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I've owned this car since 1981. When I bought it, it had 67,000 miles on it. It had body damage
to the RR quarter panel at the wheel well, the right door had a crease from top to bottom,
the clutch was shot and the seat upholstery was duct taped together. It had been sitting
under trees uncovered for three years, and had black grime all over the original white paint.
It's first wash job was with Comet and a brush. I don't recommend this,
it's a bit harsh on the finish. This was all fixed, and the first paint job
was in 1984. The Magnum 500s soon followed. It was off the road from 1990-1997
undergoing restoration. The floor on the right passenger footwell had been rusting away
for years and finally went away. I found the windshield was leaking and the cowl vents
were rusted out. I fixed all that by using the plastic hat inserts purchased from AutoKrafters.
Then I started on the body. The RR quarter panel had
problems from the first repair and the bottoms of both quarters had
rusted out. Why did it take so long, you ask? The old money vs. time problem. It is back on
the road now, and its as much fun to drive as ever.
2001: Converted
to front power disc brakes. I used parts from a 78
Granada, the brakes work great, I should have done this a long time ago!
Here's what I needed to convert my 67 to disc brakes:
Used spindles from a 78 Granada (75 to 79 will work)
Used Distribution block from Granada
New master cylinder and booster - purchased 3 before I got a good one online
New calipers from AutoZone
New brake hoses from AutoZone
New tie rod ends from AutoZone
New rotors from AutoZone
New brake pads from AutoZone
New brake pad retainer clips from the Ford dealer - need these to stop brake pads from rattling
Total cost (in 2001) - $350
2005: Replaced the original 3 speed with a T5 5 speed
transmission from a 95 Mustang GT. I used a T5 adapter plate from Mustangs Unlimited, and the 95 T5 has a longer input shaft, so an additional spacer was fabricated, using a water jet to cut the spacer.
2006: Rebuilt the engine, it had 175,000 miles. It started losing power, so I pulled the oil pan and found parts of the timing gear. The original gear had plastic over the teeth, this plastic had come apart and was in the oil pan. I checked the main bearings, they showed signs of wear, so I pulled the engine and had it rebuilt. I put in a factory spec 4 barrel cam, a Professional Products Cyclone intake and an Autolite 4100 carburetor
2007: Drove the car to the All Ford show at Carlisle, the 40th Reunion of the Cougar was one of the features. There were over 150 Cougars there, the biggest East Coast turnout ever!
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