[stanhart]

acquired a 1970 Cougar from daughters ex-boyfriend....pawned it for him, thinking he would bring me money back in a month and take his car.....no such luck.
standard coupe w/ 351, two sets of original hub caps but sporting American racing mags.
has all Cougar script signage also.
i am NOT a mechanic....engine is probably best attribute...has major rust on floorboard ( heater hose leak i believe ), other internal & exterior challenges....what i am wondering is it something i should work to restore or sell as is.....gave kid $4500 for it a year ago.
if i put money into it, would i get it back if i decide NOT to keep it after restoring a bit.
thanks to any all comments.
sh

 

[Art]

Before you put any money into the car or attempt to sell, be sure you hold the clear title.

 

[stanhart]

i got that taken care of.

 

[spiderjason]

Post a lot of pics of the car... then we can give you a better idea of what we think it is worth....

 

[stanhart]

 

[stanhart]

 

[mopardon]

Look pretty good. What you need to decide is it something that truly interests you ? Restoration is expensive and time consuming. The car is not a rare model so it will not ever in my opinion have a big dollor value. If this is a car you would enjoy owning for many years then step up and get to work otherwise I'm sure you could find a buyer here if your price is fair.

 

[67.5xr7]

Looks to be in fair condition,... very stock . The factory A/C is not cannibalized, a big plus. Center console,.. good. Wonder if that floor rust is from a clogged evap. drip pan, HMMM. Texas car all its life???? DSO? could be another plus. I like those wheels, they are of classic style++. Could be a headliner, floor patch panel, dash pad and seat covers away from a nice ride! Has potential.

 

[jk69cat]

Looks to be in fair condition,... very stock . The factory A/C is not cannibalized, a big plus. Center console,.. good. Wonder if that floor rust is from a clogged evap. drip pan, HMMM. Texas car all its life???? DSO? could be another plus. I like those wheels, they are of classic style++. Could be a headliner, floor patch panel, dash pad and seat covers away from a nice ride! Has potential.

i agree with this. doesnt look too bad at all on the surface. whats the underside like? any other noticable rot other than that floor section? really could be a great car with a little effort

 

[Harvey]

Re$toration? or sell? How much do you like the car? Would you want to take it to car shows? Once you start putting money into it, it will add up quick and then trying to get that money back will be very difficult.

 

[68XR-7Cat]

Since you described yourself as a reluctant owner who didn't expect to end up with the car, my advice is to sell it. You need to have some enthusiasm for these cars since they often cost more to restore than they will ever be worth. At this point, you can likely get your money back. You probably won't do much better than that and you won't even do that if you start putting money into it. The only exception to that rule is if you can do the work yourself. Then you can fix the obvious problems and probably make a little bit of profit, but not if you have to pay someone to do that work.

 

[Don Rush]

I would do minimal cosmetics, give it a hard detail and let it go for $5000 obo and move on. I have a rear bumper that looks nice for $75, fuel door lens $30 and a $50 deck lid moulding. Do some amateur body work on the rear valance, spray paint it black and the car will look pretty good. The floor pan rust is no big deal and pretty common, most likely the frame rail is not rusted, solid Texas Cougars with AC are rather sought after. Three evenings and $300 will have it ready to sell and I doubt you will loose much if any money.

 

[67.5xr7]

The question of value for classic rides,.... If you are in it for the turnover cash,..then No, they are usually (excluding rare autos where parts are plentiful and cheap) not worth the time and effort. But if you enjoy the unique styling and pride of ownership,are one of those people who take the path less traveled...Hey anyone can own a newer auto from the lot, but what will it be worth in 8 years,...30% or less. Even if you sink $10,000 into its restoration it will be worth, financially more than a newer car investment.

 

[Art]

I would do minimal cosmetics, give it a hard detail and let it go for $5000 obo and move on. I have a rear bumper that looks nice for $75, fuel door lens $30 and a $50 deck lid moulding. Do some amateur body work on the rear valance, spray paint it black and the car will look pretty good. The floor pan rust is no big deal and pretty common, most likely the frame rail is not rusted, solid Texas Cougars with AC are rather sought after. Three evenings and $300 will have it ready to sell and I doubt you will loose much if any money.

The floorpan rust is almost expected with a nice original AC car. Don't sink a lot of money into the car if your heart just ain't in it. Many hard-core enthusiasts have a really tough time finishing a mild restoration.

 

[stanhart]

you guys are great. will look at prices for some of the parts ( floor board, bumper, headliner, shocks and fix steering ) i do like the lines and the look....just dont see many Cougars down here in dallas......been to numerous Cars&Coffee here and havent seen one.....might just work on it a bit and see....thanks so much for all the information.....now its over to my Cobra which decided to start smoking saturday....its always something.

 

[Don Rush]

Who knows! You might fall in love with her... There is an active Cougar club in Dallas.

 

[Sleepycat]

Top looks a little Crunchy under the vinyl...........,

This could be a major issue in the Resto- Budget. But it IS a decent looking Cat!

 

[stanhart]

any recommendations on where to find floor boards/pans ?

 

[jk69cat]

http://www.cougarpartscatalog.com/

 

[coug67]

yeah haha you might get hooked on these cars! nothin better!