COMPONENTS
Many components go into a resot-mod project like this. Some parts are beyond economical repair; while others are simply available less expensively (like mirrors and side windows) then they could be refurbished. Other parts like rear brakes and the suspension are totally new. Finding these components are a major part of the resto-mod battle and are shared here to help the next person that comes along.
The 1967 GT Cougar package came from the factory with a Holley 4 barrel carburetor sitting on top. The throttle body I replaced the Holley with looks very similar to the Holley and retains that retro look. The system uses a returnless system to further the retro look. This system can be purchased thru RetrotekSpeed at www.retrotekspeed.com. J
ENGINE: The original Ford 390 FE engine that came with the car is still in it. During the rebuild, the cylinder heads, intake manifold, and camshaft were changed. I chose the Edelbrock Performer RPM package for the FE motor for this upgrade. www.edelbrock.com
TORQUE CONVERTER: The original torque converter has been replaced with a converter from Continental Torque Converters Inc. This converter was built specifically to my needs, and the folks there are very helpful on the phone. www.ctconverters.com
HEADERS: Because of the tight fit of the 390 motor in the engine bay, the fitment of the headers is a little tricky. I chose the Tri-Y header package from Ford Powertrain. It is a good fit, looks good, and does not hang too low. www.fordpowertrain.com
SUSPENSION: The original suspension is simply inadequate. It took me a long time to make the mental commitment to changing however. The benefits of the better steering and better ride, as well as getting rid of the ugly shock towers and gaining more room in the engine compartment were too much to pass up. There are seemingly endless suspension or “Mustang 2” kits available. I chose a system kit from Autoworks at www.autoworksracing.com . Here is what the kit comes with
Cross
member Kit for Full Coil over System Motor
Mounts Kit Spindles Complete
11" Disc Brake Kit SS
brake Hoses and Frame Bracket Kit Tubular
Upper and Lower control Arms Rebuilt
Power Rack with rod Ends Control
Arm Bolt Kit Spindle
Nut Kit Complete 6-Way
Adjustable Coil over Shocks and Springs U
Joints and Shaft Kit for Steering Bearing
and Adapter for Lower Steering Column Inner
Fender Repair Panels Anti Roll Bar Kit |
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BRAKES: The car originally had front disk
brakes. The suspension kit came with better disk brakes than the original dual
caliper arrangenment. The rear drums are going to be replaced with disks, but
that is the only item that is undetermined as of this writing.
WHEELS: The original wheels have a certain
charm, especially with the GT hub caps, but they clash with the modern upgrades
and don’t look right on the car anymore. Besides, with the new brakes, they
don’t even fit anymore. The wheels are the Foose Nitrous series (www.chipfoose.com). These were custom made
with a polished aluminum surface.
HEADLAMP
MODIFICATION: The
original lifting headlamps used engine vacuum for power. All of the ugly
plumbing for this and the terrific opportunity for a vacuum leak has messed
with my engineering sensibilities for a long time. Ever since a friend of mine
had a Dodge Charger with an electric means of accomplishing the same function,
I have wanted to change this. I found an article describing a mod to do exactly
this, with no mechanical or electrical changes necessary to the car. The
article can be found at http://www.theclassiccougarnetwork.com/tccn2/tech/restomod/restom09/restom09.html
SEQUENTIAL
TURN SIGNALS: This feature is a signature item for this
car. It is a necessity to preserve it. The original system was prone to failure
over the long haul, and many people replaced the functionality with regular
turn relays that took away the sequencing. Being an electrical engineer, I
built my own replacement in the mid 1980’s using a counter and MOSFETS. A
colleague of mine mentioned that in college, in his beginning digital course
that designing the logic for this was one of the first quizzes they had. There
are now many replacements for this available. I wanted to upgrade to LEDs, and
I ran across this kit. http://www.mustangproject.com/
MISCILLANEOUS: This seemingly minor category is deceptively important. If
you are going to spend all of the effort making the car nice with all of the
flashy items, it can look silly if you leave pitted emblems on it. You also
need to replace all the old bolts, weather stripping, bushings etc. Mustangs
Unlimited has produced a 130 page catalog filled with Mercury Cougar specific
items. I highly recommend it. www.mustangsunlimited.com
EBAY: Ebay needs no introduction. I got a few items there like a brake handle, the old stereo, a dash pad, carpet, headliner etc.