The Mercury Cougar began in 1967 as an upscale version of the Ford Mustang. Over the years it would morph into more of a personal luxury car and compete in-house with the Thunderbird. The sixth generation arrived in 1983 and would sell another 680,000 copies over a six-year run. The seller has two of these cars, both from 1988, and they appear to be similar except for the colors. Located in Bellmawr, New Jersey, the pair is available here on craigslist where they can be had as a duo for $6,000 (though they’re also priced separately). Barn Finder Mitchell G. comes through again in the tips department!
The 1980s Cougars still had their roots in Ford’s Fox-body platform which was also deployed for the Thunderbird. The manufacturer upped their game in using aerodynamics to design their cars and the result could be seen with the Cougar and T-Bird. The Cougar, with its notchback roof vs. the Thunderbird’s fastback, saw a reduction in its drag coefficient from 0.50 to 0.40 – and that continued to improve through 1988 when the generation was retired. These would continue to be larger, rear-wheel drive automobiles that were on their way out in Detroit.
We’re told the seller’s “cats” have six-cylinder engines, which suggests that if you pop the hoods you’ll find 3.8-liter V6 motors with fuel injection (added in ’88) that resulted in about 140 hp. Both cars should have automatic transmissions. Mercury built nearly 114,000 Cougars in 1988, making it the second best-selling year in that generation of the automobile. The seller is weak on photos or product descriptions, but here’s what we know:
1988 Cougar – Red
This one has just 52,000 miles and looks to be in great condition. The interior matches the exterior and there are no obvious flaws. It’s been treated to new wheels and tires and is said to run great. This one can be had for $3,500 if you don’t need two of them.
1988 Cougar — Brown
This example has traveled twice the distance at 114,000 miles. It’s also said to be in good condition and the interior and exterior are also color-coordinated. The seller must have gotten a deal on wheels and tires because this car has new ones, as well. $3,000 gets to take this Mercury home.
i’d take both. run one and make the other a ‘stang hunter. with all the same mods these will eat the fox body ‘stangs for lunch every time. they have a way better stance and balance for getting the power to the ground. and i think they look way nicer.
but wait a minute. i can’t do that cuz i’m a mopar guy lol.
as light as the ad is these look like a really good deal even as singletons
Sure. That’s why all the drag racers are running ’88 Cougars instead of Fox body Mustangs. They’ve got it all figured out. Oh, wait….
Twice the mediocrity!
These have numerous upgrades over the previous generation, including an Independent Rear Suspension replacing the previous generation’s live axle, but unless the V6 is the turbocharged version from the Thunderbird Super Coupe, asking the V6 to haul around this car’s 3000 pound plus curb weight is asking a lot. The early versions also have the NHTSA-mandated “passive” seatbelts, a.k.a. “motor mouse” seatbelts, so do yourself a favor and wait for the airbag-equipped versions with the much more comfortable three-point seatbelts.
Either of these Cougars are a screamin’ deal. These were much more well built than the GM intermediates, like the Monte QuartLow. And prices on those cheesy things are rising.
For the 80s, I think this generation is the best. The prior were glorified Fairmonts, and the 89s up were loaded with plastic.
I never did like this style. To me the back windows remind me of a Gremlin with a trunk. Butt ugly. I’ll take the T-Bird thank you!
I can remember I had on, Great turning radius. I could cut it in and out of any space downtown.
If you remember. they made this style Cougar for a couple of years with 5.0 V-8 -dual exhaust and posit from the factory. They usually came through with nice high back bucket seats and a T-bar shifter on the floor. This was more powerful than the Monte SS of the same period. They didn’t make too many of them. Usually in black or red with a version of the Mustang GT wheels. They are scarce now. These didn’t rattle, lasted quite a while, and had good pick up. Nice ride.
With two of these cats, you’re going to need a really big litter box.