This 1971 Cougar has only had three owners since new, and all of the owners have been from the same family, and they all lived within a block of each other. The family has now decided that it is time for someone else to add their name to the list of owners, so have placed the car up for sale. Barn Finder Fordguy1972 spotted this one for us, so thank you so much for that. You will find the Cougar listed for sale here on Craigslist. It is located in Meriden, Connecticut, and is being sold with a clean title. The owner has set the price for the Cougar at $2,500.
To me, this Cougar seems like a lot of car for the money. It is not original, having undergone a repaint at some point in the past. The paint is looking tired, so could definitely benefit from being refreshed. There is some rust in the car, but it isn’t extensive. There is a coating of surface corrosion on the underside, but all of the known trouble spots such as the frame rails, floor pans, and spring boxes, are all said to be solid. There is minor rust visible in a few spots such as the lower quarter panels, but these look like they could be repaired fairly easy. The car has a vinyl top, and not only does it look to be in good condition, but there is apparently no rust under it.
The interior of the Cougar is in really good condition. There are a couple of cracks visible on the base of the driver’s seat, and the carpet looks like it might be faded, but the rest of it looks great. The dash pad is perfect, as is the headliner. The door trims look good, and the rear seat looks like it has hardly ever been used. This is a “no frills” car, so there is no air conditioning or any other luxury features.
Under the hood is a 351ci Windsor motor, backed by an FMX transmission. The car runs and drives well, and the closest thing to luxury that you get is the fact that the car is fitted with power steering. The car has spent the last 15-20 years sitting in a concrete-floored garage, but it has been started from time to time to keep it alive. Recently, it has received a bit of TLC. The car has received a new gas tank and sending units, fuel pump, filter, carburetor, a new alternator, and new battery. The owner says that the car runs and drives smoothly.
This Cougar is not the more desirable XR7, but it appears to be a solid car that runs and drives. It would need some work to make it stand out, but there’s no reason why it can’t be driven as it is. At the asking price, it could certainly be turned into whatever the new owner wanted, or it could serve as a daily driver. What I find interesting about this car is while there are always plenty of Convertibles and XR7s on the market at any one time, basic Cougars like this one really don’t come on the market that often. Maybe someone could restore it just to own something different.
These were the Roger Dangerfield of the cougars but I always liked them.
Pull the boot lid and you’ve got a ute!
I wish they had a better shot of the engine. To my tired old eyes those valve covers look like they are Cleveland and not Windsor. Looks like a solid car for really fair money.
Hi all,
I am assisting the owner in selling the Cougar.
The VIN decodes it as a 351W 2bbl. The owner is not aware of any engine swap at any point in it’s history. I am not a Ford engine geek and before having this called into question, wouldn’t have known the difference. However, in looking at several online guides, this engine does certainly appear to be a Cleveland. The radiator hose comes up out of the engine as opposed to straight forward and the valve covers appear to have 8 bolts instead of 6, plus they are straight across the plane of the front of the engine, not angled back from the front.
Many more photos of the engine (and every other part of the car) can be seen here:
http://www.autoarcheologist.com/1971-mercury-cougar.html
Any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Thanks!
Talk soon,
Thanks for the great photos. I respect an honest seller that doesn’t try to hide potential faults. After looking at the photos it is definitely a Cleveland engine and more than likely the one it was delivered with. Here is where the confusion starts. Ford (Mercury) used the letter H in 1971 for both Windsor and Cleveland 2BBL 351 engines. Both were rated at 250 HP @ 4600 RPM. If it were a M code it would be a 351 Cleveland with a 4 BBL. In addition to the 4 barrel the heads are different and the engine is tuned to make power at higher RPM. In this configuration the engine makes 300 HP @ 5400 RPM. Hopefully this helps clear up some of the mystery.
Thank you Ray for the further clarification.
I have sold cars literally all over the world for people and lots of good photos and and an honest description is one of the things that must be doing it.
Thanks for the comments!
Talk soon,
Not my favorite Cougar style but clean and running.
That price is great.
Colour sucks but needs new paint anyways.
Check for accident damage then grab it.
Probably already gone
I’ve always believed the early Cougars were better looking than their Mustang stablemate… given a choice, I’d pick the Mercury.
Always liked these because they were different and kind of quirky. There are enough Mustangs in this world and I think these were actually a better look than their Mustang counterparts.I would start with the engine compartment and give it a thorough cleaning and detailing. There is no rust to fix, interior is nice, and putting money into a paint job could be justified as long as it’s not purple. Find a no rust 351 Mustang for 2500.00.
Gotta appreciate a well-written, descriptive CL ad, along with posting the max amount of ads.
Seems like a bargain to me.
Saved ad:
http://www.craigslistadsaver.com/view.php?name=71Cougar-CT
This is one of the most anticlimactic garage finds I’ve yet to see. As they say, one man’s junk….
I had a similar car. It was a 1972 convertible model and it was the same color outside and the same black leather interior.
The only option mine had was power steering.
The car was from Mass. and it had a ton of rust, but the 351C with the 3 speed manual was a lot of fun.