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Welcome!!!
240 HP.....0-60 in about 6.0 sec...
With my new son in the mix..a 4 door is manditory....
Took Adelaide in for her 15K service (at 16K miles). Got my kitty in February 2000. The only problem has been that coolant sensor light which just cropped up a couple of weeks ago. It was checked and a little extra coolant has taken care of that entirely.
It must have been Cougar day at the shop. Three of them were in for service at one time, a tourmaline, a silver and my pretty sapphire kitty. Mine's still the best looking one, even with the dirty rims. Not that I'm proud or boastful.......
;-)
$573 to replace, insurance won't cover anything before my $500 deductible.
The least the morons could have done was steal the car. Stupid theft deterrant system. Should've left it unlocked.
Later,
burnsmr4
1. Right tie rod end.
2. Warped rotors.
3. Out of round tire.
So, wound up with a complete front brake job (rotors & pads after 26k mi.), I'll probably be good for the rest of my time with the car as far as that goes.
The tire rod end replacement really tightened up the steering and made it much more responsive (not that it was bad to begin with).
Moved the out of round tire to the rear, and the steering is like brand new. No vibration, shimmy, wandering or nothing.
Warranty's up 1st week in Dec, so I'll be really watching things closely just in case I need any last minute attention. Seems to be OK though.
Skip G.
Can you recommend used/salvaged glass for a repair like the one mentioned above? The driver's side rear quarter glass? I've had 6-7 glass shops note that the replacement glass comes with some sort of moulding or something built into the glass.
One shop, when asked about installing used/salvaged glass, noted that, if the moulding were damaged at salvage, I might have a leaky rear quarter glass.
I believe, Gustafc, that you had some body done on your car recently. Was your glass damaged? If you have information that can help me, please pass it along. Any guidance here is greatly appreciated.
Looking at around $625 to fix this by myself (to avoid a claim on my insurance, which would cost $500 anyway).
Thanks,
burnsmr4
There is no reason not to use ANY decent part salvaged from a wrecked vehicle. Glass is glass, whether or not it's new or used, as long as it's in good condition.
You can find out whether or not the glass comes with a molding by visiting your Mercury dealer's Parts department. Ask to see the illustration of the window on their microfiche.
Just use the yellow pages to find a glass repair shop that will guaranty their labor using your part.
I would say, though, that if the part was carefully removed from the donor vehicle, maintaining the integrity of whatever gaskets/mouldings come with it, installation shouldn't be a real problem.
Been there, done that during my misspent youth.
Skip G
Thanks for the feedback. I might go after the used part after all. $150 for a piece of glass from shop in NY. $125 to get the glass installed locally from a shop that would warrant the glass.
Any other feedback from anyone? Thanks!
Later,
burnsmr4
I just tried to do a trade-in on my '99 Mercury Cougar V-6 w/ 5-speed, and they wouldn't touch it. No market for 5-speeds here in Atlanta. Might want to seriously consider the automatic for future resale value. Particularly if your market is one where congested traffic is the norm.
My 2 cents worth. Good luck!
Regards,
burnsmr4
I wouldn't want to own an automatic car that had less than 200 horses.
If you get your rear quarter glass broken, the list price is $2081 for the glass itself. I was able to get quotes for installation ranging from $1000 to $1200. SafeLite here in Atlanta offered aftermarket glass installed for around $600. I was able to negotiate an OEM installer down to $615.
Bottom line -- it's better NOT to have THAT particular piece of glass broken. It includes all that funky black trim and a connector piece underneath that runs along the top water drain channel.
The guy who came to install -- I swear -- got out of his truck and looked around. His first words were, "A $600 piece of glass? What kind of car do you drive?!" He was making motions toward a new Mercedes.
Later,
burnsmr4
You should definitely drive both configurations and make up your own mind. Lots of people are happy with their ATX Cougars, and I'm unhappy with automatic anythings.
I had to special order my 2001 because they couldn't find one with the exact options and color that I wanted. It takes about 8 weeks to arrive though if you special order one. I hated waiting so long, but it has been more than worth the wait to have exactly what I wanted.
David Bloyd
ps.
The warranty on my car runs out tomorrow on my Cougar's third birthday. I had my dealership give it a thorough checkup. They were awesome about fixing anything that was marginal or might cause me headaches in the near future. Having purchased a pretty early run Cougar, I've experienced several 'growing pains', but FMC has been very good, on the whole, about performing warranty work. My car is running perrrrfect right now. I hope it stays that way as I enter into my non-warranty period.
A.
=^..^=
Can you give us some specifics on what you had done? My car runs out of warranty in January. I doubt I'll reach the 36K mile limit before then.
I've got about 30K miles on my '99 Cougar V-6, and I've not had the 30K service done. I'm not keen on the $200 charge for what amounts to a bunch of filter changes.
What have some of you other folks been charged for this service? Did you take it somewhere other than a dealership? Do it yourself?
Thanks,
burnsmr4
I to am in the process of buying a 2002 Cougar and I opted for the 5 speed manual. They to told me that I would have a hard time finding a manual with the V6-Sport right now due to a factory close down. Due to my selection, I had to order mine even though they may have some sports with the manual in about 2 to 4 weeks. I ordered a Black C2 Sport. Can't wait for it!!!
~FUTH
~FUTH
krnch
krnch
i am reading that they claim 3 to 7 % increase in HP.......
I defected from the Focus (as in Ford) groups and went for my kitty three months ago. i can tell you all that I do not regret it! I too had trouble getting a hold of 5speed V6 models, my dealer had 45 cougars in stock, about 30 were V6 ALL WERE AUTOMATIC! i personally dont like automatics, but I do live in LA, and I am a bit impatient when i make the decision to do something. So i settled on the Black on Black C2 with everything except Traction control. I dont regret the choice , but I do miss the stick..I only wish Ford made a slightly better ATX for this car, its a little slow to engage and not very intuitive. Eventually i am hoping that i can add some basic items to extract more life from the powertrain, like K and N filters , better plugs...MAYBE, just maybe a reprogramming of the computer. Well See..
Glad to be here!
~FUTH
Did you get the midnight black leather with c2 badgeing? The reason I am asking is that I went with the french blue cloth only because they don't have a black cloth for the c2. I went with the black c2 clear coat, but didn't go with leather because I went with the standard sport package not the premium, which is about $1000 more; then if you add leather its another $1000. I am planning on adding leather aftermarket if I can get a decent price (around $1000, obviously).
~FUTH
You might check out the www.newcougar.org,
www.fastcougar.com/folrums sites and get all the
juicy details about modifying your cougars. Those guys spend quite abit of time and money figuring out the way to get the most hp out of our cars. As for waiting...I waited 11 weeks to get my cougar! so 1-4 sounds good to me! it's definately worth being patient and getting exactly what you want. Congratulations and welcome.
PS-I learned a lesson, dont buy a car that is Black, has a black interior..with black leather seats during the SUMMER!! Especially when the A/C isnt the best it could be.
Got an upgraded computer last week, and thought that nobody was here when I would scope out the Edmunds club site. Then I actually entered, read a bunch of new posts, got to the bottom of the pile, saw that I would have to log in to post, and, in a flash of brilliant mental accuity, realized that the new rig didn't have my old cookie file. No cookie, no placemark & new post indicator. DUH!!!
But, It was nice suprise to find a bunch of new enthusiasts joining us. Welcome aboard!!!!
Skip G.
With your luck, you oughtta buy some lottery tickets.
Skip G.
Now, it may have been a ploy to get extra candy (and it worked), but I sure did like hearing it!
The interior seemed confining to me. Of course, coming from an Explorer that's not unusual. In any event, did any of you feel this way at first with your Cougars? I felt closed in.
There was some optical distortion/waviness in the windshield. Is this common; something I would just need to get used to?
I drove an automatic (do not like stick). Throttle response seemed delayed. It would get up and move quickly, but then suddenly take off like it had a turbo charger or something. Also noticed that just the slightest touch of the accelerator caused a neck-snapping lurch. Seemed hard to drive smoothly. Is this normal?
There were various creaks and groans coming from the rear end and door panels. Are these normal? Do the cars start to squeak and rattle relatively quickly after buying?
The car I drove had the 16" wheels with BFGoodrich Comp T/A's. Seemed the ride was harsh and very loud, even compared to my current Explorer. Do you notice this in your Cougars?
Just trying to get a feel if the one I drove was a bad example, or if it would be a matter of readjusting to something smaller after a year in an Explorer. I like the looks and style, but I felt very claustrophobic on the test drive.
Thanks for your input!
Throttle response is pretty weird on V6 Cougars. They have secondary throttles that open around 3500 RPM; this may be the kick you feel at speed.
My '99 Cougar is pretty free of rattles and body noises. I have the 16" wheels and Comp T/A's. The ride is just the way I like it; some might find it harsh. The tires are loud on some road surfaces, quiet on others. I think that's the price you pay for grip.
Windshield = no distortion. However, because the rearview mirror is mounted low, you'll find yourself trying to look through it a lot. Rear window looks a little distorted sometimes.
I have the 15" wheels and, previously, the Firestones. Can't comment on those anymore, since FMC's dropped 'em. I will say that the Firestone compound was hard and resulted in a harsh ride. I feel that, overall, the suspension is tuned fairly tight. You'll feel the bumps. No wallowing in this car over road undulations (big word for the day).
Finally...squeaks, rattles, groans, and general interior noise were all standard equipment on '99 models. I'm not wholly convinced that they've discontinued these features on newer models. The frameless windows, if they're not right from the factory, will groan and moan over bumps and such (high pressure car wash will spray right through the seals too). The dashboard talks more than my passengers do -- especially when it's cold. Sometimes that removeable parcel shelf (connected to the decklid) will rattle if it's unseated.
Good luck.
burnsmr4
2. Throttle response: With your foot on the floor, the secondary intake runners do open hard about 3600rpm. The effect is just like the old days with 4-barrel carbs. The Cougar operates in economy mode at low throttle demand, but opens up when pushed hard.
3. Rough ride. It is, after all, a sport coupe. If equipped with the sport package, the ride is harder than the other versions. Also, as the factory delivers the car, tire pressure is set very high to keep the tires round while being transported and sitting on various lots. Mine was above 40psi, and rode like a heavy truck. Reducing pressures to a more reasonable level smoothed things out.
4. Noisy highway running. Not mine!!! Quiet as a mouse all the way up to 90mph (never had it any higher).
5. Size. The Cougar is slightly bigger than my previous coupe, so I obviously would not feel cramped by comparison. I think that it's just sorta cozy. I don't have to worry about extra passengers, and the cargo capability is great.
My $0.02
Skip G.
Later,
burnsmr4
Thats all I can say..except that I love it!
Thanks!!
Rattles, virtually none. although there is some general road noise, more so than in my previous land barge, and there is a funny little whistle caused by the antenna when driving on the highway.
I've grown to love when that secondary throttle kicks in. Wonderful power when passing.
See if you can test drive a different kitty on the lot. Take the time to adjust everything to your satisfaction before you hit the road, because that may make a difference, too.
Let us know how it goes