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Mercury Cougar 351 cubic inch V8 1969

General description : For years the Cougar suffered from “not a Mustang” syndrome. It lived in the background, the grown-up, mature cousin to everyone’s favorite party animal. Today, the tide is turning and we’re seeing it in real time as people embrace “not a Mustang” as a virtue, not a demerit. Comets, Falcons, and yes, the Cougar have all seen rather substantial gains in the past three or four years simply because they have all the Mustang’s virtues plus the indelible factor of being a little unusual. These days when it’s tough to stand out without owning something truly weird, this 1969 Cougar starts to make a lot of sense. Add in the fact that it’s a fantastically original survivor, packs a stout 351W V8, and a long list of comfort and convenience options, and you get a no-compromises hobby car that delivers Mustang fun on a much more reasonable budget.

I know it's not for everyone, but this handsome Cougar is nonetheless a fantastic survivor in the strictest sense of the word—paint, interior, engine, everything except routine service parts is original. I would be inclined to believe those are its original tires, but since it shows 66,162 miles, I doubt they are. Still, they are certainly vintage bias-plys that have been on the car for decades. It wears code I Medium Lime paint that's so nice that we spent a long, long time crawling over it looking for overspray and masking marks, because we've never seen 50-year-old paint look this good. It has obviously been recently buffed, but there are almost no nicks, no parking lot dings, and the shine is far better than what you'd expect for production 1969. I have no choice but to conclude that's the original paint. Nice! The color is unusual enough to stand out, and I know not everyone will love it, but bear in mind it's also perfect for the Summer of Love in which it was born. The white vinyl top is in great shape with just a little bit of yellowing due to age, but there's no rust or bubbling underneath, all indicative of an easy life out of the elements. Chrome is exemplary, the black pinstripes are painted on (not tape), and yes, both the flip-up headlights and sequential taillights are fully operational.

The white vinyl interior, like the top, shows some minor discoloration from age, but we didn't want to get too aggressive with cleaners and bleach to make it white again. You can do that if you want and it would probably pay off. It's not damaged or badly discolored, particularly for an original car, and my inclination might be to leave it alone and let it be original. It’s really nice. Bucket seats were standard equipment in the Cougar, which was more than just a dressed-up Mustang—it’s bigger, quieter, and more luxurious and you feel that the moment you slide behind the wheel. Factory A/C is a nice upgrade so you can drive the car all summer and even the rim-blow horn works properly. Despite living its life in a warm climate (it was delivered to Atlanta and spent most of its life down south) the dash pad isn't cracked or discolored. The carpets are nice originals, showing a little fading but nothing serious and there's a new set of Cougar-logo mats to keep things tidy. The radio works, the lights and gauges are fully operational, and the doors close with that sound and feel that only original cars can offer. Even the original set belts are still tucked into the ceiling! The trunk is fitted with its original mat and what appears to be the original Goodyear spare tire with jack assembly.

Unlike the Mustang, the standard engine in the Cougar was a rather stout H-code 250 horsepower 351 cubic inch Windsor V8 and that's what powers this pretty green coupe. I doubt it has ever been out of the car, but it runs superbly thanks to a fresh tune up that included all the usual stuff: plugs, wires, coil, distributor cap and rotor, new wires, new hoses, and fresh fluids throughout. Factory Ford Blue paint is still clinging to the block and while it's not perfect and shiny, it is quite authentic and shows well for its age and mileage. The torquey 351 pulls the coupe around without working very hard and makes a nice V8 hum from the single exhaust system, which has a fresh tailpipe. You could probably spend a few weekends cleaning things up under the hood, but don’t go too far because you’ll erase this car’s chances of winning a trophy in preservation class judging where it will really shine. There’s a proper yellow cap coil, original decals on the air cleaner, and the right “Powered by Ford” valve covers. And check out how clean those inner fenders are—you don’t get that kind of sheetmetal in a car that’s lived in the snow and salt.

It’s backed by a 3-speed automatic transmission that’s smooth and unobtrusive, but serves up a quick downshift when you press the accelerator a bit. Remember the Cougar was a touring machine, not a muscle car, and it does that particular job superbly. The brakes are all new, including shoes, lines, master cylinder, and wheel cylinders, and power steering is standard so it's easy to handle for any driver. There are new shocks up front plus a new gas tank out back assisted by a fresh fuel pump, so it's mechanically excellent and ready to enjoy this summer. It's a little scruffy underneath but it shows no signs of rust or rot or evidence that it has ever seen winter weather while living in Georgia and Tennessee. I think I would replace the tires for driving, and perhaps you face a dilemma there: it comes with two sets of hubcaps for the 14-inch steel wheels, but think of how awesome this car would look with, say, a set of Magnum 500s (which were on the options list) and a set of redline radials? Your call, but that little upgrade would make this car REALLY pop and probably wouldn't cost you points.

Original owner's manual, new Cougar key blanks, and optional hubcaps included.

This pretty Cougar is a car that drives great and has the kind of originality that preservation class judging was designed to showcase. If you want a no-hassles hobby car that you can drive regularly and still show with pride, this is a great choice. Call today!

Harwood Motors welcomes and encourages personal or professional inspections of any vehicle prior to purchase.

http://www.harwoodmotors.com/vehicles/inventory_details.php?id=1059

1969 Mercury Cougar 351 cubic inch V8 is listed sold on ClassicDigest in Macedonia by for $19900.

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