While the 1973 Montego with the optional Ram Air hood from a Montego GT may be the star of this craigslist ad but there’s another nice car and a huge amount of parts thrown in as well. The hoard is located in Williamsburg, Michigan and is priced at $13,500 for all of it. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Clark B. for this terrific find!
In addition to the rare ram air setup from the fastback model, the Montego is said to be a rust free California car and is powered by a 351 Cleveland V8. Even the vinyl top looks nice. If you keep the hood, I would at least consider painting it body color. As far as the mismatched wheels are concerned, the seller has that covered (more later).
It looks like the climate control has been removed, perhaps for an attempt at racing the car? I’d keep this one on the street. The seller is willing to sell this car separately for $5,950.
The second car is a 1978 Mercury Cougar (yes, there were Cougar four doors, and I can hear the groans from here) that only has 22,000 miles. By the way, the seller is willing to sell it separately for $6,950.
This one really does look mint, doesn’t it! The seller calls it rust free as well, and based on the detail shots I think it may well be.
I’ll bet one of our readers can tell us whether this is the 302, 351 or 400 V8 (all were available in 1978 Cougars). I’m pleased to see the air conditioning belt intact; I hope it is functional.
Parts? You want parts? They’ve got parts! They are said to all be for 1972-79 Fords and Mercurys and represent a 25-year accumulation. There are doors, bumpers, and bins and boxes of neatly sorted parts. Want trim? Dash components? A grille and front end? This find has you covered. And there are the wheels you’ll need for that Montego! Interested?
I had a 78 cougar 4 door in 1999. Bought it from my father in law for $300 to tow a 15 foot boat. Exactly like this one but beat on. Love the Montego.
How does that air filter work for the “Ram Air”?
Looks like a 302 based on front distributor and forward facing top radiator hose.
VIN will tell you for sure.
351 w LMAO looks identical they both are Windsor’s 351 has taller deck height an wider intake. my bet bet is on 351 w
The Cougar is a 1977 as there were no 1978 Cougar 4 doors built. Mercury also produced the 1977 Cougar as a station wagon.
There were four door Cougars, and plain 2 door Cougars (as well as XR7) in 1978, however, there were Cougar wagons in this body style only in 1977:
http://oldcarbrochures.org/index.php/NA/Mercury/1978-Mercury/1978-Mercury-Cougar-Brochure/1978-Mercury-Cougar-12
Around 81-83 ? Wasn’t there a 4 dour and 2 dr Cougar sedans built on the Fairmont platform that looked more granny than sporty ??
Yes they did. Had a wagon too! Another one of the sins committed by Detroit.
Love the Lions badge, on the Cougar!
I actually really dig the Cougar wagon. There’s something to be said for a vehicle that should not exist (and this is coming from a 68 XR7 owner!)
. Had a ’72 Montego I got from my father via his Uncle Joe in 1984 with 40,000 miles. An MX two door hardtop. No options other than the MX package. 250 straight six, 3 on the tree, Am radio. No PS,PB. It was a tank ran like a top. Drove it from NT to Denver – had a hailstorm there and it was totaled insurance wise for severe hail body damage. Took the $1500 check and drove it for many years after. Solid, but the NY rust had taken hold. Wish I still had it – must have been rare
That would be a super cool car to have. I’ve never seen a 72 Motego with a six even though that was the standard engine. I also had a 72 MX 2 door. 351-2V, 3 speed automatic, AM radio, light group, convenience group,click, air conditioning, vinyl top and dual paint stripes. Great car that never let us down.
My wife had a 72 as her first car. She hated it and her grampa traded off for a 78 Fairmont Futura. Smaller car but she didn’t like that either so he traded it in for a new 85 Grand AM, which was the worse car of the bunch.
I met her in the Fairmont and I would love to have that car today.
She totaled the Grand AM and replaced it with an 86 model which was no better. TOTAL POS cars and I believe started the downfall of Pontiac.
I owned (still do) and drove a 78 cougar 4 door sedan. The car was not gutless, but was not terribly powerful. It was purely a highway cruiser and did a wonderful job eating up the miles on i5 between Oregon and California. The mpg hovered around 20 and the ride was plush and comfortable. Honestly, I loved driving that car. It’s not a sports car, it’s not a race car, or a muscle car by any means, but that really was a nice driving highway car. I think of the cars from that era, the 78 Cougar/Thunderbird/LTD II are a under rated tuna boat. You can still find them cheap, in two door and four door, and even wagon configurations.
Of course, mine looked a little different than normal ones and has some interesting stories to tell. I bought mine from a wrecking yard for $150, drove it home, and installed the not often seen, dealer option, ‘Wasteland Warrior’ package. It’s really just a trim package, but comes with power windows, cruise control, a Pontiac Super Duty hood scoop, white wall tires, a police service push bar, lane assist JATO rocket, and the all important twin 50 cal machineguns which are remarkably handy in disputes over parking spaces.
Oh, and an AM/FM 8 track and CB setup, which is great for jamming to AC/DC and Johnny Cash 8tracks while listening to the very confused truckers as you cruise on by.
Man, I miss driving that car. I cut the top off it and cruised it as a convertible for a couple of summers till the interior finally gave up the ghost, and now it’s covered up in a barn waiting to confuse future barnfinds readers if I don’t ever do anything else with it, hah.
Good times had cheap, that’s for sure.
Next, I can’t wait to hear the stories about the ambulance in the background.
My father traded a home built log splitter for it. It was super rusty, and eventually got sold after sitting in a row of 5 or so other ambulances and hearses behind the barn. Not sure what ever became of that one, but I *think* it went to members of the Professional Car Society so it may have been repaired to driving shape. It was someone’s old surf wagon, had surf board racks inside and pinstripes with little wind sail board guys down the sides. Probably looked pretty good back when the repaint was fresh, it was sort of a metallic purple at one time.
That ol’ trailer it’s on hauled a LOT of hearses and ambulances. It’s the same one we went back east with when I bought the Thundertaker hearse that the owner after me would later make into a SEMA show car.
That’s the most Oregon thing ever. Greetings from the coast.
Had a new 72 Montego MX Brougham 2 dr ht 351 for 14 years. Was a great car
A buddy of mine had a ’77 Cougar 4 Door that was a few years old. Even then, I thought it was odd to see a 4 Door stripped model – not even a vinyl top.
I recall that it lasted him quite a few years with no major issues. He even drove it along with 2 friends to the ’80 Winter Olympics – they slept in the car, it was big enough. I was a freshman in college and felt that I shouldn’t miss the class time. I would make a different choice if I could do it again.
No 351W that late in the 70’s , only in trucks.
My 77 cougar had a 351 Windsor steve. You could also get a 351M or 400. I bought tons of these in the late 90’s for pennies on the dollar. The Windsor was the only good 351 after the death of the real Cleveland. 351C 4V may just be the best small block ever.
M/K… I’d say my ’71 Boss 351C (heavily modified) was better, but I’m sure that would just raise the ire of the Boss 302 guys and various Shelby 289 guys. You’d certainly have better luck finding a 351C 4V these days, though ! ! !
Were I significantly younger, I’d invest in one of those Ford Racing 427’s built off the 351C block and build a ’67 Mustang Fastback around it… nice dream, great sound.
Any chance there is a extra hood and trunk lid that will fit my 77 cougar 4 door in there or anyone have a direction to point me in I’ve had it since 98. only rot and rust are the hood and trunk?