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'70 Cougar Driver Project

5K views 21 replies 7 participants last post by  mdula 
#1 · (Edited)
Figure I'd switch to a fresh thread showing updates on our 1970 driver project. I bought the car for my girlfriend of 6 years, and lucky for her she has me as a full time mechanic that gets to drive it whenever ;) I got it from an ad on craigslist (I said ebay on my original thread...no idea what I was thinking) and I picked it up for 3100.00, and drove it home. My goals are to just fix it up to become a nice "clean" driver. Budget is slim as im in the middle of a street/strip 1969 Torino build. I say budget as it:

- Wont be getting body or paint soon, but will polish whats on it
- Money will be put in to make it mechanically safe and sound. No skimping out on cheepy stuff there
- Comfort. Nice ride, clean interior (keeping all factory colors, as far as seats and dash)
- Cold new AC. I plan on swapping the york for a sanden compressor

This car will be driven. And if we wanted to take it cross country, I want it to be able to!

The Torino has always been my main project but after seeing this I had to pick it up! Unfortuneately though I just love the car, and have been spending all my time with it lately.

Most has already seen the thead I started on advice on buying the car. http://www.mercurycougar.net/forums/showthread.php?60721-My-1970-Cougar-Driver-Project But I figre I'd start a thread showing the work Im putting in to it. I dont feel like reapeating everything from that thread so the cars condition is described in that thread ;)



The door plate is rubbed off, and I wanted to know the factory color names so I ordered a marty report. Base model cougar with decor group interior. Dark Ivy Green exterior / medium ivy green interior. 351 Cleveland, FMX...Looks to have been in the DFW area for its whole life.





After getting it home I spend countless hours just checking everything and really looking it over. What suprised me was how original everything was. Nobody hacked at the wiring under the dash and everything was in place in the engine compartment.

Two things popped up on my list.

1. Off idle stumble, could could actually stall out. Check the carb...Spend a good week trying to fix it. Checked vacuume leaks, none found, checked timing, advanced, cleaned the carb at least 3 times and went to the extreme of swapping out carbs with a friends. Finally found the issue, the casting on the venturies has tiny little holes on the back side that we're plugged up. A little work with a guitar string made a world of difference. The stumble is vitrually gone but still slightly there...A new carb will likely be on order soon.

2. AC vents dont blow out the front vents. I took off the dash and one of the vacuume canisters that controls the door to the front vents had broken off the plastic box. I was able to drill and tap the canisters bracket to put in a screw with a larger washer. FIXED.

3. The brake lights we're "hand wired" the sequentials worked but brakes from factory wiring did not. I spend more countless hours chasing that down. I pulled the steering wheel to get to the turn signal switch and ended up cleaning and resoldering the connections. This fixed the brake light! but now the sequentials dont work lol. That turn signal switch has to work 100% for the sequential box to do its job. A new turn signal switch will be on order soon.

A member found out I was looking for some spare parts and shipped some out to me! (great community of coog owners!). The driver side tail lamp was hit at one point, it broke one of the vertical bars and broke the plastic, this let water get in and sit causing the back side of the driver taillight to rust. So I got a nice replacement. My fuel door reflector was also busted and he had that along with the lower missing trim I didnt have.

Having a bench grinder / buffing wheel has been a life saver! I was able to polish up the chrome and alumium background as well as paint semi-gloss black on the mercury lettering. This is how it turned out.




The bumper is by far in the worst shape as far as chrome on the car. Should be a good core, but it is high on our list of replacements.


 
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#2 ·
While I had the polish and paint out I cleaned up the nose. Headlamp covers will be next.



Next I tackled interior. The PO had put in a new headliner and the car was missing the package tray and sail panels. After hearing about how bad quality the aftermarket stuff is, I thought it would be better, cheaper and a learning experience to try and make them myself.

I headed out with my step-daughter Mia and we hit up a fabric store to get some vinyl. I got 2 yards at 6.50 a yard. Texture is nothing near original, but it sure will beat nothing that is back there now. I then went to the hardware store and got a huge piece of panel board for $8 something. I also picked up quality 3M adhesive from a local paint suplier.




I didnt have an original package tray so I was tasked into making my own template.





The vinly in the hot sun made it easy to form.



 
#4 ·
That 69/70 body line in black is just stunning. Great job on the interior quarter panels, I just bought the new ones from WCCC. Can you spec out the wheels and tires that are on it? I just finished putting 245/50/16's on my 69, and I don't love them. I can't decide if I will end up going back to a 15, or up to a 17.
 
#5 ·
Thanks. The interior panels are fail, considering my first time, the sail panels are a little thick but seem to stay fine. I'll hack up the package tray when I get some new speakers for it. Seeing the bare steel was just bugging me!

The wheels, I will sell them to you lol! I really want 4 15x7 magnum 500's for it.

Fronts are 15x8.5 and rear is a 15x10. Rear tire is 235/60/15 and im not sure what the front is. I'll look when I get home.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Yup, its a F-350. 460, auto. Has a dana 60 solid front axle. I lifted it with sky RSK kit and a rear flip kit, runs awesome, has cold air. Its my parts truck ;) I build custom fuel filler covers, put on a roll pan painted it and shaved the tailgate. Pics of truck http://s632.photobucket.com/albums/uu43/mikedula/F-350/

I also have my 69 Torino street/strip car (info on minitub project here http://www.fordmuscleforums.com/torino-pages/506860-mini-tubbing-69-a.html )

Outside from that here at the house I have my girlfriends focus and my infinity G35 which is my daily driver.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Yeah it is a litle quieter, it really needs some of that padding between the tray and sound deadening. But it looks decent for a homeade job. About the floor mats, you are welcome to get them back, maybe we can meet up halfway somewhere. They are soft and cushy, looks like a decent quality mat, so I understand.

Just out of curiosity, where are you/ wheels and tires located? Shipping would probably be prohibitive..I'm in Idaho, at 83686
Not sure about shipping...if you want the tires (fronts are in decent shape, backs are BAD) Im in the Fort Worth, TX area. They would be lighter and cheaper without tires. If you are interrested send me a PM and I can check it out for you. I will need my wheels and tires though first before I sell!
 
#8 ·
Just out of curiosity, where are you/ wheels and tires located? Shipping would probably be prohibitive..I'm in Idaho, at 83686
 
#16 ·
sail panels are not a fail. you need to undo the front and back edges and wrap them under the windlace at the front and the back glass weatherstrip at the rear
 
#19 ·
Not sure if I mentioned the front suspension noise, but it was that the caliper locating pin insulator was missing! the brake calipers we're rattling on bumps.

Found a brake caliper hardware kit from autozone...13.00 had all 4 insulators in it.
Plumbing fitting Plastic Electrical supply

Something so small caused such a racket. The suspension is now smooth and silent, like it should be :)
 
#20 ·
Did some work on the console. Cleaned it up a bit and polished the chome. Repainted the center black, and since my plastic wood center part was warped and cracked I made up one with hard board and extra vinyl.








Also polished up the hoos as good as I could, try to remove some of the oxidation.


 
#21 ·
This morning I got up and decided to put new speaker in the package tray and resprayed the headlight covers semi-gloss. They we're shot with simi glaoss then wiped the bars down with acetone to reveal the chrome . The bars still need to be polished, but the paint was pretty faded and so it freshened up nice. the speakers we're best buy specials, they are cheapo kenwood 5 1/2's I think they we're 39.00 and theypretty damn good. So we got tunes again!






 
#22 ·
My turn signals / brakes have been giving me hell. A coworker gave me a turn signal switch that ended up being identical minus two pins that needed to be swapped. With the switch replaced, no change in the rear lights. All signals seemed good, so I went ahead and decided to get the solid state sequential box from WCCC along with the solid state relay. Sequentials finally work!! The issue has been in the box all along.

Now that they are working, I focused onthe brightness. The driver side had a crack in the lens, its been replaced but the silver reflecting plastic area was no longer shiny as you can see here the passenger side is brighter.

I went out and got some of that cheesy duplicolor universal chrome spray, cleaned up the area and resprayed it. Man what a difference! Nice and bright. This was without the brake applied, just the parking lights we're on.

 
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