Many of us purchase our collector cars because of a connection of some sort. Some of us want the car we lusted after but could not afford in high school. Others want a car like the one their parents had when they were children. Whatever the reason, when we finally get the car of our dreams, we pour our hearts and souls into making it perfect. Whoever owned this 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 before the current seller must have really loved this car. With a buy it now price here on eBay of $69,975, this beautiful Cougar is waiting for its new love to pick it up in scenic Hartford, Wisconsin.
What sets this Cougar apart from others is the long list of desirable options on its window sticker, as documented by the Marti Report above. On the go side, this Cougar was ordered with the XR-7 package, 428 Cobra Jet engine with Ram Air, C6 automatic, 3.00 traction lock axle, power disc brakes, Wide Oval radial tires, and the competition handling package. As for the luxury side, your cruise down the highway was comforted by the addition of air conditioning, leather bucket seats, a console, tinted glass, AM/FM stereo, and color keyed floor mats. The seller also brags that the leather bucket seats are in the rare nugget gold color, and that the paint is an 8 out of 10. The car was originally from Arizona, and was supposedly rust free when the restoration was started.
Inside, we see that everything looks almost factory new. The mats seem to really stand out in relation to the rest of the interior, and the dash seems to be in excellent condition. The seats look like they are the original leather, as the wrinkles in the leather are rather pronounced. I would imagine that getting new leather in this color would be problematic, so it appears the restorer had to leave the factory ones in with just a detail and some touch up work. Overall, the interior is in good condition for an Arizona car. As nice as Arizona’s climate is in regards to a car being rust free, the sun and heat of the area are brutal on leather and plastics.
Under the hood is the tire melting Cobra Jet 428 engine. Everything looks to be well detailed and factory correct, including the Ram Air unit. While rated at the factory at 335 horsepower, these engines often put out over 400 horsepower when dynode after they left the factory. One reason for such a discrepancy is the insurance industry. The insurance companies were getting wise to how much damage could be done with high horsepower engines, and countered that with rates that rose exponentially with the horsepower rating. The sad truth is that between the insurance industry, the safety Nazis, and the coming emissions nightmare, high horsepower cars like this one were on the way out. They would soon be replaced by barges that would need this much horsepower just to get out of their own way. Too bad the barges got smaller engines choked down with pollution controls instead.
Looking underneath, we can see why the current owner brags on the previous owner’s obsession with detailing the undercarriage. Everything is super clean and detailed, and it looks like countless hours were spent avoiding the honey do list while hiding under this Cougar. It is nice to see a car like this so well taken care of, but it does kind of make driving it seem like an extravagance. If you get caught in the rain, just imagine the hours you would spend under there getting everything ship shape again!
All told, this is a pretty nice Cougar. Given that this model was, at that time, sort of a luxurious Mustang, I could see myself ordering a car like this. That is, if I were around then and had some jingle in my pocket. Today, when you order a car, you basically are picking from what is on the lot or what you can get from other dealers. Ordering a car just as you’d want it is kind of frowned upon. Back then, just imagine how special it would have been to sit down and hand select the options you wanted on your car. It wasn’t just a car then. It was your car. The waiting might have been a pain, but the phone call letting you know your car came in must have been a “kid on Christmas morning” scenario. Whoever ordered this car did a fine job. While Cougars sadly don’t bring the money that Mustangs do, this one should do well. The price is high, but what a chance it is to get a Cougar just how you would want it manufactured.
What’s it really worth?
Ultimately it will be worth whatever price the seller and a buyer agree to. Personally I think if the car checks out to be as nice in person as the photos show that it is worth the asking price. The car does not 100% match the Marti report as it has the styled steel wheels and front spoiler added. It also looks like the original radio is not in place, but I could be wrong on that as there is not a good clear photo of the radio. I do not believe that the wheels and spoiler hurt the value at all, well the spoiler maybe a little, but the wheels will probably add that back in.
And just as an FYI the floor mats shown in this car are not the ones listed on the paperwork. The ones in the car are much later aftermarket mats. The original mats were all rubber with ribs molded in and the running cat logo inside an oval on the front mats. The rear mats just had the ribs. The backside of the mats had rubber nibs sticking down that hooked into the carpet to keep them from sliding around. The original style mats have been reproduced but without the nibs.
It looks like the original radio is sitting in the trunk beside the Marti report in the second photo above. I thought that I had seen that and had to go back and relook at the photos to find it. I do not see the knobs but they would not be hard to replace.
Dang…….white lightning for sure. I would rather have this rare and high optioned Merc than a Stang (unless it was a Shelby of course). These CJ equipped Cougars are few and far between. Want….want…..want!
Totally with you, Gunner! The Cougars are my favorite muscle car! I’ll never own one, and I’m happy rodding the inline 6 on my Comet, but I sure love these Cougars nonetheless.
Very nice indeed
Sweet! The only way to make it better would be if it had the 4speed instead of an automatic, but I could like with it just as it sits ;-)
I owned one of these in the 70s and it was the most insane brute I ever drove. Tire melting is an apt description. I certainly wish I still had it. That motor was a bear to work on you had to unbolt the motor mounts and jack up the motor just to get at the spark plugs. The factory dual exhaust had an incredible sound. Ahhh the memories.
Can hardly believe they stuffed this motor and drivetrain in a average car. Thus making it not so average LOL. It must be comical watching the gas gauge slowly sink as you pound the streets in some suburb.
Still…. worth the price of admission (in gas consumption/ not the car) IMO. 😀
I’d cry like a little girl with a skinned knee if I paid 70 large for this and got caught in a rainstorm. Give me a slightly rusty one with patina for 10k. More enjoyment, less worry.
They can be found with a 351 engine in the 10k price range, but a 428 car will be much more expensive.
If I was to have an American collector car, this would be it. Underated and better looking than the rest of the Ford lineup IMHO.
EBay listing has ended … NO SALE. Buy-It-Now price is way too high. Nice Car, Lower the Asking Price and try again.
reasonable price in my humble opinion. I’ve owned several 69 Cougars with 428 engine. color combination maybe less desirable.
I think that spoiler is oem, my buddy has a few of these and although the pics are too dark it looks factory to me. He makes sequential turn sig boxes for the vintage cars that had them; cougars, tbirds etc.
Years ago I help him assemble his 67 Cougar trans am replica car which ran in many national vintage races.
http://www.cougarsunlimited.com
The spoiler may or may not be a factory original piece. Or it could be a later reproduction. When I said it was not original in my earlier post what I meant was that this car did not leave the factory with that spoiler on it. The spoiler was a part of the Eliminator package and was not available on any other model. Of course that does not mean that a previous owner did not purchase a spoiler through the parts department and add it to this car.
I almost forgot, say hello to Vic for me the next time you see him. I saw him earlier this summer at the Carlisle All Ford show and the following week at the Cougar Nationals show in Dearborn. He really knows his stuff on the turn signal system.
5 figures for a Cougar? Oh No! Mr. Bill
I prefer these to the Mustang as I prefer the Firebird to the Camaro.
Agreed! Mustangs are like belly buttons, everybody’s got one.
Beautiful car, if you’re gonna dump some cash on a car pick a winner.
“The Sign of the Cat”. That brings back memories. This kitty is clean and mean. I believe they still had the sequetial turn signals in 69. As a kid I thought those were the coolest thing……..
The sequential turn signal system was on all Cougars from 1967 through 1973.
NOICE car but the ask is way high. its not even an Eliminator.
It may lack some of the flash of the Eliminator package but I think that it is worth very close to the asking price.
I don’t think you could get a 428 in an eliminator. I think (not certain) that Eliminators were 351’s. My 1969 XR7 with 428 did NOT have the eliminator spoiler. I had a couple of cool cars back in my youth the XR7 and a 1969 Pontiac Ventura with a 389. REALLY wish I still had both of them.
Very sharp car, Love the 67-68-69 years
Very nice example!!! Those 428 cj engines were very powerful and tough! Always been partial to Ford performance since I was kid thanks to my dad… first engine I ever built with him was a 1969 460 what a monster!!!
Bad kitty….bad kitty….
I would say this is the car. It never made the top 10. Suspect it was trouble making the the tires of the day stick. Like an earlier post stated they will get what they want.
I owned a 1968 Courger XR-7 in 1972. It was black outside and inside withthe Ford rally wheels on WIDE OVAL TIRES. It had the 390 C I engine with crome valve covers Etc, and the C-6 automatic transmission.I was 26 at the time and I remember smoking the tires just by flooring it without torqueing it up. At that time we had a hangout called the dixie drive in much like on the American graffiti movie and from the redlight down mainstreet to the Avon bridge it was about 1/4 mile and I was not blown off by many other cars back in the day LOL
With 3.0 rear end gears, it wouldn’t be quick, but I bet the top end would be scary.
The car is definitely hot it just needs the back spoiler
If you’re a Cougar enthusiast might I plug the FB Page of KTL Restorations in VA. If you follow their page, you will see some great behind the scenes restoration work by Kurt Lawrence and his talented crew on some rare Cougars. You’ll also most likely see work commence on my Nordic Blue ’68 Cougar XR-7 GT with 390 (NOM) 4-speed and 3:25 Equa-Lok rear axle.
I think Ford started using the Traction-Lok(replacing the Equa-Lok) around ’66-’67. I’m pretty sure your car, with a 390ci 4-speed, would have the Nodular case Traction-Lok 31 spline axle’s. Did you do a Marti report? Your car is very special, and the basic or deluxe Marti report could enhance it’s value.