1971-1973 Mercury Cougar - It is still a MUSCLE CAR
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- čas přidán 8. 09. 2024
- The Mercury Cougar an upscale alternative to the Ford Mustang. We take a look at the second generation of this car. Federally mandated changes to emission standards would shape where this car was headed and how it would shift from a performance car to a personal luxury car in the 3 years of production of this generation.
I wanted to cover this car is because of its lack of respect it receives in the collector car market. 2nd generation Cougars are priced well below the 1st generation cars. So I wondered if this was a Cougar that is being overlooked and maybe it shouldn’t be.
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At least these generation of Cougars got the good Ford engines as standard(351C) or optional 429(in 1971 only).
I really appreciate this video. I bought a 71 XR7 351C 2V/FMX for $500 in 1987. Planned to fix it up. Ended up driving it more instead although I did rebuild the carb, added dual exhaust and an open element air cleaner, heavy duty shocks and a one inch front sway bar. Found a set of steel 14 X 7 rims, painted them black, used chrome lug nuts, and installed 235s on the front and 245s on the rear. It was fun to drive but discovered more rust than I had the ability to fix, or was even practical or economical back then. Beat it hard, but it still ran when I sold it. This was a learning and reference car. I’d like to find another one at a good price. I thought the interiors on the fully loaded cars were the some of the coolest of all time. This car handled well, braked poorly due to manual four wheel drums, and would scratch 2nd with 130k on the clock. Would top end somewhere north of 120. Sometimes the Cleveland would wind past the 6k mark when the FMX stuck in 1st under full acceleration but valves didn’t float. The 2V open chamber heads deserve more respect than they get. Glad you mentioned the gross vs net horsepower. When you cover the 74s, be sure to mention the 351C 4V was an option - the Cleveland’s last hurrah. Great video!
Will add that when I advertised the car for sale, a buyer, after the test drive commented that he really wasn’t in the market but had always wanted to drive a “classic muscle car.”
Thanks for the kind words and for watching! It is appreciated.
I built the MPC 1/25 73 XR7 Cougar model kit about a month ago.. came out pretty decently I think..
My uncle had a 1968 XR-7 and I prefer that style. Unfortunately he sold it in 1977 and I didn’t get my license until 1978. But I love this gen, too. I’d love to have one.
I love the 1971-1973 Mercury Cougar! If I could find a 1973 Cougar XR7 & a 1973 Mustang Grande (both in near-mint condition), I'd buy them in a heartbeat!
I admit I am one of those who prefer the 1st Gen Cougars versus the Gen 2 version. I still like the looks of the Gen 2 but it did lose the sexy sleek look of the Gen 1. It worked as a personal luxury car that had plenty of power under the hood.
Gen2 handles better.
A 71 with a 429 would be cool 😎
Very much so!
For Sure But it would be a Gas Hog if I owned it because I Love the Sound of the Four Barrel opening up !😊
I never owned a Cougar but I always wanted one, I had a 73 Montego MX 4-door that I loved but a second gen Cougar I would love to have even today, I just prefer the bigger personal luxury cars pre smog era (early 70's). Great video & awesome pictures & stats as usual. 🇺🇸💪
Thank you sir and thanks for watching!
A lot of love from me,it's one of the FoMoCo gems on my wish list.
As a loing-time Cougar afficionado, I can say this is a great summary! One small point: from your description, you made it sound as though sequential turn signals were standard only on the '71 XR-7. They were standard equipment on all 1967-1973 Cougars. And...I once owned a '73 XR-7 convertible with the standard 351 (2V). It was no slouch! But I'd also driven a '73 XR-7 hardtop with the 351 CJ, and that was quite the performer! I currently own a '68 standard Cougar.
Thank you for the kind words and for watching. I will make at least one mistake per video. One man show over here. ;)
1st car was a 71 Cougar. It was my grandparent's. Rebuilt it completely after getting hit by a semi. Loved that car.
Haven’t ever owned one, but I’ve always liked the Cougar lineup.
I really like each generation of the Cougars. They each had their benefits and issues. A sleeper collector car.
My first car was a '69 Cougar convertible. After that, I had a '71 Cougar. Both had 351 engines and were fun to drive.
Nice video, brings back some memories for sure!
Thank you and thanks for watching!
My mom had a71 Cougar. It was green with a white vinyl roof. My parents traded it on a Jeep about a year before I was born. I do however have a picture of it, I wish they still had the car.
Owned a 1971 cougar xr-7 hardtop full vinyl top . Grabber lime green paint with dark green top and interior. 351 Cleveland 4 barrel close chamber heads. And a c-6 trans. It was built in November of 1970 and was the the 14th cougar built in 1971. Loved that car!!
Awesome thanks for sharing!
My Mother had one of the XR-7’s with the 351 Windsor engine even though it wasn’t a Cleveland it Still Ran Very Great,
Wish it was still around !
My family had a 1973 Mercury Colony Park station wagon (the Escalade of its day) with the 429. A very nice engine.
My (now) brother-in-law had a '71 Cougar XR7 when he met my sister!
Had a 71 351 .m 4v. C6. And 3:25. 14.76. 96. What a car!!!!!!!!
I have a 1st generation Cougar and love it, but I agree with you that this second generation is grossly underappreciated. I'd love an XR-7 convertible or hardtop.
Thanks for the comment and for watching Jim!
One of these is here in Brazil with me. I love driving it on the road!
Outstanding! Thanks for watching!
I always loved this generation. That is why I have two of them, one that needs restoration and one that is mostly original.
Glad to hear that there are folks like you out there that will take care of these cars! Thanks for watching!
I’ve seen a 1st gen with a 67-68 Mustang fastback roof on it that looked good. I wonder what a 71-73 Mustang fastback roof on one of these would look like.
Awesome video!! I’ve always wanted one of this gen cougars.
My first car was a 1978 Mercury Cougar xr7 in Dove Gray with Maroon half vinyl top. Thing was a boat but it was a great car. Loved that thing, just not good to commute to college at 8mpg.
Know they look puffy, but they drive excellent. '71-73 Cougars/Mustangs simplified steering system so much. Some have Saginaw (GM) Variable ratio boxes/ quick. If you got the 4V Q code Cleveland, you get the variable ratio PS box, staggered rear shocks too! 9" with 3.25:1 or 3.50:1. Track Lok optional. C6 with a factory tiny Torque Converter ((Stall!!)). Or a 4 speed Top loader W/ Hurst stick!! Really sweet!!
Awesome , Tony! My parents had mercurys growing up and I miss them so much. Nice work!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
Friend had one of these in high school. Never changed the oil with predictable results. Mechanic said he never saw one blown up that bad.
I had a friend like that as well. He went through many cars. all makes all models same result.
I have a ‘95 Cougar (They’re all the XR7 for some reason) with the 4.6 V8….I love this machine…my dad had a ‘89 Cougar LS with the digital gauges with the 3.8 V6 back when I was a teenager
Dad’s Cougar left an impressionable mark on me and I never wanted one until I was older…
I think the best looking Cougars Mercury came out with were the first generation even with the eliminator for 1970… which I would love to have, the ‘83-‘88 and the ‘89-‘97 (That’s just my opinion…not gospel)
I just wish that instead of turning the 3rd gen Probe into a Cougar, I would love to seen a retro version of the first generation Cougar when everyone was doing the retro redesign.
My dad had one and it was totally cool at the time.
Now, I see the front end as the Clark Griswold's family trucksterish.
I’ve always liked the ‘67-‘68 Cougars, especially with a 390. (I think the 390 was available in those two years?) I grew up in the 1970’s and distinctly remember the growl ‘Sign of the Cat’ commercials.
I don't see these cars as muscle cars. If you got a 429, then it would move. By the time they detuned everything I just don't see this being a muscle car. But it would be fun to cruise around in a ragtop version.
When I was a kid in the seventies, my dad had an Air Force pilot friend that had a cool '71-'73 gold Cougar XR7. I'd never been in one or scene one up close before, but we did ride once somewhere in it and I thought it was cool with the high back buckets and floor shifter. I'd build a MPC Cougar model not long after. Later the same guy had a '64 T-bird that my dad rebuilt the top end. He offered the car soon after to my dad for a measly $400 and my dad passed on it! Ugh!
i like that generation of cougar convertible.
My aunt has a 72 xr7 sports gold, 3/4 hardtop with gingerstriped interior, has a 2b 351. Its still looks great from a 100 feet. Interior is still mint but the floor pans and some the the frame sections are horribly rotted mainly behind rear wheels. Been setting 40 years, im young and inexperienced but would love to find a solid cougar roller and cut and replace the frame sections. She said if i would save it i could have it. Theres a few within a 2 hour radius around 3gs. But still being rational on whether the lemon is worth the squeeze.
That's tough one. These cars are not bringing big dollars and the 351 2b isn't the hottest ticket. You might be better of finding the a solid roller and using that car as a parts cars. Best of luck!
Great video! First generation cougars looked a lot better. The second generation you can see in the body lines similarities to the 76 Torino I used to own (starsky and hutch car)
Ah yes 2nd gen ... Very overlooked. I myself had a 1968 XR 7 with a medium built 351 Windsor in it... Not original engine, car could haul the mail. In highschool in 79-80 school year a guy i was friends with had a 1972 XR 7 with the 351 CJ and the 4 speed, indeed, one kid had a 69 Firebird 400 4 speed he was always talking poop about Nick and his XR 7, October Friday night they met to settle things, I was in the XR 7 shotgun seat with the Firebird out my window, out of the hole through 1st and 2nd gear they were about even with the Firebird having a half a fender lead, 3rd gear changed everything, that Cleveland just started walking away from the 400, beat him by almost 2 car lengths, what a rush and what a race, i fell in love with the Cleveland engines that day. Kid with the Firebird was a sore loser and made excuses and even said Nick cheated...😂😂. I miss being a carefree kid... Lol. Love me those Mercury products.
Thanks for sharing your experience! I miss those type nights as well.
I see a lot of design cues from the popular 1969-72 Grand Prix. I've heard there was a guy from Pontiac who was hired by FoMoCo in 1970.
There is that for sure however I don't think Bunky's influence here over the top.
A kings ransom I would pay to have the 70 351c I drove in high school .... paid $300 1979 with a full tank of gas lol
Back in the day my dad traded in a 1970 Cougar (with motor issues) for a new 1973 Cougar that was sitting in the showroom, it was Gold like in your video. To me the 73 was not sporty looking at all, and I thought it was plain ugly
To each their own. Thanks for watching!
Great video.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the the kind words and for watching!
ford used a GM carburetor (Rochester was part of GM)?
Yes that is correct andOnly on the 429 CJ. I had one on one of my Torinos.
I'll take mine with a Cobra Jet Cleveland and a 4 speed please...in a convertible.
Nice Choice!
Thanks for the Mustang porn in the background. Oh, and yeah, Cougars are cool, too
Cool commercial though = no one today is walking around with live cougars on a leash
I don't think anyone did it then either! Thanks for watching!
The 71 looks like a “beak bird” to me. More of a Thunderbird twin than a Mustang twin.
That was the influence of Bunkie Knudsen. It's actually very easy to spot the cars he influenced. Most are 70 to 71 Models
2nd gen Cougars are getting expensive. Five years ago they were cheap on Ebay. Not anymore.
eBay isn't what it is was 5 years ago either.
The competition was too strong for Ford in the early 70s. Camaros, Firebirds, Challengers, Barracudas and even Javelins were more popular. Bunkie Knudsen's formula of mixing luxury with pony car muscle did not win the hearts of buyers and sales showed it.
Big, heavy, and sluggish !
1st gen T Bird. Best T Bird
1st gen Mustang. Best Mustang
1st gen Cougar. Best Cougar.
Lets build a great little car and then ruin it
Muscle cars are two doors based on family cars. Not a muscle car 71 to 73 and not a muscle car before.
It funny how many different thoughts there are about where this car falls in the comments. Thanks for your comment and for watching.
Was still a "pony car", still based on the Mustang, and had high performance motors optional. Calling "all RWD" cars of the 60s/70s "muscle cars" is not correct.
I don't believe I called all the cars of the 60's and 70's muscle cars. If i did that was in error. As a one man crew it wouldn't surprise me either. Thanks for watching.
Isn't mercury just ford anyway?
Pretty much 😉
Mercury had a good run 68 to 78 with the cougar and the Marquee not being Ford clones.