The 1st Generation Mercury Cougar Its History, Models, and Features
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- Опубліковано 4 сер 2023
- A look at the first generation Mercury Cougar from 1967 through 1970 including the models, options, and performance editions. At look at Mercury’s performance pony car and discuss IF it’s a better version of the Mustang.
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My first car,in highschool 77,78 was a 67 Cougar GT 390 C6 auto. Man I would love to still have it. Sold it in 79 and bought a 69 Plymouth Roadrunner. Ahh, those were the days for street racing.
Agreed! Thanks for watching and for sharing!
The 67-70 Mercury Cougars will always be my favorite.
Mine too! I’ve owned a 68 G since 83.
@@royboy9361 Awesome brother
I am a huge cougar fan. Nearly bought a 69 in 1993 while stationed in Nebraska. I passed on it due to low airman pay and it had some rust poping out in all the usual.places. I now own my dad's 70 Mach 1 he bought new in October of 69. It's a great car, but I still want a 69 or 70 Cougar to add to my fleet. Maybe some day. Great videi, and I appreciate your channel.
Thanks you for the kind words and I understand Airman pay or the lack of it all to well (at least in mid to late 80's). Best of luck finding that Cougar. They are out there if you stay committed to the search.
These cars and the era were great, we had no idea how lucky we were in high school to drive muscle cats, many were family hand me downs.
Brought back memories. I had a '67 and a '68, both with the small block, my friend had a '68 XR7 with the 390, and a cousin had a '69 with a 351W. I had a '70 Mustang coupe that I liked better, it felt more connected with the road.
I now have 2 fox bodies
Thanks for watching and for sharing!
I had a green 69 mustang coupe with a blk vinyl roof 302 auto & i found a set of alum mustang mags, i wish i had that one back, it's funny a neighbor a green cougar the same time
The Cougar will always have a special place in my heart. My first car was a 78 XR7 which was Navy with the tan trim, Windsor powered. Also drove a 72 for a couple years in the late 90’s-early 2000’s, Cleveland powered. A 68 302 2bl car too. Of them all the 72 was my favorite believe it or not. Just a good driving bigger car. White with black interior.
Thanks for sharing!
some friends of mine had a 68 & 70 back in the 80s.i loved them.a touch more comfortable than the mustangs of that era.the 70 with the 4bbl. cleveland was a nice combo.
Thanks for watching!
My big bro back in the day had a 68 and man would it go! He was a big time chevy boy but he loved his Kitty Cat! Thanks to him i became the mustang fan i am today. He owned some nice cars after that but i was always more impressed with that Merc than any of the rest. Sure wish he was still around to drive my coyote. He'd be so impressed and would just be grinning from ear to ear! Thx Tony!
Thank you for watching and sharing your story. I'm glad it could bring back some good memories.
SVO looks great behind you... I agree with you. They are both great cars to have each one with their own unique reasons to own it. I wouldn't mind owning both :)
First one I ever saw or even knew about the Eliminators was a friend got one when I was in high school it was a beautiful green. Later after graduation I was working a warehouse job around 1981and two guys were finding them and getting them pretty cheap. He had a red model and a blue one he drove a few times to work. Mind you they were in drivable condition, but interiors were severely in need of work and the stripes had cracks and while most the paint was original, they need repaint.
There were a lot of us who would only buy cars from the Muscle car era as drivers in the early 80's. I was driving them as a daily through the mid 90's then the prices really started to shoot up and that had to end.
Good overview, and I agree with your opinion. Since 2010, I've owned a '68 Cougar XR-7 302, automatic with 78K original miles. We completed most of the Hot Rod Power Tour with it in June. I also liked your 2012-13 Mustang Boss 302 overview. I own a Competition Orange/white 2012, which as your review showed, is a blast to drive.
Thanks for the kind words and for watching!
My favorite cougar is a 1970 SCJ Eliminator 😎👍
They are sweet. Thanks for watching Victor!
Mine too ;-)
I love the 69’s, but if you’re talking Eliminator, it’s all good.
I always admired the Cougar... A really Cool 😎 pony car...
Hey Tony, once again another interesting and informative video on a what I feel is a under appreciated model, always had a soft spot for the Eliminator.
It was nice to meet you and your wife at the Mach 1 Track attack in mId June, really enjoyed the program, even though it poured throughout the day, it was nice to see how well the cars handled in the wet, I was very surprised at the amazing amount of grip those Michelin Sport 4s tires had on a rain soaked track.
Always look forward to your videos, keep ‘em coming.
D.S.
Thanks for the kinds words and for watching! I'll keep cracking out video as long as there is an interest. :)
My dad had a 1970 convertible 2 door candy apple red cougar. He bought and sold several mustangs but i liked the merc!
Thanks! Tony I love all your videos even if you put other makes or models in . I love all cars but Ford stands out the most. Just look!
Mustang will out last most of the others.
Thanks again my friend and Cheers 🍻 2 U!
Thank you Roy! That is definitely appreciated!
Love the video, thanks for sharing. 😊
Thanks for watching! It's appreciated!
My 1st car back in 1976 was a 1970 Cougar XR7 green with black interior powered by the 351W and FMX transmission, I still have the car today, turning it into a Eliminator "Tribute".
It's not often you hear of someone holding on to their first car over that long a period of time. It is impressive. Thanks for watching and sharing your story.
@@TonysFordsandMustangs hey Tony, thanks for putting out your videos. I do enjoy them. I also have a 2023 Mach 1 eruption green. I attended the Ford Mach 1. Track attack back in June of 23, had a great time. Love my Mach 1. Doing a few mods here and there to it. Keep putting out great content . Thanks for all you do!
My favorite is the 69 Eliminator. Shelby did do some work on the 68 model
I have a hard time picking a favorite Cougar. It would first generation for sure but it's a tough call. They are all pretty sharp for different reasons.
Thanks for this detailed explanation of the Cougar. I've owned my 68 for 9 years now, and I'm still learning aspects of the Cougar market that set it apart from the Mustang crowd. I love Mustangs, but I am one of those that wants a little more space and luxury out of my pony car. Mine is complete, but I also bought a parts car and completely disassembled it for the extra parts. That's what a restoration will take, and you nailed it. Thanks for a great video.
Thank you for the kind words and for watching it is appreciated!
Great video!
I wanted to add some clarifications on the '69 engine options: the base engine for the Cougar in 1969 was a 351W-2V ("H-code"). The Eliminator Option included an engine upgrade to the 351W-4V ("M-code"). The Boss 302 engine was only available in conjunction with the Eliminator Option.
Thanks for the kind words and the info! I do the best I can from what I can find on the web and what I have read in the past. I still flub something from time to time .
@@TonysFordsandMustangs I had no intention of diminishing what you said in your video - you did a great job! I just wanted to clarify a bit on some of the details you mentioned. I understand about doing the best you can. I "specialize" in Eliminators, but I'm still learning new things all the time. Again, great video, Sir!
@@eliminatorownersenthusiast158 Thanks again for the kind words and the understanding! It is appreciated!
Always loved the Cougar. Currently have a '68 and a '95.
As an owner of a '69 Cougar and the previous owner of several early Mustangs and currently a 2006 GT, I give the Cougar a win. Two reasons: it's smooth, swift and silent; you don't (if ever) see one on the streets or at car shows like the ubiquitous Mustang. I get much more attention and questions in the Mercury than any Mustang I've owned (most people don't know what it is). Finally, parts aren't terribly hard to find. ALL the mechanical bits are the same as the Mustang and many sheet metal and body parts are available; however, interior trim is so unique, you'll have to rely occasionally on the used parts market (West Coast Classic Cougars). Anyone have some light ivy green door panels?
Thanks for your comment. On the parts side of thing, I have owned several 68-70 Torino and yes I could find most of the parts. That stated there was always a sizable difference in cost of said parts. I would imagine it's that way with the Cougars as well?
@@TonysFordsandMustangs that's true. I have a '71 Ranchero 500. Trim bits and quality sheet metal are tough to source and precious too. Interestingly, if you source the same parts from a Mustang dealer, there's always a dollar saving compared to someone who specializes- don't get me started on Eckler's.
I do love the electric shaver grille, clip lights and would appreciate the luxury seats.
My first car was a 1970 Mercury Cougar, she was just a plain Jane. Bright Canary yellow with black vinyl top. I wish I still had her.
My favorite Muscle car! When I was a teen I bought two used 1973 Mercury Capri's with 2.6 V6 engines and both had a four speed manual trans. I LOVED those cars! They were actually built on Europe (Germany) and imported by Ford or Mercury for sale in the American and Canadian markets. One of my cars had a VERY souped up V6 with racing pistons and cam, High rise manifold and four barrel carb Hooker headers with dual exhaust! It was a BEAST and sounded like the angriest Bees ever! I so much wish I sill had it! The other one which was all stock I used to do amateur rally racing and I loved that too! They were the reason I always wanted to have a manual trans with rear wheel drive in a small car package! So I fell in love with BMW's after than because the cars of the 80's and 90's were almost all front wheel drive if they were small. Or they were fairly bulky like the Vega or the Probe and Mustang etc. Everything was not what I wanted except those European cars. I own two now and seem to have fallen for the same type of set up in that one is built and made for straight line luxury Speed the other is an E46 M3 which I Love and is great for hanging my rear end out at any time LOL.
Great video. I am lucky enough to have bought a 1970 Cougar XR7 Convertible. I have had it over eight years now. I found out after buying it and ordering the Marti Report, it is 1 of 56 with four barrel carb, 351 C M code and four speed manual trans. It gets driven every week year round. Fun to drive, and a lots of thumbs up from other cars. Take care.
Thanks for the kind words and I'm glad to hear that you are using it!
My 70 X-R7 black on black 351 Cleveland was a beauty. 1600 bucks in 76. Wrecked it though. Still hurts to this day.
Great video. I owned a ‘67 XR7 exactly as shown at the 3:30 mark with the exception of white letter tires and rally wheels. It was my first car purchase after graduation in 1972. There was definitely a difference in refinement versus the equivalent Mustang. They rode better, the interior quieter and more visually interesting, and since the Mustang significantly outsold them, it was nice to have something a little more exclusive. My late mother always said that Cougar was her favorite of all the cars I owned.
Thanks for sharing your story!
Im a Mustang fanatic. My first car was a 70 Mach 1. I’ve owned 10 different Mustangs over the years and yes it is. It is a better classier car than the Mustang. 67 is my favorite year. I hope to own one of those
Love my '99 9-3. One of the best cars I've ever owned.
First car was a red ‘68 with a 302. Also had a ‘76 xr7 with a 351W. Much bigger car.
I find it interesting that Mercury heavily marketed the Cougar as “a Man’s Car” for its first few years but then switched to marketing it to females starting in 1968, per the magazine advertisements shown. (Granted, Cougars still came in “male-oriented” performance versions.) This jibes with my memory of Cougars from that era, when it seemed that more women than men drove Cougars. Guys preferred Mustangs (less ornate, “soft”, etc.) for their performance aspects.
excellent video sir!
Thank you very much!
When I was a child I remember my gym teacher had a 1969 or 70 Cougar XR-7? in what I believe was competition orange. Needless to say I thought he was the coolest gym teacher in the world.
Excellent video, also love the vintage commercials!
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for watching!
I always liked these Cougars.
Beautiful cars !
I had a '67 cougar, had a 289 with a 4bbl carb. Automatic, It was a medium blue with black interior... Loved that car, ps pb and no a/c. But the New Jersey winters finally took its toll on it...😢
Whatever performance was list is made up for with gorgeous looks. No competition, the cougar is best. Sequential tail lights had me as a younun and never let go. Cougar and Barracuda were my childhood favorites and still now. You could probably throw the super Bird in there as well, i cant lie.
Never knew the 69s had so many options. Great video as always Tony 👍🏻
Thanks Conner!
Please oh please do a video on the 71 to 73. And please go easy on them.😂
Thanks for watching! I will get to them at some point and I'm not harsh on any year, make, or model. I simply state what they are and how they can be ordered.
Yeah and I appreciate that. You have great content. But you get my joke. These are so hated for some reason. I had a 73 and I think it was an awesome car. Better even than my 70 Torino.
@@marvinlohman4403 Ford Motor Company made some cars that are much more hated. Trust me. :)
I owned a 67 2+2 sports roof Mustang with just a 289 manual trans years ago and miss that one especially, it wasn't a GT or a K code, that would have made it extra special but still. I wouldn't turn down a Cougar either being a blue blooded FoMoCo guy it really doesn't matter to me. Thanks again for doing these Tony! It's fun to remember the Fords of my youth.
71-73 Cougars were superior to same year mustangs better ride & with the clevelands vs windsor faster. Cruising on highway at 85mph barely turning 2200rpm joy to just go.
Well done
Thank you!
I had a 69 Cougar base model with the standard 351 W engine .
Your summation is pretty accurate really . Everyone has their favorite years of mustangs and cars in general but you have to step back and look at the time line where it began and where it ended (1970) . So in 70 you had the best of both... You had the best mustang that had been made and you had the best cougar. I mean bells and whistles and options and looks . 70 was a hell of a year and didnt just stop with FLM . The 70 Challenger is a hell of a car and it wasnt alone over there either.
When you sit in the 70 Mach1 it feels like a race car . When you sit in a 70 Eliminator it feels like that race car you just got out of but too nice to beat on . The cougar was leaps and bounds nicer than the 70 MACH but it was the little things that make it more of a bad ass cruiser that you didnt really need to make any faster than it was.. Mustangs love to get beat on . Its what they do best. If you have a 70 R code eliminator with all options including AC you are just gonna ride around with a big ass smile on your face , no need to beat on it... I have the R code 70 Mach and I have been searching for the right 70 R code eliminator....
I would have to agree that 1970 may have been the high water mark for American Muscle cars. There was a lot to choose from from every manufacture. Thanks for watching and for sharing your opinions. It is appreciated.
The cougar at the 1:38 mark is a ‘68, not ‘67. 1967’s did not have side marker lights.
As a one man show there will be mistakes now and again. There are only so many brochures and photos available to use for in a video such as this one so at times it requires me to be close but not perfect. Many people don't know this but it is impossible to edit a video once it uploaded. Parts can be removed but that's the only option.
No 2 barrel carb was available on any Eliminator. All 4 barrels, only. The Boss 302 engine was available in the Eliminator as well in either year. Performance first? Cougars always had a V8 as a base motor. The Mustang base engine is a 6 cylinder.
Cougars All the Way !!!!! 🤠
Do note that prototypes for the Cougar began in 1962, Iacoca changed the itinerary to push out the Mustang mid year. Had there not been the prototype for Cougar the Mustang would not exist. Thank you.
The only value of the "Car of The Year" award was the advertising it brought to the magazine.
I'm sure that award like similar awards is one that is lobbied for by many of the manufactures. Still it's better to have it than not and it was noteworthy in the time period. Thanks for watching.
I had many Cougars and Mustangs back in the early 80s but the oddest ford i had was a 1968 Ford XL. Bought it for $200 working and drove it home. It was the 80s. But the guy said It had a 400 in it. I knew it was a 390 I was like huh but didn't question him because i didn't wanna tell him what i saw. It was pale gold with black stripes and of course it had hidden headlights and crosses in the tail lights and a fastback with a bench seat and an auto. It also had those racing checker emblems on the lower front fenders. But my confusion sets in because it said on the air cleaner 390 High Performance 2V. Didn't say 4V. To this day that throws me off. Yes it was a 2V engine all original, you can tell. I never heard of a high performance 2V big block and to this day i still wonder what the deal was with that.
Thanks for watching and that is an odd deal on the XL. Thanks for sharing
going to look at a 71 convertable tomorrow. ill let you know if i pick it up
Very awesome! Best of luck!
I had a 67 390 GT 3 speed. It had the 6.5 liter badge in front 1/4 panel. In this video it mentions Ed that on the 68. Could mine have been a late
67 production that carried the 6.5 liter badge?
It's hard to tell with Ford and Mercury was even more difficult. They changed things many times mid year or rolled out new items late in the production of the year prior so it's possible. That said, badges are easy to add to car and I would think the badges could have been added by a prior owner that just thought they looked good.
Fastest cougar I've seen was a '68 with a 427
It was an eliminator!
Great video, Tony. The 1st generation Mustangs include 1971-1973. Why aren’t those years part of the 1st gen Cougar?
Thank you and It was up to Ford/Mercury to name a new generation. I always thought the 71-73 Mustang should have been called the 2nd gen Mustang but Ford choose not to do so.
Great car, far better than the mustang in ride, handling, comfortable on long drives. To this day I always thought the 289 cubic inch engine was great. Saw one a few years ago with mechanical fuel injection
I had a 71 XR7, H-code 351C/FMX. The 67-70s had great interior and exterior styling. I think that by the late 60s it was almost like the performance versions of the Mustang were also trying to compete with the Cougar as luxury cruisers rather than outright blistering fast performance cars. I guess the 66-66 GT 350 concept had sort of run its course. But needless to say, Mustang got as fat as the Merc
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I've built the AMT 69 Cougar Eliminator,AMT 69 Cougar XR7 Street Rod and Revell 92 Cougar XR7 model kits... All are in my model collection and came out pretty decent I think..
When ever you line up that entire model collection for a video please let me know! Thanks for watching!
@@TonysFordsandMustangs I will sometime in the near future..
@@TonysFordsandMustangs I just made a series of videos of my model collection and they will hopefully upload soon... Enjoy!!
@@RoadRunnergarage8570 Awesome. I saw that you have videos on individual cars but it would be fun to see all on them.
I guess they called the rear wing a "Spoiler".
Parts were always a problem for cougars as they were heavy duty compared to mustangs standard duty. As mustang parts were used up cougar parts were sourced, then mustang parts started to be reproduced but cougar parts weren't. I pulled my 73 off the road for lack of parts even though I had a spare part car over 40 years ago.
The Cougar is a slightly more refined and better optioned vehicle than the Mustang. I like them, but I like the Mustangs more - just because.
I would say I'm in the same camp :) Thanks for watching!
IMO, the Cougar is better looking, and they gave the extra 3” to the driver. Even my wife says it’s a man’s car. The Dan Gurney special was mentioned, but the XR-7 G was snubbed. 819 G’s were built in 68, mine has the G package with power sunroof and swing away tilt wheel.
My wife said that exact same thing!
Mustang Thunderbird Cougar/ Ford ? 👍
Had Mercury made a retro style Cougar in 2005 just Ford did with the Retro Mustang of that same year then it would've not only sold like hotcakes like the Mustang but it would've also saved the Mercury brand as well (even the Grand Marquis was the only reason Mercury was still alive at that point).
Thanks for watching!
@TonysFordsandMustangs You're welcome brother, you should do a video on the Canadian Ford's like the Meteor and Monarch.
@@CJColvin One of these days i will get to an overseas video on the older Fords. Promise.
@@TonysFordsandMustangs Awesome brother
Trans Am Racing proved the Cougar was the better car.... specially when all of the Cougars magically left the last race so Mustang could win the Championship... After that mercury had to go play in NHRA....
I'm going to stay out of that fight. ;) Thanks for watching!
The 1st generation Cougar was a beautiful car, better looking than the Mustang in my opinion !
It depended what you wanted, if it was luxury, it may be better but for performance the Mustang had less weight less weight means more performance.
Thanks for watching and that's what I was saying at the end of the video. I hope it was clear enough?
@@TonysFordsandMustangs Sory i posted before I watched the Whole clip.
@@mylanmiller9656 No worries. I wanted to make sure I was clear enough.
Had a seafoam green 67 for a hundred bucks fixed it up. Put car in brother's backyard he left windows open racoon moved in, ate visors ripped up seats had babies his wife gave car away to ? 😢
That's a sad story Martin. Thanks for sharing and watching!
Did that model sit in her car and pet a Real Cougar?
I was thinking the exact same thing! I would imagine, it wasn't her car, and yes it was a real Cougar, and she was petting it.
I have a 1973 xr7 convertible mercury cougar 👌 in love whit my car😊
I will get to the later cars at some point promise! Thanks for watching!
I would of got one but babies are not allowed to drive.
What is this color? you said rare but didn’t say the name of the color.
It's a long video with a 45 plus cars in it. Could you get a time mark on the video?
Sorry to say but after 70. that was the last year I didn"t like them after that. Kind of pushed them into a different type of car, not sporty but more for comfort I guess.
Funny that brought that up. I am releasing a second generation Cougar Video this Saturday at 11 AM. There's a couple drivelines that might change your mind.
@@TonysFordsandMustangs Not my mind. They changed it to be a sister to the Thunderbird. End of discussion in my mind. Not the kind of car I wanted back then.
@@robertadams6606 There's a reason I didn't cover the 74's and 75's. :)
@@TonysFordsandMustangs In my mind anything other than 67- 70 I do not like, even 70s started down that path, however, I did like Eliminators from that year. I had a 69 that was stock, with 351& Automatic. That car would scoot. I liked the little tweak in the side of the car. Painted my Grill black. Same look. Took out the Cougar insignia piece in the middle of the dash, was a great place for my 8track player.
Cougars are better !!!! I love my 68xr-7
I'll stick with liking them both ;)
my 69 cat was better than my 66 stang - cat better car and faster - unless that pony has a 289 with a stick - 64 with a generator blown head gasket still very fast
It's the same car they just put different front ends and other external changes..... It's really Sally that they do this
If only those Ford/Mercury interiors weren't so hideous. Only AMC was worse in the 70's.
Definitely better, thanks for the video 👍
Glad you think so! I gave my opinion :) Thanks for watching!
@TonysFordsandMustangs I had a chance to buy a GTE in great shape for $1,400 in 1977.
It was the Cougar or my ex wife.
I wish I had the GTE
@@Scrambler85 The GTE was neat car for sure.
These cars and the era were great, we had no idea how lucky we were in high school to drive muscle cats, many were family hand me downs.