Hello all

Cougar Community Classic Cougar Community Discussion
1

Hey everybody,

I have been lurking on the Mecurycougar.net forums for a while learning all kinds of great info for my car and I just found this site thanks to XR7g428’s link in his posts.

My name is Robert, I live in New Orleans, LA and bought a 67 Coupe California smog car from a Houston classic car dealer. It was going to be a restomod project, but he decided he had too many already so he sold me the car without ever touching it. It has the 289 4 barrel, PS, PB (disks in front), A/C, “deluxe” seatbelts, and parchment interior.

I have had the car about 3 years now, and it still looks basically the same as when I bought it, except it now has all the same size rims, tires, and proper hub caps on it.

The reason for that is because I work offshore in the Gulf of Mexico as a “saturation diving technician”. I work on hydraulics, electronic control systems, electrical systems, pneumatics, refrigeration, etc, etc. Basically, if its on the boat and breaks, I fix it.

When I bought the car, I was working nonstop which gave me the money to buy all the parts that are now on the car (listed below), but little time to tear into big projects on it.
Now, with the gov’t at war with the oil industry down here, work is drying up and I have a lot more time off, but that many fewer paychecks coming in. So now I am shifting to more labor involved projects that require less cash spending on parts. At least the basic reliability and safety parts have been addressed.

So far, I have put the solid state tail light sequencer on it, new brakes front and rear, new booster and master cylinder, new stainless fuel tank, Autolite 4100 carb (best upgrade ever), upgraded greaseable door hinges, 14X7 rims on the rear (to replace the 17" rims someone had put on the rear but left the stock 14X6’s on the front???), new tires all the way around, pertronix ignition, plus the usual plugs, cap, wires, filters, fuel pump, new dual exhaust, etc, etc.

The car hasn’t been driven much due to ongoing transmission issues/minor leaks (okay, more like profuse leaks). So I am currently waiting on a C4 out of another 67 from WCCC that I will send to a shop and have rebuilt, upgraded, and tested before it goes back in the car with hopefully a one day swap. Then hopefully, it can be driven around while I take my time and go over each body panel to smooth and prime and flat black until I decide which color the car will become and save up for a crate engine swap.

Right now, by biggest worry is passenger floor board carpet that gets wet when the car is out in the rain. I’m scared I might have cowl repairs to do.

By bigredtruck at 2011-10-19

By bigredtruck at 2011-10-19

By bigredtruck at 2011-10-19

By bigredtruck at 2011-10-19

By bigredtruck at 2011-10-19

By bigredtruck at 2011-10-19

By bigredtruck at 2011-10-19

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_rLuMPdQS8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol4BzgEFxs4

2

Welcome Aboard ! Looks like a good solid project !

3

Thanks,

Amazingly, after putting in the solid state tail light sequencer, EVERY light on the car worked. Even the backup and license plate lights. I would have lost if I was betting that the 40+ year old wiring would all still work. I bought the car without seeing it in person just based on the condition of the interior and some other pics I had the seller take showing up close in certain areas that there was no rust on the car except the surface rust on the panels in the pic above.

Luckily, between power steering leaks, transmission leaks and valve cover leaks, the whole underside of the car is coating in a “petroleum and dirt based undercoating” and was saved from rusting over time.

All I need to do body wise is fix the usual rust around the back window and put a patch panel in in front of the passenger rear tire where someone took a turn too sharp and looks like they rubbed the car against something sticking out of the ground, like a short pole.

4

Welcome! Your car looks like it is pretty solid. The dreaded cowl leak :frowning: . Something that has to be such a pain to fix. Not sure if you have seen this video but it might help you fix your leak. Yes it’s a Mustang but they had the same problem. Good luck with your Cougar.
Steven

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKHn7fFP … rofilepage

5

That video was great!!! When I get back home, I am going to borrow a bore scope camera and see what I can find as well before tearing into the sheet metal.

I just the email from WCCC saying the trans has shipped. Now time to start looking for a good shop to do the work with a test bed.

6

Welcome aboard!

7

Welcome!

The bigger avatar looks less like someone wearing a gasmask :laughing:

I like the inside!

8

One mod I made, to alleviate any possibility of the “dreaded cowl leak”, was to weld plates in the vents flush with the cowl. Looks nice and smooth now, and, no leaks! It was also TONS easier than the cowl repair! LOL

Caveat: This will render your driver side fresh air vent useless, and your factory a/c, if so equipped. I’m going with Vintage Air, so no outside air access is needed. Just some factors to consider!

9

g’day - nice colour combination

10

Thanks, I though the primer and surface rust really tied the car together. The car being all one color was way too uneventful.


101-175 17th St, Golden Meadow, LA 70357, USA

11

Looks like you are water front? That has to be nice. Maybe also a challenge rust wise?

12

I can relate. I was having trouble with a FRONT turn signal and traced the wiring back to the sequential box. I had a spare mechanical unit that I swapped in and it cured the problem. Surprised me too. But I immediately swapped over to one of Vic’s electronic box and have never had a problem since.

13

Actually, I’m at work, I’m in a heavily used port with huge supply boats, crew boats, etc. Basically the majority of the support fleet for the Gulf of Mexico oil field uses this as it’s port of entry.

The Cougar is safely tucked away about 50 miles north in the suburbs.