This one looked really good at first! Originally equipped with a 390 V8 and a four speed, as well as being the highly optioned XR7 model, this 1967 Mercury Cougar looked like a great project (apart from the aftermarket plastic wire wheel covers). Unfortunately, the seller isn’t selling the whole car! More about that later. If you want to jump to the auction to see what I’m writing about, check out the auction listing here on eBay. It’s located in Manhattan, Illinois.
Obviously, this car needs some work. But according to the Cougar Club of America, there were only 27,209 XR7s produced in 1967. That may sound like a lot, but there weren’t many with 390 V8s and four speeds. And the car, while superficially looking pretty bad, if you look closely the rust isn’t terminal. Challenging, yes, but not terminal.
One nice thing is that you are buying the car with a Georgia bill of sale, which means you don’t have to worry about a title — as I understand it, older cars sold on a bill of sale in Georgia can be titled anywhere in the US (please correct me if you know otherwise). The chrome on this car would probably work for a driver, but if you want perfection you’ll be rechroming or replacing. At least the tail lights are intact.
In addition to the driveshaft on the inside, as opposed to where it’s supposed to be, the interior is largely intact but in pretty bad shape.
Nice engine, huh? This is represented as the original 390 V8, but there’s a catch. The seller isn’t including it for the sale price! Nor is the RUG-M “Top Loader” four speed transmission (originally from a 1967 big block Mustang according to this chart) included. Of course, the seller will be happy to sell them to you for an additional fee. I’ll be honest, I don’t understand this method of selling a car. If you do, please enlighten me in the comments?
Marketing is the reverse of WWF, Monster Truck and drag strip events…”we’ll sell you the seat but you’ll only need the edge”…
Seller must be a lawyer….
You get the car then are held for ransom if you want the desirable hard to find pieces to complete. I skip over ads like these.
no title – floor pan rust so bad you can see the ground – selling the car as a project in pieces vs. a roller and motor – I’m with Ed – pass but GLWS…
They’ll have it for years selling it like this. I’d go be them 2cents for the body and maybe $500 for the engine and trans.
Funny how our perspective changes. Someone let a somewhat desirable combo XR 7 rot into the ground…….then someone else , presumably, decided to part it out without the valuable bits. Doesnt make a lot of sense to me.
Stuff like this is off-putting. Like the seller of a home on a big lot selling the house for one price and the lot beside it for another. Let him sit on this awhile.
Seller is extrapilating the urine ….you sell the car as a body / rolling chassis only if you dont have a motor gearbox/ transmition for it this seller is to be avoided
That hurt to read. What?
As a “Cougar” (car) guy for the last 35 years, I can tell you that this one is not worthy. The only value is the motor and transmission, and a 390 w/four-speed is not really tough to find.
Save your money and buy a complete car instead of some piece-meal job like this. If you’re going to part out a car, part it out. There’s no shame in admitting the body is uneconomical to repair, and likely never will be.
Definitely a sukky way to sell a car.
The parts are worth more than the car as a whole. This can be a successful way to make more money than you would selling the car together, it just may take longer. Its hard to blame someone for trying to maximize the sale price.
No, it’s actually quite easy.
There is always some A$$#*&e out there thinking he is smarter than everyone else. He is thinking he has something ultra rare and can use these sale tactics, however as mentioned this car is not.
I call and mees with people who put out these ads. Most of the time they are loudmouth imbeciles.
Weasel way to sell a car. Put engine and trans on separate auction. That would be the way to maximize the sale price.
You can only sell Georgia “registered” car from Georgia. Auction does not specify but if the Bill of Sale is from the seller in Illinois, you will not be able to title it in another state without a new VIN or a bonded title, which is going to cost you! Illinois is a title state.
This happens all the time. Someone bought a “project” car without realizing how much time and money is required.
Now they are trying to pass the favor on to some other sucker.
Problem is you can still buy a great Cougar (or 2)for way less than what this will end up costing when restored.
My father has a 67 XR7 390 4 speed car in way better condition than this. It is not great but has far less rust than this one and it runs. Maroon, black vinyl top, with black leather interior which he wants to sell (as a complete car of course). So we will be watching this ebay sale.
Do the cool Walmart hub caps come with it ,our are they extra too?
Too much money for this one….And why too much work…This seller is trying to get sellers to think this one is rare when it is not..I love restoring cars and saving history but this one separate and with too many unknowns is a huge red flag…Also with no title you could spend thousands of dollars only too give it up too another owner that pre-dates you or was sellers ex….
Okay , on the title issue , in Indiana you need to sue the DMV in small claims court, ($137. For the filing fee), if after 30 days the DMV does not discover anything bad on the vin no. The judge will order them to issue a new title. However good luck getting a title in the neighbor state of Illinois. You need to have the vehicle evaluated and post an 80% bond for about 11 months , plus advertise the vehicle in the newspaper and there is a hefty filing fee to boot. As you can see Illinois doesn’t like issuing titles .
Hmm, seller only has 17 feedbacks, he seems like a Richard to me. I asked him why in item description he lists engine and trans details, yet you have to click on a link to discover he will offer them later – at a premium I’m guessing. Pity to fool that hits buy it now before reading “the rest of the story…”
Definitely has the walk and talk of an underhanded seller, and you know what the say “if it looks like a duck….” Don’t walk away from this Deal RUN!!!
I love Cougars,but this one is long past its “best before date”. It’s only worth its scrap metal value.
I am a Cougar collector and deal in the used parts, have been for the past 35 years. With that said this seller does little to help himself by only providing 6 photos and very little information. I see a lot of missing parts. Does the seller have them? Do they come with the car? IMO for 3K the engine and trans would need to be included and the title/bill of sale question would need to be answered. And even then I am not sure that I would want to lay out 3K given all the rust that is shown. There is probably a lot more hidden away. For the record there were 905 1967 XR-7s built with the s code 390 and a 4 speed.
Check his feedback on ebay!!!!!!!! another red flag
So, he did respond back – he wants $3k for the car, $2.5K for the engine and trans – while I love me some 67/68 Cougar (especially the XR7s), $5,5000 for a car in that shape is a bit of a reach in my book. My Mustang Fastback was in better condition and I only gave $1,100 for it…
There’s a sucker born everyday and this shmuck is trolling for one.
I would start with ‘Your car is worth 1500 complete.’ and go on to ‘but since you want to be a douche I’ll give you $150.’
People need to do their voting with their wallets & simply avoid ANY sellers who think this is the CORRECT way to do Business!!
Was unsold at $3k. Guess no one bought into this gimmicky idea.