I hate to admit it, but I don’t much about working on classic cars. I know just enough to screw something up. If i remember correctly, it has a 429 in it and a ton of upgrades from summit. I was told by my father in laws friend, that it overheated on the highway and he had to change the alternator a lot. I drove it for an hr on the freeway to my house and it’s water temp started at about 180° and then went up to 220° and stayed steady there the rest of the ride. Is it normal for it to stay at 220°? And any tips on the alternator problem?
Welcome to the Classic Cougar Community. I’m not sure of the alternator issue, maybe a regulator issue. The car running at 220 on the freeway is a issue. You stated the your Cougar has a 429. The 429 did not come in a 1970 Cougar so other changes have to be done to accommodate the Lima Series engine. The 429 has been swapped in by other Cougar owners. It could be a radiator issue. At highway speeds I’d think for temp would be much lower.
Steven
Sorry to hear of the loss of your father in law. If you could post a picture of the engine we can tell what series it is. Maybe not the exact engine size but close. If it does have a 429 in it it will need a big radiator to handle it. I like hte color combo. It is the same as my hard top XR-7. Also what part of the world are you in? Maybe someone close who can help you some as you learn how to work on this car. You will want to be careful about the shops you take it to. Many now don’t know how to work on them. They can’t plug in to the OBD for codes.
The hood scoop looks to have (a) 460? emblem(s) on it? And it has sidepipes! Interesting to say the least…
Welcome to the club! Neat looking car! Lots of good folks are here to help you out.
Welcome!
I took the liberty of rotating your photo.
As mentioned before, some pics of the engine would be great.
- Phillip
I took the liberty of rotating your photo.
I thought it was just on the launching pad!
Welcome aboard! Good looking car, and it looks like the family is enjoying it too! Awesome!
Sorry to hear about your Father-in-law though, that part sucks :-/
Don’t worry about not knowing much about working on classic cars - it looks like most of the “heavy lifting” has already been done. All you should have to worry about are turning nuts and bolts, changing fluids, and maybe some fine tuning here and there.
Remember to take “before” pictures so you can figure out how to put things back together/
Oh, and watch your head on the “Hood Fang” 
Alternator… could be related to using “cheap” units from overseas. Depending on what you have, you may need to look into a good solid state voltage regulator, and a more “robust” alternator (one that will stand up to higher underhood temps). You may also want to find an alternator supplier that gives a “lifetime warranty”, to at least mitigate costs a bit.
Temps… Does it overheat / get hot when driving around town at all?
High temps at highway speeds can indicate an inadequate radiator - either too small, or gunked up from age / contaminants.
Another thing to consider is whether or not the measured temperature is actually accurate.
What are you using to determine the temps of 180 and 220? Is there an aftermarket temp meter installed? I’m asking because replacement temperature sensors are known to not match the factory sensors very closely.
If you have one of those hand-held infrared / laser thermometers gather some temperature data the next time you have the car out. Take measurements on the metal water neck where the radiator hose connects to the top of the engine (other folks might chime in with other good locations for temp checks).
Ok, start with that and we can go from there.
Looks like your hood scoop emblem says 460? Pretty much the same as 429…
Welcome. Overheating on the freeway can be a radiator issue, I’ve also had caps not sealing cause a hot running car at higher speeds. If it is a 429 or 460 you need a BIG radiator to keep that temperature tamed. Don’t go below a 180 degree thermostat either. I would definitely go by the hardware store and get a temp gun and take some readings at the water neck where it meets the upper radiator hose a previously mentioned. It’s a great looking car, and I’m sure you’ll get it sorted out. What a great ride to learn on, just take baby steps on what you start working on, be meticulous and get yourself a good service manual. And don’t be afraid to ask questions. What may seem like a stupid question could prevent a lot of headaches later on, so if you don’t know, ask.
If there is no thermostat installed, put one in.