black or dark blue?
Would that be correct as I have seen most 67 cougars match the colour of the shelf to the interior?
Thanks for your help.