Leave paint alone! Buff that paint out, keep a coat of wax on it, fresh tires, fix window tint and regulators, detail interior and drive as is. Perfect looking weathered and dependable daily driver! I'd dig watching you get that running! Its an easy and affordable vehicle to keep on the road, simple American old school vehicles, love em!
@@AVC-Works i know that, but if you keep wax on it, it will help or buff it and slap a quick coat of clear on it and keep it waxed. Either way, decent daily driver that's weathered nicely.
YES! Start by seeing how well the paint can be brought back. A good clean-up with proper paint correction would be great content! At least the hood if you are dead set on painting it.
This!. Too many channels have two options for paint: 1) Leave it alone, and 2) Paint the whole car. Cleaned and polished, it may have a pretty good paint job, if you aren't too concerned about the rear bumper.
Absolutely....you can see there is some shine left in that paint. If anything, Ain’t correction will make good content to pay for that respray if it doesn’t come out!
This is the type of revival series that I like to follow. Something with a little history that isn’t going to be seen on every corner, that can be within the means of the larger audience. The red interior makes changing exterior colors difficult. A rich copper metallic would make for an unexpected color combination on the car.
Red interior? This cougar has gray fabric. Didn't you see? I think a good cleaning and polishing would make a huge difference. I have polished cars that looked worse with very good results. The rear bumper can be painted separately if the rest of the paint is salvageable.
@@jaceworkshop7284 what I was thinking myself on the paint. You can see some luster is still left there on the shine and believe the shine can be brought back out with the right person doing so… agree with you on the bumpers as well.
Randy, I love the roof line on this Cougar and the whole car has a great look to it. I would get her a nice paint job and get the dash lights and radio working nice and she would look sweet. Also, I think a nice dark cherry red for the color would look amazing. Hope your shoulder and hand will heal up nicely.
I’d love to see a Maaco paint job, New tires , and fluid changes done to this car. Enough to make car look nice enough for someone else to want to buy and finish the small details. I’ll respect whatever you decide as it’s your money and Channel.
I agree buff it. Looks like it will come up ok with oxidation off. Back bumper needs paint but I’d rattle can that up. Tires for sure and oil. Leave that transmission alone top it up only as you don’t want to touch an unserviced 30 year old transmission that dirty until it takes a dump and needs to be opened. Windows and AC charge with uv dye. Done.
Two door V8 perfect for a resto mod. Nothing sounds better than a bumped up 302 with a good set of pipes. I'm actually a bow tie guy but I own a hot rod red Ford pickup with flow masters on it. This could be a great car.
Jessica is probably mad that a Cougar was trying to get at you 😳😂 Glad you’re alright! That was sketchy! What about seeing what a detailer can do with the existing paint? Obviously the bumper needs paint work but the rest of the car looks salvageable from what I can see. Definitely want to see you make this Cougar look nice again 😎👍🏼
All jokes aside I’m glad you’re ok bro u you saw your life flash in-front of you. And you saved your neighbors house good job but it came with a cost a little jury but you’re here to tell your side.
I can almost guarantee replacing the front sway bar bushings will take care of the minor bumping noise you hear, I owned an 87 20th anniversary cougar 302 several yrs ago and I needed them changed and it took care of that sound, my biggest complaint with that 302 was it only made 150hp but great torque! I never changed the cam nor did I ever look for a 302 h.o. 225hp mustang motor to put in it so I just lived with it, very reliable and simple to work on, I hope your shoulder is doing okay., that was scary! Great video!
Randy, glad you're all right. If you have a similar ignition switch issue, in the fuse block run a jumper wire from a terminal marked Batt to one marked Ignition. Then cross the solenoid [ make sure it's in PARK ]. Radio display needs a micro acorn bulb for display to work.
I had one of these cars. I bought it new in 1988 and it was my baby. Black XR-7 with gray interior. I held onto it until 2004, and I hated to let it go. I'd love to find another one that is in good shape. The problem is finding any body or interior parts. Lots of these cars went through the junk yards years ago, so they aren't as common to find anymore as they were back in the day. So many parts on the interior are plastic and become brittle and crack. The dashpad is all one piece and is glued to the steel dash frame. These cars had the base 5.0 and not the H.O. 5.0 like the Mustang, which I always thought was unfortunate. They still ran good for what they were. Good luck with this car, can't wait to see how it turns out.
I’ll gladly watch you fix this up I love when you save this stuff, I watched every tempo video you made and would do the same with this. Love these old car revivals, especially the old fords
Randy, first of all I hope your shoulder isn't a long term injury. I'm an active subscriber who watches all of your non walkaround videos, as I appreciate the "rebuild" ones => especially on the strange and curious cars like this Cougar. If you want to max out when you sell it, paint it back to stock Red. (Resale Red is best they say!) I'm impressed you sorted this one out so quickly to get it running. Well done.
Yikes, watching the video so far it was quite scary seeing the Cougar almost running you over! May your hand and shoulder get better, mistakes happen and we aren't perfect Randy. Let's hope you won't hate her after this!
This is why I'll never let someone borrow my car again. My ex let her brother drive my car and he ended up running from the police and tore my shit up. I was pissed asf, especially when I found out he tried hiding my car at a car wash
yes man, you can paint that we will continue watching your great content, that accident must hurt a lot but congratulations for avoiding a bigger accident with the neighbors' houses great work.
Holy Crap Randy!!!!.... that was horrible to see. It's so rare to hear your swear. It must have seriously upset you. Please look after yourself so we can keep watching your awesome content. Take care.
That paint will buff up really nicely. No need for a full spray job. Get an orbital car polisher, a stack of pads and some cutting compound and she will shine again. No need to spoil it with a loud colour - they're only original once.
Would absolutely love to see that mercury fixed up! you may not lose any more than if you put it up for auction right away. but it would be great continent and a ton of fun to see that car all fixed up! Go for it Randy
I would love for you to save this car. Would be fun to see it be nice again. My first ever car was an 86 Cougar with the V6. I still miss it and this car hits me in the feels.
I had one of these in high school, loved it. There's an achilles' heel for the AOD transmission: the throttle valve cable connects to the throttle body via a pin shoved through a rubber grommet, with nothing but friction to retain it. If that cable pops out, your transmission dies within a few miles. There's a retrofit kit that replaces the grommet with a steel bushing and a clip. Do this before your trans dies!
So glad you weren't hurt worse. Stuff happens. I would definitely love to see you fix it up. It is a cool car! I'm subscribed with notifications, so I will watch.
Don't kill yourself for content. Always appreciate the hard work you put into these. It would of course be cool to see what that old Cougar could look like again but if it's not worth it, there are a lot more cars out there for you to tackle. Also, what was that Mercedes I saw on your lawn? I missed that one.
I just hope Randy that your feeling better especially the shoulder!! Been looking forward to this cougar! Wow that little part fixed it incredible! Not sure about this one wanna say fix it but i don’t know! Know what i wanna see it hope enough people want too!!
Randy, back in 99 I bought an 87 t bird off an associates dad. I paid 350.00 dollars for it and the paint was beautiful, interior needed a little cleaning but everything worked including the ac. It had half a million miles on it but that 3.8 ran like a top and spin tires like nothing. After a fresh oil change, and new tires, I drove that car from Pennsylvania all the way to Central Illinois with only 3 stops for fuel. If they are taken care of, them old cars are the cats meow. I'm sorry also for your unfortunate mishap. I had a similar experience with my escort when I thought it was in neutral with the e brake on when it tried rolling away from me when I tried jumpstarting another vehicle. I'm just greatful that you are alright. We're all here to support you.
You did the best you could under the circumstances Randy! You had others well being at heart and that's what matters. Hope you heal up quick! This is what I like about you and your channel . . . You're a REAL person who truly cares about others and you're just doin what you love ( Fixing cars) Thanks for all you do Randy! Great content!
The Mercury Cougar is considered as the "Mustang in a tuxedo". Same underpinning, just a different presentation. That said, this car would be AWESOME to take to Radwood or the Hot Rod Power Tour. Count me in, I'm fully invested into this journey!!!
That 88 Cougar is the one car I would like to have back from my youth. And yes for the time it was a hotrod. It beat out 5.0 mustangs, Cornered beautifully, and definitely went into the triple digits far enough. If you want some sound out of it run a 3" cat-back to a flowmaster single exhaust. I always got compliments on mine. I traded mine in on my 93 Bronco at 235,000 miles even blew the doos off a Chevy 1500 on the way to the dealership. BTW Glovebox contains the fuel and trunk popper and if the decklid is original it will contain the door combo to unlock the car. Combo + 4 unlocks all doors, combo + 6 pops the trunk simultaneously pressing 8 & 0 locks the doors. Only love for a car makes you remember these details 23 years later. If I had the money, I'd buy it off you.
Glad you are ok dude, mechanic life ain't easy and we all have the battle damage to show for it. Like my old mentor used to say "won't do that shit again" I know it sucks, but it could've been worse. Again glad you are ok
For video content I'd try painting the bumper and buff the paint. That'll come out real nice. The car is perfect for my taste Randy, loved the video man
Had the same thing happen to me when I jump started a car that was in gear. I recognized the emotions. Excellent power tour car with not many left. Looking forward to seeing you get it back into condition Would a buff and paint on the rear bumper be good enough and help hold the costs down? Another excellent video of a good car. Thank you for the great content.
I’ve done that same silly thing while I had a car on the ramps. It got me, but luckily it sat down on the ramp and just knocked the wind out of me and my chest was bruised pretty bad for a week or so. It’s easy to automatically take it out on the car, but it was my fault just like this one was yours. I learned to be more attentive when working on an old car and you now have too. Don’t sweat it. Part of shade tree mechanic’ing, man. Pretty nice old car. I had a gold one exactly like it back in the 90’s. Engine was flawless but the tranny went on it like they did in all those cars.
I'm late to the party here. But I'd love to see you work on this car more. You mentioned people saying they want to see you work on a car, and then don't watch you work on the car. But this car brought me back to your channel after months of not tuning in. This car is worth it to fix. It'd look great painted white, and I'd even enjoy seeing you fix the windows. And the transmission might be fine with a fluid change that includes Lucas to help the seals.
I think you should do it. You already have more than 9 k views so the interest by your audience is there. I personally enjoy this type of video, so I would love to see you rebuild this car to some reasonably acceptable condition. Go for it!
I vote to go ahead with it! My cousin had a few of these in the day and they were always cool! Never see these around ever. Dig that 3rd gen Camaro on the end as well!
Glad you're okies brother! I was shaking seeing it. Flashback to when my 78 Malibu fell on me. Not pleasant. I too had an 88 cougar but it had the hoopty 3.8 head gasket killing v6 lol
Dang Randy I hope your alright! That was scary! Prayers for a easy recovery on your hand and shoulder. This is not a video title that I ever want to see from any of my UA-camrs.
This is the way I used too start one of my cars. Never crossed my mind that it would run away in the 5 years of doing it. My problem was it had a mobilizer and alarm installed about 15 years earlier and it started playing up.
Randy sorry to hear about your injury but I feel you man , we all make mistake and this was out of a busy mindstate you don't need to go hard on yourself , and speaking of this beast machine Cougar along with a horn , window motor and regulators , paint , tires and general tune service , she would also deserve a little exhaust work maybe like you did with power wagon!! But excellent content can't wait for the progress on this and stay safe and may God bless and heal your arm and shoulder quickly.
Randy, I had a 1984 Caprice that had a problem staying in park. I had it running and when I turned around it dropped down into reverse and took off towards a neighbors house. I was able to catch it before it hit the sidewalk in front of his house. That was the last time I trusted an older car. Emergency brakes are very important.
I was scared, and when you said in the last video, that the cougar video would be coming out and you got ran over. I was debating on even watching. So scary. Glad your ok, for the most part.❤ omg continuing to watch this gives me anxiety. Every single time you attempt to start it.
Yes,yes and yes do that classic a favor bring her back..that thing is immaculate in the interior and fresh paint and extras it needs will definitely be worth it..I've never seen a car that model and age look so good inside and out body wise ..I wanna see this thing like the 4000+ ppl that gave it a thumbs up... she needs you man..she's talking to you...
I’m happy nothing happened to you but watching it now it’s funny I’ve never heard you curse, please be safe this is my number 1 show on UA-cam stay safe
Wow. That's one fussy car brother. It's like it almost has a mind of its own. Sorry you got hurt man. It could have been a lot worse. Good thing it wasn't. Glad you're still on One piece I get your shoulder and hand looked at if it keeps bothering you with pain. ✌️
It's worth fixing it up. These are super hard to find because most of them are abandoned. A little maintenance, a new paint job, an upgraded exhaust, and a little cleaning would increase the value of the car by about $300. so it's worth the risk of fixing it.
Hello. I am new. I had a 84 cougar as my first car. My mom drove it, then my dad, then I got it. Then I was in a wreck. It was totaled. Broke my heart. I hope you choose to fix her up. Cougars hold a special place in my heart. But I also understand the money situation. I hope you are healing well. I love the exhaust idea. Make her purrr. LOL. You can always just take off the window tint and not replace it. Nice to meet ya
Hey you got a car that at first didn't run and you fixed it up, put a battery in it, and a new ignition switch so I think that you should keep the car if you think that you can fix it up and keep it healthy then keep doing what you are doing with the mercury cougar because I think that you're doing a great job with it
The swears are totally appropriate! I had an 1988 Thunderbird "Turbo Chicken" that had it's switch go out like this one. It wasn't just the switch, but a plug about half way down the column that broke it's clips and would lose contact when I turned the wheel. I used wireties around the plug to keep it together (not the same one replaced on this car.)
What a great looking and running car!!! Hold the window button down and hit the door panel with your fist! Sometimes that will make the window work. That paint may actually buff out too! Duals with flowmasters would sound great and I bet that a/c, converted to R134 would be cold as ice. She would be a sweet ride and a looker because you don't see these cars anymore!
Man, that car brings me back to my childhood. I remember my grandma driving me to school and everywhere else in her 85 Cougar. This car is nostalgia at it's finest! Continue on the build, man. Great video!
I was born in 1981 and I remember seeing those cars at the auction when I went with my father I really appreciate those 80’s cars so I would definitely watch the cougar series 💯 🏎 💨
I'd like to see the old cougar brought back to life. Get the electrical all back working and freshen the paint up, maybe some nice rims and tires, see if you can do up a stereo but keep the equilizers in the dash. Could be neat.
Randy sir, I’m answering your request. Yes I want you to give her some love. I want more videos on her. The Cougar and the T-bird of that decade is long gone and it would be nice to see one resurrected from the Copart graveyard 😂. Let’s face it. If you didn’t rescue her, she would probably be a pancake by now. Or sit until there’s nothing left. I hope your not too sore from her trying to run away from you. She wants to live!!! 👍
Would love to see you fix her up, I was always a GM Cutlass guy but always liked that style of Cougar. The xR7 is kinda Rare. Hope you fix her up right. I'll be watching 👀💯🏆🏆
Randy, love that car. Had a 83. If I could afford to ship it up to Massachusetts I would make you whole and take it now. Tires, paint and fix the windows.
A reputable detailer can have this old cat looking great for less than the price of a repaint. Not to mention that these are rare to see. Maybe not overly collectible but to the right person this would be an awesome find. Imagine this cougar back prowling the streets! Good luck!
Do it!! You got it running so you’re already prepared to lose money on it. Fix it up and polish her up! It’s worth it to me, you, and Sammy other people. Percentage wise, you’re probably going to lose the same amount, might as well fix her up and cash in on the content! Love this one.
That’s a clean cougar, you don’t see them often anymore anywhere . Tons of upgrades available for it out there. Mystic was a color flip flop paint it was a original color for the car and it’s unique now . If you choose to suspension air bags would be really cool and drive the value up a ton. 3500 jumped to 5g just by bagging it. By the way I thought the xr7 was the 6cyl turbo version.
First off, glad you are ok. I wouldn’t mind seeing it being fixed up, seems like a decent car. Maybe paint it a orange color. Maybe General Lee orange aka corvette red I believe. Or the bright blue that’s on the corvette. Keep the videos coming when you can, we all know what’s going on behind the scenes, and hope your shoulder heals up soon.
I would very much want to see a series of the Cougar be “done up” nicely by your channel sir. Classic cars from the late 80’s are not often restored. Remember the Mercury Cougar was the “sister “ car to the Mustang in the 1960’s.
In 1988 the Cougar XR-7 only had 3 colors. White, Black and Red. The red had either gray interior or red interior and either digital gauges or analog gauges. Some had keyless entry on the driver's door and some had power antennas. The stripe one them on the outside was either gray to match the gray interior or a red stripe to match the red interior. The 5.0 has 155 to 160 horsepower. Dual exhausts, they came out with GoodYear Eagle VR60s tires. Some had leather seats some had cloth, some had moonroofs some didn't automatic headlights some didn't, lol graphic equalizer some didn't automatic climate control some didn't. Some where fully loaded and some where rather plain but still very nice.
Before you go painting that, check first to see if it’s single stage paint because it would buff out / polish up nicely. I’m thinking it is because there’s no sunburned clear coat.Ford had two red colors (Cabernet Red and Bright Red) in the late 80’s/early 90’s which were painted single stage, along with Black and Oxford White.
This is one of the best budget cars you've had on your channel IMO. Skip the paint job. Do something about that tint. Grab some good rubber. Fix the little stuff. Some creative buffing and sanding would not hurt a bit. Also: Be careful Randy!
Leave paint alone! Buff that paint out, keep a coat of wax on it, fresh tires, fix window tint and regulators, detail interior and drive as is. Perfect looking weathered and dependable daily driver! I'd dig watching you get that running! Its an easy and affordable vehicle to keep on the road, simple American old school vehicles, love em!
If you buff that paint out, it'll be like this in a view months
@@AVC-Works i know that, but if you keep wax on it, it will help or buff it and slap a quick coat of clear on it and keep it waxed. Either way, decent daily driver that's weathered nicely.
Totally agree. Paint is a waste of money on that car. Fix and detail as low buck as possible. Daily it!
Those Cougars are really unique and would be a shame to let it die. I’d paint, tint and fix it up.
@@junkyardhack6292 its not about the money, it’s about the content. It would be great for the channel
YES! Start by seeing how well the paint can be brought back. A good clean-up with proper paint correction would be great content! At least the hood if you are dead set on painting it.
This!. Too many channels have two options for paint: 1) Leave it alone, and 2) Paint the whole car. Cleaned and polished, it may have a pretty good paint job, if you aren't too concerned about the rear bumper.
Absolutely....you can see there is some shine left in that paint. If anything,
Ain’t correction will make good content to pay for that respray if it doesn’t come out!
This is the type of revival series that I like to follow. Something with a little history that isn’t going to be seen on every corner, that can be within the means of the larger audience.
The red interior makes changing exterior colors difficult. A rich copper metallic would make for an unexpected color combination on the car.
Red interior? This cougar has gray fabric. Didn't you see? I think a good cleaning and polishing would make a huge difference. I have polished cars that looked worse with very good results. The rear bumper can be painted separately if the rest of the paint is salvageable.
@@jaceworkshop7284 That’s what I am thinking too. I think that would maybe not look perfect but definitely 90%+ better 😎
@@jaceworkshop7284 what I was thinking myself on the paint. You can see some luster is still left there on the shine and believe the shine can be brought back out with the right person doing so… agree with you on the bumpers as well.
Randy, I love the roof line on this Cougar and the whole car has a great look to it. I would get her a nice paint job and get the dash lights and radio working nice and she would look sweet. Also, I think a nice dark cherry red for the color would look amazing. Hope your shoulder and hand will heal up nicely.
I’d love to see a Maaco paint job, New tires , and fluid changes done to this car. Enough to make car look nice enough for someone else to want to buy and finish the small details.
I’ll respect whatever you decide as it’s your money and Channel.
Any car any size. $99 ;) Something like that.
Never get your money back from the tires. But buyers will subtract off for them so no win either way.
I agree buff it. Looks like it will come up ok with oxidation off. Back bumper needs paint but I’d rattle can that up. Tires for sure and oil. Leave that transmission alone top it up only as you don’t want to touch an unserviced 30 year old transmission that dirty until it takes a dump and needs to be opened. Windows and AC charge with uv dye. Done.
@@One-Crazy-Cat yeah your right changing fluid is a gamble on a overdue neglected trans
This car does not need a paint job. That paint will buff out so easily and Fox-bodied Cougar are fast rising in value each year.
Two door V8 perfect for a resto mod. Nothing sounds better than a bumped up 302 with a good set of pipes. I'm actually a bow tie guy but I own a hot rod red Ford pickup with flow masters on it. This could be a great car.
Jessica is probably mad that a Cougar was trying to get at you 😳😂 Glad you’re alright! That was sketchy! What about seeing what a detailer can do with the existing paint? Obviously the bumper needs paint work but the rest of the car looks salvageable from what I can see. Definitely want to see you make this Cougar look nice again 😎👍🏼
Yes...please continue building the Cougar !!!!
All jokes aside I’m glad you’re ok bro u you saw your life flash in-front of you. And you saved your neighbors house good job but it came with a cost a little jury but you’re here to tell your side.
I can almost guarantee replacing the front sway bar bushings will take care of the minor bumping noise you hear, I owned an 87 20th anniversary cougar 302 several yrs ago and I needed them changed and it took care of that sound, my biggest complaint with that 302 was it only made 150hp but great torque! I never changed the cam nor did I ever look for a 302 h.o. 225hp mustang motor to put in it so I just lived with it, very reliable and simple to work on, I hope your shoulder is doing okay., that was scary! Great video!
Randy, glad you're all right. If you have a similar ignition switch issue, in the fuse block run a jumper wire from a terminal marked Batt to one marked Ignition. Then cross the solenoid [ make sure it's in PARK ]. Radio display needs a micro acorn bulb for display to work.
I had one of these cars. I bought it new in 1988 and it was my baby. Black XR-7 with gray interior. I held onto it until 2004, and I hated to let it go. I'd love to find another one that is in good shape. The problem is finding any body or interior parts. Lots of these cars went through the junk yards years ago, so they aren't as common to find anymore as they were back in the day. So many parts on the interior are plastic and become brittle and crack. The dashpad is all one piece and is glued to the steel dash frame. These cars had the base 5.0 and not the H.O. 5.0 like the Mustang, which I always thought was unfortunate. They still ran good for what they were. Good luck with this car, can't wait to see how it turns out.
Yes! let's see this car get fixed up! hope your shoulder and hand heal quickly Randy!
I agree
Scars on finger tips from a similar incident.
I’ll gladly watch you fix this up I love when you save this stuff, I watched every tempo video you made and would do the same with this. Love these old car revivals, especially the old fords
Randy, first of all I hope your shoulder isn't a long term injury. I'm an active subscriber who watches all of your non walkaround videos, as I appreciate the "rebuild" ones => especially on the strange and curious cars like this Cougar. If you want to max out when you sell it, paint it back to stock Red. (Resale Red is best they say!) I'm impressed you sorted this one out so quickly to get it running. Well done.
Randy, I'd love to see the cougar if it makes sense financially. Thanks for being upfront with us !
Yikes, watching the video so far it was quite scary seeing the Cougar almost running you over! May your hand and shoulder get better, mistakes happen and we aren't perfect Randy. Let's hope you won't hate her after this!
This is why I'll never let someone borrow my car again. My ex let her brother drive my car and he ended up running from the police and tore my shit up. I was pissed asf, especially when I found out he tried hiding my car at a car wash
@@frozenhouse5362 I'm sorry that happened mate, I hope things worked out in the end.
yes man, you can paint that we will continue watching your great content, that accident must hurt a lot but congratulations for avoiding a bigger accident with the neighbors' houses great work.
Man I felt that anger when you got back in, I’ve been there so many times 😂 Hope your shoulder and hand are better soon bud!
Can’t kill a 5.0 I had the same car 10 years I loved it, never failed me, I think you have a winner
“Am going to buy me a mercury, and it’s gonna drive me up and down the road” I know you’ve been real busy lately. Hopefully you’re doing well🤙
We all forget to do things and sometimes they come to bite us in the a*! Happy your not really hurt
Lol
Glad he ok
Would love to see the Cougar getting worked on.
Appreciate ya as always Randy 👊🏻
Holy Crap Randy!!!!.... that was horrible to see. It's so rare to hear your swear. It must have seriously upset you. Please look after yourself so we can keep watching your awesome content. Take care.
That paint will buff up really nicely. No need for a full spray job. Get an orbital car polisher, a stack of pads and some cutting compound and she will shine again. No need to spoil it with a loud colour - they're only original once.
I’d really like to see more of this car. I had a similar car and would love to see it revived. I’m crazy about a Mercury!
This is why I love your channel!! please bring the Cougar back to life.
Would absolutely love to see that mercury fixed up! you may not lose any more than if you put it up for auction right away. but it would be great continent and a ton of fun to see that car all fixed up! Go for it Randy
Looks like a terrific car to fix up. I'd love to see what it looks like with a good detail done on it.
I've always liked those Cougars.
I would love for you to save this car. Would be fun to see it be nice again. My first ever car was an 86 Cougar with the V6. I still miss it and this car hits me in the feels.
I had one of these in high school, loved it. There's an achilles' heel for the AOD transmission: the throttle valve cable connects to the throttle body via a pin shoved through a rubber grommet, with nothing but friction to retain it. If that cable pops out, your transmission dies within a few miles. There's a retrofit kit that replaces the grommet with a steel bushing and a clip. Do this before your trans dies!
So glad you weren't hurt worse. Stuff happens.
I would definitely love to see you fix it up. It is a cool car!
I'm subscribed with notifications, so I will watch.
Don't kill yourself for content. Always appreciate the hard work you put into these. It would of course be cool to see what that old Cougar could look like again but if it's not worth it, there are a lot more cars out there for you to tackle. Also, what was that Mercedes I saw on your lawn? I missed that one.
I hope you okay Randy that some scary s*** appreciate you like always 💯 continue fixing the Mercury cougar
I just hope Randy that your feeling better especially the shoulder!! Been looking forward to this cougar! Wow that little part fixed it incredible! Not sure about this one wanna say fix it but i don’t know! Know what i wanna see it hope enough people want too!!
Loved this video. Yes to more work on the Cougar! This is a cool and rare car.
Glad you are okay Randy ….sadly we all learn from our mistakes, this one could have done you some serious damage !👍🏻👍🏻
Yes, she deserves a little love. She runs well, and the body is in great shape. Half the battle won.
As my cousin would say: "That's effed up man!" Hope your shoulder and hand feel better Randy.
Randy, back in 99 I bought an 87 t bird off an associates dad. I paid 350.00 dollars for it and the paint was beautiful, interior needed a little cleaning but everything worked including the ac. It had half a million miles on it but that 3.8 ran like a top and spin tires like nothing. After a fresh oil change, and new tires, I drove that car from Pennsylvania all the way to Central Illinois with only 3 stops for fuel. If they are taken care of, them old cars are the cats meow. I'm sorry also for your unfortunate mishap. I had a similar experience with my escort when I thought it was in neutral with the e brake on when it tried rolling away from me when I tried jumpstarting another vehicle. I'm just greatful that you are alright. We're all here to support you.
You did the best you could under the circumstances Randy! You had others well being at heart and that's what matters. Hope you heal up quick! This is what I like about you and your channel . . . You're a REAL person who truly cares about others and you're just doin what you love ( Fixing cars) Thanks for all you do Randy! Great content!
The Mercury Cougar is considered as the "Mustang in a tuxedo". Same underpinning, just a different presentation.
That said, this car would be AWESOME to take to Radwood or the Hot Rod Power Tour.
Count me in, I'm fully invested into this journey!!!
Please be careful Randy and glad you weren’t hurt worse, get well 🙏🏻
Flowmaster, air intake, new tires power tour
Pained fire engine red, with dark tint
That 88 Cougar is the one car I would like to have back from my youth. And yes for the time it was a hotrod. It beat out 5.0 mustangs, Cornered beautifully, and definitely went into the triple digits far enough. If you want some sound out of it run a 3" cat-back to a flowmaster single exhaust. I always got compliments on mine. I traded mine in on my 93 Bronco at 235,000 miles even blew the doos off a Chevy 1500 on the way to the dealership. BTW Glovebox contains the fuel and trunk popper and if the decklid is original it will contain the door combo to unlock the car. Combo + 4 unlocks all doors, combo + 6 pops the trunk simultaneously pressing 8 & 0 locks the doors. Only love for a car makes you remember these details 23 years later. If I had the money, I'd buy it off you.
Glad you are ok dude, mechanic life ain't easy and we all have the battle damage to show for it. Like my old mentor used to say "won't do that shit again"
I know it sucks, but it could've been worse. Again glad you are ok
For video content I'd try painting the bumper and buff the paint. That'll come out real nice. The car is perfect for my taste Randy, loved the video man
Hello Randy. The 1988 Mercury Cougar XR7 is a good car. The interior looks good. What's the latest on your uncle?
I carpooled with a guy that had one. It was a great highway car. He sold it. He regretted it. Loved that car. I'd definitely buy it!
I'd buff it out and see how it comes out, may be surprised.
For a month or two... and you'll have to start all over again
Had the same thing happen to me when I jump started a car that was in gear. I recognized the emotions. Excellent power tour car with not many left. Looking forward to seeing you get it back into condition
Would a buff and paint on the rear bumper be good enough and help hold the costs down? Another excellent video of a good car. Thank you for the great content.
Lesson here is to make sure the car is in park
I think it would be cool to see the Auto Spa bring the paint back.
I’ve done that same silly thing while I had a car on the ramps. It got me, but luckily it sat down on the ramp and just knocked the wind out of me and my chest was bruised pretty bad for a week or so. It’s easy to automatically take it out on the car, but it was my fault just like this one was yours. I learned to be more attentive when working on an old car and you now have too. Don’t sweat it. Part of shade tree mechanic’ing, man. Pretty nice old car. I had a gold one exactly like it back in the 90’s. Engine was flawless but the tranny went on it like they did in all those cars.
I'm late to the party here. But I'd love to see you work on this car more. You mentioned people saying they want to see you work on a car, and then don't watch you work on the car. But this car brought me back to your channel after months of not tuning in. This car is worth it to fix. It'd look great painted white, and I'd even enjoy seeing you fix the windows. And the transmission might be fine with a fluid change that includes Lucas to help the seals.
Love to see you bring that old 80’s Cougar back to life.
I think you should do it. You already have more than 9 k views so the interest by your audience is there. I personally enjoy this type of video, so I would love to see you rebuild this car to some reasonably acceptable condition. Go for it!
I vote to go ahead with it! My cousin had a few of these in the day and they were always cool! Never see these around ever. Dig that 3rd gen Camaro on the end as well!
Glad you're okies brother! I was shaking seeing it. Flashback to when my 78 Malibu fell on me. Not pleasant. I too had an 88 cougar but it had the hoopty 3.8 head gasket killing v6 lol
Dang Randy I hope your alright! That was scary! Prayers for a easy recovery on your hand and shoulder. This is not a video title that I ever want to see from any of my UA-camrs.
This is the way I used too start one of my cars. Never crossed my mind that it would run away in the 5 years of doing it. My problem was it had a mobilizer and alarm installed about 15 years earlier and it started playing up.
Randy sorry to hear about your injury but I feel you man , we all make mistake and this was out of a busy mindstate you don't need to go hard on yourself , and speaking of this beast machine Cougar along with a horn , window motor and regulators , paint , tires and general tune service , she would also deserve a little exhaust work maybe like you did with power wagon!! But excellent content can't wait for the progress on this and stay safe and may God bless and heal your arm and shoulder quickly.
The Cougar brings back memories. Nice project. I watch them all!.
Randy, I had a 1984 Caprice that had a problem staying in park. I had it running and when I turned around it dropped down into reverse and took off towards a neighbors house. I was able to catch it before it hit the sidewalk in front of his house. That was the last time I trusted an older car. Emergency brakes are very important.
I was scared, and when you said in the last video, that the cougar video would be coming out and you got ran over. I was debating on even watching. So scary. Glad your ok, for the most part.❤ omg continuing to watch this gives me anxiety. Every single time you attempt to start it.
We need to see this move forward! This car got potential!
Yes,yes and yes do that classic a favor bring her back..that thing is immaculate in the interior and fresh paint and extras it needs will definitely be worth it..I've never seen a car that model and age look so good inside and out body wise ..I wanna see this thing like the 4000+ ppl that gave it a thumbs up... she needs you man..she's talking to you...
I’m happy nothing happened to you but watching it now it’s funny I’ve never heard you curse, please be safe this is my number 1 show on UA-cam stay safe
Wow. That's one fussy car brother. It's like it almost has a mind of its own. Sorry you got hurt man. It could have been a lot worse. Good thing it wasn't. Glad you're still on One piece I get your shoulder and hand looked at if it keeps bothering you with pain. ✌️
I remember these when they were new on the lot. I was a lot boy in 1986-1988 and I saw these and drove them! Great video!
It's worth fixing it up. These are super hard to find because most of them are abandoned. A little maintenance, a new paint job, an upgraded exhaust, and a little cleaning would increase the value of the car by about $300. so it's worth the risk of fixing it.
Hello. I am new. I had a 84 cougar as my first car. My mom drove it, then my dad, then I got it. Then I was in a wreck. It was totaled. Broke my heart. I hope you choose to fix her up. Cougars hold a special place in my heart. But I also understand the money situation. I hope you are healing well. I love the exhaust idea. Make her purrr. LOL. You can always just take off the window tint and not replace it. Nice to meet ya
Hey you got a car that at first didn't run and you fixed it up, put a battery in it, and a new ignition switch so I think that you should keep the car if you think that you can fix it up and keep it healthy then keep doing what you are doing with the mercury cougar because I think that you're doing a great job with it
I'd love to to see you fix it up and drive it on Power Tour love you brother keep them coming 👍
This one is worth saving-like others have said, you don’t see these anymore. Especially an XR7.
The swears are totally appropriate!
I had an 1988 Thunderbird "Turbo Chicken" that had it's switch go out like this one. It wasn't just the switch, but a plug about half way down the column that broke it's clips and would lose contact when I turned the wheel. I used wireties around the plug to keep it together (not the same one replaced on this car.)
What a great looking and running car!!! Hold the window button down and hit the door panel with your fist! Sometimes that will make the window work. That paint may actually buff out too! Duals with flowmasters would sound great and I bet that a/c, converted to R134 would be cold as ice. She would be a sweet ride and a looker because you don't see these cars anymore!
Man, that car brings me back to my childhood. I remember my grandma driving me to school and everywhere else in her 85 Cougar. This car is nostalgia at it's finest! Continue on the build, man. Great video!
I was born in 1981 and I remember seeing those cars at the auction when I went with my father I really appreciate those 80’s cars so I would definitely watch the cougar series 💯 🏎 💨
I'd like to see the old cougar brought back to life. Get the electrical all back working and freshen the paint up, maybe some nice rims and tires, see if you can do up a stereo but keep the equilizers in the dash. Could be neat.
The Cougar deserves the love - I vote for the work , plumb crazy paint colour.
Don't see many of those anymore! Glad you weren't badly injured in the mishap.
Randy sir, I’m answering your request. Yes I want you to give her some love. I want more videos on her. The Cougar and the T-bird of that decade is long gone and it would be nice to see one resurrected from the Copart graveyard 😂. Let’s face it. If you didn’t rescue her, she would probably be a pancake by now. Or sit until there’s nothing left. I hope your not too sore from her trying to run away from you. She wants to live!!! 👍
Would love to see you fix her up, I was always a GM Cutlass guy but always liked that style of Cougar. The xR7 is kinda Rare. Hope you fix her up right. I'll be watching 👀💯🏆🏆
Glad you made it out alive Randy 💯. I think it's a great car 🚘👍 whatever you decide to due, I'm all in regardless 🎬🤘
Randy, love that car. Had a 83.
If I could afford to ship it up to Massachusetts I would make you whole and take it now.
Tires, paint and fix the windows.
A reputable detailer can have this old cat looking great for less than the price of a repaint. Not to mention that these are rare to see. Maybe not overly collectible but to the right person this would be an awesome find. Imagine this cougar back prowling the streets! Good luck!
Do it!! You got it running so you’re already prepared to lose money on it. Fix it up and polish her up! It’s worth it to me, you, and Sammy other people. Percentage wise, you’re probably going to lose the same amount, might as well fix her up and cash in on the content!
Love this one.
Yes, Randy, I would love to see the vehicle repaired and renewed
That’s a clean cougar, you don’t see them often anymore anywhere . Tons of upgrades available for it out there. Mystic was a color flip flop paint it was a original color for the car and it’s unique now . If you choose to suspension air bags would be really cool and drive the value up a ton. 3500 jumped to 5g just by bagging it. By the way I thought the xr7 was the 6cyl turbo version.
Love those old cars. Back in the 70s the XR7 came out in a crazy lime green color think it would look great in as a throwback.
Great video Randy. This is the content we like
that interior is in amazing shape! my god i love it already. Although i must admit, i actually like the style of the 58 Ford Edsel a lot as well
First off, glad you are ok.
I wouldn’t mind seeing it being fixed up, seems like a decent car.
Maybe paint it a orange color. Maybe General Lee orange aka corvette red I believe. Or the bright blue that’s on the corvette. Keep the videos coming when you can, we all know what’s going on behind the scenes, and hope your shoulder heals up soon.
I would very much want to see a series of the Cougar be “done up” nicely by your channel sir. Classic cars from the late 80’s are not often restored. Remember the Mercury Cougar was the “sister “ car to the Mustang in the 1960’s.
i would loved to see this get restored. Maybe a dark blue paint job. Glad you didn't get majorly hurt when it ran you over
Yes ! Go for it !
I would most definitely try to buff the paint it looks like it will come back
“ I know what’s wrong with it...ain’t got no gas in it” 😂
In 1988 the Cougar XR-7 only had 3 colors. White, Black and Red. The red had either gray interior or red interior and either digital gauges or analog gauges. Some had keyless entry on the driver's door and some had power antennas. The stripe one them on the outside was either gray to match the gray interior or a red stripe to match the red interior. The 5.0 has 155 to 160 horsepower. Dual exhausts, they came out with GoodYear Eagle VR60s tires. Some had leather seats some had cloth, some had moonroofs some didn't automatic headlights some didn't, lol graphic equalizer some didn't automatic climate control some didn't. Some where fully loaded and some where rather plain but still very nice.
This reminded me of the time I was delivering in a small truck. When I pulled to open the rear doors that thing started rolling. Scary!
Before you go painting that, check first to see if it’s single stage paint because it would buff out / polish up nicely.
I’m thinking it is because there’s no sunburned clear coat.Ford had two red colors (Cabernet Red and Bright Red) in the late 80’s/early 90’s which were painted single stage, along with Black and Oxford White.
This is one of the best budget cars you've had on your channel IMO. Skip the paint job. Do something about that tint. Grab some good rubber. Fix the little stuff. Some creative buffing and sanding would not hurt a bit. Also: Be careful Randy!