1968 Mercury Cougar

NO RESERVE Coupe

8 - Cyl.

Manual

8R93J512310

Gasoline

Of all the cars that I have been lucky enough to have in my collection over the years, this Cougar ranks at the very top of the attracts attention scale. An amazing car in every way. As a collector of primarily GM products from the late 60's through the early 70's I only have a short list of cars outside that window of interest. 1967 and 1968 Cougars have always been on that exception list. I went to Nevada in the summer of 2009 to get this car. I am a purest and have appreciation for classic cars that have maintained their originality. Again, this car shatters my normal window of interest. I love this Cougar just the way it is. Quality and skilled craftsmanship are visible throughout the entire car. Jaws drop every time I open my garage door and the Cougar is the first car people walk to. Even sitting between my RS/SS Camaro and Challenger Convertible the Cougar generates the most compliments. Eye candy, quality, and authentic 1970's hotrod all in one package. It has been one of my favorites for over 2 years and a picture of this car is still the screen-saver on my computer. You are welcome to do the same. Body, paint, interior and drivetrain are outstanding. Nothing more needs to be said. For those that prefer a more long-winded and detailed write-up, here it is- The body and paint are gorgeous. Car was disassembled prior to paint (I have photos of this process) and being from the Nevada desert, she is rock solid and has no rust issues. Body panels have very nice fit, alignment and gaps. The paint was applied carefully and it shows. No washboard effect as you look down the sides. There is no orange peel or fish-eye in the finish and there is no abuse of bondo or other body fillers. Smooth as a babies bottom to the touch. An extremely high gloss and shine on all panels. Clear reflections are visible everywhere you look. Both bumpers, all chrome and stainless steel trim and moldings are beautiful. Headlights and tail lights are also excellent. No pitting on any of these items. Most of the exterior moldings have been polished. My photos will support these claims. All glass, emblems and lenses are excellent as well. The rear spoiler is from a '69 Cougar Eliminator and the hood scoop is from a 1968 GTE Cougar. These tasteful additions really make the car. A lot of time and thought went into the build of this car. Regardless of individual taste, everyone agrees that it's a stunning Cougar. The comments this car receives are always flattering and never ending. Whether you're a GM, Ford or Mopar fan, it makes no difference. This Cougar deserves words of praise. Gorgeous from every angle. The interior requires no excuses. The insides are outstanding. Seats, door panels, headliner, carpet and dashboard are excellent. The seats appear and feel like leather but are actually German vinyl. This is expensive material ($45.00 a yard). High quality padding adds to the comfort. The center console was custom made and looks factory. Even the Cougar "Guru's" that have seen the car have complimented the console. All lights, gauges, wipers, heater, stereo system, etc, function properly. Headlight doors open and close perfectly and the sequential turn signals blink 1-2-3. One look through the window and condition is obvious. Very, very nicely done. The drivetrain consists of a correctly built early 351 Windsor, top-loader 4 speed transmission and POSI rear end. The car started life as an optional J-code 302-4V with C4 automatic transmission. Factory power steering and power DISC brakes. Less than 4000 miles on motor. The engine build alone would cost nearly $7000 to replicate. The block is .040 over with Speed-pro pistons and 9.5:1 compression. Trick-flow aluminum heads with matched Stage 2 cam and stronger valve springs. A Holley 570cfm carburetor sits on an Edelbrock air-gap intake. Tuned and dialed in. She starts easily and performs well with crisp throttle response and acceleration. The 4 speed transmission with Hurst linkage shifts flawlessly. It is an O'Neil top-loader with close ratio 1st gear and 1-to-1 2nd and 3rd with 4th acting almost like an overdrive. Very fun to drive in all ranges. Stop light to stop light is impressive and the car cruises on the highway in the fast lane without over-revving. Auburn 3.50 POSI. Griffin aluminum radiator with electric fan keeps the engine cool at all times. Flowmaster exhaust with cross-over and cut outs. The sound of the car cannot be improved on. Even my Hemi 'Cuda doesn't sound as good as the Cougar. The mechanical build of the car was done with top-knotch components keeping drivability in mind. This is a very user-friendly car. No noticeable rattles or vibration. A very tight car. One of the nicest driving muscle cars you'll sit behind the wheel of. Yes, your wife could drive it but telling her that is up to you. Truly "turn-key". I will make brief comments under some of the upcoming photos. All of my eBay experiences have been enjoyable over the years as I've sold members of my collection. I'm grateful for the kind remarks and compliments I've received. My opinions have guided me well and I stand behind them but please keep in mind that these are my personal opinions and observations and they may differ from your own. I welcome showing my Cougar in person to anyone with genuine interest. I live very near the Portland Oregon Airport and would gladly pick you up. Each photo shows the car clearly and accurately. It is my intention to make this as close to you seeing and touching the car for yourself as possible. Feel free to click on the "ask a question" link here in the auction and I will respond to all polite questions. Phone calls are great too. My number is 503-887-1231 and calls between 8AM and 9PM Pacific time are just fine. My auction runs for 7 days and is scheduled to end on Tuesday evening, the 27th of September at 8PM Pacific. I reserve the right to end my auction early in the event I accept a genuine offer and the car becomes no longer available. PLEASE, read my terms of sale located near the bottom of this screen. I'm a reasonable person but I will not bend on these basic terms unless previously discussed during the auction. A little communication goes a long way. NO RESERVE AUCTION I did not set a reserve price on my Cougar. All that I ask in return is for your bids to be real and your intent to purchase be sincere. I took every picture you're about to see the same day this auction started. No photo has been altered or enhanced in any way. This is my car and these pictures are true to her in-person appearance. Thanks for your time, DAVE Driving here in Portland today, 9-2-2011 There is an abundance of exterior photos. I apologize if they start looking similar and you get dizzy scrolling through them. I wanted to show the car in as many lighting conditions as possible. In direct sun the color lightens due to the metallic paint. All pictures are true to her in-person appearance. My Canon digital camera takes accurate photos. This is what she looks like in bright sun. Yes, the car is that nice. The color of this car in person is spectacular. Sighting down the sides of the car is nothing short of impressive. This is how the color typically looks. Again, direct sun lightens her appearance. Chrome, stainless moldings and trim are beautiful. Headlight doors are mint. No bragging intended but this is a magazine worthy photo. The Cragar wheels MAKE the car. Nothing would look better. I am not a penny pincher and I love this car. More than once I considered changing the wheel and tire package. I would have gladly spent the $2000. Cannot be improved on! This is right! So, I bought new Cragars and BF Goodrich radial T/A's. The other Cragars and BFG's were still in great shape but not nice enough. She deserved new. When I said every light worked I meant every light. Even the back-up's and license plate lights. Vacuum headlight doors open and close perfectly. Sequential turn signals blink 1-2-3. Here's 1. Here's 2. And here's 3 GTE Cougar hood scoop. 1969 Cougar Eliminator rear spoiler. I took this photo to remind myself to show the reflections in the paint. That's me waving in the door with green trees and a fence in the background. 15X6 Cragars in front with 235-60-15 tires. 15X7 Cragars with deep dish off-set in rear. 245-60-15 tires. The perfect look. Side glass and rear window have been slightly tinted. I will miss this car. It's time to thin the herd. The seats are glove soft and extremely comfortable. The 2 console switches are a fuel pump shut-off and dash light over-ride. New dash pad. As you can see by the dashboard vents, the car originally had A/C. Under hood components were removed during restoration. The interior is absolutely amazing. Factory tilt steering column. Simply the current odometer reading. Total mileage unknown. The trunk area is gorgeous. Under the carpet is 100% solid and rust-free. 2 accessory trunk lights. Too much to mention. I listed most of the particulars in the main description. "Gear-heads" are welcome to contact me for the full build spec's. That is just a reflection on the front half of the air cleaner lid. It's showing the underside of the hood. Griffin aluminum radiator and temp-sensative electric fan. Polished Edelbrock water pump and Mallory distributor with electronic ignition conversion. No points. Even the back sides of the rear quarters are rock solid. Original floors are excellent. NEVER exposed to salt. Even the rust prone torque boxes are excellent on this car. Door tag with matching VIN number. Please note: This is the correct and original VIN for the car. The build of this Cougar exceeded $35k and the quality supports that statement. It is such a unique car. Nothing else like it at any show or vintage car event. The best description I ever heard came from the wife of a close friend of mine. She said, and I quote, "it looks like a life-size Hot Wheel". I looked at my 1967 Cougar Hot Wheel by Mattel and she's right. Thanks again- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Terms of Sale: 43yr old vehicle being sold AS-IS: Please read and agree with the following: I have described my car honestly and to the best of my ability based on 25 years of owning and driving classic cars. I have 100% faith in the drivability of this car and to my knowledge everything is in excellent working order per my written description above. I have free and clear Oregon title in my possession. I would drive this car anywhere but she is 43 years old and routine service and repairs should be expected. If you are not comfortable with a sight-unseen purchase, please come see the car for yourself or have an independent inspection performed PRIOR to bidding. I will not be responsible for the decisions of others. I would appreciate the winning bidder contacting me immediately upon end of auction just so the lines of communication are opened. My number is 503-887-1231. A $1000.00 deposit is due within 48 hours of auction ending preferably through PayPal just so we are both protected. Wire transfers and verifiable cashier checks are also acceptable. I'm an easy going person so if you need to make special financial arrangements just let me know BEFORE you bid and I'll try to help. I have been with the same bank here in Portland for over 8 years and the Management staff knows me. You are welcome to contact them for your own security if you like. The remaining balance is due within 7 calendar days of auction end in the form of secure funds. Some banks and credit unions do not finance vehicles of this vintage. Make sure if you are financing that your financial institution accepts the year and value of this vehicle before bidding. Please have your method of payment arranged prior to auction ending. TRANSPORT - SHIPPING I am happy to be an active and hands-on part of this process from start to finish but the buyer is ultimately responsible for pickup or shipping of this vehicle and any pre-purchase inspections need to be done BEFORE auction ending. If you wish to have it shipped using a service, I will gladly assist in loading and be present for the transport condition form and other reasonable help. Locating a transporter is the buyers responsibility but I can make recommendations and share the relationships I've built. Vehicle transport has become very reasonable. I personally use a privately owned trucking company. Carla has handled my transport needs perfectly for the last 4 years with careful handling, excellent rates and fast service even all the way to the East Coast. I will provide contact info for her at your request. Dependable Auto Shippers (D.A.S.) is a transporter that eBay recommends and my experiences with them were just fine. My location zip code is 97214. Coast-to-Coast enclosed transport is around $1500.00 and even less the closer you are to Oregon. Shipping to Australia, Europe and other Countries has also become affordable and easy to arrange. If you are outside of the United States or Canada, you MUST contact me BEFORE bidding. If you are an eBay member with negative history or have a (0) or low transaction score, I need to hear from you just to verify your sincerity and accept your bids as genuine. We all started from (0) and I'm happy to give a leg up. I reserve the right to cancel bids for these reasons. Communication is all I ask. I reserve the right to end the auction at any time if the vehicle is no longer available or otherwise SOLD.