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I came to the same conclusion about the Cougar S being killed so the resources could be redirected to the X-Type and was summarily blown off. Please read post #810 from March 20.
As my adorable grandmother calls it, the "Silver Streak" and I, and my girlfriend are about to take our first real road trip. A five hour daunt from Johnstown Pa, to Hilliard Oh. Hilliard is slightly southwest of Columbus. I'm excited. The only thing she needs is a cleaning.. maybe I'll get up early to wash it... my gf will kill me but it's something I NEED to do! Drive Safe Everyone!
Hey all! Just thought I would check in and see how everyone is doing. Currently my Cat is in the shop for basic maintenance, and on Tuesday I have an appointment with the body shop to have the Visteon kit I won installed. I just hit the 45,000 mile marker and she is running great!!
burnsmr4: I totally agree with you about the Marauder. Its a shame that Mercury doesn't have a clue. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure this will be a great car, but IMHO, in no way shape or form will this car attract younger buyers or revitalize Mercury.
I haven't read the C&D article yet, but I plan to do so over the weekend. I also agree that it is a shame the Mondaeo is not available here in the states. If it were, I would definatly consider one in a few years. With the exception of the Mustang, FMC has nothing in their line up that interests me. Actually, come to think of it, there isn't much on the market in my price range that does interest me.
I have a funny feeling that Mercury is entering a period of planned obsolescence (by FMC) and will ultimately join Oldsmobile as yet another dearly departed American car marque. It irritates me when I see good cars get the shaft due to corporate beancounter mentality. Anyway, nuff said on that...
I was looking (not seriously, though) at a 2002 Subaru WRX. Leave it to the foreign car companies to cater to the performance car buffs.
I noticed yesterday that my left front speaker is only working on occasion. I noticed this problem a while back, but it seemed to of disappeared. Now, the speaker cuts on and off all the time. I will hit a bump in the road and the speaker will cut off and then 10 seconds later it will pop back on. Anyone else experience this? I know when I bring my car to the dealer the speaker will work perfectly. It always works that way!!!!
This is really starting to pi%# me off!!!My wifes '98 Honda Accord(I know its a cookie cutter and boring) has almost 70,000 miles on it and it has had 0 problems. My Cougar has only 25,000 miles on it and I can't count the number of problems I have had. It has to be at least 10.
I guess this is Ford's engineering at it's best!!!
Yes, my speakers do that all the time except at the dealers'. I believe that there has been some discussion of this problem here but I don't recall the solution other than throwing out the radio and the speakers.
Mine works OK if you turn up the volume, so I don't have a big problem with it. I can see that it would cause distress if you have a preference for civilized volume levels.
Hi all... Had a fantastic weekend! My husband had a conference in Palm Springs so just the two of us drove down on Thurs. and came home last night. I wouldn't let him drive..he really thought he was going to get to but when it came down to leaving I grabbed the keys and ran to the car, he started laughing, he said I acted like a spoiled brat, I get to drive every day and he just wanted a turn. I just started the engine and buckled up. He did insist on being in charge of the cd's though. Five hours driving and I loved every minute! even traffic in LA wasn't so bad. The weather was awesome (95-99) The pool was perfect temp. and the margaritas were very cold. As I pulled into the resort I saw a valet parking a silver mustang...he caught fourth gear in the parking lot! decided to park my own car! Mike just laughed, he thinks I love the car more than him....he may have something! The drive home was nice, got about 28.8 mpg. not too bad! I now have 13,000 miles in 9 months. What can I say.. I love my car and love to drive it!!! Badulah: I thought of you yesterday, wanted to know if you had that kit put on yet, it's funny that you posted that. Cougar owners think alike!
Coolchick: I'm not sure what is going on and why you can't get in to the chat sessions. I will forward your problem via email to Dana @ Edmunds.com. Hopefully we can get this problem solved.
Malibu: I received half of my body kit earlier today. Apparently the installer didn't receive the front effect from Visteon. Needless to say I was livid about this. It has been over 8 months since I won the kit and it still isn't fully installed. After I got home from the installer I called my contact at Visteon and went berserk on her voice mail. I received a call back from her about 40 minutes later and she informed me that the front effect will be shipped to the installer ASAP. Unfortunately it will not be ready in time for the Lime Rock Park trip. So now I will be driving up in my Cougar which has an incomplete body kit installed. From the back and sides she looks GREAT, but from the front she looks really lame. The front end is higher off the ground than the sides. Hopefully all of this will be straightened out by next week.
I came across it yesterday while on the internet and the Cougar did, how do I say this, HORRIBLY. Out of all the cars currently in production, the Cougar was the 8th or 9th worse car on the list. The only cars that did worse were KIA's and the Mazda Tribute(Ford product). The industry avg per car was 147 problems per some x# of cars(I'm not sure if it was 100 or 1000 cars...sorry) The Cougar had something like 224.
Pulling a little vacation time before I have to forfeit some. Taking tomorrow and through next week, returning on the 4th. Short jaunt into Wi., and then things around the house.
I expect to see a whole bunch of reading to do when I get back.
Have fun at the Rock ( for those going), and I'll see you later.
I saw a very nice, if not slightly overdone cougar today, it was silver with the fully body effects, aftermarket wing and painted rear tail lights. I was very sweet looking and that got me thinking... I've been seeing lots of cougars and many of them customized... do any of the members of the CSG come through Johnstown/State College pa area? I am just wondering if I can seeing any of you guys. What I really enjoy is when I drive past a cougar owner, I slow down to smile at the person and the other driver usually does too... it's almost like how motorcyclists wave at each other... we're a cult!
I wish that was the case around here. The only Cougars I see are mostly driven by women. I think the only way these drivers would notice my Cougar is if I ran into them. It seems as if the only folks that return my glance are younger male drivers. The rest just look straight ahead, which I guess is a good thing.
Lately I have seen a TON of Cougars running around here. For the most part, most of them wave back at me or smile, but there is always the occasional oblivious Cougar owner, as Fish8 stated above.
I hope all of you have a safe and GREAT holiday weekend!!! Hopefully the weather will clear up on the east coast just for a little while!!
Well I am here in Korea. I drove my kitty for the last time on 20 May. I will now have to wait until I come home on leave.around December (maybe later) before I can drive my kitty again.
Also, I drove to Arizona for school for 2 months, then I drove to California. My wife flew into California and she, I and my mom drove a U-Haul from California to NC. While driving my car in Arizona my wife backed into a pole and now there is a nasty mark on my back bumper.
I am upset that the mark is on my car, but I couldn't get upset with her. I will just fix it when I get back home for good in May 2002. Why should I care about a nasty scrape on a bumper when I won't be driving the car for a year.
Hello, I bought my first 2000 cougar last year and it was a total lemon, but being so in love with the car, I gave that one back and allowed the dealership to order me a brand new one with zero miles,... well after having the vehicle for about two months, I had to have my driver side leather seat replaced for wear, my weather stripping on my drivers side had ripped, I had a bad battery cable and when I thought that I had finally got the bugs out of it, this past Christmas I had a tire blow out on the passenger side, now mind you I had hit nothing, I wasn't even speeding, in the event of that I damaged the wheel, and also found that my drivers side tired had a gouge in it, has anyone else had problems with the tires on their cougars? I have at least three other people here in Ohio, that has had the same problem, and goodrich is not doing anything about it, they are saying that they do not warranty road hazard, just manufacturers defects... if anyone has had this happen to them and can tell me where I can get some help and answers I'd like to know, because I have only owned the car a year, and already I'm sorry to say but I regret it. thank you
to the post "anxiously awaiting new cougar" your dealership should be able to call and check on the progress of your car, or you can get the phone number to flat rock michgan where the cougar is built if you as to speak to someone in quality andgive them the info they need to find your car they may be able to get back to you in a day or too and tell you where it is, in the process, I know this because I called when mine was being built. also as a little tip, if the car hasn't been started yet ask for it to built on tues-thursday, because mondays and fridays is the highest day for absentism, I know because I work for ford motor(lorain assembly, the econoline) and you will get a better car..good luck
I've noticed a hesitation lately under hard acceleration or slight acceleration up a hill at highway speeds. It's as if the car isn't getting enough air or fuel. It is not at a particular RPM and is not fuel related, as it has happened several times, on different fuel. It is also not related to the A/C (it happens when it is off - and without the defrost on). Has anyone experienced this and, if so, what was the remedy. It concerns me since my '99 Cougar is almost out of warranty.
Thanks, Krnch.
P.S. I hope everyone had a great time at Limerock. I wish I could have joined you.
Sorry to hear about your bad luck with your Cougars. I tried to understand your second message but I lost track of oyur message(ie: run on sentance!!!).
Everyone else: How was the Lime Rock meeting? My computer started to act up this past weekend so I was unable to check Edmunds and see if you have any stories.
Well I think my days of running the cat around to visit friends and family are done for a while... I got my car on May 5th, and here it is May 29th and I've put 2156 miles on it... At this rate I'll put on 24k a year... not a good thing. I assume you guys have the same problem with bugs that I do... I guess the front of your cougar is also a bloodbath for the poor arachnoids or other form of bug... What do you guys do to remove the bug spatters? The coarse side of the Viking sponge just doesn't work like the packaging said. I have been using my finger nail, not exactly a great tool. Any thoughts?
One thing I do for the bug splatter is make sure your car(front bumper) has a good coat of wax on it. I find this helps with getting the bugs off the car. You can also use bug and tar remover. I think I have Turtle Wax brand.
It's been a while since I've contributed but I'm back. I guess with FMC dropping the Cougar S and killing the whole line in a year or so, I've lost the interest I first had. Anyway, I contacted Paxton regarding their NOVI 1000 supercharger designed for the Cougar and was told that they killed that project. They didn't tell me why, but I assume they don't want to develop an item for a vehicle that won't be around for very long. I have a felling that more and more companies are going to be doing this. So mods to our cars are going to become very hard to find.
On a side note, Paxton mentioned that they are looking for a buyer for the Paxton Project Cougar. It is the yellow Cougar that was in the C & D article. If anyone is interested, you should contact them quick. I was thinking about it, but I'm done with Ford products. I next car will be the new Nissan Z.
Advocatus: It's really hard to not drive the cat when you look so good! I spent all day Sunday washing, polishing, waxing and detailing my car, she looks soooo goood! The only problem I had was a little run in with the dirt devil..a little advice for those with long hair, pull it up before you vacume your car! My hair is to the middle of my back and while vacuming my cougar I accidentally caught my hair. The little brush just sucked it right up and twisted it up to my scalp. Luckily I had my hand by the off switch, I screamed and switched it off, Mike came running over and after he realized I was okay asked if he could go get the camera! Of course I yelled no and he helped me get the thing off my head. I lost a huge handful of hair but learned a valuable lesson. Always pull my hair up before I use the dirt devil! Life is such an adventure! The lengths we go to for our Cougars! This was by far one of the dumbest things I've ever done, I admit to the dumb blonde thing this time.
Now I'm not smashing those people out there that are excited for the release of the movie Tome Raider... but I won't be seeing it... but regardless, watching one of the countless commericals for the movie... in the one scene in the back of the shot is a silver car... now I only saw it for a moment... but I'd bet some money that the car is a cougar... which makes me excited since this would be the first paid advertisement from the Mercury people for the Cougar if I am right, besides the website of course. Watch the commerical carefully and maybe you'll correct me... but I'm hoping it's a cougar... Drive Safe
Love the hair story. Reminds of me of when my hair was much longer and I had a car with a sun roof. I was driving merrily along one day with the roof open and the windows down and as the temperature started to drop decided it was time to close the roof. Who knew that the open windows blow the hair straight up through the roof. As soon as I tried to bend my head forward again I was well and truly stuck. The guy behind me got a good laugh out of it.
My hair is shorter now and I don't have a sun roof but I know what you mean about the blonde thing (strawberry blond in my case but same dif).
He guys, this is kind of off topic but I'll ask anyway. Do any of you own an Oldsmobile Aurora 4.0 I (the new model)? The reason why I'm asking is because a guy at work owns one, I believe it has like 250 up and lots of torque but also very heavy compared to our Cougars. Always, he says that he feels very confident about his Aurora being able to beat my mdx Cougar pretty bad? What do you guys think? I've done a bit of research and seems like his car's 0-60 and 1/4 mile times are pretty similar to ours, with mdx. We found a place where there is barely any traffic, but before I agree to the challenge, I'd like to see what you guys think, you guys think I can show him the tail-lights of our Cogs in a race? Thanks!
S. Krnch, I've read on the NECO board about members having similar problems to the one you mentioned and they say that it tends to be the "secondaries" giving them trouble. You might want to ask over there or see what people say here.
Good to know I'm not the only one who has done something so silly. I'll take the sunroof story as a warning.
Daexpert: I vote for the cougar..if for no other reason than loyalty and wishful thinking. Just remember if he hands you the tailend of the Olds, your cougars tailend looks much nicer!
My vote goes for the Cougar as well. The Aurora weighs about 800lbs more and has a bigger gas tank sooooooooo. Make sure your tank is low (a full tank adds weight) and start off in 2nd gear and you're away to the races.
All: Just thought I would drop in and let everyone know that Lime Rock was a BLAST!! Unfortunately the weather wasn't so great, but we had a good time anyway. For those of you that attended, try and get me your pictures and video ASAP. I am working on a new photo album section for the web site and I would like to include those photos when the new section is posted. For those of you that didn't make it out to Lime Rock, you were missed.
I wonder how much Paxton wants for their project Cougar? I might just have to give them a call.
It might be neck-and-neck ... until you turn the corner without braking. Let him try THAT with an Oldmobile. (I left out the "S" for our dearly departed, never arrived, performance counterpart ...)
Hey guys, thanks for the responses, I too think it would be a very close race, but it will only be close if I shift correctly, if I mess up, that would be it for the race. I would really prefer for him to see my Coug's butt rather than me seeing his tail-lights! I practiced my launches a bit tonight, from first to second, and I think I still need to practice some more, I'll keep you guys updated on what happens. The race won't happen till probably next week, so I have some time to prepare and waste some gas because I have a tankfull right now! Either way, thanks for the support. Go Cougs!
You are soooo right about the style and looks thing, it doesn't matter to me that I don't drive the fastest car out there, because I think it's one of the coolest.
I have two questions...first will the Borla exhaust make any difference in gas mileage? I'm pleased with what I get, but at over $2.00 a gallon any improvement would be welcome. Second: kind of a dumb question but do you know what action to take when you have a blow out in a front wheel drive car? I have never owned one before the Cougar and my husband says it's got to be different than a rear wheel drive. I only ask because I unavoidably drove through a bunch of junk on the freeway the other day and got to thinking about it. Thanks.
I just wanted to announce that I finally recieved my new Cougar on Wednesday. It took 9 weeks to recieve (I was told 6-8 weeks). So far, I totally love this car. It rocks hard especially since I was stuck driving a cookie cutter Accord for the past 3+ years. There was one problem in getting my car though. The dealer made a mistake when putting in the order. He left out the traction control which is an factory installed only component. At first I told them that I wanted it and I was willing to wait another 6-8 weeks (9?) but they were very apologetic and were trying to do anything to make me happy and to take this one. They offered me 2 years of free maintenance (or up to 26000 miles) and they bumped my warranty to the 5 year premium bumper-to-bumper warranty. I felt really bad for the salesperson because he was really beating himself up over the mix-up. This dealership is only 6-months old. Apparently he should have done a better job cross-checking the official order form with the hand-written form that he and I filled out. I've never had traction control before so I didn't know what I was missing anyway. Plus if I waited, I think the $1500 rebate would have be obsolete in 2 months. I think I made out pretty well and although I'm mildly disappointed with the error, I have no complaints. This car is awesome. She is stuck outside in an awful storm so I hope that my sunroof isn't leaking. Am I really missing anything without the traction control?
Badulah, thanks for the supportive words, but no excuses in this race, I think I can take his big, ugly boat! But I guess if I lose, you're all correct...I'll lose with style.
Malibu, I have the Pacesetter, not the Borla exhaust, and I have not noticed any improvement in milage. Actually, I probably waste more gas now because the exhaust sounds so nice in the car that it just makes you wanna rev the Cougar as much as I possible, but thats my opinion on this matter.
Smc7, I think you got a pretty good deal, great warranty (if you plan to keep the car for that amount of time) and free maintenance for 2 years? Not bad at all if you ask me. I sometimes even ride around with my traction control on "off," so I don't think it's a really big deal. But I do find it useful when it's raining and I want to take-off kind of fast at the line, it definitely gives me more traction and helps me so that my front wheels won't spin as much. Not sure what the other guys think about it.
Wow, I'm on a roll these past two days with my postings. Have a good (but rainy) weekend.
I stopped on a sideroad in Atlanta this afternoon when I saw what looked like a neat little gathering of classic station wagons/coupes -- a 60s era Plymouth, Chrysler, and Mercury. I'd always seen a Ford Contour SVT in the guy's driveway, so I figured he might be an enthusiast. He and his buddies are definitely enthusiasts, and one of them told me a familiar story.
He's from Indiana, and the dealership he's been working with has been passing off some $21K Cougar special edition (like one of those CNs or ZNs) as an "S" with supercharger or something. Some high output V-6.
Why are FMC dealerships still lying to the public like this? They are lying, right? Providing misinformation. However PC you want to be about it, it's still lying to the consumer.
FMC may think it's aiming to blow the competition out of the water with its future products, but it may end up turning the gun on itself with SNAFUs like the Cougar "S" and Firestone tires.
I've had the misfortune to pop two left front tires. One at speed on the interstate, and the other on a somewhat twisty road at about 35MPH (pothole).
In both cases, the car tracked straight ahead with little pull to the side. The standard advice about holding the car in line, and gradually rolling to a stop on the shoulder is still the best method of survival.
Actually, the Cougar held it's direction better than any other front blowout that I've been involved in. My first one was in my dad's '54' Ford, an it spun me completely around when the wheel pulled (no power steering in those days).
Well, back from a cold, wet vacation week. Took a weekend in Wi. Visited a little town called Cedarburg, old buildings, shops, etc....
But, I did get a wrinkled left rear fender for my troubles. The kitty isn't a virgin anymore!! :-( We were parked in a gas station, getting some directions. The door opens and a guy asks, "Anyone in here own a gold Cougar w/Illinois plates?" Turns out that he'd parked his pickup in front of the station door and went in. Seems that the parking brake didn't hold (or he didn't set it) and the truck gently rolled downslope untill stopped by my left rear corner (back edge of the wheelwell).
The damage wasn't enough to hurt the trip (after we pulled the edge out to clear the tire when turning), and the guy is actually honest enough to be sending me a check for the full estimated amount for repairs. I think that in Chicago, there'd have been a 50% chance that the guy would have just left.
Other than that, good to be back in touch, and glad that the Lime Rock gang had a good time
Leo actually finished 25th or 26th in a field of over 40 cars. It's not great, but the weather had a lot to do with it. It was kinda drizzling when the race started, and it hadn't rained hard in the mroning yet. He wasn't sure if he should race with the wet tires or dry tires. So he decided to gamble and go with the dry tires. As the race began, it started raining cats and dogs. Poor Leo, he had no chance in those dry tires. He spun a couple of times. He had to pit and change to wet tires. By that time, he got lapped a couple of times. The race was only about 40 laps and the track was a little over a mile. So you could finish the race without pitting. Who knows where he would've finished had he started out with wet tires.
Anyway, the race was won by a BMW 3-series followed by an Acura Integra.
What's up guys? Just wanted to let everyone know, I bought a 91 cougar XR7, mint condition, black, power everything, duel exhaust.. Nice car, so I thought.. Well it's still nice, but after driving for a lil' distance, I guess the oil warms up and my oil pressure gauge drops down to below 0. I've heard it's either the bearings or the oil pump. I'm leaning towards the bearings myself. I paid $3500 for this car. Anyways, I've gotten into a little fender bender with it, and kind of need a front clip. If anyone knows of anywhere I can get fenders and etc. for cheap, let me know please. Also any advice on my oil problem would be cool. Other then that, I love the car! It's a pleasure to drive. Rock on Coupes!
This board is dedicated to "New Edge" Cougars model years '99 and newer. You are more than welcome to visit, but we (I) will probably not be able to assist with your questions since most of us are only familiar with new Cougars. Sorry!!!!
As with any older ('91) car, you really can't expect not to have problems with it. With ANY older car, you will always have problems. Good luck!!
Malibu: The Borla does SLIGHTLY improve mileage, but not enough to warrant the $600.00 investment. I purchased it for performance reasons.
SMC7: CONGRATS!!! & welcome to the owners club!! Good luck and please check in with us from time to time and let us know how you and your new kitty are doing. If you have any questions about your Cat, you know where to come!!
Burnsmr4: If you don't mind, could you please forward me the name and address of the dealership who is giving out false information. I think my contacts at FMC might want to have a chat with them....... Thanks!
SkipG: Sorry to hear about your accident. Like you said, at least an honest person hit you. There is nothing worse than walking out to you car and finding damage and no one in site to take responsibility for it.
As far as Leo is concerned, as Dasiant1 pointed out, he finished mid pack, but the car has been noticeable improved upon since last season. Putting aside that I am a COUGAR NUT!! I seriously think Leo has a good chance in future races. After his tire swap, he got right back in the race and managed to pass two of the three Real Time Acura Intergra-Rs and he trailed right behind (literally) the third one for the remainder of the race.
Unfortunately, I stopped by the side of the road to visit these guys while they were getting together to swap car stories. I wasn't exactly invited to begin with. A bad habit of mine ;-)
All the guy said was that a dealership in Indianapolis, IN was telling him about a special model (reference made to the "S") which had a higher output V-6 engine. The fellow noted that the model in question had a hood scoop and different spoiler, which led me to believe that it was either a ZN or CN special edition.
Sorry I didn't get more information. My uninvited visit ended abruptly with a kickass thunderstorm with hail, lightning, dogs, cats, etc. They were too busy getting their collector cars covered to talk further.
Burnsmr4: No problem. From what you have described, it sounds like they are trying to push the Zn and the C2 as high performance versions. Some salesmen make me sick.
Comments
burnsmr4:
I totally agree with you about the Marauder. Its a shame that Mercury doesn't have a clue. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure this will be a great car, but IMHO, in no way shape or form will this car attract younger buyers or revitalize Mercury.
I haven't read the C&D article yet, but I plan to do so over the weekend. I also agree that it is a shame the Mondaeo is not available here in the states. If it were, I would definatly consider one in a few years. With the exception of the Mustang, FMC has nothing in their line up that interests me. Actually, come to think of it, there isn't much on the market in my price range that does interest me.
I was looking (not seriously, though) at a 2002 Subaru WRX. Leave it to the foreign car companies to cater to the performance car buffs.
I noticed yesterday that my left front speaker is only working on occasion. I noticed this problem a while back, but it seemed to of disappeared. Now, the speaker cuts on and off all the time. I will hit a bump in the road and the speaker will cut off and then 10 seconds later it will pop back on. Anyone else experience this? I know when I bring my car to the dealer the speaker will work perfectly. It always works that way!!!!
This is really starting to pi%# me off!!!My wifes '98 Honda Accord(I know its a cookie cutter and boring) has almost 70,000 miles on it and it has had 0 problems. My Cougar has only 25,000 miles on it and I can't count the number of problems I have had. It has to be at least 10.
I guess this is Ford's engineering at it's best!!!
Mine works OK if you turn up the volume, so I don't have a big problem with it. I can see that it would cause distress if you have a preference for civilized volume levels.
Had a fantastic weekend! My husband had a conference in Palm Springs so just the two of us drove down on Thurs. and came home last night. I wouldn't let him drive..he really thought he was going to get to but when it came down to leaving I grabbed the keys and ran to the car, he started laughing, he said I acted like a spoiled brat, I get to drive every day and he just wanted a turn. I just started the engine and buckled up. He did insist on being in charge of the cd's though. Five hours driving and I loved every minute! even traffic in LA wasn't so bad. The weather was awesome (95-99) The pool was perfect temp. and the margaritas were very cold. As I pulled into the resort I saw a valet parking a silver mustang...he caught fourth gear in the parking lot! decided to park my own car! Mike just laughed, he thinks I love the car more than him....he may have something! The drive home was nice, got about 28.8 mpg. not too bad! I now have 13,000 miles in 9 months. What can I say.. I love my car and love to drive it!!! Badulah: I thought of you yesterday, wanted to know if you had that kit put on yet, it's funny that you posted that. Cougar owners think alike!
This is the second week in a row that I've tried to participate in the chat and there isn't anyone there and my messages won't post.
Do I have stinky armpits or something? Need Altoids? Let me know!
I'm not sure what is going on and why you can't get in to the chat sessions. I will forward your problem via email to Dana @ Edmunds.com. Hopefully we can get this problem solved.
I received half of my body kit earlier today. Apparently the installer didn't receive the front effect from Visteon. Needless to say I was livid about this. It has been over 8 months since I won the kit and it still isn't fully installed. After I got home from the installer I called my contact at Visteon and went berserk on her voice mail. I received a call back from her about 40 minutes later and she informed me that the front effect will be shipped to the installer ASAP. Unfortunately it will not be ready in time for the Lime Rock Park trip. So now I will be driving up in my Cougar which has an incomplete body kit installed. From the back and sides she looks GREAT, but from the front she looks really lame. The front end is higher off the ground than the sides. Hopefully all of this will be straightened out by next week.
Skip G.
I came across it yesterday while on the internet and the Cougar did, how do I say this, HORRIBLY.
Out of all the cars currently in production, the Cougar was the 8th or 9th worse car on the list. The only cars that did worse were KIA's and the Mazda Tribute(Ford product). The industry avg per car was 147 problems per some x# of cars(I'm not sure if it was 100 or 1000 cars...sorry) The Cougar had something like 224.
I expect to see a whole bunch of reading to do when I get back.
Have fun at the Rock ( for those going), and I'll see you later.
Skip G.
Drive Safe
I hope all of you have a safe and GREAT holiday weekend!!! Hopefully the weather will clear up on the east coast just for a little while!!
Well I am here in Korea. I drove my kitty for the last time on 20 May. I will now have to wait until I come home on leave.around December (maybe later) before I can drive my kitty again.
Also, I drove to Arizona for school for 2 months, then I drove to California. My wife flew into California and she, I and my mom drove a U-Haul from California to NC. While driving my car in Arizona my wife backed into a pole and now there is a nasty mark on my back bumper.
I am upset that the mark is on my car, but I couldn't get upset with her. I will just fix it when I get back home for good in May 2002. Why should I care about a nasty scrape on a bumper when I won't be driving the car for a year.
has anyone else had problems with the tires on their cougars? I have at least three other people here in Ohio, that has had the same problem, and goodrich is not doing anything about it, they are saying that they do not warranty road hazard, just manufacturers defects... if anyone has had this happen to them and can tell me where I can get some help and answers I'd like to know, because I have only owned the car a year, and already I'm sorry to say but I regret it. thank you
Thanks, Krnch.
P.S. I hope everyone had a great time at Limerock. I wish I could have joined you.
Everyone else: How was the Lime Rock meeting? My computer started to act up this past weekend so I was unable to check Edmunds and see if you have any stories.
How do I request my Cougar be built sometime between Tuesday and Thursday?
Thanks!
David Bloyd
Anxiously awaiting my C2 Cougar
I assume you guys have the same problem with bugs that I do... I guess the front of your cougar is also a bloodbath for the poor arachnoids or other form of bug... What do you guys do to remove the bug spatters? The coarse side of the Viking sponge just doesn't work like the packaging said. I have been using my finger nail, not exactly a great tool. Any thoughts?
On a side note, Paxton mentioned that they are looking for a buyer for the Paxton Project Cougar. It is the yellow Cougar that was in the C & D article. If anyone is interested, you should contact them quick. I was thinking about it, but I'm done with Ford products. I next car will be the new Nissan Z.
It's really hard to not drive the cat when you look so good!
I spent all day Sunday washing, polishing, waxing and detailing my car, she looks soooo goood! The only problem I had was a little run in with the dirt devil..a little advice for those with long hair, pull it up before you vacume your car! My hair is to the middle of my back and while vacuming my cougar I accidentally caught my hair. The little brush just sucked it right up and twisted it up to my scalp. Luckily I had my hand by the off switch, I screamed and switched it off, Mike came running over and after he realized I was okay asked if he could go get the camera! Of course I yelled no and he helped me get the thing off my head. I lost a huge handful of hair but learned a valuable lesson. Always pull my hair up before I use the dirt devil! Life is such an adventure! The lengths we go to for our Cougars! This was by far one of the dumbest things I've ever done, I admit to the dumb blonde thing this time.
My hair is shorter now and I don't have a sun roof but I know what you mean about the blonde thing (strawberry blond in my case but same dif).
S. Krnch, I've read on the NECO board about members having similar problems to the one you mentioned and they say that it tends to be the "secondaries" giving them trouble. You might want to ask over there or see what people say here.
Daexpert: I vote for the cougar..if for no other reason than loyalty and wishful thinking. Just remember if he hands you the tailend of the Olds, your cougars tailend looks much nicer!
Just thought I would drop in and let everyone know that Lime Rock was a BLAST!! Unfortunately the weather wasn't so great, but we had a good time anyway. For those of you that attended, try and get me your pictures and video ASAP. I am working on a new photo album section for the web site and I would like to include those photos when the new section is posted. For those of you that didn't make it out to Lime Rock, you were missed.
I wonder how much Paxton wants for their project Cougar? I might just have to give them a call.
It might be neck-and-neck ... until you turn the corner without braking. Let him try THAT with an Oldmobile. (I left out the "S" for our dearly departed, never arrived, performance counterpart ...)
Happy Cougaring!
Even if you lose, you look a heck of a lot cooler driving a Cougar. His car maybe faster, but its ugly as sin.
IMHO, its not all about speed. It's about style, its about originality, and its about making a bold personal statement about you.
To me, a car is the extension of my ego.
I have two questions...first will the Borla exhaust make any difference in gas mileage? I'm pleased with what I get, but at over $2.00 a gallon any improvement would be welcome. Second: kind of a dumb question but do you know what action to take when you have a blow out in a front wheel drive car? I have never owned one before the Cougar and my husband says it's got to be different than a rear wheel drive. I only ask because I unavoidably drove through a bunch of junk on the freeway the other day and got to thinking about it. Thanks.
Malibu, I have the Pacesetter, not the Borla exhaust, and I have not noticed any improvement in milage. Actually, I probably waste more gas now because the exhaust sounds so nice in the car that it just makes you wanna rev the Cougar as much as I possible, but thats my opinion on this matter.
Smc7, I think you got a pretty good deal, great warranty (if you plan to keep the car for that amount of time) and free maintenance for 2 years? Not bad at all if you ask me. I sometimes even ride around with my traction control on "off," so I don't think it's a really big deal. But I do find it useful when it's raining and I want to take-off kind of fast at the line, it definitely gives me more traction and helps me so that my front wheels won't spin as much. Not sure what the other guys think about it.
Wow, I'm on a roll these past two days with my postings. Have a good (but rainy) weekend.
I stopped on a sideroad in Atlanta this afternoon when I saw what looked like a neat little gathering of classic station wagons/coupes -- a 60s era Plymouth, Chrysler, and Mercury. I'd always seen a Ford Contour SVT in the guy's driveway, so I figured he might be an enthusiast. He and his buddies are definitely enthusiasts, and one of them told me a familiar story.
He's from Indiana, and the dealership he's been working with has been passing off some $21K Cougar special edition (like one of those CNs or ZNs) as an "S" with supercharger or something. Some high output V-6.
Why are FMC dealerships still lying to the public like this? They are lying, right? Providing misinformation. However PC you want to be about it, it's still lying to the consumer.
FMC may think it's aiming to blow the competition out of the water with its future products, but it may end up turning the gun on itself with SNAFUs like the Cougar "S" and Firestone tires.
In both cases, the car tracked straight ahead with little pull to the side. The standard advice about holding the car in line, and gradually rolling to a stop on the shoulder is still the best method of survival.
Actually, the Cougar held it's direction better than any other front blowout that I've been involved in. My first one was in my dad's '54' Ford, an it spun me completely around when the wheel pulled (no power steering in those days).
Skip G.
But, I did get a wrinkled left rear fender for my troubles. The kitty isn't a virgin anymore!! :-( We were parked in a gas station, getting some directions. The door opens and a guy asks, "Anyone in here own a gold Cougar w/Illinois plates?" Turns out that he'd parked his pickup in front of the station door and went in. Seems that the parking brake didn't hold (or he didn't set it) and the truck gently rolled downslope untill stopped by my left rear corner (back edge of the wheelwell).
The damage wasn't enough to hurt the trip (after we pulled the edge out to clear the tire when turning), and the guy is actually honest enough to be sending me a check for the full estimated amount for repairs. I think that in Chicago, there'd have been a 50% chance that the guy would have just left.
Other than that, good to be back in touch, and glad that the Lime Rock gang had a good time
Did Leo do well, or was he a DNF?
Skip G
Anyway, the race was won by a BMW 3-series followed by an Acura Integra.
This board is dedicated to "New Edge" Cougars model years '99 and newer. You are more than welcome to visit, but we (I) will probably not be able to assist with your questions since most of us are only familiar with new Cougars. Sorry!!!!
As with any older ('91) car, you really can't expect not to have problems with it. With ANY older car, you will always have problems. Good luck!!
The Borla does SLIGHTLY improve mileage, but not enough to warrant the $600.00 investment. I purchased it for performance reasons.
SMC7:
CONGRATS!!! & welcome to the owners club!!
Good luck and please check in with us from time to time and let us know how you and your new kitty are doing.
If you have any questions about your Cat, you know where to come!!
Burnsmr4:
If you don't mind, could you please forward me the name and address of the dealership who is giving out false information. I think my contacts at FMC might want to have a chat with them....... Thanks!
SkipG:
Sorry to hear about your accident. Like you said, at least an honest person hit you. There is nothing worse than walking out to you car and finding damage and no one in site to take responsibility for it.
As far as Leo is concerned, as Dasiant1 pointed out, he finished mid pack, but the car has been noticeable improved upon since last season. Putting aside that I am a COUGAR NUT!! I seriously think Leo has a good chance in future races. After his tire swap, he got right back in the race and managed to pass two of the three Real Time Acura Intergra-Rs and he trailed right behind (literally) the third one for the remainder of the race.
Unfortunately, I stopped by the side of the road to visit these guys while they were getting together to swap car stories. I wasn't exactly invited to begin with. A bad habit of mine ;-)
All the guy said was that a dealership in Indianapolis, IN was telling him about a special model (reference made to the "S") which had a higher output V-6 engine. The fellow noted that the model in question had a hood scoop and different spoiler, which led me to believe that it was either a ZN or CN special edition.
Sorry I didn't get more information. My uninvited visit ended abruptly with a kickass thunderstorm with hail, lightning, dogs, cats, etc. They were too busy getting their collector cars covered to talk further.
Later,
burnsmr4
No problem. From what you have described, it sounds like they are trying to push the Zn and the C2 as high performance versions. Some salesmen make me sick.