This board exists to promote the Cougar Hobby. People find this site when they have either just bought a Cougar or they are thinking about buying one. The good news is that compared to a lot of other classic cars there is a ton of information available, If you can find it.
I put together a Welcome letter for new members to help them discover a few of the resources available to Cougar enthusiasts. Is there a volunteer that would be willing to watch the New Member section on the Board index page and to send this to new members as email and a PM? I would also like to put together a How to Post letter that would go as a separate email. You would be surprised at the number of requests I get for very basic help.
Here is the letter as I have it right now. Additions and corrections are welcome!
Greetings Cougar Owners!
“If I’d only known that…” Cougars are scarce, but the help you need to restore, repair, and maintain, your Classic Cougar is available. If you have been around Cougars for a while you may already be familiar with some of these. If you are new to the Classic Mercury Cougar, this should open the door to a wealth of helpful information.
Cougar Enthusiast Forums
Classic Cougar Community .Com https://classiccougarcommunity.com/forum/
Owned and operated by Cougar Enthusiasts, this is a great place to find answers and advice from people who know and love Cougars. Check out the Ride of the Month; some of the coolest Cougars are honored here.
Mercury Cougar .Net http://www.mercurycougar.net/forums/index.php
The oldest Cougar forum on the web. Lots of history here and a great place to search years of archived posts that answer just about every question you might have.
Classic Cougar Garage .Net http://www.classiccougargarage.net/
Great Tech articles and great discussion! If you are interested in learning more about how to modify your Cougar, these guys have done it all.
Cougar Websites
The Cougar Window Sticker Generator https://classiccougarcommunity.com/dreamcougar/
See what the window sticker for your Cougar would look like, completely priced out. Or spec out your dream Cougar and see exactly what the window sticker would have looked like. ('68 only for now)
Ford Mercury Cougar XR7 http://www.fordmercurycougarxr7.com/pages/Startpage.html
Fred is a Cougar enthusiast in Germany. Many of the items on his site were taken from the now defunct TCCN site, as well as many other places. How he got the material remains a mystery, but there is some great reading there.
Cougar Books and Magazines
Legendary Cougar Magazine http://legendarycougar.com/
The only magazine dedicated to classic Cougars. Published 6 times per year, offered by subscription only. Available online or in print, or both.
The Big Book: Mercury Cougar the Classic Years 1967-1973 by Don Skinner
The most complete volume of Cougar facts and figures ever offered. The culmination of a 7 year effort. Available from West Coast Classic Cougar.
Cougar Parts
There are four vendors that are dedicated to the Classic Cougar, listed alphabetically.
Cascade Classics http://www.cascadeclassics.com/
John’s Classic Cougars http://www.johnsclassiccougars.com/
Kens Cougars http://www.kenscougars.com/
West Coast Classic Cougars http://www.westcoastclassiccougarinc.com/
Cougar Clubs and Registries
Cougar Club of America http://www.cougarclub.org/
This is the granddaddy of them all. Check out the CCOA to learn about the unique background of the Cougar. Decode your VIN number, add your car to the National Data Base, and learn about lots of great tech stuff. The Special Registries are a great place to learn more about some extremely rare, and sometimes very valuable Cougars. Did you know there were Cougar station wagons?
XR7-G Registry http://xr7g.mercurycougarregistry.com/
GT-E Registry http://gte.mercurycougarregistry.com/
Eliminator Registry http://eliminator.mercurycougarregistry.com/
429 Cobra Jet Registry. http://www.429mustangcougarinfo.50megs.com/71_429_cougar_registry.htm
It can be a little overwhelming at first with so much info. I think the community as a whole does a great job of welcoming new members when they announce themselves. Although I am wondering about sending emails , are those going to be from a “site” email or will volunteers be using their own. I applaud Steven for jumping out and OldWood 2nding 