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Cougar Support Group - Bigger & Better
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Thanks for the kind words!!
lmigliore:
LOL! Bow to Badulah!! PASHAH!! NOT!!
dgemini:
After I get back from Cougar Fest I will need to replace my tires. I have been thinking about upgrading to 225s. You will have to keep us updated on how they perform. Also, have they effected your speedo at all?
Mine came with the Firerocks. Still holding pressure this morning. Maybe I got lucky.
I've been using that low sulphur gas from McEwan's for a couple of tanks. I don't notice any appreciable difference in gas mileage. I typically use 91 Octane gas. The car does seem more "peppy" with the low sulphur stuff though.
A.
1) If your co-pilot details your car prior to cougar fest, don't you have to bake her brownies?
2) How ARE the contributions for the CSG? Are you and Lefty okay with what's come in or do you need to send out another plea?
MWS or anyone else in-the-know:
Can someone identify Jac Nasser's parentage? (This is a serious question!) He has the most curious accent - like a Frenchman who learned English in Australia. ????!!!
I can't remember now if I posted or Badulah mentioned that I got a new job and am now free from the Government Contracting Hell (GCH - they make an acronymn out of everything) that I was in for so many years. I am happy now, and have more free time to devote to the CSG. Too bad I haven't been able to reap these benefits before. As Badulah mentioned earlier, we have the official CSG URL now, so it's just a matter of time before we get the site transferred over and roll out the new new CSG site (with member form!).
Anyway, I just wanted to drop a line to let you all know that I am alive, and am still checking the posts although I haven't had time to post very often over the last several weeks. It seems like everyone is doing well, Malibu is on the road to recovery from her losses (congrats), Krnch's tire trouble may be fleeting although I have to tell you I experienced a slow leak that would leave my tire flat after I ran over a nail around 15K miles. If you really feel unsure about that tire, take it to a shop and have them check it out. If they have to plug it, it should only be about 10-15 dollars (don't know what that is in Canadian, about 3-4 grand? ;^)
Also, welcome all new members!
Take care everyone, as soon as we get the site on the new URL I'll post it in here so we can be on the same track.
I really do miss you all, and am working with my schedule so I can have time to sit down and post everything that I've been slacking on lately.
Enjoy, and Happy Cougaring!
I'll probably have a chance to post again after CougarFest, so I should have some great stories to tell.
the 2001 Mercury Cougar S now has All-Wheel Drive.
"Welcome mercury’s fast attack cat, the Cougar S, with its 3.0 litre version of the Duratec V6. Borrowing some ideas from Ford's Special Vehicle Team that created the SVT Contour, the Mercury team added a hood scoop to help the engine breathe and deliver 215 hp. If the Cougar had teeth before, it now has claws with an all-wheel drive system accommodated by a three-inch wider track and a lowered body for better aerodynamics"
Is this correct? I haven't found any other info corroborating this.
The body side moldings are optional. You could have them added. However, because of their low position on the door, they don't prevent many (if any) dings. I have them on my kitty, but I've also got a ding on the passenger door about 6" above the molding. Que sera sera.
Why are you (in post 773 and 774) trying to steal my name and identity? I want them back NOW! Yup...you sure do have a bug there. You might want to ask someone about it in "More Talk to the Hosts" Topic #920 in the Edmunds "News and Views" conference.
Barry
The link that you sent is of a page that hasn't been updated in ages. If you look at the reviews of all the others cars, you will realize this.
ex..
PT Cruiser : "The new model will debut in early 2000 as the Chrysler PT Cruiser"
Focus : "Ford is redefining customer expectations of small cars with the introduction of the 2000 Focus"
Too bad it wasn't for real.
Just watched an interesting Dateline about the
Firestone Tire recall. It noted that a number of other Firestone tires are now under
investigation. To all who have Firestones of any kind please check the list of models and serial numbers at this site soonest.
http://mirror.bridgestone-firestone.com/news/atx/newsmain_ATX.html
Some things you can't take a chance with.
As the co-pilot, it is strictly my duty to keep you entertained, provide you with gas & toll money, pack you a nice lunch and blindfold you for the jolly rancher taste test. I do not remember detailing in our contract. Besides, poor Bella would be awfully jealous considering she will have had bird dooty on her for almost a week by the time we return! Anyhow, I will bring my Quik Detailer, if there is room, and help out
And, I love Brownies.. so, get baking!
But you're right, that article must be from 1999. It mentioned the Focus as being the 21st century Model T. That's pretty unfair--almost impossible to live up to that comparison.
PS:
Welcome back, Stageleft. Good to hear from you again. And congrats on your new job.
Remember I am the Captain and you are the swab, what I say goes, and no one questions my authority. I am the king of the vessel. I am BADULAH hear me roar!!
Man I really do need some sleep. I have gotten around 5 hours of sleep total in the last three nights. The 6 Mountain Dews I drank tonight are starting to have a weird effect on me.
Well i'm off to bed!! Have a great and safe weeked everyone!!
To STAGELEFT.
I did look at the state lemon laws but they aren't as good as we think. The only one that makes out in these cases are the lawyers and it takes a long time to get anything done. I have found in the past that certified letters to the president and other officials of a company are more effective than anything else. Just my thoughts.
All,
Have fun at Cougarfest. I hope to make it over there, but getting up at 7 a.m. and making a two hour drive is probably not very likely.
All 3 times when this has occured, we are on a long trip and going between 75-85mph. What is going on here?? The first time they said it was the O-Rings leaking. Obviously, they are not fixing the problem. Between the rattles, noises, and these types of problems, I am really thinking about not buying another American car for awhile.
What and Unbelievably Awesome time.
Informative, Interesting, and so much more..
Talked to techs, which made talking to dealers seem
like talking to first graders... The willingness of
the people was great, I spoke to a "Squeak and Rattle" Tech
who I couldn't stump... he had all the answers... I also Spoke
to a Paint Quality Engineer, who wanted to know how I liked it.
Although I didn't get to talk to him for long, I got some very good
information from him.
MWS, I'm sorry I wanted to meet you in person, but the day flew buy
It was just so great, I cannot begin to explain how much
I learned about my car..and the contacts I made were Invaluable.
The willingness of the staff to listen to our concerns and act on
them was what I would love to see at a dealership(we can dream right)
Thank you
It was great.... for those that missed it... please try to attend next
years cougarfest...its well worth it.
As Fredly mentioned, the CougarFest was incredible. As for the CSG, we really got our name out there, and the plant workers seemed really surprised that so many enthusiasts were extremely pleased and willing to drive so far to meet with them and others about thier project car. Everyone was super nice, and I really enjoyed talking to everyone there. We got some really amazing photos, and there were some really unique and cool Cats there to be admired.
I'd like to thank our Mercury representatives, MWS and D.C. for all they did in putting this event together, and without Brad taking the initiative to organize this event (Brad is the guy who runs the cougarfest2000.com website and worked with FMC/LM to organize the event), it wouldn't have been so cool. Thank you all.
Also, I'd like to thank Heidi (and partner) at Visteon, who were our neighbors at the event. They provided us with invaluable information, and I'm sure we'll be talking with them again!
Thanks to Leo Capaldi and his team for showing us his amazing race Cougar, and answering questions about his car and giving us information about race schedules so we can really give our support to him and his team. We'll be in touch with them, too.
Thanks also to Roush, who brought their Stage 3 Cougar with them to show it off. It was really nicely put together.
I'd like to thank everyone in attendance for making this event so spectacular and informative that I'm still reeling from the amount of information I gathered while there.
There, I think I got everyone I wanted to thank (I hope). If I left anyone out, I apologize, and thank you for being there and doing what you did.
I really enjoyed the day, and the plant was incredible! We saw the 2001's on the line, and the Euro-Cat, and the test mule for the S. Everything was so cool!
I'll update later on when I can catagorize more information, and I will be sure to summarize the event on the CSG site later this week.
Take care all, sorry about the long post, and I wish everyone to have a wonderful day. Happy Cougaring!
So, Friday we met up with Stageleft in Virginia and we took off from there. Surprisingly enough we barely saw three Cougars on the whole trip. We hit alot of really dirty rain and made it to Flat Rock in one piece. The roads in Michigan are HORRIBLE! So, we arrive at the hotel and meet up with SkipG. After a few minutes to settle in, we grab a bite to eat and then Badulah and Stageleft start off on a cleaning frenzy. So, I would say that Badulah cleaned his car til about midnight! Stageleft and I cut out about an hour earlier to have a beer.
The next morning, it is FREEZING, we head out to Auto Alliance. We were the third and fourth Cats to arrive. We set up the CSG stuff and away we go. The cars were amazing. Some of the things people do to their cars is amazing. On the same day Auto Alliance was having their "Family Day" which allowed the plant tour. Also, the "Family Day" allowed anyone who works in the plant to come over and meet owners of the cars they are consistently working on. Anyhow, the Cougar team was so receptive. I was amazed. Every thing we said was carefully noted and considered. MWS and DC you did a GREAT job! Brad, thank you for getting the ball rolling on an event like this!
Anyhow, Badulah and I were supposed to check out the Ford Museum and some other sites yesterday, unfortunately, Badulah received an urgent family phone call and had to return home. I hope all is alright with your family!
All in all, it was a great trip! Next year, I am bringing my own Kitty, and hopefully more CSG'ers.
Anyhow, there was a guy there who had cat eye contacts, now that is crazy!
Ciao,
Denise
talking the whole time.... and then more outside.
He summed up our rattle conversation with "If the dealer won't/can't find a rattle, email or call me, and I'll make them find the rattle" or something to that effect.
The Visteon crew is a great bunch of people. From what Lefty told me, we are going to be working some sort of deal with them for advertising and marketing once our new site is up and running.
Leo Capaldi from Capaldi racing is another great guy. He took the time to explain how his team and the Mum Brothers split a few months back. So now there is actually two Cougar teams. Leo graced the CSG by applying one of our Logos on the back of his car. So if you happen to catch one of his races on Speedvision, try and get a look at the back of the car. He is also interested in advertising on our new web site. We are planning to have a feature page with all of his information and schedules.
MWS and Dan Calhoun (DC) are two GREAT guys!! I was really happy to meet both of them in person. DC took us out to a really great dinner after the event. It was nice to sit around and shoot the breeze with him for a few hours.
The event it self was GREAT!! The plant tour was cool, but Lefty, myself and another guy kinda got separated from the tour group and we wound up on the "Self Guided tour". At the end of the tour we came across a Cougar-S concept test mule complete with a 200hp Duratec V6. Although this was a 1999 or 2000 mock-up, i'm sure the real thing is going to be very close in nature (minus the ground effects).
There were TONS of modified and unmodified Cougars at the event. It was really neat to mingle with other owners from around the country. I met a number of really nice people, and even a few CSG members.
At the event FMC had a number of great prizes to raffle off. The first prize they raffled off was a Visteon ground effects kit (Cougar Eliminator kit). The number they pulled from the hat was number 3. When I heard that number announced my heart dropped to the floor. I WAS NUMBER 3!!!!! So now I am the proud winner of a free painted and installed Visteon body kit. I plan to have everything installed with the exception of the non-functional hood scoop. I have never won anything in my entire life, so this was a great surprise.
Although the day went great I was woken up by an early morning phone call from my Father. I had to rush home for a family emergency. On the way home I got nailed by an Ohio State Trooper for doing 85mph in a 65mph. Needless to say he didn't give a rat's butt about my ties with the Police in NJ. I received my first ticket in 10 years. When I arrived home I found out that my Uncle was in a bad car accident, but last night the Doctors informed us that he is doing much better. They didn't think he was going to make it. I also returned home to a royal mess with Kate. I have come to the conclusion that we would all be much better off if we didn't need someone special in our lives. When it rains, it pours.
Anyway........ This week Lefty and myself will be moving the page to the new URL and we will be adding a number of things, including Cougar Fest Photos. We will be sure to let all of you know when the new page is up and running.
On my way back from an out-of-town meeting this morning, my service engine light came on. The car seemed to still be running okay, but I pulled off the highway and pulled into the nearest Ford dealership to have it checked out. They put it on the scope and told me that one of the heated oxygen sensors had gone bad. They went on to suggest that this may have been caused by bad fuel. Pretty coincidental, I thought, considering I just switched to using this low sulphur crap. They proceeded to fix the sensor and they changed the fuel filter. It's possible that the sensor just 'happened to go' and it was not related to bad fuel, however out of interest they sifoned (SP?) a jar of fuel from my tank to have a look at it. It was grey. Low in sulphur; Full of crap. I will not be buying MacEwan's Low Sulphur gas anymore (despite it's endorsement from Ford Mo Co!).
On another note, when I was at the dealership they informed me of a new recall on my Cougar. Something to do with with the rear brake pressure control reducing valve. It applies to Cougars built before November 1998. Apparently it can cause the rear brake calipers to not properly release. This may explain why my brakes always stick after being wet.
I'm glad to hear Cougarfest2000 went well. I wish I could have been there.
A.
Badman:
Sorry to hear about your uncle's accident, the ticket (bummer but inevitable), and Kate. Hope everything works out.
So sorry to hear about your uncle. I'll say a prayer for his speedy recovery.
As for Kate, you're on your own!
Well, I need some advice. I got a call from the dealer today and they said they could find nothing wrong with my AC. According to them, all was withing specs. The only problem with that is there IS something wrong with the AC. The AC went funky on me after driving for about 1 hour with the AC on Max. The Service Advisor said he would tak with the Technician and the Manager, but there was really nothing else they could do. Like I said in a previous post, this is the third time this has happened and in the past they have found the problems. I am not sure what I should or can do. Should I take the car back and just drive it until it happens again? It is weird because after you let the car sit for awhile and get back in the AC works like normal. On a side note, they are replacing my front windsheild due to the bubbles in the upper corner. I didn't even ask if they found the noises(rattles and chirping sounds) in the car. Even after all these I still miss my Cougar. They gave me a Ford Escort as a loaner. YIKES!!!!! This thing is very TINNY!!!!!But, I thought it was nice of them to supply me with a car!!!
I hope you all are doing well and I apologize for all the rants!!! The CougarFest sounded like a great time.
Conrats on your new ground effects package Badulah!!!!
Sorry to hear about your Uncle. These things are always scary but can also turn into life affirming experiences. Please add my best wishes to those of others.
Krnch:
I am surprised to hear about your experience with the low sulfur gas. I have been using it since day one in Nimue without a problem. I am using a lower grade than you are but I can't see that that would make a difference. If you have access to the sample they drained I would take it to McEwans and start asking questions. Maybe they will cover your expenses. They are a long established and reputable company and would probably like to know about any problems with their product.
Cougarfest returnees:
Sounds like you all had a blast. I wish I could have been there but I am still restricted in both driving and computering thanks to this sprained neck joint. I am hoping a couple more weeks of physiotherapy three times a week will do the trick. If not it's "off with her head".
I have read all of your posts and you haven't answered the most important question on all of our minds about the 2001's and S. What about the booby lights? Are they in or are they out?
Man, it sure is sad how something negative can occur right when something great is happening.
Asked my wife if I could go to Cougarfest next year, she said yes. I am also going to try to go to the next CSG get together hear on the East coast. Man I wish I could have gotten away for the event in DC since I am only about 6 hours away here in NC!
Thank you for the warm wishes.
Next year we have to have more members at Cougar Fest. Since the event I have received a number of emails from attendees who want to know more about our club. Cougar Fest was a great way to spread the CSG name.
Cougar-S Changes:
The "Boobie Lights" in the front are gone. The rear lights are the same. They changed the grill in the front of the car where the Cougar Head is. This grill IMHO looks GREAT!! The fog/driving lights are no longer swept back. They are square in nature. The front facia has changed and has a different lower grill. The rear facia now has several ridges in it, although its not a big change to the back. The tail is completely different. It is the same one that will be coming with my effects kit (Eliminator kit wing). The interior was done very nicely though. Around the front door speakers is a silver metallic trim ring. Billet racing pedals (including the foot rest). White faced gages, new cup holder and change holder, accents around the control knobs, and different front seats. Would I trade my '99 in for a basic 2001 V6? No I wouldn't, but I WOULD trade it in for a 2001 "S".
www.evisteon.com/b2b/ap_products.htm
Sorry I don't have much time right now, but I wanted to officially roll out the CSG's new URL!
www.cougarsupportgroup.com
Now, I know some of you thought this address was too long, but it does capture the group's name accurately and that's why we chose it. Don't worry, Badman's and my email addresses are the same as in our Edmunds.com profile, so you can keep sending us information/questions there. :^)
We are a go!
Be sure to bookmark it and check back by the end of the week or beginning of next week for new articles and information. The members section will hopefully be working very shortly as well.
Meantime, everyone take care, and Happy Cougaring!
(I'll catch up when I have more time)