[Mercury6768]

Wow, check this out:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercury-Cougar-1968-Mercury-Cougar-Original-Factory-15k-miles-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem2c59fb6ca0QQitemZ190488210592QQptZUSQ5fCarsQ5fTrucks

 

[Smith Brother]

Not being a expert on 68 Cougar conditions, this looks to me to be a great car for someone. If I had it, it would certainly be updated suspension, engine, tranny wise. What a nice sleeper it would make. I like the colors, but would prefer saddle interior. Even a saddle top would be nice.

Wonder what it will go for?

Dale in Indy

 

[CougarCJ]

Neat car, what a time capsule. Vintage, but not 'Cougar' floor matts though.

AM/FM, style steel wheels (all 5), and console, but drum brakes and manual steering?

San Jose, leap day Cougar too, 29B.

 

[Mercury6768]

Note the factory white grease pencil marking behind the fuel filler door. I have a San Jose built Augusta Green '68 standard that had the same marking on it when I got it back in 1993. It is a nice, clean, older car. With a bit of detailing/cleaning, it would be an even nicer car than it is now.

 

[mopardon]

Just down the road from me if someone wants me to inspect it for them.

 

[68RCodeASC]

Neat car, they should have left the dust on it like an original "barn find" may get more for it. LOL!!

 

[0F91H570075]

Would any of you use this car to "rebody" a CJ car or GTE?

 

[CougarCJ]

Would any of you use this car to "rebody" a CJ car or GTE?

disclaimer - Rebodying is illegal. :wave:

I would suspect that a San Jose built car may have construction variances from a Dearborn Cougar. Pretty sure that all 1968 R code, and positive that all GT-E's were built in Dearborn.

 

[Don Rush]

Would any of you use this car to "rebody" a CJ car or GTE?

If it were legal I would consider it as I have this exact car in a box with a GTE title / owners manual / window sticker, etc. and drivetrain. No joke, same color and interior!

 

[0F91H570075]

disclaimer - Rebodying is illegal. :wave:

I would suspect that a San Jose built car may have construction variances from a Dearborn Cougar. Pretty sure that all 1968 R code, and positive that all GT-E's were built in Dearborn.

I guess I chose the wrong word or term. We've talked here about people buying perfectly good rust free cars in order to completely part them out and fix up a rarer version of the same car. I didn't mean just swap VIN#'s or anything like that.
maybe I should have asked "would anyone here destroy this car to save another?"

 

[Mercury6768]

Personally, I wouldn't destroy this car to save another...it would easily clean up quite nicely, from what I can see in the photos. This is one of the lowest mileage cars I've seen lately, and they're only original once! And, I don't know the answer to the GTE question, but can tell you that both my '68 San Jose built cars do/did have some quality control issues. At least on the project car we fixed them; on my other car, it is too original to "fix" and makes it a bit unique.

 

[Cougar_is_Grr8]

To me it would be a perfect car as a base for my restomod fantasy.

 

[Don Rush]

To me it would be a perfect car as a base for my restomod fantasy.

Somebody git a rope...

 

[Local Hero]

"would anyone here destroy this car to save another?"

To me it would be a perfect car as a base for my restomod fantasy.

Somebody git a rope...

Everyone here know how little it takes for me to get out the torches and even I know when to leave something alone. This is one of those rare circumstances where I would leave it just like it is.

 

[MrEos]

What do you think a concours Shelby or Mustang guy would pay for those OEM tires?

 

[cougarshaman]

Everyone here know how little it takes for me to get out the torches and even I know when to leave something alone. This is one of those rare circumstances where I would leave it just like it is.

Yep. There are plenty of cars that have been raped, hot rodded, or parted out for cash.
This one is a survivor without the term being an eBay embellishment.

Plenty of heaps out there to play with. No need to take a pristine one like this and do the flavor of the month stuff to it.

 

[CougarFan]

I agree with Don and Andy. There just aren't many unrestored, un-F%(#ed with survivors out there. I'd detail it a bit, and maybe replace some of the aftermarket items (hose clamps, hoses, etc...) with correct repop parts, but I'd try not to change anything that was still original on the car. It would be a shame to ruin such an unusual and rare old cat by modifying it or cutting it apart.

Although I have to admit, if I came across a 68 with a nicely restored parchment XR-7 interior at a reasonable price, I'd be tempted to swap it for the black interior in my R-code so I could return my car to its as-built appearance. I just don't think I could do that to an original car like the one that is the subject of this topic.

 

[chuckG]

This car reminds me of a 68 standard around Tacoma I posted a while back. it had 70k on the clock. You can tell that the Electroplated chrome around the bezels had not seen the light of day in quiet a while. This car is a true example of a barn find. I would detail it up and get some mercury man center caps and drive it as is. The value is the preservation of the car. And it hasn't been hacked up. full documentation.

 

[0F91H570075]

Everyone here know how little it takes for me to get out the torches and even I know when to leave something alone. This is one of those rare circumstances where I would leave it just like it is.

But what if, say, a 428 XR7-G badly needing a restoration suddenly came on the market?

 

[c7xr7]

Or for a Mustang restoration/modify maybe. :1poke:

To me it would be a perfect car as a base for my restomod fantasy.