Cougar Support Group - Chats On...

gustafsc

Hey!!!! You're right. Just for kicks, I wound it up at lunch today, and sure enough, it happily went right past 6K. Guess I never felt the need or desire to wind it that tight. I'm used to using the torque of the V6 around 4-5K and shifting from there. No problem getting out of my own way, either.

Skip G.

lmigliore

V6 torque? I never noticed any torque. My motorcyle had more torque (but it was a 750 Ducati). I run past 6000 twice a day in three gears getting onto Highway 237. This is California and you better be rolling if you wish to merge without incident.

Now a Mopar 383 has torque. I never could figure out why those things had gearboxes.

gustafsc

Well, compared to my old Sentra SE-R, the Cougar does have low end torque, and yeah, our old 57 Dodge could pull stumps in low. The ATX (pushbutton) in that car was fun though. You could shift it just like a stick, especially when downshifting. Hitting the second gear button @50 mph would get a long strip as the engine seemed to lock up the rear wheels untill you dropped to 35.

FUN!!!!

Skip G.

mouse409

Nice to hear from you! Finally hit 20K on our Cat. Which is now up for the winter. We now have a sort-of-suc, One of those Subby Outback's Sal says its a station wagon but I know different. Anyway its been a good car and Great in the winter. Nice to hear from you!!!

=^..^=

bigdogsdobite_

I just got it a week ago amost and was wondering if anyone knows were to go to get aftermarket parts... I have a 4 cyl.. and was wondering does anyone know how much HP it has...

lmigliore

The claimed horsepower of the 2.0 liter 4 in the '99 Cougar is 125 at 5500 RPM. Torque is 130 lb/ft at 4000 RPM.

I don't know where you get aftermarket parts but this engine has been in a variety of Ford products so something should be around.

lmigliore

Vox clamantis in deserto.

gustafsc

Can't really read Latin, just guessing. Yeah, it's really been quiet here for quite a while. Even the NECO digest only pops up with a few messages every once in a while.

Just spent $800+ for a fuel pump and serpentine belt. The silly thing is, the pump fuse blew about 8mo ago in front of the house. Had it towed, analyzed and fixed. Week ago last Friday, was going to the gym and the car was dead. Looked for the fuse, replaced it, drove away fine. Last Wednesday, same symptom. Checked fuse. Fuse was OK. Towed to dealer, turned out the fuel pump was dead. Had them do a complete inspection (Free Cupon) and they found the serpentine belt cracked. So, had them add that to the pile. Without a doubt, this is the most expensive car to own and operate that I've ever had. While I love the car, the quality is pissing me off. Hopefully, that will be the last of the problems and I'll have a couple more good years out of it.

Skip G.

lmigliore

Clamantis means crying out; you are perhaps referencing Clamato, which is some unappealing beverage I see in the store that appears to be constructed from clams and their residue.

As Moe Berg said, "if they understand Latin, we just switch to Sanscrit".

Yes, I know what you mean about Cougar quality. Pieces keep falling off the thing. The 5th gear synchronizers are gone, the engine light is glowing and the battery light comes on over 6000 RPM. And I've only got 40,000 miles on it.

ksuwildcat001

What year are your Cougars? Do you own 99s?

I've got 36,xxx miles and haven't had a single thing go wrong as of yet.

lmigliore

Apart from the items I mentioned in my previous post, the clutch interlock has failed twice, meaning I had to have someone push the car to start it. An oxygen sensor failed. The original equipment BF Goodrich tires wear poorly and squeal; I went through 3 sets and now have Michelin Pilots.

gustafsc

My other guess would have been a 6 legged clam. Something like a Prayingmantis.

I haven't had any parts actually fall off, but, there's been a lot replaced. As follows: Front rotors, tie rod end, front bearings and spindles, rear rotors, fuel pump, and serpentine belt. Replaced tires @45Kmi. Tire wear hasn't been a problem for me as I keep the pressure @36psi. Anything below that and they feel like they're rolling under at hard cornering. Ride isn't a smooth, but it feels sure footed.

KSU: Mine is a '99, delivered 12/98 (ordered 7/98)

Skip G.

lmigliore

Yes, that's a nice concept. A 6 legged clam. With big claws. I haven't seen anything like that since the 60's. I used to see them all the time then but I'm much better now.

gustafsc

I've heard that if you can remember the 60's, you weren't there ;-) Better living through chemistry!

Skip G.

setzer

I would love a 1969 Mercury Cougar, dark green with a black vinyl top. Nice black leather seats. I'm drooling thinking about it...

Anyway, I heard rumors about a new Cougar coming out in a few years. What would you guys like in the new Cougar *if* it is coming? I would like something like the current Thunderbird, but with different styling. Also, I would like it being a more sporty car than a rich old person's car.

lmigliore

Well, Ford has custody of one of the really great car names.

Cougar. Fast, ferocious, handsome.

They've taken fairly poor care of it up 'til now. The first Cougars were reasonably attractive stretched Mustangs; the XR7 was quite a nice package. Then they attached the name to rebadged T-Birds, to sedans and to station wagons. Bad mojo.

The latest attempt was to put the name on a Mondeo coupe, one of which I own. This actually made some sense but they never executed. The New Edge Cougar was a very good looking car that didn't quite justify its sporty appearance and wasn't supported enough by the company.

Well, what's next? I never liked rebadging T-Birds. The Thunderbird is a lovely car in its own right and shouldn't have a shadow. The new Cougar should be comfortable, fast and smooth. Big V8 motor standard, stick shift available. Standout, edgy styling. Luxury inside but still a driver's car. The LX/T-Bird/Jag chassis should work well enough.

But who would buy it? It's not a BMW.

gustafsc

Well, for the immediate future, a hatchback coupe based on the Mazda 6 would work just fine for me. It's got the 200hp engine that the Cougar should have had from the start with a few refinements. Good sport chassis, same production plant, etc.. As long as they improve the quality, I'd buy one. Skip G.

rutger3

private sale, 97 xr7,60k,good cond,4.6eng,alloys,abs,spoiler,pwr seat/antenna. any idea on price?

lmigliore

Finally went to the dealer to see about my battery light issue. As predicted by gustafsc, my alternator was bad. The battery and the terrifying serpentine belt were none too good themselves. $678.34 gets my car back.

gustafsc

Imigliore:

You know, I actually had to go back and review the old messages to find what I said last January. I couldn't remember the exchange to save my life. Anyhow, hope things stay good for a while for you. I'll be taking a little road trip next week across the top of Il. Gonna take a couple of days to tour Galena, a small, historic town with lots of tourist trap shops to waste cash in. But, pretty scenery also abounds so should have some good photo ops.

Skip G.

rogertc1

I won 2nd place with my 1979 Mercury Couar XR7 at a car show. 1971-1979 stock/rebuilt. Got a trophy too. I was beat out by a 79 Silver Edition Corvette. Interesting how many great comments I got on her.

stageleft

Hey everyone (again)! Thanks for remembering, even though I'm not as good a poster as I used to be. Just wanted to catch up, and you all are right: for the most part there were only 27 new messages in here waiting for me to catch up on after 4 months! I guess it's true what they say, good things do come to an end. Still lovin' the Cat, still drives great. Two interior pieces are falling out, the duct on the dash that routes defrost to the windshield and the e-brake boot fell out of the center console. Go figure!

Other than that, it's still a marvel of mechanical engineering. I've only just recently had problems with my second gear not engaging fully on hard (note: HARD) downshifts causing that embarassing grinding noise that should only be heard by those that work in canned-goods stores.

At this point, I'm at 53,380 and climbing very slowly. It does really well during the 30mph commute to work everyday.

How are the gas prices for everyone? I've heard on the news that the national average has risen to over $2 per gallon, and saw it at the pump on Monday this week when I paid $2.15! Not bad, not complaining, but it is shocking to pay almost 30 bucks to fill'er up.

Badulah's good, going through the throes of life at the moment. I still speak with him occassionally and he's in good health. I wish I could say the same for his Cat though. He's had some (what I would call) major problems lately.

It is running, for now, and the stereo works, so I guess he's really good to go. No worries, I'll try to get him to pop his head in here next time I speak with him to give you all an update.

It is nice to know that even though others have gotten through their Cougar-ownership experiences, that they still check in once in a while on us "die-hards".

------------begin rant---------------

Oh yeah, commentary on what may be the next generation of Cougars -- Here goes:

I think that because they retooled the AutoAlliance factory in Flat Rock to handle the '05 Mustangs, we may have a good shot at getting a new-Mustang-based Cougar again in the world by 2007-08 model years. I've heard rumors and processed this myself, so I'm not sure how accurate it is and definately don't want to get anyone's hopes up, but it could be a possibility. Could you imagine? With the new retro style that the Mustang is going through - back to it's 67-68 roots could mean that we could get a retro 67-68 Cat when they roll Mustang assembly back to Dearborn (I can't imagine Ford will let their pony stray from home for too long).

Anyway, I had my thoughts about the SVT Cougar as well, but they killed the project instead, so I could be wrong about this too. I do agree, however, it would be a travesty to rebadge/retool the current T-Bird into a Cougar unless they really just don't like us. They made this mistake in the early 70's and I would have to cut the "I (heart) Ford" tatoo right off my ... well you know what I'm sayin' ;^)

------------end rant-----------------

Great to see everyone again, I'll try to make it to post again within 3 months this time :^)

Take care everyone, and Happy Cougaring!

Stageleft

gustafsc

Good to hear from you again. Our mileage total is about the same, but I've not had any problems with parts falling off (knock on wood). Just little pieces left over from the major bodywork that needed doing over the years. I've never had a car that's been hit so much or as hard (except for my Dodge Challenger that was totalled in it's only encounter). I know what you mean about the notchy second gear downshift. Been there since day 1. Squawked about it, but was told, "It's normal". It's gotten a little better over the years, and at my last overall inspection/adjustment visit, I think that the mechanic might have tweaked the shifter cables as it seems to be a little better. I still have to give it a solid pull into gear though. I was spoiled by the shifter on my old Sentra SE-R. It was beautiful!!!! But, rust and lust led me to my Cougar after 9 years of zooming around in my little red rocket.

As for future Cougers, I still think that an evolution of our body style on the Mazda 6 chassis would be great. T-Bird adaptation would be a waste of time as Ford can't even sell the ones they have. Had to put a temporary hold on production (1yr). Also, the bird is a squishmobile, not a stiffer touring machine. The Mazda has the engine we should have had, and a better chassis to boot. I, personally, would have no use for a V-8 muscle car like the Mustang or GTO. While they are fun to drive, practicality, insurance costs, and fuel costs weigh against against them.

Say "Hi" to the Badman for me when you talk to him.

Skip G.

muck

I have a 2000 Cougar V6 and sometimes when i shift gears, the RPM's will stay high at 3K and will not go down. I've got 54k miles on it and had not had this problem in the past. This is happening with increasing frequency and is very annoying. My car is not fun to drive anymore. Dealer says this is due to driving conditions and nothing is wrong. Anyone had similar problems.

lmigliore

Well if it didn't do it before, then something's wrong now. I would guess it's a leak in the EGR plumbing.

I have a '99 and it always hangs at high RPM; unfortunately, that is normal for that year's engine.

gustafsc

This is a known problem, and has a relatively easy fix. Check the NECO website at www.newcougar.org for the details. The problem was originally on the Contour and they developed the correction. Skip G.

stageleft

Hey again everyone, thanks for warm re-welcome Skip. So, as said before, check the RPM-hang fix on NECO, but if that doesn't sound like it, then check with another dealer to see if you can get them to scan for any computer codes. This could also mean there's something wrong with the computer, Throttle-body, AGR, or MAF-sensor. Crazy, but true.

Strange thing, the other day, making a right turn and the check oil light came on. Strange. I've got to get an oil change early (prior to the 5k cycle I'm on), I suppose.

Have fun everyone, and Happy Cougaring!

diddy3367

I recently inherited a 1979 Cougar, in mint condition with 5000 miles on it. Does anyone have any idea how much it is worth or where I could fin out?

angmo

I haven't been over to this group in quite awhile. (That's good news...the car is working well!) I bought my Cougar new in fall of 2001 (a 2002 model). I got in my car to go to work this morning and noticed that my CD changer was acting funny. I was listening to a CD last night before I turned the car off and this morning, I hear sounds like it's changing to a different CD but can't quite do it. I push eject or another CD #, but it says "No CD" (There are 6 CD's in it now). If I push Load, it says "initializing" The whole time it is making the sounds like it is changing CD's....constantly...

Has it happened to you before? Any tricks to get it to work or get the CD's out? Thanks!

gustafsc

I'm afraid that I won't be able to help very much, but here goes.

1. '79 Cougar. With only 5K miles in 25 years, I wouls be very cautious about driving untill it's been checked out by a VERY good mechanic. You've got the chance of dried out seals, belts, tires, dry bearings, evaporated fluids, etc... Unless it was on blocks, the tires may be flatted, or may just be rotten due to age. As to value, there several Cougar collectors groups/clubs that are into the older Cougar. Google search and see what you find. This group is primarily focudes on the "New Edge Cougar", '99-'03.

2. CD problem. I really can't offer much in the line of help here. All I know is that taking it to the dealer for repair will cost a bunch. The dealer will charge for pullng the defective unit, and then turn it over to an outside electronics shop for possible repair. My single disc player got goofy and stopped working (something in the loading transport system). It was cheaper and better to have a Kenwood unit installed. Good luck!!

Skip G.

lmonroe

Hi! Sorry this may advice may be too late, but my car had this exact same problem!!! It is a pain and does make the car no longer fun to drive! After 3 trips to the dealership, the problem was found to be the THROTTLE CONTROL SENSOR. Once this was replaced, the sticking of the rpms stopped. It is a interrmitent problem that is impossible to find unless a computer is hooked up to the car when the event happens. Hope this helps and good luck!! Lisa.

mouse409

To anybody who is listening, from an old member.

Have a good one! Lake Placid was great, Lime Rock was great. Where is every body? My Cougar is in the garage now (for the Winter) It is a 99 and still does not have 30,000 mi on it. No trouble as of yet. Hello to Lefty, Alana and all the other people! I am sorry that I forget your names (I'm gettin Alzimers) am the old man of the group. Anyhow Sal and I miss you people.

 

=^..^=

lmigliore

Hey! Someone's still here. Thanks, mouse and the greets are returned. I guess you're getting snow, sleet and freezing rain today (January 6th). I still have my tire-eating '99. Got a few more miles on it than yours (45,000) but then I don't put it on blocks for the California winter. My main annoyance these days is that the 4-5 synchro is gone so it grinds going into top gear. Ain't gonna replace the transmission for that.

gustafsc

Hi to all!!! Mouse, are you sure that you're the oldest one around here? I'm 62, and thought that I was the senior citizen of the bunch. As for my cat, it's just crossed 60Kmi in 6 years of driving. Recently had the alternator die (split housing, would you believe), and last week during a nice snowstorm, the check engine light came on. I don't feel any symptoms, all fluids check good, battery OK, and the belt is obviously in place as I can steer, brake, and have normal temperature. Havn't had time to disconnect the battery for a while to see if it's just a glitch, but hoping for the best. Skip G.

gustafsc

As one of my co-workers who had a Lincoln said, it's probably a reminder for 60Kmi service interval. Said the light would probably go out after a while. Well, it did, although having it come on during a baad snowfall did not do anything good for my mental state. Clint

harbachj

Nice to see a little activity on this site again. My 99 has almost 69,000 miles on it and has been basically trouble free. Only non maintenance item has been a front wheel bearing. Got over 30 mpg on a trip to Vermont last weekend. I will probably keep it another year or so. Skip, since there is a separate maintenance warning light, the check engine light was something else. Since it reset and the car is running OK, I wouldn't worry.

 

Jim

gustafsc

Interesting that you had a wheel bearing go out too. Both of mine went out at approximately 40Kmi. While it was obviously after the warranty, I squawked about the LIFETIME SEALED BEARINGS going out, so they cut me a deal and did the $600+ job for $200. The main reasong for the high cost was the fact that the bearings also damaged the spindles, so, the whole works had to be replaced. As to worrying, it was mainly the timing of the light that bothered me.

On my way to work during a snowstorm with really heavy, crawling traffic. All I would have needed was to crap out just then :-( Happy new year to all, Clint

gustafsc

Interesting that you had a wheel bearing go out too. Both of mine went out at approximately 40Kmi. While it was obviously after the warranty, I squawked about the LIFETIME SEALED BEARINGS going out, so they cut me a deal and did the $600+ job for $200. The main reasong for the high cost was the fact that the bearings also damaged the spindles, so, the whole works had to be replaced. As to worrying, it was mainly the timing of the light that bothered me.

On my way to work during a snowstorm with really heavy, crawling traffic. All I would have needed was to crap out just then :-( Happy new year to all, Clint

mouse409

I guess you got me Skip, I'm only 58. But I'm still gettin Alzimers. Sally sometimes has to remind me to shift into 5th. Sure is nice to see some activity here anyway. As far as being on block's, it's not so much for the snow as it is for the salt and the ignorance that the local driver's seem to pick up in the winter time.

gustafsc

It was funny to me when the Cougar came out to read the targeted youth market, and then thinking of how I was messing up thier demographics. Personally, I think it all depends on how you feel about yourself. Barring physical limitations (and you can keep those to a minimum with physical activity), you're only as old as you think. As far as worrying about winter dummies, I've taken all three of my hits on clear, sunny Summer days. None of them were my fault, either. So, I guess that there are fools all year round. Just be as careful and alert as possible, and hope for the best. See you later, Skip

mouse409

It's funny that you mention you thoughts on that. We have people come to our house and want to know where are kid's are. We have no children, just us kid's that live here, Sally and I. Both of us would rather shift than have a machine do it for us. We just unloaded a 911 Porsche for our fun car, the Cougar replaced it. It is really the salt that is the reason that we put the kitty up. We drive a 2001 Subaru in the winter up here. Sally love's it! Anym how nice to hear from the group.

=^..^=

gustafsc

Regrettably, my Cougar is my only car. So, has to put up with the annual salt treatment here in Chicagoland. But, so far, the galvanized/treated bodywork is holding up well, with no trace of rust or rot. Even the paint looks good. That's a big difference from the old days where a 3yr old car would start to show rust, and be rotten by 5. First car I had with the new metal treatment was my Sentra SE-R. Went 6 years with only a little show ahead of the rear wheelwell, and you had to have it on a hoist to see it. Well, soldier on, Spring is coming!!! Skip G.

harbachj

Skip and Mouse:

 

I'm 58, so it likes we all skewed the Cougar demographics upwards! Since getting out of college in the 1968 I've owned a string of "young persons" cars with 2 doors and manual transmissions. Just replaced my wife's 94 Probe GT with a Mazda 6 hatchback. A really nice car with TONS of room. It's probably the closest car currently available to the Cougar, though I guess the Acura RSX and Scion tC also are in the ballpark. I have no idea what I will replace my Cougar with. Since the Mazda can serve as our people and stuff hauler, I may go for something less practical. It'll just have deal with Northeastern winters, so rear wheel drive is out. That eliminates the new Corvette and Mustang.

 

Jim

gustafsc

Actually, it seems as though all of the kids have wandered off, leaving us old farts to hold down the fort. Good luck with your Mazda. It's one of the cars I've considered for the future, but they havn't come up with the coupe version that was rumored when the 6 was introduced. The Scion has the performance and price that attracts me, but I'm not too sure about the styling. I'm fond of the lower look with longer hood of the Cougar. The Scion looks high and stubby to me, not sleek. Another consideration is the Tiburon (spell?). Very comparable to the Cougar in size, power, and performance along with the big warranty. Price is about right too. Personally, I have no problem with rear wheel drive under any conditions. The nasty understeer of FWD bothers me much more. I would love to have throttle steering capability again, so, I've also thought about the Mustang V6. I would have to go look at one to see how much trunk room there is with the solid rear axle taking up floor space. That was one of the things that eliminated the Camaro from any consideration. All there was was two pits ahead of, and behind the big axle box. Useless, even though there's only my wife and I to carry around. The Cougar carries our luggage for trips with no problem, and has space to spare for anything that we might collect along the way. It'll be a year or two before I'm serious about looking, so we'll see what comes along by then.

 

Skip G.

crews

? CAN ANY OF YOU TELL ME IF A VTECH CONTROLLER CAN CAUSE A CARS COMPUTER TO MALFUNTION.?

advocatus

Hello forums... nice to see some of you are still around, and nursing your poor kitties... I have to admit I'm a bad forum member, seeing how I'm only around when I have problems (not that many so far)...

So while trying some heavy accelerating recently the engine seem to be bogged down... like choking on crude in the cylinders... so I think okay not so good... should get that cleaned out.

Yesterday driving to work on a slight uphill it starts to stall so I just coast into the train station. After work it didn't start. So I'm thinking fuel pump, maybe clogged fuel filter? What do you think? I've been going to the scary cheap gas station... the one who is run by foreigners in a little tiny box with a name like East Coast Gas... and they are always 3-4 cents cheaper then the exxon up the street. BTW I mean no offense by using the word foreigners...

Anyways kitty is in the garage now. Has anyone else had problems liek this? I did a search and I see a couple people replaced fuel pumps with one guy saying it cost $800?!? now I'm scared.

Thanks for reading this

ksuwildcat001

They tend to be an issue. Mercury has a recall on the fuel pump though, so you should be able to get that replaced for free. They redesigned the pump and it is supposed to be better now.

advocatus

You are absolutely right. The guy from the service department said the same thing.... (sigh of relief) because I had really hoped to apply my tax return on my debt rather then on a fuel pump. Thanks Ksuwildcat001

ksuwildcat001

Good deal, Advoatus!

That should have you kitty good as new.

gustafsc

Yup, the symptoms sounded just like a problem I had two years ago. The main difference was that I blew the fuse, replaced it, ran for three more weeks, and then the pump finally failed completely. Been working fine ever since. Skip G