LOL, 
BUMP!
You know you want it, you know your wife doesnāt want you to have it, you know you can make it ārightā again! Post up those essays, or anything else to keep the interest up.
Hey, I was just wonderingā¦
Does WCCC send out Christmas cards? The Eliminator Contest pic would make a cool Christmas card / post card
Announcement time!
Deadline extended to 1/31/2012
You may ask: Why!?!? Well, first of all, we still havenāt even gotten 10 entries. Remember how we said we would choose the top 10 for everyone to vote on? Plus, we realized that since the old Dec. 31 deadline falls right into the holidays, many people are too busy to get their entries in right now.
Secondly, weāre launching a new email newsletter, in which we will feature the contest. With this, we are hoping to reach a wider audience, and hopefully get a few more entries.
So, quit procrastinating and get those entries in! No more extensions! (This isnāt the government after all!) 
I thought we had at least 10. Hmmmmm, Does this mean that I should put my story on the list? Not saying I would have a chance but, itās a story and may help the contest get under way.
Here is the latest!
Hello! My name is Ashe Johnson. Iām a college senior in Georgia. I would love to be considered for this contest!
My dadās first car was a 1970 Cougar. He still has it. Through my lifetime, it has been restored from the ground up. When I was a kid I used to help him work on it; I have many fond memories of sitting in the garage on the weekends and either helping out or just watching dad work. The concrete and grease ācar garageā smell is so comforting to me. We were members of the Georgia Cougar Club most of my life, until it disbanded. Iāve always wanted to have my own Cougar!
I learned to drive on a stick shift. Iāve admired muscle cars my whole life; the roar of the engine, the wind in my hair with the windows rolled down on a beautiful day, a cleared mind and the rush of being in control as you switch from gear to gearā¦ thereās just nothing else like it.
Dad found out about this contest and encouraged me to enter. Weāve always talked about building a Cougar together, and it would be so amazing to be able to make that dream a reality. If I win the Frankenliminator, we would hire your body guy to do the floor pans and quarter panels. Dad will be funding the restoration, and beyond the body work done by your guy we would work on it together the rest of the way. It would be a great father/daughter project and give me a lot more experience working under the hood. Iād like to put a 5-speed in it, do the interior in black, and paint the exterior competition blue (with the black hood stripe). Once we finish it, it would be my daily driver. I would love to take it to car shows!
I do not have a car collection or a to-do list of projects.
This would not be just a car to me.
This would be THE car.
I would give this car the love and attention it deserves, and I would keep this car for the rest of my life.
I would absolutely LOVE to win this Eliminator!!
My 22 year old son graduated from college today and the wife and I were honored to drive up to Northern LA to attend the graduation. We drove up last night, a five hour trip and back down this afternoon which was another 5 hours, so we had time to chat.
I thought that I would post this!
TOP TEN REASONS why my wife wants me to win a Mercury Cougar Eliminator
10 Sheās a CAT lover.
9 She likes the smell of exhaust fumes.
8 Weāre spending our kidsā inheritance.
7 Who needs money for retirement?
6 A girl can only have so much jewelry before it all starts to look the same.
5 Sheās tired of hearing, āWhen I win my ELIMINATORā¦ā.
4 At least she knows Iāll be in the garage.
3 She loves the color GREEN.
2 TWO Cougars just arenāt enough!
AND THE NUMBER ONE REASON THAT MY WIFE WANTS ME TO WIN THE MERCURY COUGAR ELIMINATOR
1 She just wants to see me happy
Saw this on the MCnet āBlogā section (whatever that is) and thought I should make sure for April that it gets where it belongs. So here it is:
DEAR WEST COAST COUGARS:
IāM WRITING TO ENTER MY HUSBAND IN YOUR CONTEST FOR THE 70 COUGAR ELIMINATOR. THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS WHY HE DESERVES THIS CAR. FIRST, LET ME START OFF BY GIVING YOU A LITTLE HISTORY OF HIM. HIS NAME IS MICHAEL DZIABO AND HE IS ONE OF THE HARDEST WORKING MEN I KNOW. HEāS A MASTER MECHANIC SO HE KNOWS HIS WAY AROUND CARS. AFTER WORKING AT THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP FOR ABOUT 13 YEARS, HE WAS LET GO BECAUSE THEY WERE GOING INTO āDIFFERENT DIRECTIONSā. HE WAS DEVASTATED; HEāS A VERY PROUD MAN AND COULDNāT BELIEVE IT. WE HAD JUST BOUGHT OUR HOME AND HE WAS VERY WORRIED HOW WE WERE GOING TO MAKE ENDS MEET. FORTUNATELY HE GOT THE JOB HE HAS NOW WORKING FOR THE CARSON CITY SCHOOL DIST. IT HURT US FINANCIALLY; WE HAD TO TAKE AN APPROXIMATE $12,000.00 A YEAR CUT IN PAY. THEREFORE, WEāVE HAD TO CUT BACK ON EVERYTHING. THERE IS NO EXTRA MONEY FOR āFUNā. MIKE IS ALSO THE STEP DAD TO MY 2 CHILDREN AND HAS BEEN FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS. THEY THINK OF HIM AS DAD. WE MARRIED WHEN OUR DAUGHTER WAS 8 AND OUR SON WAS 11. TALK ABOUT TOUGH YEARS! THIS MAN HAS BEEN THROUGH TEENAGE YEARS, SICKNESS, AND MANY DIFFICULT TIMES, BUT NEVER GAVE UP ON US. HEāS A WONDERFUL DAD AND HUSBAND. HE ALWAYS PUT THE KIDS NEEDS FIRST, AND NEVER COMPLAINED WHEN WE DIDNāT HAVE MONEY TO DO ANYTHING FOR OURSELVES. EVEN NOW HE HELPS OUR DAUGHTER WHO IS A SINGLE MOM AND GOING TO SCHOOL. HE PICKS UP OUR GRANDSON AND BRINGS HIM HOME AND ALSO TAKES HIM TO DAYCARE SO SHE CAN WORK AND FINISH HER EDUCATION. OUR GRANDSON IS 2 AND HELPS GRANDPA WORK ON THE COUGAR. WEāVE HAD IT RUFF SINCE WE MOVED TO NEVADA 18 YEARS AGO. BOTH OUR KIDS WERE SICK, MY SON WAS IN UC SAN FRANCISCO FOR A DISEASE THEY NEVER DID FIGURE OUT. LUCKILY HEāS DOING FINE. MIKE NEVER ONCE COMPLAINED ABOUT MY BEING GONE AND HIM HAVING TO PICK UP WHERE I COULDNāT TAKE CARE OF THINGS. HE TOOK CARE OF OUR DAUGHTER, ANIMALS, AND HOME WHILE I WAS AWAY. IN ADDITION TO GOING TO WORK EVERY DAY. HEāS HELPED MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEIR CARS AND COULDNāT AFFORD TO PAY US. ABOUT A YEAR AGO I WAS AT A FRIENDāS HORSE RANCH AND THERE WAS A 1970 MERCURY COUGAR BEING STORED THERE BY THE OWNERāS SON. I ASKED IF HEāD BE INTERESTED IN SELLING IT AND SHE TOLD ME SHEāD ASK HIM. HE CALLED ME AND ASKED WHY I WANTED TO BUY IT AND I TOLD HIM ITāS BEEN MY HUSBANDāS DREAM TO HAVE A CAR TO REBUILD. HE STATED HE WOULD NOT SELL IT TO ME; HEāD ONLY GIVE IT TO ME BECAUSE OF THE HELP WE HAD GIVEN HIS PARENTS. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT KIND OF CAR MY HUSBAND WANTED BUT WAS EXCITED TO GIVE THIS TO HIM FOR CHRISTMAS. WHEN I TOOK HIM TO THE CAR AND TOLD HIM MERRY CHRISTMAS HE DIDNāT KNOW WHAT TO SAY. HEāS BEEN LOOKING ON THE WEST COAST COUGAR SITE DAY AND NIGHT DREAMING OF HOW HE WANTS TO FIX THIS COUGAR UP. HE SAW THE ELIMINATOR ON THE SAME SITE AND TOLD ME THIS IS WHAT HE REALLY WANTED. HE SAID HE COULD USE THE CAR HE HAS NOW AS A PARTS CAR AND FIX THE ELIMINATOR UP. THAT IS WHAT BROUGHT ME TO WRITING TO YOU TO ENTER HIM. I HONESTLY FEEL HE DESERVES TO WIN THIS CAR, AND THEN HE CAN FULLFILL HIS DREAM. ITāS HIS TURN FOR āFUNā. HE HAS NO IDEA IāM SUBMITTING THIS LETTER, BUT I WANT HIM TO KNOW HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE HIM FOR BEING THERE FOR MYSELF AND OUR 2 KIDS.
SINCERELY,
APRIL DZIABO
MICHAEL DZIABOāS WIFE
MIKE DZIABO
STAGECOACH, NV 89429
775-691-4019 .
I found this version a little easier to read, slow news day here in the Rockiesā¦
Iām writing to enter my husband in your contest for the 70 cougar eliminator. There are several reasons why he deserves this car. First, let me start off by giving you a little history of him. His name is Michael Dziabo and he is one of the hardest working men I know. Heās a master mechanic so he knows his way around cars. After working at the local ford dealership for about 13 years, he was let go because they were going into ādifferent directionsā. He was devastated; heās a very proud man and couldnāt believe it.
We had just bought our home and he was very worried how we were going to make ends meet. Fortunately he got the job he has now working for the Carson City school dist. it hurt us financially; we had to take an approximate $12,000.00 a year cut in pay. Therefore, weāve had to cut back on everything. There is no extra money for āfunā.
Mike is also the step dad to my 2 children and has been for almost 20 years. They think of him as dad. We married when our daughter was 8 and our son was 11. Talk about tough years! This man has been through teenage years, sickness, and many difficult times, but never gave up on us. Heās a wonderful dad and husband. He always put the kidās needs first, and never complained when we didnāt have money to do anything for ourselves. Even now he helps our daughter who is a single mom and going to school.
He picks up our grandson and brings him home and also takes him to daycare so she can work and finish her education. Our grandson is 2 and helps grandpa work on the cougar.
Weāve had it ruff since we moved to Nevada 18 years ago. Both our kids were sick, my son was in UC San Francisco for a disease they never did figure out. Luckily heās doing fine. Mike never once complained about my being gone and him having to pick up where I couldnāt take care of things. He took care of our daughter, animals, and home while i was away.
In addition to going to work every day. Heās helped many people who have had problems with their cars and couldnāt afford to pay us. About a year ago I was at a friendās horse ranch and there was a 1970 mercury cougar being stored there by the ownerās son. I asked if heād be interested in selling it and she told me sheād ask him. He called me and asked why I wanted to buy it and I told him itās been my husbandās dream to have a car to rebuild. He stated he would not sell it to me; heād only give it to me because of the help we had given his parents.
I had no idea what kind of car my husband wanted but was excited to give this to him for Christmas. When I took him to the car and told him merry Christmas he didnāt know what to say. Heās been looking on the west coast cougar site day and night dreaming of how he wants to fix this cougar up. He saw the eliminator on the same site and told me this is what he really wanted. He said he could use the car he has now as a parts car and fix the eliminator up.
That is what brought me to writing to you to enter him. I honestly feel he deserves to win this car, and then he can fulfill his dream. Itās his turn for āfunā. He has no idea Iām submitting this letter, but I want him to know how much I appreciate him for being there for myself and our 2 kids.
Sincerely,
April Dziabo
Michael Dziaboās wifeMmike Dziabo
Stagecoach, NV 89429
775-691-4019 .
Now we are getting somewhere. Storyās like these will make it very hard to figure out who will be the one!
Even if he does not win having a wife take the initiative to do a write up like that will be a gift he will not forget. Very niceā¦
Ok, This is not for me, This is for Mrs. Sleepycat, who asked me to write an essay for her. I couldnāt think of how to put it from her perspective, so Iāll try it from mine.
In December 2006, she was diagnosed with Rectal Cancer. The surgery was done to remove the tumor, and completed a Grueling regimen of Chemo, and Radiation Therapy, Only to find out that she still had it. The next step was to remove her rectum, and do an Ostomy. This happened Labor Day, 2007. Through all the agony involved with her affliction, she always managed to keep a smile on her face, and fought tooth and nail to get back on her feet. 2008 seemed as though things would get back to whatever normal is. I had started to do ambulance repairs to keep the bills paid, and she did the book keeping. We actually had somewhat of a Christmas, and the New Year looked Promising. and then January 24, 2009, It all came apart.
She started the day complimenting the fact that she felt better this day than any other, and the day went pretty well until evening came. She became Very Ill, Complaining about Stomach cramps, and feeling like she was going to throw-up, then ended up in so much pain, that she was shaking violently enough that I called 911. By 5:00 am the next morning, I was informed that her Small-Intestine had burst, she had become Sceptic, the doctor had done all she could, and the next 72 Hrs. would tell the tale.
A week had passed, she was still on Life-Support, and the doctor still had her in an Induced coma, the concensus was to bring her out of it, and wean her off of the Respirator. The Financial Free-Fall had started, so I decided to open the shop back up to at least try to get the Income flowing again. I hadnāt been at the shop 20 Minutes, when I got the call; She had arrested when they tried to remove the ventilator, and they werenāt sure she would last the day. By the end of the next week, she was off the Ventilator, and on my Birthday (2/25/09), she came Home. October 2009, I had her walking around the Block(about a mile walk) once a day. Again through all of this, she managed to wear the biggest smile she could muster!
(In My book Sheās a hero, No doubt about it!)
She has always been active in my hobby, Sewing Headliners, and doing Little odds& ends that didnāt require heavy lifting. and she still helps me out to this day. she was looking over my shoulder the other day as I was reading this thread, and asked what āCompetition Greenā Looked Like. Now sheās not only in love with the Color, sheās got a thing for '70 cougars.
Being from the Northeast, We Both know what pleasures the āRust Beltā brings, and this car is considered very restorable(Just ask ECI Bob!), because this car is History, it needs to be brought back to itās former Glory, and she wantās a Classic to call her Own. As far as Me, Iāll Gladly do the Heavy Lifting for her to get more deeply involved in the Hobby again!
Pete
P.S. The Car was built 1 day before my B-Day in 1970, and was delivered to Summerville SC - 1 1/2 hrs. from where I live, Hows that for Irony??
Wow sleepycatā¦ That was good, even had my wife read it and she too was touched. What I did not anticipate was the human element of this contest. We all now a whole lot more about some folks who hang out on these forums. For ever more when I see a post by āsleepycatā it will mean a little more as I know so much more about him. Thanks for the submission!
Wowā¦thatās got my vote, when it goes to the poll.
I am smitten with Mrs. Sleepy. I want her to have the Car.
Mrs. Sleepycat RULES (:ylsup:)
, no doubt about it!
After 22 years, to do it again?? In a heartbeat!
I brought this over from the Blog @ MC.netā¦
āFour-Barrelā
"Sprung with the exhilaration given off the stench of burnt rubber since childhood; life can only lead one road. Under the hood is the strength of a 351 Windsor Cleveland. Pumping horsepower out of the Flowmasters, I can only imagine - oh, how the resonance of the motor will sound completed. Immaculate. It it merely a headstart to a dreamās reality.
Since childhood, engines have intrigued me so. The rumbling, popping, and cackling. Sometimes, I would daydream that vehicles would talk to me. It was my ambition to seek-out what my hallucinations meant. Incentive; a feeling that grew larger and larger by the millisecond. It related to how I felt as if my body was similar to any vehicle.
The piston - the human heart, both work together to keep any vehicle or human body running. Without the organs or other parts, such as cams or carburetor, it cannot function at all whatsoever. It amazed me how fuel, whether leaded/unleaded or maybe perhaps diesel could all enforce combustion. Humans intake nutrients from foods, beverages and such which are driven through a sequence to power the vitals, helpers, or even molecules. The correlation is astounding.
What does it mean to live life? Honestly, restoring a '70 Mercury Cougar Eliminator would be on my bucketlist. At seventeen years-old, with the drive of a fierce lion and friends who adore motorized vehicles in all forms, I believe I could complete this project. Although money is short, itās a matter of determination. Deferring from the actual topic, it was inevitable for me to state these facts."
āI hope with all my heart that my legitimate essay entry will win the prestigious Eliminator.ā
- Contact information:
Rosendo Mora
17 yrs. old
Salinas, CA 93906
831-905-0292
WILDCAT DREAMS:
One of my first memories is of me as a toddler breaking out of the screen door running or toddling down the porch and taking a left down the long rounded black fender of my fatherās Dodge. I was particularly fascinated with the shiny moon shaped hub cap on the front wheel. The next thing I remember is being swept into my motherās arms, āWhere do you think your going?ā My mother doesnāt remember this incident. I guess it was just one more task in a day of raising myself and three other siblings.
Ever since I can remember, I have been fascinated with cars. No one in my family encouraged it, but I could identify every new car and model by the time I was 10 years old. I remember standing in the back seat of a yellow on white 1957 Ford Fairlane for a test drive to buy a new car. It was used and my dad signed the deal on a dark green on light green newer 1958 Fairlane. I was born in 1955, so I had to be young.
My first car was a 1965 Mustang that came with a manual 3 speed and a 6 cylinder. When it was sold I had installed a 289 automatic and changed the interior from red to blue. Then it happened: my older brotherās friend had a 1970 XR7 with power everything, rim blow wheel, 8 track and clock, metallic blue with blue leather interior for $1250.00. I was hooked and asked my father if I could buy it, I was 18 and he responded, āYou already have a carā. When he saw that I was sincere, he let me buy it. āYou need to carry insurance on both those vehiclesā, and it was mine. I could clearly see that the Cougar was a better car than the Mustang and sold the Mustang in the first year of college.
I loved my Cougar, the motor was powerful and the car was eloquent. A few months later a friend from grammar school came over to show off his newly acquired car. It was a 1968 Cougar, 289 automatic, and maroon with an ivy interior. He was so proud of his car he had not noticed my XR7 in the driveway. Finally after about 20 minutes of him showing and bragging on his car, I pointed to the driveway. I drove my XR7 for 8 years and have bought many cars since but always had fond memories of that Cougar. I own two 1970 Cougars now and want an Eliminator. I havenāt been to therapy about it, but Iām thinking that they represent my youth and good memories of the past. The excitement that I feel from working on my cars, diagnosing problems, learning to solve problems, setting goals and accomplishing them gives me great satisfaction.
I mentioned earlier that I was never encouraged to love cars; my grandfather was an immigrant from Italy, the youngest of nine children. He never received an education and worked on the family farm. My father joined the Navy right after high school. My grandfather and my dad are my heroes. They are both good honest men that worked hard to provide for their families and gave their children the opportunity to make the most out of their lives.
If I were to be awarded the ELIMINATOR I would build it true to its pedigree. A rebuilt 351 4V from my 1971 XR7 will have a new home. The 3 speed from my 1970 vert may find its way out of storage. Competition Green with ELIMINATOR stripes, 14 inch wheels with Mercury GT caps and trim rings, black comfort weave seats with competition tack. To restore this ELIMINATOR to its glory when it rolled off the assembly line in February of 1970 would be both a challenge and a privilege.
We all have lived through experiences that have changed our lives; my family is no exception. My sweetheart of 28 years has been ill for a long time. She has a bad pancreas and is unable to eat and in constant pain. In May of this year I rushed her to the emergency room where at 90 pounds she was unable to keep food down. She spent 2 weeks in the hospital where eventually she resumed strength enough to return home with a new feeding apparatus surgically installed. I canāt explain the emotions that I felt when this implant was offered to her as an alternative for nutrition. I was first exhilarated because we finally had hope for the future - for life, but I knew we had a huge learning curve in the months to come. My wife is now healthier than she has been in 8 years and free of any feeding apparatus. She is my love and my reason I live my life.
Does anyone deserve to win an ELIMINATOR? Can I justify winning my dream car? No, I just want it!
Maybe this video will explain how I feelā¦
Thanks,
Sal
That was entertaining Sal! You have given more effort towards this contest than anyone to date. A few guys talked of doing a video but you are the first to follow through. Good job and best of luck! BTW, Your wifeās performance was very believable.