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Cougar Support Group - Bigger & Better

bonnie_rickbonnie_rick Member Posts: 115
edited March 2014 in Mercury
of Cougar Support Group - A New Start .

Enjoy!

Bonnie Rick
Town Hall Community Manager, Edmunds.com
«13456722

Comments

  • fredlyfredly Member Posts: 201
    Gee you mean that 1000 posts is too many! yippee I'm #1 I hope :P
  • barhenderbarhender Member Posts: 12
    and I'm #2
  • fredlyfredly Member Posts: 201
    #3 Hey, barhender how you been? have you done any mods?
    going to cougar fest??? come on I know you can come, just ask the family nicely ":)
  • mws0520mws0520 Member Posts: 45
    All:

    Yours truly will be on vacation from June 9 - June 19. I will not have access to e-mail (amazing isn't it?) so hold all of your questions for me until after June 19.

    Of course it would be really nice if Badulah kept track of everything for me and provided me with a one page summary upon my return.

    All the best. Happy Cougaring!!!!!
  • malibumalibu Member Posts: 155
    I e-mailed you the pictures that came out, I hope I did it right. The dash kit and side badging didn't come out, it was too light, I will try again. If I need to resend any of the ones you see just let me know. I had to do it in a round about way, don't quite understand the scanner yet.

    I called someone to come out and fix my little scratch on the front spoiler, he specializes in those urethane spoilers and he's mobile so I don't have to take Max anywhere. It's kind of embarrassing having a brand new car worked on already. Oh well, I did appologize to her and I think she accepted.

    I let my husband take her back to the office to do paperwork this evening, I won't be able to sleep until he get's her home safe and sound. I really think he likes her but won't admit it, he wanted me to get a 4-door camry....nice, but I DON'T THINK SO!

    Well let me know about the pictures. Thanks..

    MWS: Where are you vacationing? Somewhere nice and relaxing I hope....enjoy!
  • stageleftstageleft Member Posts: 391
    Malibu, if you haven't already, just let your hubby take it out for a drive around the block. That should convince him you "did the right thing". - pshaw, Camry, yeah, right [rolls his eyes]

    Anyway, I wanted to say hey to everyone, and thanks for the info on the cover Catscratch and Fredly.

    Happy Cougaring!
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    Mws0520:
    Will FMC be paying me for my time? How about a free set of custom after-market floor mats for the Cat? Or one of those cool electronic rear view mirrors, or a cargo net, or how about a blank check from FMC? Or you could send me the project plans for the Cougar-S. Now that would be REALLY cool, and I promise not to post them, really, scouts honor.
    8-)

    Malibu:
    Thanks for the pics!! We will try and get them posted ASAP!! O and by the way, GREAT looking car!! And I like the color.

    8-)
  • y2kittyy2kitty Member Posts: 7
    Took my cougar to the dealer for her first oil change and joined the crowd looking at the row of cougars. They had two yellow which were a real draw. Got a kick out of the fact that - of the huge lot - the only cars people looked at were the cougars.

    Badulah
    Could you do a rain dance for us in the midwest? We're in a serious drought, they're starting to ration water and number one VERBOT is washing your car.
  • catscratchcatscratch Member Posts: 34
    y2kitty
    I'm in central wisconsin and it's been raining off an on for the past 3 days. I'm sick of this damn weather....I'm ready for some sun!

    Stageleft
    Anytime anytime...while I may not be the most knowledgeable, I'm more than willing to share what I do know.
  • catscratchcatscratch Member Posts: 34
    one more thing, some of the members of NECO emailed mws0520 their opinions of the lack of advertising by Ford/Mercury. I guess they didn't appreciate that he didn't address that in his response, so they start bashing him! WTF?
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    Y2KItty:
    [Places his thumbs to the top of his cheeks and his pointer and middle fingers slightly above his ears and brow and attempts to meditate]

    AAAOOOMMMM.......... AAAOOOMMMM............ AAAOOOMMMM

    [Stands up sharply behind his desk in a trance, hands fall from the sides of his head and cross his chest and he begins to spin slowly in a circle behind his desk]

    Yamma Yamma Yamma Yaaaaama, Yamma Yamma Yamma Yaaaaama

    [begins to spin faster and faster, his arms fall from his chest and stick straight out from his sides]

    DA RAIN DA RAIN WEs NEED DA RAIN, DA RAIN DA RAIN WEs NEED DA RAIN!

    [Head falls back and looks up at the ceiling.
    Begins to chant the following faster and faster and over and over as he spins out of control in his office]

    Dirty Cougars Need Da Rain
    To Make Dem Clean a gain
    Dirty Cougars Need Da Rain
    To Make Dem Gleam a gain
    Dirty Cougars Need Da Rain............
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    Catscratch:
    where did you see this bashing going on?
  • y2kittyy2kitty Member Posts: 7
    in the sky - but keep it up Badulah!
  • catscratchcatscratch Member Posts: 34
    on the NECO message board. in a post titled "Cougar's slump Idles Plant"

    that site is getting sickening...there's always some sort of bickering or bashing going on...
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    Catscratch:
    I try never to bash any other site/club/person that supports our beloved Cougar, but I personally stay off the NECO message board. I don't have any tolerance for some of the individuals who post on there (no offence to NECO, their club, or their members). I'm glad our little community is sheltered from individuals who deem it necessary to bash and verbally abuse others.
  • dasaint1dasaint1 Member Posts: 230
    Did somebody say bashing.

    Hmmmm, this sounds like the Cougar/Eclipse/Mustang Topic that was frozen some time ago due to some unruly CSG members that I won't mention. :p

    Anyways, I gotta go and check out this site.

    PS:
    Should we join the bashing or defend MWS?
  • dasaint1dasaint1 Member Posts: 230
    ...I was just kidding about bashing MWS!!! He's our friend.

    MWS:
    I don't about NECO, but you're always welcome here in CSG.
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    Dasaint1:
    I'm sure you will agree that when compared to some of the posts on the NECO board, the Cat/Stang/Eclipse topic was very tame. Although we did poke fun at each other, we never went for the throat. There is a difference between bashing and harassing.
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    Daexpert:
    The alarm is standard with the Cat. The key fob not only locks and unlocks the door, it also arms and disarms the alarm system.

    The system consists of 4 entry point contacts. One on each door, one on the hatch and one on the hood.

    Roll the windows down, close your doors, lock them using the key fob, wait 30 seconds, and then reach in through the window and open the door form the inside. This will sound the alarm.
  • daexpertdaexpert Member Posts: 140
    Oh wow, I didnt' know that. Thanks Badulah! But the guy at the dealer (salesperson), told me that if someone broke my window then the alarm would NOT work, it's only if they try to open the door from the outside....I guess he wasn't too informed. Cool.

    I'm taking my kitty in for it's first oil change on Tuesday, he's 3000 miles old! Still has much to learn = )
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    He is right. The stock alarm does NOT come with glass break sensore, motion sensors, or shock sensors.

    Only entry point sensors (contacts).
  • catscratchcatscratch Member Posts: 34
    For sure, NECO members in general are an unruly lot. I usually just sorta lurk in the background and pick up info in the "quality" posts, but when they started in on MWS, I had to defend him....I mean, he's a big asset to the CSG...even if he doesn't like to get involved in the ole rumor mill
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    Everyone has to understand that MWS is in a tough position. He works for FMC and also works in a very competitive business. Leaking out sensitive information would not only violate company policy, it would put his entire project and employment status on the line.

    Another thing all of us have to understand is that MWS does NOT have total control over the Cougar project. I'm sure he has a great number of people to answer to, and i'm also sure someone above him is making all the budget decisions. I personally believe if it were up to him, there would be Cougar ads all over the place, and i'm sure both the basic Cougar V6 and the long awaited "S" would be VERY different. Although MWS may be high up on the Cougar team, he still has a number of people over him.

    All of us should be glad someone like MWS is taking an interest in our clubs at all. He is a great asset to us and I would hate to see some uneducated, loud mouth scare him away.

    The CSG is a better place because of MWS.
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    All:
    Check out the "News" area on the CSG home page. We have added a section featuring Malibu's new Kitty, and a section featuring the redesigned cup holder.

    http://home.att.net/~cougarsupportgroup
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    All:
    As all of you know StageLeft and I have been doing our very best to support this group and maintain the web site for quite sometime now. The road we have traveled in the last year has not been without it's problems, but it has been a good one. Up until now everything has gone somewhat smoothly, and we have had the tools and skills that were needed to set up the website. These past few days we have been working VERY hard to get the members section up and running. Having a sign up method and a member directory has been our number one priority for sometime. This week we ran in to some major obstacles with the membership sign-up form, and today we realized that we are out of web space.

    Our original plan was to post the site on Edmunds server space, but lately Edmunds has been having their own problems and is unable to assist us in the further development of the web site. I have personally spoken to my contact at FMC over the phone and they are unable to help us out in this
    area. Although they would love to help, their hands are tied by those higher up on the corporate ladder. We have investigated moving the site to its own URL, but the cost is rather high. Generally speaking the set up fee is $70, and the monthly charge is around $40.00. All of the sites we have investigated require a 2-year contract, therefore we are looking at a total
    cost of around $1030.00.

    In the past StageLeft and I have used some of our own money for a few CSG projects, but frankly $1030.00 is more than either one of us can afford at this time. We both agree that we want the CSG to continue to be free to members, but without funds we're not going to be able to make all of the ideas we have a reality. Basically everything starts with the website. If the site doesn't exist, the CSG will never be anything more than a posting group located on Edmunds. Basically StageLeft and I are asking for either donated web space, or cash donations. I take no joy in publicly posting this request, but we have run out of personal resources and we decided to turn to the CSG members for support and help. Anything any of you can do is greatly appreciated, and will not go unnoticed or unrewarded. The community we have should last the life of our Cats, unless we go the way of Mercury's advertisements.

    Thank you,

    Badulah & StageLeft
    CSG Caretakers

    P.S., We love you all!
  • ptailorptailor Member Posts: 42
    That console is the same as what my cougar has (minus arm rest).

    I have a 99 I4 cougar..

    ...Pritesh
  • jjmorrisjjmorris Member Posts: 13
    My Cougar is now one week old (600 miles) and I am very pleased with it. The performance has exceeded my expectations in every way. I expected a little sluggishness since it has been 105 degrees here and I have had the AC going constantly, but the car is very spirited. No hesitation caused by the AC that I have noticed.

    One of the things I took careful notice of was the functioning of the hatch since many others have had problems there. It has opened for me properly every time, using both the remote and inside release. The inside release has only required one push of the button. I think I remember reading that earlier Cougars needed to push twice to fully release the hatch.

    I have had no vibrations or rattles of any kind. My top speed so far is 95, which on this car feels like 75. On smooth roads the ride is very good, although rough pavement brings out the downside of a rather stiff suspension.

    The rear seat comfort is apparently pretty good. My two kids (ages 10 and 12) say it's very comfortable, although they don't like not being able to see out the windows very well. The two adults that have sat back there also praised the comfort, but getting back there is awkward.

    The hatch area holds great gobs of stuff! I play ice hockey every week, and I only needed to fold down one seat to fit my sticks and equipment bag.

    The clincher: I took my best friend at work for a ride (he owns a 1998 Integra) and after we were done I could see it on his face: how can a $17,000 domestic be as good or better than a $21,000 import? I thought he was going to start crying when he realized he WAY overspent for a high-revving buzzbox with a cheaper looking interior.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    How much would each member need to send in order for the website to become reality?
  • katlvrkatlvr Member Posts: 23
    Whoa wicked kitty malibu!!!
  • malibumalibu Member Posts: 155
    I think we all want to see the CSG succeed...I have no problem making a donation, please let me know how much and where to send it, I will do what I can to help. We have some great people here and I think if we pull together we can make it happen.

    Katlvr: Thank you! I think so too.
  • barhenderbarhender Member Posts: 12
    I agree with malibu (great pics, sweet Kat)

    I have enjoyed this club through all phases of the blessed Cougar experience...from first recognition, through gut-wrenching anticipation of arrival, onto the thrill of feeling my back press against the bucket when hauling [non-permissible content removed] through serpentine highway...whoa, sorry 8p

    As with all worthwhile amenities, upkeep is necessary. This club has, from the beginning, always been an island of information, support, and entertainment...where do I give?

    fredly: no new mods, although 14,000, glich-free, highly enjoyed miles. Cougarfest? don't think so--got night school for programming--busy, busy, busy.
  • daexpertdaexpert Member Posts: 140
    I'm willing to chip in for the CSG!!!

    Also, who said that he/she was starting to learn to drive stick with their kitty? Well, I just wanted to say that you should expect to stall from time to time (or a lot at first). I've been driving my stickshift kitty for almost 2.5 months and I just stalled tonight coming back from the gym!!! I hate that, but the more you practice the better you will be. Tonight I stalled because I wasn't paying attention and let off the clutch at the light = ). Pretty sure it'll happen again.
  • catscratchcatscratch Member Posts: 34
    This is a post from NECO, perhaps this is another alternative? I have no idea what he'd charge for it, but if personal is only $5/month...I'd assume you'll get a better price than $515/yr.

    I own a webhosting bussiness. Id be glad to offer space to you NECO members for $5/mo. I'll add DNS hosting for $7. I will not hard limit your drive usage either. As long as you keep the porn/warez off the site you can fill it with as much legitimate stuff as you can... within reason of course. This offer is only for your personal pages... I wont extend this offer to anything comercial, we have packages for that. We will take checks or PayPal. Check us out at www.minetservices.com Current vhosts include, minetservices.com; heptec.com; mp32.org; ircpaintball.org; miteetime.com; importconnection.net... and others... If you are interested please email us at [email protected] so we can get your account set-up... Don't forget to tell us you are from NECO. I hope nobody views this as me spaming the group... I wont do it again if anyone has a problem with it... I just notice alot of people have free hosting and wanted to offer next to free hosting without all the banners... Hope I can help you guys.

    David Hepler
    [email protected]
  • jdicejdice Member Posts: 24
    Malibu, any one else that received the new cupholder... When did you order your kitties? I'm trying to figure out if my new kitty made it in too early to get the redesigned center console. I ordered it in early March.
  • stageleftstageleft Member Posts: 391
    You all are really fantastic. The email address to get ahold of us regarding any matter is [email protected]

    Thanks everyone, we'll continue to do the best we can for everyone here!
  • y2kittyy2kitty Member Posts: 7
    I tried to take a look at Malibu's new toy and got lost over in the NECO site. Ouch. It's so much nicer over here. (Bravo catscratch! Donuts, huh? Got my chuckle for the day.)

    MSW: We love ya man!!!

    CSG web costs: When you get an idea of who is in and how much, just let us know where to send the check Badulah.
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    All:
    WOW! I never expected this kind of response. You guys and girls never cease to amaze me. Yesterday when I left the office I was majorly depressed about the web site, but now, because of all of you, I am thrilled and I feel motivated once again!

    We are currently investigating the web hosting service Catscratch posted. Once we receive all of their information we will determine if donations are needed.

    Again, thank you all for your continued support (I feel like an old Bartles & James commercial).

    -Rob

    PS - CSG MEMBERS ROCK!!!!!
  • coolchickcoolchick Member Posts: 174
    Don't mean to be late chiming in, but I'll happily add my $$ share to the CSG as well. I certainly don't want to return to the days of anonymous car ownership again!
  • catscratchcatscratch Member Posts: 34
    This just in, hot off the phone wire....

    My Cat has come in!! ~does the New Cougar Arrival Dance~ woo hoo!!

    If only it wasn't the weekend. Because my dealership is closed on Sats(for the summer, grrr) I will have to wait till Monday. I just might have to take a trip down there today and see her....

    Long live the CSG!
  • giddeup_50giddeup_50 Member Posts: 27
    I found out that my Cougar alarm will set with the hatch ajar. But will sound if you open it ~15 seconds after it is set and you try to open the hatch.

    Also, never, ever play with you key fobs around your kitty. If you lock/unlock the doors one too many times or just continously play with FOB (busy hands) you can confuse the REM module and the system will not respond. Won't lock the doors or activate and consquently activate the alarm. I had to reteach her by getting the other keyfob and some sweet talking to get her to respond. Then the other FOB came back to life.
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    Catscratch:
    Congrats and welcome to the owners club!!

    Try to remain calm until Monday. I know it will be hard, but i'm sure you can do it.

    Coolchick:
    Thanks! O and by the way, you still owe me for the detail job.

    LOL!
  • jjmorrisjjmorris Member Posts: 13
    My Cougar was ordered on April 5, and I got the new ones.
  • fastback2fastback2 Member Posts: 55
    Badulah,

    I maintain a couple of websites on www.ggw.org, which provides free web site space for non-profit organizations in the Rochester area. The people who run this web server may know of other "free" web servers closer to where you & stageleft live.
  • esbrockesbrock Member Posts: 88
    Malibu:

    Nice Car!! I think I could do without that badging on the top of the windshield, though. Other than that it's a sweet package.
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    Fastback2:
    Thanks for the info. We will look in to it.

    Keep in mind that we will need a decent amount of space. Right now the site is 10 megs and growing. To really effectively get the members section up and running we will need at least 30 megs of space. I don't know if these free services offer that much.
  • coolchickcoolchick Member Posts: 174
    badulah

    Pay for the detail service? Isn't that what brownies are for? :)
  • badulahbadulah Member Posts: 961
    But you forgot the milk.
  • dasaint1dasaint1 Member Posts: 230
    Can someone please post NECO's website address, so I can check out what this garbage is about regarding MWS bashing.

    Thanks.

    PS
    Count me in for $$ donations towards our CSG website!!!
  • katlvrkatlvr Member Posts: 23
    I'm lovin it, I really hope you can get the space and I am also willing to donate.

    I don't know about you guys but although I want FMC to excel in Cougar sales I still get a little jealous when I see too many Cougars out on the road. I remember just a few short months ago when I was the only one, now I see so many everyday. I'm not special and exclusive anymore. (pouts)
  • katlvrkatlvr Member Posts: 23
    dasaint that's www.newcougar.org, there's alot of yahoos over there though.
This discussion has been closed.