Here is a list of parts we have coming in the near future, some are temporarily delayed as we only have enough funds on hand to do about 10 new reproductions a year. What are your ideas for the next items to be considered? I really like parts like these that fit more than just Cougar although some “Cougar Only” application parts have been a home run!
67-68 standard dash emblem
67-68 XR7 dash emblem
67-68 Opera lenses
67 up COUGAR Oval Air Cleaner
69-70 Pull Strap Hdw Kit
68 XR7 O/H console light bar
Several T-Shirts
1970 Ignition Switch
1973 XR7 and standard hood emblem
and more that will come to mind…
Here is a short list of parts I think are worthy of investment;
69-70 Xr7 deck emblem
69-70 fuel door lens
67-79 turn signal wand (current repro is incorrect)
67-79 door lock knobs (current repro is incorrect)
73 tail lenses (slim market…)
68 standard console pads
67-68 K-7 solid state dash indicator relay for turn signals
69-70 COUGAR emblem on left fender extension
68 headrest kit (expensive to do)
This is just a start… I could easily come up with another 100 but often after we get the quotes and crunch the numbers they just do not make sense. Help me add to the list!
After doing a complete restore I can think of a few items that could be done. The number one that comes to mind is correct kick panels with the speaker holes as these could go to Mustangs as well. I actually though about doing this until I spent fours hours on a drill press making a repo pair correct and decided I couldn’t make money with my method. Setting up correct tooling to do it could pay off. Just about every Cougar/Mustang needs new kick panels, so I wounder what the percentage is that have front speakers and would like the correct holes in the kick panels?
What about correct 69 70 sail panels. ( if they are not already made)
I like the console pad idea, but would be looking for manual trans XR 7 stuff.
Mike
x 2 on the kick panels. I’d also like to see the '68 trim rings. I know you guys were working on the dash pads, but those kind of fell into oblivion. The cruise control wand if it would work with other models. I think it’s compatible with at least a couple others, but I don’t know for sure. And how about '68 XR7 arm rests?
YES! Almost every 69-70 Cougar needs them and when mass produced would be just a few dollars each. I bet we could sell hundreds at $49.95. Do you agree?
The over head console for 67 XR7 is done and in stock. It an absolutely beautiful part if I do say so myself… LOL!
The 68 is done except for the wood-grain. Samples are at the vendor now. I have been working this one for years. I can’t get a small run of the right grain pattern run in Asia. They want me to buy something like 3,000 square feet of material as a minimum run. In the USA we have printing technology to print small quantities, but the material we need to use requires ink that is not water based. We can’t use anything but water based Ink (VOC’s) in the US due to the EPA rules. So we are working with 3M to try to find a work around. (Don’t get me started about why there are no good jobs manufacturing in the USA)
I have sourced the thermistor needed to do the low fuel sending unit, and I am looking for the factory that is making the rest of the part. The current reproduction of the standard sending unit, is in my opinion a piece of junk, so it will need some rework to make it acceptable.
Some of the items that were hard to find or not correct repro from my experience with my 69 XR7 Convertible rebuilding -
Burlwood grained console piece
Convt. top interior visor brackets (that top clamps into)
Convt. top weather stripping, especially the A-pillar pieces, but the repro side peices aren’t perfect either
Boot cover retainer that the boot cover snaps into
Boot well trim for XR7
Low Fuel sender (the currently available thermistor replacement wasn’t araound when I needed it. Does it solve this issue???)
Switches for the XR7 convenience group panel at center of dash (are these same as power window?)
1969 Lower steering column cover (I gave up calling JCC after 3rd time they told me it was ‘coming soon.’ Maybe it is now available from them).
Wireless Remote control Cougar growl horn
I found/made do for my project, so I’m not a likely buyer for the above (other than the horn). Just throwing my 2 cents in.
Yep, some of this was at one time available. The burlwood for the console, radio bezel and steering wheel bezel was all available from JCC, but guessing we will not be seeing that again (I was lucky enough to have bought these).
Visor brackets get rechromed by a shop that can do brushed/satin chrome (and what about the header piece? Those are always crap too). As I am sure you know Rob, Ray Harwood was doing both of these and that is where most people were getting these done. Scott 428cougarguy (I think it is) is doing these parts in full on chrome, personally I think that is too much shine.
XR7 boot trim (Don will tell you) not enough market to justify. Were about $240 each to re-do original when I had mine done.
Low fuel sender - I think you know I have a solution for this and I am working on an improvement that will make my solution hands down better - elimination of flashing at threshold. The ELFI currently has hysteresis so it is better than OEM, but some flashing will still occur at threshold, the fuel slosh in the tank is just too great to eliminate with hysteresis alone (but I think I have a solution!). Let’s face facts here (as Jean reminded me of), the original system flashing was SO annoying that most people/dealers removed the LF lamp because of the annoyance to the driver (and as illustrated by the Bond movie was it?). So while reproducing the offending part is all well and good, the result will be an annoyance once again, as it was originally!
Don, others can respond as well. I have been working on getting the details to make an XR7-G console, this would be the top part only since the bottom would be the standard, just modified. The other is a passenger side mirror base for the “G” mirror. The passenger side mirror from a Hurts Olds is the same as our “G” cars. I will be making these parts for myself and I have, one other person to make a console for as well. This has been in the works for a while and hopefully by the end of the year the Console will be finished. Not sure about leather, there are so many colors and could have one standard color like white and the customer dies the leather to what they need or leave it to the customer to have an upholsterer do the work. The other option is, I have my upholsterer do it in the correct color and grain. This will all determine the final price of the console when finished.
I know that the mirror base would be a small sale, so there may only be a hand full to make which makes the price higher.
If this was not the place for me to put this up, Sorry about that, have bill put it in the right place.
I had the same issue on two cars and 3 vendors. The repro quarter window seals are slightly wider between the bottom screw holes than the originals. 1-9/16th vs. 1-3/8th [at least on my 69 XR7 Convts]. Not sure who manufactures or whether there is more than one version on the market. Workaround involves leaving out a screw or drilling a new hole. I’d rather have one fit correctly.
