Except for the Plymouth Barracuda, the hot new Ford Mustang (1964-66) had no competition until 1967. That’s when the Chevy Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, and Mercury Cougar joined the race. The latter was also a FOMOCO product, sharing the Mustang’s platform and drivetrains (but it was a bigger and fancier car). This first-year Cougar has had the same owner since 1996 and has been stored ever since. The time has come for the car to move on from its perch in Caldwell, Idaho, and it’s available here on Facebook Marketplace for $25,000.
The Cougar got off to a strong start in 1967 with sales exceeding 150,000 units. All of them came with a V8 engine, with the standard one being a 289. Since the seller’s car has a 302 that didn’t come out until 1968, it was added later. Though the car hasn’t moved in ages, the seller turns the engine by hand every few months, so it’s apparently not dead. The automatic transmission was rebuilt 25 years ago but probably hasn’t been used much.
We’re told the original color of the Mercury was gold, but it has been repainted, and blue paint seems to be reigning now. The body and paint may be okay, but it’s hard to tell with all the dust and dirt the vehicle has been accumulating. The interior has suffered from sun damage (from inside a barn with a roof?). The seller adds that the console in the center is a rare option, but we don’t know how many were ordered back in 1967.
The sequential taillights are solid-state and were upgraded at some point. The hideaway headlight covers go up and down with some vacuum help. As the seller has owned quite a few Cougars, we’re told some extra parts are available (as part of the deal or for extra cost?). The seller is very confident that the Cougar is “worth every penny” he’s asking. Do you agree?
Worth every penny? Not even close for the shape it’s in. I was the second owner of one 20 years ago in excellent condition and I only paid 25 hundred for it!
Asking price is out of line. No leather trim, repaint, no a/c or creature accessories & not original motor. Plenty out there for 1/2 sellers asking price & some in better condition.
🤔$25,000? Let’s talk after you get the car out, in open spaces and give it a bath.
The asking price is not anchored in reality. It probably a combination of sentimental attachment and either a lack or research or listening to an “expert” that doesn’t know what they are talking about. Unfortunately this is the type of seller that likely can’t be reasoned with at this point in time, possibly never. They will get a lot of mocking on sites like this, but it’s better just to move on, this car will be forgotten in a day or two.
Steve R
“Worth every penny.” In Dream Land maybe.
$25,000………….I don’t think they’d get that for an XR7 in this condition. These NEVER got the love, like the Mustang, Camaro, Charger etc.
I think at $25K this car will sit.
Good luck with that. Seems to be a disconnect with market and condition. It’s about 50% too high.
It’s exactly double too high on the asking price. Not that special and it clearly needs a boatload of work. Keep dreaming I guess.
If the seller is serious then at least take the time to do a bit of clean-up. I’ve seen better presentations in junk yards. No insult intended just truth.
Waiting for the day when the muscle car / classic car bubble bursts. Pricing across the board is insane
Outrageous prices are nothing new, in the early-80’s one of the highlights of looking through the latest issue of Auto Trader was laughing at the overpriced cars. There are and always will be good deals for enthusiast oriented cars for anyone willing to look. This car is nearly 60 years old, there are countless desirable cars built since then, many reasonably priced.
Steve R
I can’t help but wonder why this guy stored it for the past 30 yrs. And if the front seats & dash pad are inexpensive fixes then do it, after you pull it out to wash it. Then get the motor running. Etc, etc, etc. Gotta spend $$$ to make $$$! Is it retirement time brother? In 2006 you probably paid $2500.
I know where one is right now.look like it just came right off the lot same color
As is, one owner or not – not in running condition – no engine pix, no trunk pix, no undercarriage pix – filthy – come take it away price – $7,500 max. These Cougars, as nice as they are don’t go for $25,000 unless they’re near perfect. He’s had 7 of em – he should know that.
This car would only pull that kind of money if it was an XR7 with a 428CJ and a 4 speed with a posi with every number matching and in good running and driving condition! A 302 auto that may be a pickup motor for all we know, an interior that looks like Piranha got at it, a respray that’s not the original color and will need body work and another paint job, complete brake system, exhaust, fuel delivery system, tires, and everything rubber in the suspension too! This car would cost 3 times what this particular model would be worth if all the numbers matched and was in showroom condition! Some people just don’t investigate what they have and true market value, I swear they watch too much American Pickers LOL!
Amen DS! Glwts. 🤣🤣🤣
Yeah, it’s true that these are beautiful cars when cosmetically and mechanically presented properly. But this one… too many questions and not enough solid info, so…Hmmm, just hmmm.
I loved the Cougar as a kid as a fancy Musrang but they had morphed into a large car Torino or Elite twin by the time I was an adult. Then it became a small engined Thunderbird clone downsized vehicle. The paint and cosmetics make it a fixer upper. Still a chance to own a piece of Mercury history.
Hey, he knows what he’s got!
If this guy has owned 7 of them, then he should also know that he has this one overpriced for its condition. If seller gets it out and washed, and gets it running and stopping, he’d be lucky to get $10-$14k. Definitely, some sentimentality involved with his price here. And at least take some engine bay pics!
those pics are really poor quality. to boldly say it’s worth every penny is just an asinine comment to make. seller is way too lazy to pull the car out and for better pics and give it a quick wash. this seller will get a slap in the face from reality when they still have it weeks from now and don’t know why it has not sold.
Seller could get a quick $10,000. That’s nothing to sneeze at.
WOW! Go ask Alice, when she`s ten foot tall.
That’s the “I really don’t want to sell it price !” But my wife says put it up for sale ? And if you pay this amount it’s yours !!! Really? Always like the ‘67-68 only cougars ! You could get a really nice one for 25k!! Maybe put some SS emblems on it too ? Lol
I would have included some pics of the engine bay. Will look great restored to stock. GLWTS
3 years ago my fully restored 66′ Mustang hardtop 289,4 barrel,auto,ps,factory air was only $ 20,000
Oh my goodness, NO. If it were clean and proven to be fully running and driveable, maybe. But that has (by his admission) been sitting for a LONG time. And sure, the C4 was rebuilt but that was 25 years ago. Did he actually drive it at all? The only thing you can say for it so far is that it appears complete. He doesn’t even post a photo of the engine bay! I’d be interested to see that also. Bet he reposts with a lower price in the not-too-distant future. (Or he finds an idiot to pay his “worth every penny” price.)
Seller’s quotes:
“It was originally gold BUT now it’s blue”
“I’ve had it 30 years BUT now I’m selling it”
“The engine turns over by hand BUT I’ve never started it”
“The original engine was a 289 BUT now has a 302”
“The transmission was rebuilt many years ago BUT will need a going thru”
“The interior should look better BUT it’s what it is”
“It’s been sheltered all it’s life BUT in a barn with a hole in the roof”
“It’s got the rare (cough, cough) console BUT I can’t prove it came with it”
Too many BUTs for me……….
….really….