Thinking of not modding the Cougar...

Topic: Thinking of not modding the Cougar... (Read 1615 times) previous topic - next topic

Thinking of not modding the Cougar...

December 14, 2007, 09:13:44 PM

You know, I love my 86 Mercury Cougar LS. I've done a lot with it and added the TC seats with center cosule and center floor shifter. Not complaining at all with the car, I love it lol.

But I wanna do engine upgrades, but when I look at a 1967 cougar * http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercury-Cougar-1967-COUGAR-1967-mercury-cougar_W0QQitemZ220180146761QQihZ012QQcategoryZ6339QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem *

Tells me Not to kill my money in the 86 and get a 67 and work on that baby :D

So I think this summer I will be buying a 1967 Mercury Cougar 390 V8
May be more money to buy the car, but that car will be faster then the 86 with a 351 so why kill the time with a 351 :S lol.

So I might be turning my 86 into just a daily car and getting a 67 for my sunday fun car :D.

Thinking of not modding the Cougar...

Reply #1 – December 15, 2007, 12:35:07 AM

You can make a 351W fvck up a 390 easy. It all depends on what parts you use.

BTW the car in the link you posted doesn't have a 390. It's either a 302 or 351W.

Thinking of not modding the Cougar...

Reply #2 – December 15, 2007, 12:52:34 AM

yea I know, someone pointed me at that car and I looked up the engine options u could of had. And how could a 351W Beat a 390 if there bought built with high parts may I ask u?

I could also go with the 1968 which offered the 428 V8 335 bhp :D :D

U know after looking at the 68 with the hood scoop from the factory, I think I will be getting me a 1968 428 v8 Mercury Cougar in the summer for sure :D

Thinking of not modding the Cougar...

Reply #3 – December 15, 2007, 01:58:49 AM

Aftermarket support for the Windsor engines is much better than for the FE engines. You could build a Windsor that will stomp a 390 for a lot cheaper than you could build a 390. Plus you can bore and stroke a 351W to a 427

Oh and the 335 HP 428 is called the 428 Cobra Jet. The Cobra Jet was a bit, uh, underrated from the factory;) . Plus a 428 CJ Cougar is going to cost a bit of $$$.

Thinking of not modding the Cougar...

Reply #4 – December 15, 2007, 02:09:29 AM

My friend has a 74 Ford F100 with a 390, he pulled the engine and has all of the parts to make it a 428 CJ. With the parts he has now, he will have a hard time getting traction to move the truck instead of spin the tires.

Thinking of not modding the Cougar...

Reply #5 – December 15, 2007, 08:56:35 AM

the 390 was never a great motor, and the is no real suport from the aftermarket for it... The backing for the Windsor.... Like Thunderjet said, is much better, and cheaper. 390's aren't as durable either, I have a magazine article where they build up a 390 with the best parts you can buy, and it grenaded on the dyno on it's first pull.... not worht the money for that if you ask me.

Thinking of not modding the Cougar...

Reply #6 – December 15, 2007, 10:44:49 AM

390s wern't so great but the 428 CJ is the FE if you want to mod an FE. Personally given the choice between a FE and a 351W I'd go with the 351W.

Now if you really want a big block I'd go with a 385 serries Ford (ie 429, 460). They are more durrable and have decent after market support. You can stroke a 460 to atleast 514 cubic inches too;)

Thinking of not modding the Cougar...

Reply #7 – December 15, 2007, 05:27:46 PM

Quote from: thunderjet302;192801

You can make a 351W fvck up a 390 easy. It all depends on what parts you use. BTW the car in the link you posted doesn't have a 390. It's either a 302 or 351W.

302's werent offered till 69.

only two motor options were available with 3 options apiece

289 V8 195 bhp.
289 V8 200 bhp.
289 V8 225 bhp.
390 V8 280 bhp.
390 V8 320 bhp.
390 V8 335 bhp

and for the price of finding and buying the 67 and parts for the 390, you can stroke the 351 out to 392. just an idea. i'd make a basic price list of both build ups. that way you at least have a rough idea what each project will run you.

Thinking of not modding the Cougar...

Reply #8 – December 16, 2007, 01:16:59 AM

Quote from: Crusher;192810

I think I will be getting me a 1968 428 v8 Mercury Cougar in the summer for sure :D

You must have a BUTT LOAD of money!

Thinking of not modding the Cougar...

Reply #9 – December 16, 2007, 02:05:55 AM

yeah, why not get one this summer for sure,, they are a dime a dozen after all.

Thinking of not modding the Cougar...

Reply #10 – December 16, 2007, 05:29:58 AM

I have seven for sale as I type this...

Thinking of not modding the Cougar...

Reply #11 – December 16, 2007, 11:13:33 AM

Awww ok not as rare as I ASSUMED...
Based on what I read here
http://www.theclassiccougarnetwork.com/tccn2/index.html

It would seem there is/was a total of 37 428 cougars out there to choose from.
And if you really want a lot to choose from then go after the 427 with 357 produced.

http://www.theclassiccougarnetwork.com/tccn2/history/timeline/gte/gte.html

Quote

The GT-E name came from Ford's in-house code (E) for the high-performance 390 horsepower 427 cubic inch engine, which is what the original GT-Es had stuffed between their shock towers (replaced mid-year by the CJ 428). Of the 394 GT-Es built, 357 were equipped with the 427 engine and 37 came with the CJ 428.

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WOW.. and V8Deamon has SEVEN of them!!!

Crusher
I DO like your thinking however! And contrary to popular opinion on this FOX web site I would drop my 88 bird like a hot potato in a second for a fair shape 67 Cougar (Hmm wonder if V8Deamon would do a trade??) but you have to look at reality. Nice to dream and nothing wrong with it but don't set your sights to high so as to let yourself be disappointed.
And for god sakes if you DO find one of these 1 of 37 428 Cougars and it is within your means to acquire it, don't you DARE mod it so as to beat a Windsor.. Who the Fila cares if it can beat a 351W it would be worth 50-100 times as much!

(Disclaimer: "50-100 times as much" based on a fox body estimated at a nice round $1000 for math simplicity’s sake and a one of thirty seven cougar fetching $50,000 to $100,000 at an auction. Simply because I KNOW somebody will correct me and think different of a trivial comparison I made, regardless point still being the same!)

Thinking of not modding the Cougar...

Reply #12 – December 16, 2007, 11:27:03 AM

Quote from: grutinator;192939

302's werent offered till 69.

only two motor options were available with 3 options apiece

289 V8 195 bhp.
289 V8 200 bhp.
289 V8 225 bhp.
390 V8 280 bhp.
390 V8 320 bhp.
390 V8 335 bhp

and for the price of finding and buying the 67 and parts for the 390, you can stroke the 351 out to 392. just an idea. i'd make a basic price list of both build ups. that way you at least have a rough idea what each project will run you.

Possibly you meant '68 for the 302 or 351 weren't aval till '69???

Anyway. here's the skinny... With stock heads the 390s SUCK, where do you think they got the E6 design????(no they aren't quite that bad think E7)... If you want to drop 1200+ in a good set of El'broc heads plus decent intake, headers and exaust system then it will run hard...

As for the 428CJ they can make good power with just exhaust system upgrades... But remember STOCK those only run high 13s at best, my lil 5.0 AOD Bird will kick my stock 428CJ 4speed Fairlane's Ass(best ever on street radials 14.21)...

And if you really want a lot to choose from then go after the 427 with 357 produced.

AND believe it or not, I owned one of those... Was the std version(not XR-7), something like 88 produced...Bought it in '77 off a used car lot for $450... It's the only Cougar I've ever owned and yeah, I wish I'd kept it... But I already had the 428 Fairlane and there was little chance I was going to part with it, unfortunately couldn't keep the them both... In reality it ran approx the same as a 428CJ as the heads were the same, but had sucky 390 type exhaust manifolds...

Tom

Thinking of not modding the Cougar...

Reply #13 – December 16, 2007, 12:53:15 PM

oops, i meant as far as i know, those were the only available options availabe in 67. didnt word it nearly as well as i thought

Thinking of not modding the Cougar...

Reply #14 – December 20, 2007, 08:15:01 PM

I like the early cougars