Working thru a bunch of different projects rn that I have slated for the Cougar. but also trying to still enjoy some mixed in driving for the Summer/Fall season. I’m planning to share some of that work here over time.
Didin’t get the Marti yet, but for a base, this CA car was ordered/built (01/1968-San Jose) with quite alot of factory options for the time. I guess the original owner wanted it just a certain way.
Was your car built on 1/1/68? If so it had a lot of things that became optional on standard Cougars. We don’t know the exact date but it was around that time. Does your Cougar have shoulder harnesses?
Hi, built 01/05. and yep it does also have the optional shoulder belts (although for safety & convenience which brings along frequent use… i will likely do the 3-point conversion). and my 302 came with the Decor Group. there’s more but some of the other things include, center console (which i know in '68 is low numbers production item), factory A/C, power steering, power brakes, disc brakes (F), tinted glass, bumper guards F&R, vinyl roof.
If you have a Marti Report it might show the options. I expect the shoulder harnesses are required by Federal Law after 1 / 1 / 68 so they would not be optional. The things that may be options on your Marti Report are the shiny lower body side trim and the 302 - 2V engine. After the added brochure came out the 289-2V was added to the standard Cougar as the base engine and the shiny lower trim was eliminated from base Cougars but made as an option.
Thanks for checking in, and yep i am planning to get a Marti report for her. I’m restoring the heat box, core, water valve and A/C right now so after some digging around i discovered that the heater hose stripe color & type changed just few weeks after my build. so i made certain to order/use the correct white stripe '67- 01/31/68 repro hoses and even picked up 10 repro OEM style tower clamps for a finishing touch.
Just thought to say, I picked this category after looking them over, as i was really just trying to have you all see my car & have my 1st post here on the forum as an intro from us to you. But it seems that i may have chosen the wrong place to just enjoy seeing the car vs any deeper discussions that will certainly come later because i love all that. So, is there somewhere else i should have posted the car for an ‘introduction’ of my '68? Thanks much to everybody here.
You’re good. Most people come and read the new posts since their last visit. About the only category that matters is the for sale area
Not that it matters much my car did not have the shoulder belts and was built 1/5/68. I thought maybe they where missing but no evidence of the mounting bolt being threaded into the roof bung. Its there but was never tapped with threads
Nice car! It looks like a great starting point or even great driver as is!
Thanks, much appreciated. thats Lola and she is a beauty, but i need to make everything as perfect as possible on all my cars so, there’s much to address a little at a time. Appreciate you chiming in on the shoulder belts, from what i know from my door tag our cars were both built on the very same day 01/05/68 (mine was San Jose) and it seems that January was the transition from optional to standard so until i have a Marti i wont know if mine were ordered extra charge or standard. Do you have a report on your car? I’m curious because it seems many cars didn’t get the front shoulder straps so maybe some slipped thru the cracks during that mid-cycle JAN transition month where they DC’d the rears and went standard on fronts, and maybe even depending on which plant built which cars??
I do have a marti report, they are helpful in telling your cars story.
My order type was Fleet which is hard to say why but it was not a retail order so most likely and individual did not spec it out when new. Mine is a low option car with only the decor and wide oval tires being the only two option boxes checked. Non AC, drum manual brakes, 3 speed manual etc. all of which have been upgraded at this point.
Always interesting to see how cars got speced in the past. Its alot different then it is today thats for sure
Hey there to everyone here and those who were in the convo last time… I got the Marti on the ‘68
So Royce was right on several things with my car. First i was off my about a month on my production date which is 1/31/1968. He said the front shoulder belts were now standard from the Fed mandates, and also that in the cost cutbacks inside 1968 model year, they made the 289 standard and removed the lower moldings too, now optional. My car has both the F-code 302-2v and also the stainless rocker moldings, but it’s because they were part of the Decor Group option package.
But there are some discrepancies with the Marti report vs my actual Cougar. 1) is that I do in fact have the dash clock, which was a standalone option but does not show on my report. (That one could have been a dealer install per customer after sale though) And a much bigger one in question is 2) my car has, with 100% certainty, original factory dual exhaust system. It is not modded, nor custom fabricated. I even had my Ford buddy check it over with me and agreed there are zero signs of (other than replaced mufflers), anything but an original factory dual exhaust setup.
As well as the report since my car has quite a few options added on, I used the online generator to do a Monroney sticker for my car. It’s pretty interesting that in % percent terms and real money, someone would spend $1,200 for options on a $2,900 base Cougar. And I really love these type of things as I had family in the biz back in the day Dealer scene with Oldsmobile and Cadillac. Once I was old enough in HS, I started there 1st on the wash-rack and porter/detailer. Later being primed to be a future dealer so ended up working in every department over about 12 years time. I’ve lots of stories because this was going into unique times at GM Roger Smith era. peak sales & market share but cracks forming and the most horrid build quality off the line & resulting issues ever seen (and was there with the Cadillac trash motor nightmares too). I was receiving/inspecting and writing up every car off the truck from the factory into inventory. one of the other jobs I had then too and related to this post directly was for about 2.5yrs and in my teens, I now was responsible for ordering all the Olds inventory. That was when you actually designed and built each car as you wanted it via dozens of individual options, (and I had my favorites like the F41 firm ride & handling package. upgraded everything for $37 bucks!) other favs were Ttops, moonroofs, lamp monitors & gauge packages. but that long list gave endless 1,000s of of unique combination cars. A far cry from today’s limited paint colors, 2 or 3 forced option packages and a fake ‘black’ interior in every car which is actually not black at all but is dark gray.
Attached here the Marti & a generated Monroney sticker on Lola. did find Ford’s ‘68 option for the 302-2v equipped cars, offering the dual exhaust as a performance option for my motor setup only, no 289 & standard on all other motors. So I’d love to hear thoughts on what you guys, with all your years of FoMoCo knowledge & experience think on this stuff, especially the dual exhaust.
The dual exhaust system was not an option on the small block V8’s in 1968. The only way you could get dual exhaust is with the XR7-G package. Otherwise it was not an option even at the dealer. So that part does not make any sense.
The car is more than 50 years old so anyone could have installed the clock any time in the past years. Maybe the dealer did it when the car was new but it is doubtful.
Thanks Royce for clarifying that. What threw me off is when I found the window sticker generator from this CCC site. do you know who created it or put the options info up because here’s a screenshot showing the dual exhaust optional on 302-2V, N/A on 289 & standard on all others. Could you have a look here’s ss & link: Dream Cougar Window Sticker Generator
It seems odd that anyone, say 50-57 years back would spend that money to have an OEM dual system installed on a stock motor. but either way I’m glad it’s there. Sometime when the car is in the right spot for it, I’ll get pics of the exhaust system so you can see what you think.
I think anyone installs a dual exhaust system on a V8 - it’s human nature. I bet the exhaust system is something that was added in the last 50+ years too.
I have a 68 J code and the dual exhaust looks awful original to me. Happy to share photos.
yes, could you please as I’d like to compare it to what I see under there. Also, is the diameter 2” or 21/4” on yours? thanks.
My White 70 XR-7 had a factory dual exhaust added to it by the original owner who removed it from a 1969 351W 4V Cougar that had been scrapped. He took every nut and bolt and bolted it up to the 251W 2V in my car. The second owner put new pipes and mufflers on it before I bought it. I put on new reproduction H pipe and intermediate pipes. So as Royce and a few others have noted, your system most likely was added to your Cougar during its life. But IMHO it is a good upgrade even with the 2V carb.
Hi, that’s exactly what I was looking for online but couldn’t find that Dealer info or at least like my GM style RPO codes listed. I can’t get a build sheet because that Marti data begins at 1969.
What did come up online though was your thread from about 17yrs back when you were putting the Monroney generator together and it also showed the performance upgrade optional dual exhaust for 302-2v only. Whether off the line or added by someone later on with all Ford parts, (replaced mufflers aside) the system is very old and shows all signs of being OEM parts & configuration. It’s not on my Marti, but then again neither is the factory clock. so could be in error or someone had those 2 things added on to this car at some point.
