The "original" Cougar was more than a "delux" Mustang. Mercury engineered, modified, and redesigned the vehicle to be it's own car. One of our rich pal's parents bought him a Cougar instead of a Mustang like several other guys had. Riding in or driving the Cougar was very different than the Mustangs. This build looks as good as a Cougar should. And it is accesorized like the powerfully smooth car they were. Thanks for sharing this tastefully done model, Chris...
Great build! Just to clarify something about the engines. Unfortunately in 1973 the Mercury Cougar came with 2 engine options. A 351 Cleveland with a 2 barrel carb and single exhaust. Or a 351 Cleveland with a 4 barrel carb and dual exhaust.
The 1972 version of this kit had "spoof" parts included. To build sort of a Zinger type of car. It included a giant blower, blower belt and scoop that glued on top of the hood. it also included a giant drag chute, which is included in the kit you have.
Good to see that the OEM exhaust made it back into the kit, that plus the extra WW tires make this go, from a pass (having an original The Cat kit which is Street Machine only) to a must-buy kit. Thanks, Chris for the build and the people from Round2 for including the stock parts!, Cheers.
I bought that reissue kit back in the day plus I have an original 71 kit, so since they're going to bring this kit out I also happen to have a couple sets of Modelhaus 71/72 bumpers, I can build 3 years of those Cougars & thatll be very cool
I bought the kit at the 2024 Detroit Autorama, I think it is an original kit, it is molded in black and no "badge". It is a nice kit, some parts have a fitment issue. I like the video, keep up the great work. Have a great day.
The 1971 version of this kit had optional "Put On" parts to make a cartoonish drag car, an oversize blower with a "super scoop", and that oversize parachute that glued to the top of the trunk lid. Hey, it was the early '70s. These parts were also in the '72 issue, but now called "Spoof" parts. The whole chassis of this kit dates back to the 1970 Cougar kit, which was available as a convertible or hardtop. That's where the convertible top-down boot comes from. The '71-'73 kits were hardtop only. This is the first I've seen the street scene badge in a long time, it was in the original issue '73 (pre Cat) kit. Round 2 likes to open up blocked gates in the runners to give us parts not seen in 50 years. I like that. I have two issues of The Cat from the '80s, and they don't have any of these parts.
Another awesome build Chris looks great in the blue with the half white an blue roof an of course thanks for the time an effort you put into the videos you make for us hope that your weekend is going good an happy St.Patrick's day enjoy
This car looks so much better stock than the custom version, and the color you have chosen is really reminiscent of the era in which it came out. I would likely have found a way to incorporate the stripes without going too far overboard, because some of these Round 2 decal sheets are so nice you feel you have to use more than just the basics like the badging, dash decals and license plates. I like the Cougar badge, which I think will stand out with some nice detail painting.
Looks like a great kit, and as always nice preview and build. I built this kit back in the 80's. Our neighbor had a real one. Metallic green and green interior, 351w, automatic trans. A set of Magnum 500's, Cragers or Torq-Thrusts would be nice.👈😎 Thanks again for sharing.
Absolutely sharp '73 Cougar Chris! Love that blue! Definitely a head turner going down the road! I need to build mine that I bought on eBay last year 😆
The big thing that you refer to As a gas tank is an over Sized. Parachute. Not needed, just an extra part.The convertible boot was issued when the K IT came out originally has a convertible. In 1 9 7 0.They updated the body and front and rear bumpers over the years
Another great build Chris. I like the you did blue. I spilled my Plastruct Bondene when I went to pour it into my tester Bottle. I spilled out 1/4 of it onto my workbench. 😅
I solved that problem by pouring it into a square bottom Tamiya glue bottle. You can also hollow out the center of a section of styrofoam and place the bottle in that for stability.
Hey HPI guy, a suggestion for a video. Perhaps show us your preferred tools that you use to create these models and what you do with the leftover parts and how you display them. I always click a thumbs up as I appreciate whatever you create no matter the subject and what your choices are. Thanks for sharing your time. From one Sconsin guy to another.....
My brother ( in his 60s today) was given the original release back in the early 70s and gave me the glue bomb it was shortly after. The parachute had been installed on the trunk lid and the hood had a massive blower with a huge scoop (looks like these parts are gone from the kit now).
Chris, I love your channel so much! I just got back into model building after a 50 year hiatus, and I love the format of unboxing, building, and thoughts / outro. Keep up the great work, as you are an inspiration to many. BTW- What does HPI stand for? The first time I saw it fast, I thought it was, "Hipguys" LOL!
That square part is a parachute from the early 70's when they put the cartoon zigger parts in the kits, I think on the 71 cougar release, with green car on box, on the side of box there's a picture of the car with the parachute on it
That unidentified part you are asking about, looks - to me - like a parachute pack used by drag racers to slow their cars to stop. Good luck with the build!
looking at the chassis and engine bay, and the custom engine the kit allows you to build, I notice how they practically re-use the same molds AMT/MPC did back in the early 1970s for their Mercury Cyclone kit. I’m surprised those molds have survived this long, wonder if they still have the stock molds for the rest of the cyclone if these are still being used.
I have an original kit molded in black. Crazy how much they are asking for them on evilbay. My buddy had a real one in brown & i had my 68 Cougar, we always argued which one was better.
I'm a retired old man who wants to get into building models again. Back in my day, molded-in vingle tops weren't around. I had a neighbour who had an XR7 428 Cobra Jet. The color was slightly darker blue. I wanna build it. Now forgive me if this sounds dumb, but how can I smooth the top. Would you or someone else give me tips? Sand or glazing putty??? It had a white interior. I have never been a white or red interior fan, lol. I might buy 2, do one for my late buddy, and then another one with a different color interior.
Hi Chris, Thanks for showing all the different types of glue that you use. I'm also noticing you're using craft spray paint. Do you know if there is a clear coat that could be applied over the craft paint ? Thanks ..
Greg hpi guy is great! to answer your question about gloss craft paint yes you can get clear gloss , satin and flat (dull) but you can also the floor polish at dollar store or Walmart most stores sell it under all different names like Rejuvenate, Quick Shine , it used to be called Future floor polish if you google it you can see what the container looks like . The Testors Acrylic clear gloss satin and flat clear is also compatible with craft paint. The Short Cut line of Rustoleum is Enamel which takes most clears . Remember you shouldn’t put Lacquer over acrylic or enamel . I hope helped you .
just an fyi FOMOCO oil filters in those days were generally white (the can in the front of the engine) and the guy that owned that cougar wore white shorts with a captains hat and never tipped the guy that worked on his car, cheap bastard!! lol
The sad part ... neither the Boss429 nor the 428 were available stock in ANY 1971-73 Cougar ( or any Ford vehicle for that matter ) ... the only CobraJet available was the 351 CobraJet , and it was only available in 1971 . In ‘72 there was a 351 HO ( high output ) kinda was a de-tuned 351CJ ... but by 1973 they were gone to H I S T O R Y While I’m glad these kits are getting reissued Round2 keeps advertising that these kits can be built ‘stock” but continue to NOT give the proper options to do so !
Another great video and build, you cracked me up with the Cougar Badge... Every young man should experience a cougar in his youth.
The "original" Cougar was more than a "delux" Mustang. Mercury engineered, modified, and redesigned the vehicle to be it's own car. One of our rich pal's parents bought him a Cougar instead of a Mustang like several other guys had. Riding in or driving the Cougar was very different than the Mustangs. This build looks as good as a Cougar should. And it is accesorized like the powerfully smooth car they were. Thanks for sharing this tastefully done model, Chris...
Great build, with good tips on glues and packaging. A nice blast from the past, jokes and all. Build it your way.
I am glad that round too brought this back out long needed for us for the ford people
Great build Chris! Color choice is spot on.
Great build! Just to clarify something about the engines. Unfortunately in 1973 the Mercury Cougar came with 2 engine options. A 351 Cleveland with a 2 barrel carb and single exhaust. Or a 351 Cleveland with a 4 barrel carb and dual exhaust.
Nice job, brings back memories of those 70’s cars
The 1972 version of this kit had "spoof" parts included. To build sort of a Zinger type of car. It included a giant blower, blower belt and scoop that glued on top of the hood. it also included a giant drag chute, which is included in the kit you have.
Had the same for a '72 Pontiac Grand Prix
All of the 72 MPC annual kits had some kind of spoof parts. They had a slogan of "build it mild or build it wild"@@alwynemcintyre2184
Good to see that the OEM exhaust made it back into the kit, that plus the extra WW tires make this go, from a pass (having an original The Cat kit which is Street Machine only) to a must-buy kit. Thanks, Chris for the build and the people from Round2 for including the stock parts!, Cheers.
Looks great we never would have seen the glue drip if you hadn't said anything another great video
Really enjoy watching you build. Your choice of music makes it very relaxing. Continuing to learn your techniques. Great build. Thanks.
I bought that reissue kit back in the day plus I have an original 71 kit, so since they're going to bring this kit out I also happen to have a couple sets of Modelhaus 71/72 bumpers, I can build 3 years of those Cougars & thatll be very cool
Absolutely outstanding! Love the color combo!
Very nice build. Great color choices. It looks like a good kit and appears to be well engineered. Thank you for sharing.
The mystery part is the oversized parachute pack from the "Mild & Wild" series version from the 70's
That was my guess too...a drag parachute on steroids 😂
Great job, the color combination looks fantastic.
I bought the kit at the 2024 Detroit Autorama, I think it is an original kit, it is molded in black and no "badge". It is a nice kit, some parts have a fitment issue. I like the video, keep up the great work. Have a great day.
The 1971 version of this kit had optional "Put On" parts to make a cartoonish drag car, an oversize blower with a "super scoop", and that oversize parachute that glued to the top of the trunk lid. Hey, it was the early '70s. These parts were also in the '72 issue, but now called "Spoof" parts.
The whole chassis of this kit dates back to the 1970 Cougar kit, which was available as a convertible or hardtop. That's where the convertible top-down boot comes from. The '71-'73 kits were hardtop only. This is the first I've seen the street scene badge in a long time, it was in the original issue '73 (pre Cat) kit. Round 2 likes to open up blocked gates in the runners to give us parts not seen in 50 years. I like that. I have two issues of The Cat from the '80s, and they don't have any of these parts.
Another awesome build Chris looks great in the blue with the half white an blue roof an of course thanks for the time an effort you put into the videos you make for us hope that your weekend is going good an happy St.Patrick's day enjoy
This car looks so much better stock than the custom version, and the color you have chosen is really reminiscent of the era in which it came out. I would likely have found a way to incorporate the stripes without going too far overboard, because some of these Round 2 decal sheets are so nice you feel you have to use more than just the basics like the badging, dash decals and license plates. I like the Cougar badge, which I think will stand out with some nice detail painting.
Looks like a great kit, and as always nice preview and build. I built this kit back in the 80's. Our neighbor had a real one. Metallic green and green interior, 351w, automatic trans.
A set of Magnum 500's, Cragers or Torq-Thrusts would be nice.👈😎
Thanks again for sharing.
Absolutely sharp '73 Cougar Chris! Love that blue! Definitely a head turner going down the road! I need to build mine that I bought on eBay last year 😆
Excellent build as and presentation Chris!!
I had this one back in the 80s nice to have it back
This caught my eye for preorder at Model Car Roundup. I'm going to have to add this one to the stash!
The travel pack thing you were asking about is like a tent that you could mount on the trunk 😊
First!! Love watching your builds!!!
Nice build, and like the colors you chose.
Looks good! Thanks for the review.
It looks like a few extra parts an I like that we can make 2 engines I'm glad I have mine ordered already
I like the blue, great build
I had won long time ago it was in black I am so happy it is back I love the model I will be getting one😊
The big thing that you refer to As a gas tank is an over Sized. Parachute. Not needed, just an extra part.The convertible boot was issued when the K IT came out originally has a convertible. In 1 9 7 0.They updated the body and front and rear bumpers over the years
Another great build Chris. I like the you did blue. I spilled my Plastruct Bondene when I went to pour it into my tester Bottle. I spilled out 1/4 of it onto my workbench. 😅
I solved that problem by pouring it into a square bottom Tamiya glue bottle. You can also hollow out the center of a section of styrofoam and place the bottle in that for stability.
nice work as always chris luv ya channel gives me ideas on how too do my models better....
I want that again I had that years ago
Hey HPI guy, a suggestion for a video. Perhaps show us your preferred tools that you use to create these models and what you do with the leftover parts and how you display them. I always click a thumbs up as I appreciate whatever you create no matter the subject and what your choices are. Thanks for sharing your time. From one Sconsin guy to another.....
that is a parachute for the drag version i built this kit back then many years ago it offered a drag version in the kit back in the 1980s
Looks Awesome!
Great job
My brother ( in his 60s today) was given the original release back in the early 70s and gave me the glue bomb it was shortly after. The parachute had been installed on the trunk lid and the hood had a massive blower with a huge scoop (looks like these parts are gone from the kit now).
What a cool badge
Mr steady hand at his best again,sorry was away working for awhile,super nice job
Welcome back!
Chris, I love your channel so much! I just got back into model building after a 50 year hiatus, and I love the format of unboxing, building, and thoughts / outro. Keep up the great work, as you are an inspiration to many. BTW- What does HPI stand for? The first time I saw it fast, I thought it was, "Hipguys" LOL!
HPI stands for "happy", according to Chris.
Great stuff mate👍
I would love to do this model! But I want to do it in dark green metallic with tan roof and interior like the OG's were.
That square part is a parachute from the early 70's when they put the cartoon zigger parts in the kits, I think on the 71 cougar release, with green car on box, on the side of box there's a picture of the car with the parachute on it
That unidentified part you are asking about, looks - to me - like a parachute pack used by drag racers to slow their cars to stop. Good luck with the build!
👍👍
Cool as always 👍
There are pics of the original release on Google. It was red on the box art with stp decals
looking at the chassis and engine bay, and the custom engine the kit allows you to build, I notice how they practically re-use the same molds AMT/MPC did back in the early 1970s for their Mercury Cyclone kit. I’m surprised those molds have survived this long, wonder if they still have the stock molds for the rest of the cyclone if these are still being used.
Wow the transmission actually looks like a C-6
lol
I have an original kit molded in black. Crazy how much they are asking for them on evilbay.
My buddy had a real one in brown & i had my 68 Cougar, we always argued which one was better.
I'm a retired old man who wants to get into building models again. Back in my day, molded-in vingle tops weren't around. I had a neighbour who had an XR7 428 Cobra Jet. The color was slightly darker blue. I wanna build it. Now forgive me if this sounds dumb, but how can I smooth the top. Would you or someone else give me tips? Sand or glazing putty??? It had a white interior. I have never been a white or red interior fan, lol. I might buy 2, do one for my late buddy, and then another one with a different color interior.
I still completely, totally and unquestionably despise those bumpers mandated by the feds.
What sharpie color is that. Great video and model
Hi Chris,
Thanks for showing all the different types of glue that you use. I'm also noticing you're using craft spray paint. Do you know if there is a clear coat that could be applied over the craft paint ?
Thanks ..
Greg hpi guy is great! to answer your question about gloss craft paint yes you can get clear gloss , satin and flat (dull) but you can also the floor polish at dollar store or Walmart most stores sell it under all different names like
Rejuvenate, Quick Shine , it used to be called Future floor polish if you google it you can see what the container looks like . The Testors Acrylic
clear gloss satin and flat clear is also compatible with craft paint. The Short Cut line of Rustoleum is Enamel which takes most clears .
Remember you shouldn’t put Lacquer over acrylic or enamel . I hope helped you .
I built an older version of this kit. The wider set of tires absolutely DO NOT FIT inside the rear of the body.
I noticed on Chris' model that the stock rear wheels jut out a lot farther than they should. I'll have to make adjustments on mine when it comes.
Thunderbird 1978
The '73 Cougar was still a Mustang chassis. It was neither big nor heavy.
The original issue had a HUGE blower and HUGE chute on the back. That's what that square thing is .....
I'm waiting for mine to get released an sent to me Chris
Is there a technique to your sharpie trim? I tried and it didn’t come out good lol
I’m gonna guess that big square part is a giant parachute
Are you using rubbing alcohol as your accelerator?
I'm not clear about the status of this kit. Is it a brand new re-release, or is it a former release that Round 2 is clearing out?
What kind of paint brush you use?
Have a link to purchase?
How can I make my own paintmix mix smoke for the Nascar windshield thanks ! Guy.
just an fyi FOMOCO oil filters in those days were generally white (the can in the front of the engine) and the guy that owned that cougar wore white shorts with a captains hat and never tipped the guy that worked on his car, cheap bastard!! lol
the engine you used in the car is not the 428 it would be a 351cleveland or a351 windsor
the engine you did not use is the 428 -429 boss engine same engine in the mustang or ford torino cobra
The sad part ... neither the Boss429 nor the 428 were available stock in ANY 1971-73 Cougar ( or any Ford vehicle for that matter ) ... the only CobraJet available was the 351 CobraJet , and it was only available in 1971 . In ‘72 there was a 351 HO ( high output ) kinda was a de-tuned 351CJ ... but by 1973 they were gone to H I S T O R Y
While I’m glad these kits are getting reissued Round2 keeps advertising that these kits can be built ‘stock” but continue to NOT give the proper options to do so !
I haven’t seen anything saying this kit can be stock, but I’ll admit I’m wrong otherwise. I still get what you’re saying.
One of the ugliest car from Detroit, but make a nice model in a junkyard diorama. One the other hand I appreciate the music, I am actually from PR ❤
I'm happy to be proven wrong, but have never seen Australian production cars with a white interior. Be an absolute pig to keep clean
Thats a 50 year old kit