I think it’s fine to have them mixed in with comments and such, because the opinion of the general public does matter. The judges are basically supposed to act as representatives of the classic Cougar community. Hopefully they won’t filibusterer when the time comes to decide.
Okay so here is my story about why i’m in for his cougar.
My Name is Tom ,i’m 25 years old and from Belgium,best way to get an idea is to explain a bit about myself.
I am the kind of guy who drives my current cougar day and night everywhere.
I also am the kind of guy who talks to his car and even got a name for it…
For some of you that sounds funny ,but hey ,its all about the passion!
The reason i do this stuff is because i really love those muscle cars.
But there is a big difference in buying a nice looking car and driving it ,(atleast for me)
Or buying a car and building it up from “scratch” and then driving it…
I simply don’t get the same feeling from a car that i did not work on…
This is the case for my current cougar ,which i bought in almost the same state as
this give away cougar is…
I owned a few other muscle cars before my cougar,
I owned a 71 cougar which was my first car ,a 73 plymouth satellite and a 73 camaro
I worked on all of them ,replacing what was necessary……
Come to think of it , i never had a newer car…
I still remember my first car and the mechanical skill i had back then….
I could not even change a spark plug…but i knew from day one i loved working on those cars
And growing in experience over the years i really became good in fixing or replacing stuff…
But the cars i had owned where all in a decent shape and did not need much attention…
Atleast compared to my Cougar they did not….
Because of that i enjoyed the cars but my hearth and passion was not in them…
Then i came across this 70 Cougar Xr7 ( which i did not know back then it was an xr7 )
it stood in and old dusty garage ,allot of pieces missing and in need of much attention…
And Boom that’s a long story short….I wanted that car…i saw me bringin it back to life.
Like a kid in the candy store i was filled with joy…only difference that i bought some bad
candy that day…
So i bought the car and started building it up back to its glory.
For 2 years and a couple of months i worked almost everyday on that car…
Most of the time all by myself,locking myself up in the garage untill night realising i’d
better go to sleep cause i needed to go to work in a couple of hours….
I’m not gonna describe everything i changed on the car ,i’ll add a link below here so
You can see what i did to the car…
Because of all the work ,hours and time i spend on the car i really love driving my car.
I’ve spend all my heart and passion in to the car and enjoyed bringing this car back to life…
That’s also the reason why i am writing this all down here, i don’t want a car in good shape…
I want a car which i can bring back to life ,the satisfaction of looking at it in the end and knowing
it will be around for another X years because of the passion you put into it.
And i think allot of you guys know what i am talking about, its hard to describe really….
I have the room and tools to fix this cougar.
Over the past years i have gathered lots of tools and equipment
I have a large (hall) garage with a ‘bridge’ to lift cars.
I also have the time for it and by now all of the side effects from the previous build are fading away…
So i need to get those back before i start getting normal…
Last thing i want to mention is that i am not the perfect mechanic ,i am still learning…
( Luckily my dad knows allot of cars so he’s my sidekick when needed 
,and allot of my friends drive muscle cars ,1 even has a 68 cougar)
I do 90% myself but i still need your help to, because me and my friends don”t know everything from a cougar……
On the other cougar forum where lots of you guys are probally on to, i have gotten allot of help with my current cougar when i was in doubt
of installing a piece or when i didn’t understand something…
I am gratefull to all of the guys on the mercury cougar forum who helped me out when i was in ‘trouble’ and
that way helped me finish my cougar.(or when looking for parts !)
If i win this cougar i hope you guys will help me out when needed and that way we
can save another cougar and i will be a proud owner for sure!
I dont have specific plans for it ,my first things would be fixing the body and suspension.
For me a car does not have to be original but i’m thinking of making it like it was back then.
Just because the factory “conditions” were beautifull on this car.
And guys, i tried to make a short story here…
You’d better be happy i don’t say allot on the forums…because once i start there is
just no end to it….
The whole morale of this story is that i came from 0 experience to my current level
And its all because of passion , and that’s what i want you guys to know.
Here is the link where you can view my current cougar and a few before and after pictures.
http://s1119.beta.photobucket.com/user/CougarChuck/library/
Realise i should have taken more just bought pictures…
Edit ,some pictures for everyone to see right away ,before and after
Everything missing or broken on the picture is fixed but these pictures are from the first test drive
Thanks for reading this,
Greets Tom!
also have the time for it and by now all of the side effects from the previous build are fading away…
So i need to get those back before i start getting normal… 
another well put line 
Some great entries so far! Tom in Belgium, good job on your essay, especially considering English is not your first language (or so I assume). Sure would be cool to see the car go to Europe. Which reminds me, I think WCCC TV needs to take a trip to Europe and do a series on the Cougars that have made it over there. Tom can we stay at you house? 
So, I think I need to clarify how this is going to work. Don just made a comment about voting that is backwards, so disregard that.
Here is what I propose: Once all the entries are in on July 4, we’ll compile them all together into a voting thread, in which the public will vote to decide on the top 10 entries. From there, the judges will deliberate and pick a final winner. And the judging process will have a somewhat organized methodology, more so than just picking their favorite. What do you all think, does this sound like a fair way to run it?
You beat me to it, yeah I got a chuckle out of that and those are words any true car can identify with. The pet name too, LOL! If I were voting this is the one I would vote for to this point! Another thought, anyone willing to pay shipping and duties on a car like this is probably going to do something with it!
to Chuck from Belgium, a lot of what he wrote sums up what kept me going for just under seven years on my odyssey and also what has me still obsessed with the finished product going on two years later. Sometimes I still go out to the garage just to sit in the car and catch the smell of the leather, look at the various sexy aspects of the car (and let’s face it, on a Cougar there’s a lot that’s sexy!), listen to the stereo, remember the toiling and the satisfaction, it was all good. Hell, even the smell of the exhaust fumes when you first start it up are intoxicating! Anyway, I liked Chucks essay a lot too.
So do you full on disclose this to non car people including your wife or kind of down play it a little like “I need to go get something in the garage, be right back”. I confess to the latter often…
I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one that does this!
My wife must be abnormal. I tell her I’m going to the garage and a couple hours later she brings me a sandwich.
So the exact opposite of what Peg Bundy would do, huh?
She sounds like a keeper, Al.
My excuse is the same , i need to get something in the garage , like what ?,you wouldn"t understand…
Then she’s like ,are you gonna go and sit in your car again ??
…Maybe…RUN!
@Blitz ,my language is dutch, i learned english on my own.
And do come on over , just mention it like one year in advance so i can build some extra rooms at my place…will be a tight situation otherwise…
Well since i"m talking about it… a short version of the story…
But me and my girlfriend actually live in a garage…but we just made a studio out of it.
I’m imagining all of you like f******k…but believe me, its the most wicked garage ever.
^^ reading my essay and the building i live in, i’m thinking i will probably be reincarnated as a car…^^ :s
‘disclaimer note , i do have hobbies and a life’
@1969XR7Vert , Thanks for the comment , i followed your thread of your restoration and
that was one crazy makeover !learned allot of it.
Thanks guys !
Greets !
There may be many others far more qualified to win such a beautiful car. I would love the opportunity! Of course, I want to save them all! My shop here, is more than just a shop. Friends all come here for advice, a floor jack, a soda, or just plain hang out. Lot’s of Ford and chevy arguments here. Yep! Ford guy, big time. Last night, got a call to go help out a friend with a brake job. Always good to help out a friend in need if I can. Not always able to help everyone out, but someone is usually a phone call away. WCCC, I’d like to thank you for the rear spoiler. I’m putting it on my 68 Galaxie, and does it ever look cool! I also put a hood scoop on from a 65 T-Bird. Trying to keep much of the car as original as possible. Thanks for being there, and for helping save as many of those gems as possible! If that Cougar ever comes my way, I promise to give it a good home. I’ve been fond of these since I was a teen as saw those tail lights! I’ve just never been able to get one. Thanks again! Jerome
Hello, my name is Derrick Medlock and I live in Kentucky and spend all my time trying to save old Fords. Cougars is one of my greatest passions and I would love to save them all but just can’t buy them all. But since your giving this one away, I would be more than happy to spare it from the crusher. I already have a '68 GT 390 engine sitting in my garage that I’m dying to use and a 4 speed console. How convenient is that? Also I have been restoring a '68 XR7 GT 390 Cougar so they are no suprise to me. I take restoring these old cars very seriously and have been doing it since 1998 when I purchased my first classic car, a 1968 Mustang Fastback. It was in no danger of reaching a crusher, but after watching the Steve McQueen classic, Bullitt, I had to have one. Next I purchased a 1974 Ford Gran Torino with no engine or tranny and completely restored it in triple black. This car was heading to the crusher for sure but I bought it for $250.00 and brought it back to life.
Well anyway, I have saved many others and always restore them in original condition. No restomods! Everything right down to the factory radio. My projects grow, my garages grow, and my parts grow. Literaly, I am tripping over all the extra parts I’ve accumlated over the years. Things that my local junkyards want to throw away regardless of rarity and I can’t stand to see it come to that. I buy up all the parts I can get off of the cars before there crused. Seriously, I am a car junkie. I never give up on a project and and imagine saving some of the worst.
Basically, the point I’m trying to express, I will never abandon this car and will feel a great since of pride for being given the opportunity. If I restored this car, it would most likely look as it did originally. I am a fan of green and even though Lime Frost is a very common color on Cougars and Mustangs and so on of the late 60’s, I still think it looks terrific on the Cougar body. Color accentuates their beatiful flowing body lines. Here in Kentucky, Cougars are pretty slim. You almost never see them in any of our car shows, and this one, given the chance, would most difinitely be in one. I would show it off every chance and give Kentucky residents a jaw dropping affect. So, please let this bad boy be resurrected in my garage. Please check out some of my other rides at http://www.cardomain.com. My id is SuperFineAutos2 I think you’ll agree, I’m a car nut and would defend this car from the elements and as soon as I saw the essay give away on youtube, I immediatley wrote this essay. Thank you so much and I will be dreaming about the car and hopefully bringing it home.
Purrrrfect…
" I already have a '68 GT 390 engine sitting in my garage that I’m dying to use and a 4 speed console. How convenient is that? "
You guys submitting short to the point essays are doing fine, in fact the long drawn out ones can get kind of hard to read. But! To grab attention pictures do wonders, trust me on this one… There will be many more entries and the ones that make it to the top will have something that grabs at you. Videos are even better!
Hmmm, so if I drive my cougar to the local Hooters restaurant for lunch and get the waitresses in the video entry will that improve my odds? LOL.
If you can post the pictures here, that would be better. The link just takes you to the car domain site, nothing specific.
Thanks for posting and welcome to CCC.
Introducing the Judges!
Well, it’s about time I let the cat(s) out of the bag and unveil who the judges are going to be for this contest, and why they were chosen. In no particular order, here they are:
Brian Carpenter (screen name: BossElim69)
Brian’s day job is in the auto industry, specifically doing research & development for engine valve train systems. His love for Cougars goes back to 1985, when he got his first Cougar, a 1968 standard, that he restored / resto-modded himself. He still owns that car today. Since then he has owned and restored a handful of special Cougars, including a '69 Boss 302 Eliminator, and a '68 390 XR7-G that he did a full concours restoration on. Today, Brian has eight Cougars and one Mustang (a '70 Boss 302 he also restored) and most of them are unique big block cars. Right now he’s working on a 1969 XR-7 390-4V, as seen on this forum, and has some other cool Cougars waiting to be fixed up too. He does most of the restoration work himself, and is a wealth of Cougar knowledge. For these reasons, we chose Brian as a judge.
Don Skinner (screen name: Capt. Runnamok)
Don has been editor for the Cascade Cougar Club for over eight years now. For the last seven years Don has been writing articles about Cougars. Each year the articles have been compiled into a magazine and published. The CCOA along with some other people are making noises about Don doing a “big book” of all the articles and having it published. He owns a '67 GT Cougar that has been with him for 23 years now. He has gone through the car from stem to stern doing almost all the work himself. The Cougar was judged for four years and Don and his wife Cheryl were concours judges of interiors and trunks during that time. His car was awarded first place in the 1967 - 1968 GT Class, at the 2007 Cougar Nationals in Denver. His active role in the Cougar community and his firsthand knowledge restoring a '67 GT Cougar make him a natural fit as a judge for this contest.
Brian Aust (screen name: BAust)
Brian has loved the first-generation Cougars since he was a kid in the 70’s, but it took until 2005 for him to finally get his first Cougar. He did it properly, however, by buying a black cherry '68 XR7-G. Living just a few miles from a place called West Coast Classic Cougar, he was able to have easy access to parts, and developed a lasting relationship with Don Rush & company that has been valuable for both of them. Without having much experience with old cars to begin with, Brian dove into the hobby headfirst by tackling a high-end restoration project on a '68 427 GT-E Cougar he acquired on eBay, which he then took to Barrett-Jackson where it set a world record price for a stock Cougar. Shortly after this auction, he came across and bought a pristine, all-original 1967 XR-7 GT with a 4 speed. This car is absolute time capsule. So, from all-out restorations to stock, untouched original drivers, Brian has experienced a wide spectrum of first-generation Cougar ownership. This, along with his inquisitive nature and can-do attitude make him a great choice for a judge in this contest.
Mark Dienes (screen name: Local Hero)
Mark has been working on cars alongside his dad since he first inherited his Cougar in 1978 at age 12 from his grandfather. Using leftover equipment from a Texaco service station his father used to own, they started building street rods and custom cars together. Mark learned fabrication, welding, paint and bodywork and all mechanical work from these experiences with his father. They still work on cars together to this day. Mark has always done custom work on his cars with the belief that he could never justify spending all that time and money on a car project, only to take it to a show and end up seeing at least one other that looked exactly the same. His customizing style incorporates subtle mods that enhance the car’s factory lines and are often overlooked the first time seeing the car. Because Mark is such an active member of the forum and Cougar community, and because of his unique perspective on restoring and customizing first-gen Cougars, we chose him as a judge.
Ashe Johnson (screen name: Ashes)
As last year’s Eliminator giveaway essay contest winner, Ashe brings an experience that nobody else can claim: winning of a Cougar from WCCC! She knows what it takes to write a winning essay, and what factors make a contestant stand out from the crowd. Also, being in her early 20’s, she brings the unique point of view of a young person who is enthusiastic about Cougars, and is in the early stages of learning about them while working on her own car. Thanks to her dad, Ashe has been a Cougar lover for as long as she can remember. Having an extensive knowledge of Cougars, or cars in general, is not something we expect from everyone entering this contest. The important thing is the passion and enthusiasm to jump right in, get dirty, and see the car to completion. Since Ashe has dived into her Eliminator project, and because of the unique perspective she brings to the table, we chose her as an ideal candidate to complete the judging panel.
So, there are your judges!
As said before, the general public (or more accurately, anyone who is a member of this forum) will decide on the best 10 entries by popular vote. Then, these judges will deliberate over the top 10 and decide on the final winner and runner-ups. Let the games continue! Thanks again for the enthusiasm and support from everyone!
(P.S. to the judges, if you want to use a different picture, i.e. one that has you in it, let me know!)
That’s a good panel of judges.
Lot of cerebral horsepower there.
hi my name is Jay Johnson I’m 18 years old and am currently enrolled in WyoTech’s Collision and refinishing program and will be taking multiple add on courses while attending. I’ve been working on cars since i could walk and i am a huge ford fan. i am a big fan of torinos and have a few fords but never have had a mercury, even tho I’ve always wanted one, i would love to have cougar and build it with my little brother or sister. all of my siblings(5,7,16) are really big into helping me and my dad in the garage when we are working and in my opinion its never to early to start a project, especially with family. I’ve got lots of friends that have fords and i know that if i needed any help working on the car i could get the help from them. i also have a friend that has an eliminator that I’ve always wanted so it would be very cool to have this car in my house hold for the Johnson family to bond over. thank you for your time and consideration.
Thank you West Coast Classic Cougar for picking me to be one of your judges. What an honor! I know Brian Aust but I don’t know the other judges, but I do want to talk to Mike Dienes. Mike, please contact me via email, I want to talk Custom Cougars with you. You can reach me through Membership@Cascadecougarclub.com as I’m also the club’s membership Coordinator.
I’ve read through the entries so far and I have two favorites, some are ok and others don’t cut the mustard. As I’m reading I notice things like bad spelling, bad grammar, no capitalzation of propper names or at the beginning of a sentence.
All the Cougar Community has to go by in choosing these entries is what you put down in words, so that is how we see you. And, as you all know, first impressions are . . . first impressions. In judging the entries I will be looking at the details, and the passion, don’t forget the passion. Use spell check, use grammar check, have someone proof read your entry, have two people read your entry before you post it. Someone who doesn’t do the details in a word contest probably won’t do the details on a real, full sized Cougar.