I like sixties vintage Mustangs as much as the next guy, but it’s the first-gen Mercury Cougar, such as this 1968 project, that really speaks to me. Why? I dunno, the Cougar seems to present a more serious vibe, a little more elegance and refinement while still quietly projecting an image of power. Today’s find, courtesy of Curvette, is, as previously stated, a project and needs some help, so let’s look it over and see how much of a project it really is. Sweet Home, Oregon (not Alabama!) is where you’ll find this cat, and it’s available here on craigslist for $3,500.
The Cougar was in its second year of existence in 1968 and was almost indistinguishable from its 1967 predecessor. A two-door hardtop, or pony car, was the only body style available, and the trim levels were standard (our subject car), XR-7, and GT. Total ’68 production was about 113K units, a solid number but a far cry from its Mustang cousin, which managed to knock out 317K units that year. Our subject is in fair condition with a faded finish and “rust in typical areas,” as the seller notes. There is an aftermarket sunroof riveted in place, a notorious source of leaks, and some ratty-looking Torque-Thrust wheels holding up all four corners.
“Interior is stripped but seats and dash all there,” is how the interior is described, with the biggest issue being the floors, which are holey and will need to be replaced, though new floor pans are included in the sale. Also thrown in is seat foam for one side, but the interior is going to need a lot more than that, as the vinyl upholstery is shot and the headliner appears to be missing. I’d run with the assumption that the interior will need a major makeover.
Cat power is in the form of a new for ’68 302 CI V8 engine, though it’s not stated if it is the standard 210 gross HP version of the more robust 230 HP edition. Whatever the case, there is now an Edelbrock aluminum intake manifold and a Holley carburetor handling fuel delivery. The seller states, “Runs and drives and stops pretty well. needs a tune-up.” As is often the case, a C4, three-speed automatic transmission makes the rear wheel connection.
The seller adds, “Includes lots of extras:… new shifter kit. Used XR-7 parts, badges, gauge clusters, lights, trim, etc,” and that’s all helpful. It sounds as if this Cougar was a project in planning, and then the seller decided to move on and not continue. I suppose the decision here is whether this is a worthwhile project to undertake, considering all of this car’s needs versus the price of entry, which at $3,500 is pretty reasonable. I don’t know, what’s your thought; go for it or look for a better example?
Beautiful car in its day but needs a lot of money and work to fix the rust and floor. Kinda like seeing the 1968 homecoming queen 57 years later where you can still see the looks but the body has aged.
Lance, I just love your analyze of the homecoming queen, excellent.
This may be a good one to part out.
Lance is right in summing up a tired yet complete car. The Cougar was unique in that it had style to go with its ability. Probably not matched until the Challenger or second generation Firebird Esprit. Another car with a simple and elegant dash before so many comforts and conveniences moved in.
The shape of the floors means you really have to worry about the torque boxes within the unibody structure.
Otherwise looks like a cool project. Just curious what it would actually cost to have floors replace if you take it to a shop? We see that need all the time here on bf but I’ve never investigated. Fortunately, or unfortunately, it’s on the other side of these great states of ours.
Looks awfully rusty from the photos and these also had the cowl-rust issues of the same-era Mustangs. So there may be more rust we can’t see. With an “excellent condition” value of around $22k a restoration would make no sense economically. Not a big-block, not an XR-7 or GT, no A/C, drum brakes, etc. Aftermarket sunroof not exactly a plus. Oddly, the gear shift bezel is from a Mustang, not a Cougar. Too bad there’s no VIN given so we can’t tell which engine it left the factory with — some ’68s got the 289 instead of the 302.
This is pretty much a plain jane Cougar. The only options that I see are the automatic transmission, power steering and decore style interior. I does have some rust but nowhere near as bad as it could be if it came from a different part of the country. It would make a good parent/child project or a restomod. You do not get much for $3500 these days so it is probably a fairly decent deal, especially for someone who can do a lot of the work themselves.
“Needs a tune-up,” i’d say 90+ percent of the time means “this old girl is tired and needs rebuilt”…