[1967cat]

that's the $64,000 question. since i am less mechanically inclined than your sister (even if you don't have one) i would have to pay for anything done. in addition, i am really, honestly, truely hoping to keep the car in one piece as much as i can. really, i am.

This is actually a reply to 73XR-7owner. We started talking about a subject that had nothing to do with the original thread we were on, so I thought I would start a new one and maybe recieve a few more replies back from others from this board. Like you 73XR-7owner, many of us started out the same way at one point or another. The first time I did any automotive work was helping my dad change the oil on his Bronco when I was 13 years-old. I gained most of my automotive knowledge from books and magazines, you would be suprised how much you can pick-up from reading a few mags. Before I knew it, I was reading every muscle car magazine I could get my hands on. I have never taken an automotive class, picked up most of this from reading and paying attention to others working on thier rods. This alone can help you become more mechanically inclined and can save you a few dollars down the road on some things. No reason to pay a mechanic for a tune-up or items like that, unless you want to. Just buy a small tool set and go from there. I too have run into a few road blocks where I didn't have the correct tools or the knowledge to tackle some jobs like rebuilding an engine from the ground up or rebuilding the center section in my 9" rear. Some jobs are best left to the pro's and have it done correctly. I have a guy who restores and works on old muscle cars who I take my Cougar to. From the photos and what you have been saying, there isn't too much you said you want to do to the car and the car looks great already. I myself enjoy taking my car to the drag track from time to time. My car is pretty much set up for that type of abuse. Attahced is a photo of my car, it has changed a bit from how it looks in the photo. Also, I attached a few links below of the Tri State Raceway in Iowa and a picture of a Cougar that races pro. There are some sweet and nasty cars there. Hopefully I'll have mine down in the 11.5's or low 12's next year. Hopefully some of this has helped you out.

http://www.tristateraceway.com/
http://www.tristateraceway.com/photo2/30.jpg

 

[2fast4u]

u say u want to run low 12's mid 11's what motor do u have whats your combo that should not be a problem the cougar is a lite car i run my at the track too

 

[1967cat]

Well, right now I have a 351 Windsor bored .030" over with flat top Speed Pro pistons. Ford Racing GT-40 "P" heads. Comp Cams Hydrolic Magnum 280h "K" cam (comes as a kit with springs, timing chain, lifters). Headman Elite headers and TCI 3200 stall converter. Holley 700 cfm double pumper with a Wieand Stealth intake manifold. Extra 2 qt Stef's Fabrication oil pan. This is all sitting waiting to be installed. I currently have a 302 in the Cougar that was origionally in the car when I purchased it (according to casting code, it came out of a Torino), I beefed it up a bit but only some much I could do. It runs in the high 13's and really low 14's depending how well my reaction is. High 13's is about as fast as I think the 302 block will go without stroking it and all that. It has Headman Hedders a performance Ford Racing cam, TCI 2600 stall converter with an extra qt TCI transmission pan. 9" rear with Richmond Gear 4.11's with stock 28-spline axles and an Auburn Gear differential. Might change the gearing to 4.33 depending how how the car performs, plus the 4.11's are still streetable without getting too steep. I rebuilt the valve body with a Trans-go shift kit, which helped out a ton. Slicks help a lot too. I use Hoosiers, but you can get a good used pair at swap meets if you keep your eye open. The 351w will be a bit over 400 hp and that shouldn't give the Cougar too many problems launching, you get close to 500 hp, think one would have to put a ladder bar on since the front tires would come right off the ground after your slicks bite in. What is your combo?

 

[73XR-7owner]

i think i'll stick to wood...

reading your answer to 2fast's question made me dizzy. i especially enjoyed that bit about rebuilding your 9" rear. man, did that bring up an ugly image!

i like driving fast, but for more than a quarter mile. i'd be more likely to enter a 500 miler. put it to the floor and GO!

for me, this car and hopefully dozens more to follow - well, maybe one or two - are like driving a museum. it isn't just that they take me back, they take back everyone who sees me drive by. and that's pretty cool when you think about it.

if i had my druthers (and a money tree) i'd have a 41 chevy convertible and a 58 chevy convertible (both red, of course) parked out there alongside the cougar. i guess i'm just an old fashioned guy...

 

[73XR-7owner]

i forgot to mention...

the car looks great. you say it looks different now... different better?

and i marvel at people like you who have the know-how to work on cars. whenever i try even the simplest of tasks, i end up with bloody knuckles.

 

[2fast4u]

my combo now is a 302 with 9.1 comp. dart sr. heads a little cam (236 dur @.50 and 520-526 lift)
victor jr intake a 750cfm dp carb and a 100 shot of nos c4 trans with a 1800 stall and a 8 inch with 355 gear car is a dog off the line caus of the stall it ran 13.65 @ 109 put a stall in the car and it went 12.40 @ 113 both runs on et streets then i made a pass street racing and the rear broke off the line lost 50 bucks

but my new combo is being put together 302 bored 30 over 10.1 comp big cam 240 @.50 int. 248 exh
576 lift int 585 lift ex. 2 stage of nos frist stage 100 sec stage 150 for a total of 250 a bulit c4 and a 3500 stall and a 9inch with 411 gear hope to make between 350-375 hp on motor and run in the 10's on spray does anyone know how big of a tire will fit on a cougar i'm hoping to fit a 28x10.5 with out a lot of mods to the car i like the stock look and the looks i get when the cat beats an ls1 or mustang

 

[1967cat]

Sounds like a pretty nice set-up, take it easy on the NOS though. It can be some nasty stuff. As far as slicks go, the size you mentioned should be OK, I had some 29.5" slicks that I barrowed once and I could barely jam them inside the fender wells. The front of the wheel well completely rubbed. If you go with a 28" slick you shoul be just fine. I stiffined the rear on mine. I have Competition Engineering race shocks for both front and back and I baught 5-leaf sprins from Mustnags Plus. Helps a ton on the launch and the car doesn't sag when I hit the gas like it used to. KYB's are pretty good shocks too. I think with that combo you are speaking of you should definatly be above the 400 hp range.

They car has changed a bit from the photo above a bit. I didn't have the 9" in at the time, the rear tires are a bit bigger than those in the photo and I also didn't have my new leaf springs in either. I want my car to look as origional as possible on the outside and the inside. I replaced the front windsheild too about two months ago, it was all popped around the edges. The interior is all origional black decore with console, very nice. I've added a few Auto Meter guages and, ones that would blend in with the rest of the interior. Next I'm going to re-upolster the rear seat because of a split seam and start on the trunk with a new mat and sideboards and tail light protectors. Any photos of your car?

 

[Cougrrcj]

Racing Cats

I used to race both of my Cats extensively. Haven't run them in the last 15 years though. Got married, need I say more?

Beta Cat runs [email protected] This is through stock dual exhausts, including the cast iron exhaust manifolds, stock size exhaust pipes and stock tail pipes, (exiting at rear valence). Being a 351CJ, it has the factory 2600rpm converter in the trans but I added a basic shift kit. It ran 14.80s with the stock 3.25 gears, but I wasn't very far into Third gear by the end of the quarter mile. I swapped in a set of 3.70 gears and it runs the 14.4s and is taching about 4800 in Third at the end of the run. I shift at 5200rpm since the thing is getting a little winded about then. Engine mods are factory iron square-bore 4V intake (from a 'M' code 351C-4V), a Ford factory 600cfm Holley carb from a 66 GT 390 Fairlane, a Crane 260 Econopower cam (as close to a factory CJ cam as I could find at the time), stock short block, but I did substitute a set of earlier 351C-4V closed chamber heads. This raises my compression ratio to about 9.5:1 with the stock dished pistons.

Alpha Cat has been more modified. It has a set of slightly domed forged pistons, but still with open chamber heads, giving it about 10:1 compression. It had a Crane Fireball cam. Lots of lope at idle, but not a real 'hot' cam -- lots of duration, but not a lot of lift. I have a new Lunati Bracket Master 2 cam for it, but not installed yet. Being a 73, it still has the small valve 4V heads, but ported mildly. I have a set of big valve heads that I may use if needed. I used to run an Edelbrock Torker intake, but that makes it rather 'soggy' to drive on the street. I have since obtained a good, high rise dual plane intake which should be fine for under 6500rpm use. Carb is a tried and true Holley 3310 780CFM vacuum secondary. I might be persuaded to go with a Street Demon. Headers are Blackjacks (very old but brand new!). Exhaust is 2-1/2" back to the mufflers (Sonic Turbos), then custom bent 2-1/4" tailpipes that duplicate the 2" originals. Trans has a stage III trans pac shift kit, a TCI 4000rpm converter, feeding into a set of 3.70 gears (now in Beta), but I also have a 3.91 center section ready to go. The way the car was it ran 13.30s through the exhaust and 12.80s with open headers on 8x26 inch slicks, shifting at 6000 rpm. With the changes I have lined up (intake and cam change), I expect to do a couple tenths better.

 

[73XR-7owner]

67cat, the pics of my 73...

are here:

http://www.mercurycougar.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=724

i wasn't sure if that question (about pics) was directed at me, but if it was, there they are.

i also posted a pic of the engine on another string (i think it was "351C pics") if you care to look.

 

[edsel]

28'sx10.5 / slicks guys? update

the pic you posted of the black cougar,can you find if that's a glass or metal hood,i cant find a glass hood for my 68cougar dragster,no hurry ,next time you run across the guy,thank,edsel,ps i'll check tomorrow but i pretty sure i put 29" slicks on mine,488 ,it really hooks and goes straight,we came in 3rd out of 27 car field last time out...not bad,we aint pro's alot of those guys are!!!!!i checked i got 28x10.5 m/t slicks,the car hooks up great,no fender mods needed

 

[1967cat]

Well I had a set of Mickey Thompson's that I barrowed from a guy to use and they were 29.5" and they completely rubbed the wheel wells towards the front of the car. The back portion and the top of the wheel wells cleared. So I went with the Hossier 28's. Might buy a pair of the BFG Drag Radials, hear those are a pretty good slick. As for the hood, I beleive it's a stock Cougar hood that has been cut and it is a Harwood scoop that he added. That scoop can be ordered through Summit I beleive. A good body shop can really contour this in to the hood and make it look like it came that way. Can't wait to get this 351w in and run a couple practice runs with this guy. I'll get waxed by that car even if I run in the high 11's, but it would be good time. I can see the final now in Trophey class, 1967 Pro Cougar vs 1967 Stock Eliminater Cougar. Just day dreaming here.