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Cougar Support Group - A New Start
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Instead of holding tailgate parties at the stadium, why not try Mazzo Beach. Probably rattle a few cages,, no?
Daexpert:
How's the shifting going? Hope you havn't ground the gears down to a frazzle by now!!
ferrywhistle:
On mine, the shifter was really stiff getting into 2nd. Now, with 10Kmi on the clock, it's a lot easier, and getting better all the time. It is a little odd to have a prolonged break-in like this on a gearbox though.
Skip G
After a REALLY CLOSE inspection there are only 2 problems, the passenger door now doesn't open correctly (i have to fumble a bit with it) and there is a tiny little (only perceptible if you are looking for it) in the paint of the drivers door.
I've driven it and it sounds perfect, drives perfect and feels perfect.
Not too bad considering how bad it looked.
Thanks to everybody for their support...now I'm happy again
I'm glad you and your Kitty are back in action. I'm also glad to hear they did a good job putting her back together. Are you going to have them fix the door jamming and paint problem?
Rob + typing = crap
gustafsc, I'm actually doing pretty darn well now! I've been practicing in traffic, up hill, downshifting, and I'm not doing bad at all. The bad thing is that the dealer is putting aftermarket leather on my kitty so they have had the car this past two days!!! But I'll get it back tomorrow morning. I know it's going to be a rough ride at first since I haven't driven stick in two days and I'm still a beginner, but I'll be okay.
Do you guys think that 500 miles is enough of a break in period for the kitty? I've been pretty gentle and don't usually go above 3 or 3.5 RPM but now that I'm getting better at stick I want to at least rev it a little more and feel some more power, what do you guys think? Thank you, take care.
Welcome back!!! Glad to hear you're reunited with your beloved Cat again. Happy and safe Cougaring.
Daexpert:
I got about 700 miles on my Cat, and it's still a little tight, especially going to 2nd gear and sometimes even in reverse.
To all:
Does anyone know how the passive rear wheel steering works on our Cat? Does it turn the opposite direction from the front wheels to assist during parking?? Does it turn parallel with the front wheels to assist in lane changing on the highway???
def: Understeer: When you hit the wall with the front of the car.
Def: Oversteer: When you hit the wall with the back end.
daexpert: I think you can run it up to 4.5 or so without hurting it (might even be beneficial), but don't hold it there just to listen to the scream. Caution: If you get on it in 1st, the 4.5 happens in a hurry, and if the box is really stiff, firmly pull the shifter into the 2nd slot. It gets really embarrasing when it hangs up in the gate, you release the clutch, and all you get is a big GRAUNCH!!!!
Skip G.
I believe, it is my perception that I have felt it on occasion,
when the weight shifts to the rear outside tire you can feel the back end
come around(and no I wasn't sliding this time )
Did everyone get a replacement lugnut wrench or do you have to ask for it?
I asked for one, I figured my call to Ford Roadside assistance,(when I got my flat)
would have prompted a quicker response, I had to get our friend MWS here
to send me one.
Out of all the tires I have ever owned, these are by far the worst.
Saw a commercial last night and thought of you. Too bad it wasn't a Cougar commercial.
It shows a guy out in a driveway furiously but meticulously washing & detailing a Passat, using a toothbrush to clean the logo, etc. Then another fellow comes out of the house in his bathrobe to get the newspaper, looks dumbfoundedly over at the guy cleaning the Passat and says "What are you doing?"
It's you, badman....you all the way
8-)
I just can't help myself.
I can just relate to that commercial.
Sheesh, I though you knew me better than that.
I've never NOT been able to fill up a car with $20 before. Yuck.
Thanks for the info. I'll keep an eye on it. Like I said, I only have 500 miles on it, so I'm sure things will loosen up a bit.
coolchick:
I know how you feel. I had a Metro before this with a ten gallon tank that got around 35-40 mpg. Even with gas prices lately, I'd fill up an empty tank for about $13 every two weeks. You can imagine my reaction when I filled up my cat and plopped down $20 and some change after six days. It wasn't pleasant. But soooooo worth it.
Pluses:
Low Budget
No Need to pay Professional Drivers
We Work for Food got a bag of chips?
Lots of Potential Starring cars
All should be in Shiny condition, no need to pay high priced detailers to clean em.
Showing all the cars, and owners shows strong dedication and devotion of FMC to its customers.
And finally we all dress really nice, Right Guys and Gals??
Minuses:
Umm, there are none.
With that being said, I'm the Pennsylvania Caravan Leader for Cougarfest2000,
I think we'll be picking up some of New Jersey too.
Rough Itinerary found at http://thor.prohosting.com/~nfredly/cougarfest.html
Cougarfest Info Found at http://www.cougarfest2000.com
I'll do the commercial for the Mercury Cougar logo chair and a copy of the music track on the Mercury Cougar college rebate website.
It will be like the Saturn commercial showing all the Saturn owners at the Saturn manufacture plant. Except that Cougar owners are much COOOLER. No offense to past, present, and future Saturn owners.
HALO_1
Cougarfest 2000, Drive Home or BUST!!!
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday...dear Kitty.
Happy birthday to you!!!
Hey, all, my Cat's one month old. Man, I love this car. She makes me c-o-m-p-l-e-t-e (hope my wife don't read this post).
I was a little rusty driving stick for the first few minutes but then it'll came back. I'm not a pro yet, but certainly a lot better than when I started, and a little more confident too. The leather in the car looks great, and it makes the seating more comfy too, so I'm a happy camper.
I'm really trying to still treat the car nice and not rev it too high yet, but it's getting harder and harder to contain myself. It sounds great with the KKM intake. So far 500 miles, and I'm driving from northern VA to Blacksburg VA tomorrow. That's about 4 hours. I'm gonna go visti my old school , VA Tech, and put some miles on the kitty and enjoy the ride.
Have a nice weekend guys. Can you guys see how much happier I am now? Now I can see why you guys enjoyed your kitties so much!
What a deal that would be!
- We get to be on TV!
- We get to express our love for our Kittys to everyone across the nation!
- We get to drive on the official FMC test track!
- And we get free eats!
Fredly:
I signed up as head of New Jersey for the Cougar Fest caravan, but they never put me on the list. I just emailed them to find out what the deal is. If I am appointed as head of NJ, we should work together and meet at some point and combine our caravans.
Dasaint1:
Tell your Kitty Happy Birthday for me!
Daexpert:
Glad to hear your leather came out nice. What color did you get? And if you don't mind, how much did they charge you?
Happy to hear you're doing well, and that you're loving your new Cat as much as we love ours!
Hey all! Just chillin' today. Its not too bad outside, just a little cold. I thought this "Spring" was supposed to be warmer ... Anyway, it doesn't look like I'll be able to wash & wax the Cat on my day off :^(
I'll get over it. Take care everyone and happy Cougaring!
Minuses: Liability. Ford would be liable for any damage or injuries. That's why commercials use professional drivers who've been fully trained and insured for what they do.
I wouldn't hold my breath for the idea. A non-driving commercial would be a much more likely possibility.
daspaf: Yes, I'd love to see pictures of your car! Please post a url.
I got a pretty good deal with the leather. The dealer charged me "invoice" price for the leather as if I was paying for the leather that comes with the Cougar, not for the aftermarket. So I paid close to $795 for it, didn't pay for installation or anything. But I'm sure they made up for that somehow! = )
I'll have a better idea of full travel time, right now it looks like 9.5 hours(mapquest
is usually longer than it actually takes)
We can co-ordinate, email me at fredlys_domain@usa.net
BTW I'll sign my waiver...
Badulah waxing Coolchick's Cat as Coolchick watches and Stageleft points out spots he missed.
Scene 2:
Amber changing the oil on Dasaint's Cat while Dasaint is enjoying a nice, cold brew.
Scene 3:
Fredly and his caravan stopping at a gas station somewhere in VA asking for directions to Cougar Fest.
Badulah shifting hard in to 4th with a smirk on his face as he passes a boy racer.
Scene 5:
StageLeft at his PC working on the home page.
Scene 6:
All of us in a row driving up some windy country road.
will be in more races.
Rogers the general marketing manager at Lincoln
Mercury monitors this site (or a brand manager with the user ID MWS0520). I have a question for
him. The initial announcement for the upcoming
Cougar S stated that it would have heated seats.
My girlfriend places this feature high on her
priority list for her reasons to purchase this
vehicle. All the news since November lists all the same features as the original announcement except the heated seats. Have they already been
decontented?
Are you aware that the Cougar-S will be a limited production vehicle with only about 3000 units being manufactured in 2001? This is about one per dealership, which means dealers will hold tight to the sticker price, and the "S" will be a bit of a challenge to acquire.
Anything you aren't telling us, hmmmmmm?
Stageleft has off and I have no one to play with on ICQ. Thank God I only have to endure 40 minutes more of this boredom.
1) Everyone owning a 1999+, how has your reliability been?
2) A review I read said the v4 was more sporty than the v6. I'd like the sport package so I was considering the v6 anyhow. Any comments on the difference between the two engines?
3) I am going to add ABS brakes but was curious was the extra $250 traction control option was and if its worth it. (I drive on a hilly mountain highway daily - Hwy 17 Santa Cruz).
4) I like the interior a lot, much more than the new Celica or Tiburon. One thing, does the drink holder break easily? It looks flimsy.
5) I'm going to order the exact car I want as I don't want a spoiler. Should I demand to NOT pay dealer fees such as advertising costs?
Thanks for reading. I'm sure I'll come up with lots more questions soon.
I've had my 2000 Cougar for a month now, and she's had no problems whatsoever. But a better gauge of reliability is Consumer Reports Auto Review. The Cougar was rate "recommended." CR uses safety, reliability, crashworthiness as well as performance which makes CR's reviews more rounded and realistic compared to car publications that concentrate only on performance.
I've only read one review (and I think I've read them all) where the tester preferred the I4 over the V6 because it handled slightly better with less weight on the front wheels. Get the V6--it handles excellently regardless of the extra weight on the front. The engine sounds meaty when you floor it; none of that drama and all that ruckus that I4s make when pushed hard (I never drove the Cougar I4, so I'm not exactly sure if it makes all that ruckus that a typical I4 makes).
ABS is definitely worth it. I didn't get the traction control, but it's probably worth it for only $250. I've been driving for 18 years in the jungles of New York City and never felt I needed traction control. Plus, I wanted to be able to smoke the tires when I'm feeling naughty. There was a BMW commercial extolling the virtues of traction control--the one where the BMW was driving up the ski slope (made possible only because of traction control). I take it there's no ski slopes anywhere in Santa Cruz.
Yes, the drink holder is flimsy. I have no explanation for that. However, I do have a theory on it. My guess is that the great engineer/car designer who had designed the interior except for the cupholder had some emergency come up and left the design of the cupholder to some part-time dope-smoking high school intern.
Definitely get the car exactly the way you want it. Since there are no Cougar commercials (not in over a year), it would be ridiculous for dealers to charge you ad fees. My dealer didn't charge me, and I've heard of noone here in CSG who's been charged ad fees. However, if you're interested in appearing in a Cougar commercial, get in touch with Badulah--he's trying to put one together.
You won't regret getting this car. Man, I love my Cat.
Also, I'd like to point out that you're a great CSG leader/caretaker. Through your tireless effort and hard work (and let's not forget Mr. Stageleft who's probably busy right now on his PC working on the CSG website), you've have taken CSG to new heights. Bravo!!!
However, a power agent you're not. How can you willingly do the Cougar commercial for eats? C'mon, man. We can get a better deal than that. I think we need to rethink that strategy. I want some goodies--chairs, floor mats with Cougar logos, bags, free oil change and tire rotation for 100K miles, etc. That's what I'm talking about.
basically if we can carry it we can have it....
I was really thinking I could use a new front bumper....
BTW I might stop for directions to Flat Rock, but I'll still get there
fast! And from the looks of it, I'll be leading some very hot cougars to
Flat Rock.
I have had my '99 since June of last year. I have about 10,700 miles. I have had an occasional problem (AC and hatch), but nothing to get worried about. Also, I think the '00 models have had the bugs worked out from the '99 models. There are numerous things I love about my Cat: STYLE, handling, overall performance and gas mileage. Before this car I was driving a '97 Jeep Wrangler. That Jeep was aweful when it came to gas mileage. Well, to tell you the truth, that car was just plain AWEFUL(thats a different story). When you test drive the Cougar let us know what you think. As far as the V6 or I4, I would go for the V6. I have never driven the I4, but the V6 is just too sweet not to get. On the open highway, the V6 will perform much better.
Cwaligora - Regarding the heated seats. They have never been on the Cougar nor have their been plans to put them on. Not sure where you obtained your information.
Jade - are you sure you are not a lawyer? You are right, we have liability issues. I'll be at the plant on April 25- 26. Hopefully we will nail down more details then.
Hope everyone had a great weekend.