[voltsunited]

hey guys need your help PLEASE.

i have had my 70 cougar 351 C since around 2005 when i was still in high school. since then i have held a position as a mechanic through college so i'm not completely ignorant when it comes to cars, but lets just say it is not my "passion" therefore my knowledge is lacking.

Anyways, my car is in driveable condition, and not horrible to look at..but still needs work. now that i have graduated from college, and have money for once, it's time to fix this thing up. I'm sure i can work out any cosmetic detail with a paint and body guy later down the road, but for now i want to concentrate on the mechanical stuff.

what are my options?

The car drives fine, but lets face it... it def feels like a 41 year old car. I want to make it feel and run like new. i guess you could say i'm not really interested in speed and horsepower unless it just happens to be a side effect of components that need to be improved upon. I'm more interested fuel economy and reliability.

please help me get started in the right direction.

 

[Don Rush]

I would start by getting it on a lift and inspecting every joint. Look first at the idler arm and move to every surrounding joint. The smallest amount of play will translate to play in the steering wheel. Start at the front and work your way back. Welcome, and do not be afraid to ask questions here! Also, post some pictures and update your profile with your location, you might be surprised how close you live to another 70 Cougar owner who often times has "been there and done that"

 

[voltsunited]

hey thanks man... will do. suspension and brakes are def something i want to upgrade as well. as far as the engine goes... does anybody recommend an EFI conversion?

 

[mickp]

efi+od=good
if you can do it, that would be what you are looking for in mpg and reliability.

side effect would be more hp and better emission control as well.

i like the stock setups rather than aftermarket efi unless i am going for high horse power.
the stock setup will not need tuned if it is left stock.

aftermarket efi usually need to be tuned or setup by someone that knows what they are doing.
stock efi is almost drop in and play. you can get the efi and harness and components from another efi car and if some thing was to go wrong you have access to plenty of stock replacement parts where ever you go.

aftermarket efi might not be very easy to get parts for out in b.f.e. (big frosty enviroment)
i am not knocking aftermarket stuff!!! there are some great efi units out there that allow a person to adjust any thing they want and i love em.
i found that aftermarket efi is a great way for a person that realy wants to learn efi to do so, but there is a learning curve.

welcome to the group ......