The rear side panel is 1970 Cougar decore style interior. It matches the 1970 Cougar decore style door panel shown in an earlier photo of the right side door.
Randy Goodling
CCOA #95
Officially, zero. Unofficial test mules, who knows?
Randy Goodling
CCOA #95
here is a couple things to look for also,
look at rear axle for sway bar and or staggered shocks.
we have no idea how production engineering department did things, they may have only tested one thing instead of a full package. Or they may have just been looking for a way to speed up install of 428 on assembly line.
no matter what the story is, remember it is a special car.
Hmm… can I message you for info about the other Eliminator? I’d love to hear more about it 
For the build sheet, check under the carpet (not sure if anyone has specifically mentioned that yet). With the seats out you should be able to remove the door sill plates and lift the carpet up enough from the sides to get a good look under there. Many are found under the driver’s side carpet, but not always.
Randy, don’t tell anybody but I took a piece of sandpaper to the paint, and it isn’t chrome. Still looking through pictures from 92’s paint job for clues.
I couldn’t find any numbers on the block yet… I’m on a mission!
Randy:
The lack of the aforementioned chrome components, for one. But mainly because I don’t believe it was converted in house. Lots of reasons, but they include: 1) No reason to put a Cobra Jet in a car that was going to be a guinea pig for trial fitting body and interior pieces. 2) Why would they have re-sprayed the car, rather than having it painted an Eliminator color on the line? Blue and white were standard Cougar colors, and orange and bright yellow had been used in '68 on Shelbys, so were available. Special colors were done on the assembly line all the time, like the purple for the Rocky Mountain Insurance cars. Makes no sense to paint it one shade of yellow during assembly, just to turn around and re-paint it a different shade. 3) For that matter, why re-paint it at all? What difference would the paint color have possibly made when it came to test fitting parts? 4) Likewise, why build it with options like full wheel covers that were just going to be discarded in the conversion? 5) In fact, it was standard practice to omit unnecessary components for cars intended for further conversion, such as Shelbys and California Specials. No indication that was done here. 6) Would have made more sense to start with an XR-7, that at least would have had the clock, gauges, and sport mirror already installed. Or if starting with a standard, at least specifying the decor interior, since all '69 Eliminators got that. 7) A conversion early in the '69 model year doesn’t explain the '70 components installed. 8) Seems doubtful that Ford Corporate would have okayed releasing an extensively modified prototype model to the general public, even as a give-away. Or at least without updating the information on the door data plate, at very minimum. 9) No record or mention of such a converted car seems to exist anywhere.
Admittedly, none of these reasons conclusively prove that the conversion wasn’t done prior to the start of regular Eliminator production in April of '69. But taken together, the odds of the conversion taking place after the car left Lincoln-Mercury are far more favorable, IMO. Lots more Eliminators were made than have been accounted for. Parts from the cars that were wrecked, stolen and flood-damaged went somewhere. I’m betting some of them wound up here, after the car left L-M. That said, I’m willing to keep an open mind until proof one way or another is found. But I’ll be extremely skeptical of it being a “prototype Eliminator” until then.
Driver’s side shock is behind the wheel and passenger side is in front.
interesting!!! more pictures please
Taking pictures for you in my pajamas!
Not very good pictures
I hope you have expert coming to inspect this car. If I was a little closer I would enjoy taking a look, but I am no expert.
you might want to start a list of non invoice items
- eliminator items installed
- staggered shocks
- 351 installed
- 1970 Cougar decore style interior
- high back bucket seats
you sure it is a 351 not a Boss 302?
It was built as a 4 speed CJ car, so that would be expected.
Well…who should I call?
Ed always talked about his 351 Cleveland… never any talk o a Boss