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Cougar Support Group - A New Start
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Comments
"We just did not have the market demand we had hoped for," Eberwein said." (REUTERS - MAY 25)
Ms. Eberwin is a FORD spokeswoman.
Not good news for the Cougar, maybe the rumors are true that the Cougar will be discontinued. Thank God, I bought mine...
MWS, will this affect the Cougar "S" project? Is this one of the reasons why the Cougar "S" was not introduced in the Spring '00 like originally planned? I'm just curious...
PS:
I got the convenience group and a V-6. I also have that crappy pop-up cupholder.
Badulah:
Yeah, you're right. MTV did change. I used to watch it a lot before, but now MTV more like soap operas and talk shows.
Jayhawk5:
Where are you from? I'm surprised you haven't seen any Cougars. Not that I've seen a lot, but I've run into a few Cougars here in NYC. Interestingly, every time I see a Cougar, I try to look 'em over to see if he/she might be one of us. But they don't even bother to acknowledge a fellow Cougar, so I doubt if they're in CSG.
Maybe, we should have a special wave, so we'll know instantly that we're CSG members. What do you guys think?
I'm looking for some input from all of you cougar owners. I've been shopping for a replacement for my 1998 Mazda Millenia and have found a "new" 1999 Cougar at a local Mercury dealer. (I'm hoping it will cure the ol' mid-life crisis!)
The car has 12,000 miles (but was never titled) is Rio Red with grey leather and has every possible option.
The price is quite attractive!
I plan to drive the car approximately 80-100 miles per day (long commute to work!).
Anyway, what problems have you experienced with your "cats" (other than the crappy cup holders)and what should I expect for fuel economy? (This kitty has a 2.5 V-6 and an auto trans).
Thanks in advance,
Randy
Halo1: I'm not sure where Ms Eberwein got her numbers. We have sold twice the number stated there.
The Cougar S is coming in September. It will be at the CougarFest in September.
Dasaint1: We've been down this road before. Everyone knows I do not comment on future product actions.
How about some pix, especially that CA look...
The Cat is 14,000/9 months young and when I look in the drive, I still can't believe it's MY car.
dasaint: When passing other Cat owners...
I salute
I see a lot of silver and spruce green cougars, some black, some red, and today for the first time one the same blue as mine!!
lefty I got an extension cord for that vacuum that can do all the nooks and crannies, and a new package of Swiffers. Let me know if you want to drop by and get rid of some of the grit.
Yipppeeeee!!!! Just heard the weather report and now I'm all set for a full detailing tomorrow on a gorgeous day after all the foul weather we've been having. Happy Cougaring everyone!
CONGRATS & WELCOME TO THE OWNERS CLUB!!!!
I hope the both of you enjoy your Cats as much as the rest of us enjoy ours. Good luck and stay safe!!
All:
I usually point to other Cat owners and then wave. All one motion with one hand. No one ever waves back, so that usually tells me that they either didn't see me, or their not a CSG member.
MWS0520:
Could you please answer the following questions:
1 - Will there be any design changes for the Cougar any time soon?
2 - Is FMC planning on hyping up the basic V6 engine?
3 - Who do you consider to be your direct competition?
4 - How do you plan to eliminate them?
5 - Will the Cougar be discontinued in 2003 (Yes or no)?
6 - When you get a chance, could you please post copies of all FMC vehicle plans for both current and future models up until the year 2010?
Thanks!
8-)
I need your email address!! It's not listed in your Town Hall profile. Please send it to me or post it.
Thanks!!!!!
A.
I would love to see Mercury reposition the Cougar rather than dump it. I think it's just in the wrong place as far as Mercury is concerned.
Maybe some of you who have buddies working for LM dealerships could ask them to "peek" at the sales manual and check out the competetive analysis. This will tell us who Mercury thinks the Cougar's competition and target market is.
Badulah: e-mail work: lisa@blhk.com
home: malibu1@thegrid.net
I don't check home regularly, now that I have my car I probably won't ever be home!
>8-)
I'm in a really weird mood today.
We have your info posted on our website. Thanks!!
I don't recall anyone having any stuck windows, but I could be wrong. If your Cat is still under warranty, your dealer should be able to fix that for you with no problems.
thanks
All Cali members should make an effort to attend and represent the CSG on the west coast.
I also ordered an Electrochromatic rearview mirror, 2 pair of flat splash guards (w/ the cougar head), the molded vinyl floor mats (also w/ the cougar head), and the car cover (I rent = no garage). All this is gonna run me an extra $500ish, but this being my first brand spankin' new car and all ~grins~ I had to do it up right...
I was told they'll "install" all my accessories before pick-up, given that the accessories show up on time.
But yeah, the days of being cougarless are dwindling
catscratch
Congrats to all the new owners (malibu). Glad to hear you are enjoying her.
I also have been seeing alot of Cougars around here in the past month or two.
Still raining now, so I haven't been out to check, but I'ma skeert to look. It was blowing dead sideways at times and the hailstones were shaped like bullets. Getting dark out too. Guess tomorrow will tell.
South East Heat:
I have noticed that I definitely have less oomph with my kitty during this extreme heat. When we have had cooler days I have really noticed a little more of a boost in power.
Gas Quality/Prices:
Ever since the gas prices went astronomical I have been using 87 octane. Lately, I have had problems with my "bad fuel" light coming on.
I have gone back to 89 octane to see if this continues. If the light comes back on I will probaly throw my stock air filter back on and take it to the dealer.
I am also wondering if a dirty KKM might not be causing this problem.
Bad Sales:
It is sad to see what lack of advertising is doing to the Cougar. It looks like it will go the way of another great car that the Cougar is based on, the Contour.
The Contour was a really great car. Like the Cougar it was adverised when it first came out and then left to fend for itself.
Why Ford never marketed the V6 version of the Contour like the Sports Sedan it was is perplexing. Have you ever noticed that even when you see a Cougar commercial it isn't marketed as a driver's car?
True, it isn't the fastest in it's class, but it still hauls.
Cougar S:
A special edition Cougar S should have more than 200 horsepower. However, as BMW proves with it's amazing inline 6 engines power ratings aren't everything.
If the "S" can outperform the competition with a 200hp engine, fine. If it can't give it at least 225.
~Use a match torn out of a matchbook....use the torn end NOT the head as an applicator. this way you don't overfill the scratch!! Let it dry and cure up......polish it etc. If you're anal like me and have the skills overfillit slightly and then color sand the area carefully to blend the touch-up in with the surrounding paint..... DON"T COLOR SAND IF YOU DON"T KNOW HOW you can do some serious damage if you don't know what you're doing.
That's all for now.
Jimbo_G
P.S. Where's Ambercadabra??
I waxed the car yesterday too, it really brings out the black color paint in the kitty. Looks nice.
Which light did you mean in post #941 when you referred to a "bad fuel" light?
87 octane should work fine, especially at today's prices. Perhaps you were sold some actual "bad" fuel with dirt from the bottom of the service station's tank, or water from the top. Try putting a jug of dry gas in the tank to remove possible water contamination.
Wood grained dashes are aftermarket items installed by the dealer. You can buy and install a kit on your own. They are just glued on and cost about $200 to $300 from several websites. Here are a few links, there are others.
http://www.exoticwooddash.com/lincoln-mercury.htm
http://www.autodash.com/details.lasso?sn=834&pn=CGR99
http://www.wooddashfactory.com/pages/orders/dashdetail.cfm?partno=MRCU9F-1
Thanks for the links. Took a look and have decided if I put money into anything it will be the 6 CD changer instead of the dash. The basic black will do for me
Happy Birthday!!!
Jimbo_G
Hail stinks. I remember being told that it was hailing out, running to the front window and looking out to see hundreds of not-soft rain drops bouncing off the Cat. I stood there for a good 10 minutes, until I was sure the hail had stopped before I could bring myself to turn away. No damage here, though. *whew*
Happy birthday Badulah!!! (It figures that the cougar is a Gemini's car; airy, mercurial and many things to many people: sporty, elegant and solid.)
Have a great 27th.
Meguiered the cougar (thanks again Jimbo) over the weekend. Absolutely drop dead gorgeous! Have to take it in for it's first oil change Tuesday and want the service guy to know this car is cherished and if he does ANYTHING to mistreat her I will hound him.
Also found my first ding on the side behind the driver's door. Some turd-dog-from-hell in a parking lot nailed it while it was in my husband's care. Not TOO bad but boy do I see it. Oh well - the first one is over now.
Question: my husband said the sun roof made a screechy, crunch noise twice when he closed it. It had been out in the sun (95 degrees or so) and he wondered if that would affect it. It was fine over the weekend. Anyone have a similar problem?
patte (at work)
(WHATEVER. It's Monday.)
Glad to hear you got your Cat back!!
Jimbo:
How about a new guide for the CSG site. "Touch up paint, and Color Sanding 101"?
Dgemini:
Bad Fuel Light? What light is this?
Y2Kitty:
My sunroof makes that noise once in a while. It hot weather drys it out and causes it to squeak. I usually have my dealer but some lube on it when it acts up. Next time I go in for service i'll find out what they use and let everyone know.
All:
Thanks for the Birthday wishes. I asked for a Cougar-S and a number of other things, but for some strange reason I don't think anyone is going to get it for me. I need to make some rich friends.
WOW! Take a week's vacation, and hundreds of posts to get caught up on.
Did a trip from Chicago to Door Co. Wi. Luckily, we didn't get rained on although the breeze from L. Mich. was pretty cold for the first two days.
The golden cat ran like a dream, cruise control most of the way. Got 30.7 MPG for the whole trip, including running up and down the curvy backroads and prowling the woods. Not bad!!!
Welcome and congratulations to the new owners! I'm sure that you'll enjoy your new intra-species relationship for many years to come.
I agree with the comments as to the poor marketing job done by Merc/FOMOCO on the Cougar to date. For example, I've seen many commercials for the Mitsubishi, and absolutely NONE for the cat. MWS, are you guys just satisfied with the business you're getting from word of mouth, or is the Cougar just a teaser to get people into L/M stores to see the latest land barges? I believe that a good advertising campaign could have easily doubled sales to date. I know that early on, you had a hell of a time building the car, but those problems should be over by now, and if the Mazda build rates are down, that leaves more plant capacity for Cougars. Just drop the SVO engine module into the Cat as an additional Sport Pack option (hold the plastic crap), and tell people about it!!!! My $0.02 on the subject.
Skip G.
It would be nice if FMC offered a bigger engine in the basic V6 Cat as an option. I'm sure a lot of us in here would have opted for it. I know I would have.
Badulah: HAPPY B-DAY! I took the pictures we talked about, as soon as they are developed I will work on getting them to you.
I'm lucky I have my own parking spot, in the shade
with flower beds on both sides here at work so I don't have to worry about her.
Thanks again to all for the well wishes! Happy Monday.