[Maylar]

Hello, I am new to the board. Don't own a cat as of yet. Looking for the right one. What got me hooked? I use to live in FL. Worked for a bodyshop my uncle owned. Specialized in restoring just about anything. I never will forget Thomas Everling. He brought in this run down, ready for the junk yard Cat. (Cat came in on a flatbed, he came in behind it in a Jag.) A friend of my uncles, so They talked for a bit, while I looked over the car. Saw one badge on it that said XR-7. The interior was shot. Had more dents and holes than swiss cheese. (found out later, that was his first car, from when he was 16.) So, after 3 years, (alot of that was "Miller Time" over time. No Pay, but all the beer you could drink) The car was finished, and we had to drive it back to Mr. Everling. My Uncle had broke his leg. So, I had to drive it. His shop was in Sarasota, and Mr. Everling lived in Orlando. I remember comeing out of downtown Sarasota. siting at a red light, waiting for it to change. When I hear a camaro in the other lane reving his engine. (was obvious he was trying to impress his girl that was in the car with him) I thought I should just let him go. Was not even my car! However, when the light changed, how could I let him go? (being from a small town, its in our blood to street race. it was a reaction, hearing the rezing engine, and i found myself staring at the lights.... i totally forgot i was not in my own car.... or maybe it was the Cat talking to me.... thats my story, and i am sticking to it!) Next thing I know, light changes and I find my foot trying to shove itself through the floorboard! The Cat screamed to life! (never ever in my life expected that from a Merc. Ford, yea... Merc? not in my wildest dreams...) After the merc finally grabed traction, she screamed down main street like someone set her tail on fire, and attached a pole out infront of her, with a full bucket of water attached! I dont think I drove that car slow all the way to the owner. When I got there, and got out of the car. You could still smell the hot rubber from the tires. I thought for sure Mr. Everling was going to be very upset with me ( I would not have blamed him. I was 16, and did something really stupid) He came out, thanked me for bringing the car to him. started to look over the car, and looked at me, and said "You got bit". did not have a clue as to what he was talking about. And my fasination with the car kinda started there. When he gave me a ride back to the shop, he gave me one heck of a ride! However, I did not persue the car. I came back home shortly after that, bought an 84 S-10. and stuffed a v-8 in it. (still have that truck.) Then I see this movie, From Dusk Till Dawn (already a few years old by the time I saw it) In it was a XR-7. The bug bit me all over again. As soon as I saw that car in the movie, i remebered Mr. Everlings Cat. So, Now I want one. But, I liked the one in the movie. Anyone know the year? Mr. Everlings front grills seemed not as wide. Sorry for the long winded post. Just thought it would be easier if you all knew where I was comeing from. So, I am hopeing to own one of these great cars very soon. Just looking for info before hand. And, to know the year of the one in From Dusk Till Dawn. Thanks for your time

Maylar

 

[Ray]

Dusk till Dawn

Hey that was a great movie wasn't it? It has a 68 done like an Eliminator with wing and scoops from 69/70.Kinda a resto mod but.Also note by cliking on Cougarland at my signature you will see my Purple 69XR7 .There are very few left but one apparently exists in a movie studio in the LA area.I can set you up with a rare 68 6.5 liter that is blue on blue and has a 390 engine and auto trans.Its the rarer "X" code version and can be had for $1800.Needs restoring but was on the road till earlier this year.I was to restore for a client but his job is taking him out east so the car is available to someone who would restore it.Any interest? THX& Catz ya later

 

[Maylar]

Thanks for the reply. I dont know much about the cougars. (Although, I wish to learn all that I can) So, I do not know what you mean by "X" code. (Is that like the "Z" code on the 69 camaro pace car? Just tells you it was a pace car) So, I have to admit. When it comes down to ford/lincoln/mercury knowledge. I know nothing. Any info you give would be great. Thanks again

 

[Ray]

X

"X" code is the rare 390 2 barrel version.Most were four barreled.Cheers

 

[Cougrrcj]

Ahhh, street racing....

Way, way, back.... When my 'kid' sister was still in college in the mid-80s, she needed a dependable car for her senior year in school for going to interviews, etc. Her old '73 4-dr sedan Catalina had finally died. (side note here: My sister stands about 4-10 and has a pixie blonde haircut. She once changed the gas tank of that Catalina in the parking lot of her dorm! This at a yuppie buisness school, Miami of Ohio. Did I train her right or what? )

Anyway, I 'loaned' her the use of my 'Beta' Cat with the stipulation that she had to buy the tires it needed before she left for school. (Goodyear Eagle STs, 215/70/14 to go on the ford style steel wheels from a Granada). All is well until it gets reported back to me that she got caught (not by the cops, thankfully) street racing the car.

Now mind you, my 'beta' Cougar is a 73 XR-7 351C-4V automatic, that I did some tweaking to. It runs 14.40s all day long in stock trim on street tires. Cast iron intake and exhaust manifolds and the whole bit. I just swapped for an early Holley pattern intake and put on a original FoMoCo Holley 600cfm vac secondary from a '66 GT390 Fairlane.

It turns out that a carload of guys pulled up to this nasty-looking, clapped-out looking old Cougar. Primer fender, different color primer door, flow-through ventilation (rust holes in the quarters)... you get the idea. Well, the Cougar rumbles a bit through its almost stock dual exhaust (turbo mufflers) and this little pixie of a girl is driving. The guys rev their engine of whatever they were driving as they sat side by side at the traffic light. My sister didn't even look in their direction. The light came down and *poof!* she's gone in a cloud of (posi) tire smoke, leaving the guys picking their collective jaws off the ground. They catch up to her at the next traffic light and cat-calls sail back and forth. Now they're ready for her they say. The light comes down and *poof!* again she leaves them like they're standing still. The car load of guys followed her all the way back to her dorm parking lot and wanted to see under the hood. There was my stock looking (except for the carb) 351CJ, all rust-streaked and nasty looking. Nasty looking, but very freshly rebuilt and potent!

In all fairness, it does have a set of quench 4V heads on it, along with the aforementioned early intake and Holley carb, and since the original CJ cam was wiped out I replaced it with a Crane Econo-power 260 cam. That cam was about as close as I could find to the stock CJ cam. Also, CJs came from the factory with a high-stall torque convertor (2700rpm) and I also replaced the stock 3.25 gears with a set of 3.70s. Yep, 14.40s all day!

I have more fun when I'm driving a 'junk' looking car than I do when I drive the good ones. Nobody expects a junker to be fast!

Street racing can be fun!

 

[Maylar]

I know about them junkers. Thats what you look out for around here. If its done up all nice, nine times out of ten, its no go. (atleast, thats how it is in my town) Its the ones that look like they belong in the junk yard you got to look out for. (case in point. my lil project truck. 84 S-10 with a 383. 350 turbo C tranny. 355 rear. you could sneak up on a cop in that truck. makes almost no noise. wanted it that way. make people think there was only a 4 or 6 in it.) The truck is just about done, and I want one of these XR-7's as my next project. I dont know, I just love good old American Muscle. There is no replacement for displacement. And these lil cars people are selling today just dont cut it. I have been fasinated with these cougars. I want to see what I can build out of one. I have seen people talk about Quarter mile times. look nice. I would like to hear about cornering. If anyone has any info for skid pad results. I sure would love to hear them. Thanks everyone.


Maylar

 

[Ray]

Handling

Maylar I posted on the yahoo site last week about Cougars and the handling Briefly I have owned 14 Cougars 12-69s and 2 70s.My 351 Eliminator w/comp handling pkg is quite the better ride over the regular suspended cars.Check out Cougarland on my signature for some more on my catzlection.