1st post October 14, 2007, 10:14:59 PM As most of you have probably noticed, I've been lurking around the forum for about a half a year or so. I hope no one minded, i just wanted to check it out a while before i actively joined in.So here it goes. I've owned my 87 cougar since about 89 and stored it away for the last 7 years. I've been remodeling our 2nd house in that time, and pushing off restoring my cat. now the time has come, only to find out that its been rusting away to nothing in my garagehere's some pictures of what i have left after all that waiting.Keep in mind I live in Buffalo NY. "THE SALT CAPITOL OF THE WORLD"Its probably the only city where the blacktop is still white in early june.http://www.daminc.myjalbum.net/I know there was some rust before, but I didn't expect that.Apparently my garage floor isn't sealed and soaks up water like a sponge. I may as well been parked it on the wet grass for 7 years.So now, what to do.I know i can fix it (as bad as it is) but the sight of the floor sucked the wind out of my sails. The only reason I have to fix it would be that there's a lot of memories in that car.My other plan is to find another project car. this time with no rust on it. and then go from there. I can always swap my interior. its almost in perfect condition.I hope I didn't carry on to much for a first post Quote Selected
1st post Reply #2 – October 14, 2007, 10:26:36 PM Wow. That is alot of rust. It's more fun to drive then to work on. I suggest finding a good body and using that for parts. For 300 dollars you could get a decent car with a blown motor.Also I like the website. That's some fancy stuff. Good job on it. Quote Selected
1st post Reply #3 – October 14, 2007, 10:33:30 PM welcome! i sure am glad i live in the south! Quote Selected
1st post Reply #4 – October 14, 2007, 10:50:29 PM Thanks for the welcomeMy baby was totally rust free in 98 when I repainted it and undercoated every fall. you can still see the paint and undercoating. unfortunately its now stuck to the rust on my floor of my garage as of this weekend Quote Selected
1st post Reply #5 – October 14, 2007, 11:14:24 PM Rust never sleeps. Mine is worse, but I did do as blu84302 said, and if your rear quarters are bad, I'd suggest the same. Quote Selected
1st post Reply #6 – October 15, 2007, 06:55:07 AM Welcome aboard.I agree with Sleeper,I'm glad I live down south.We don't ever see rust.Come down here,grab a replacement car,and start swapping everything over. Quote Selected
1st post Reply #7 – October 15, 2007, 09:03:41 AM WOW I was convinced here in the good ol' "Capital Region" (Im so sick of hearing that sung in commercials.....ugh) they salted the worst. White roads in JUNE? I mean ours stay white maybe until April, maybe halfway through at worst, but thats rare. Good luck with whatever you decide to do! Sorry to hear your baby is hurtin' like that. Quote Selected
1st post Reply #8 – October 15, 2007, 09:40:54 AM That sucks! fix her or get another. I found that on my 88 that had the rust preventive stuff from the dealer that it was rusted out while my 84 that doesn't have the treatment it almost rust free. Quote Selected
1st post Reply #9 – October 15, 2007, 10:23:13 AM I'm going to be inclined to say find a donor shell.As sad as it is, that one is toast. Welcome to the site. Quote Selected
1st post Reply #10 – October 15, 2007, 10:54:25 AM :) Welcome and your website is very cool "lots of pics" just remeber that there are always other cougars on this forum for sale. lol :cougarsmily Quote Selected
1st post Reply #11 – October 15, 2007, 11:11:13 AM Wow, that is alot of fixin to do. But I have seen worse be fixed so get to it! Enjoy the info this board has to offer!Brian Quote Selected
1st post Reply #12 – October 15, 2007, 12:01:54 PM Hello:D Chicago salts pretty bad too. The roads are white till April and the big rains wash it away. That is why I bought my T-bird form California. Your Cougar is pretty rusty but itcan be fixed. It will cost a lot of $$$ but it can be done. The question is do you really want that particular car or would you rather start with a rust free one and swap stuff over? Quote Selected
1st post Reply #13 – October 15, 2007, 01:35:16 PM I agree 100% with thunderjet. There's a point of dimishing returns. Do you want to spend $5K fixing up a $2K car? My numbers may be off some, but you get the idea. The only thing you can't put a price on is emotion. If it's that important to you to have THAT car, then by all means fix it. Otherwise, bring one back from the south to work on. Quote Selected
1st post Reply #14 – October 15, 2007, 02:12:04 PM Man I didn’t now salt was that bad up there some times I guess I’m naive to that fact I live in long island and just assumed it was worse by us since where near the salc00cher.Yea I guess there is salt in the lakes and I know that’s were most of your precipitation is.It would be nice if you could save that car w/all the time you own her and the memories but it would probably be a lot easier to buy another and part her for its good stuff interior pretty easy to swap and tuff to find a good one so don’t get rid of her yet. And if your going to redo a car go w/the 302.(big upgrade). Nice pic set-up a like thatCan’t believe it took you this long to post gotta tell you I love this website. a lot of good info and before I found it I thought I was buy my self till I found out there’s others out there w/there taste of cars. I also swear on motor tech here every now and then I go to stang sites and cause stangs are me-to cars everyone has one so the advice isn’t so good unless you now where its coming from Quote Selected