Robs Stupid '68 Mercury Cougar Land Page

This is Robs Stupid Cougar Page documenting my progress in the year 2000. It is Stupid.

Now that it is getting warmer out, I can get more done on my car.

More body work, not much else.

February 11, 2000. Ive got the body work nearly done now, a few dents remain to be pounded out, but all the rust is gone and the metal is protected.

March 3, 2000. I have decided to buy the Hooker SuperComp Headers for this motor. It appears that they are the only ones still making headers for this car with this motor and they will make me some with the 8 bolt pattern.

March 10, 2000. Not much new to tell, been accumulating parts like motor mounts, headers, rear bumper, steering wheel, etc. As ridiculous as it may sound, I have pictures, but pretty sure you dont want to see them.

March 19, 2000. Well, I thought I got everything to mount the motor, but the motor isolators do not bolt directly to the frame or the motor there are special plates that go between the isoloators and the frame and different plates that connect the other end of the isolators to the motor.

March 25, 2000. I got the motor all mounted up by welding up some custom plates to connect the isolators to the motor. I spent the rest of the weekend trying to find a driveshaft and stuff. I got a driveshaft from like a 63 Galaxie that was about a foot too long. Cut it down and welded it up.

March 29, 2000. Got to drive it for the first time. I got a 4 day pass to take it down and get inspected and emissions. This thing is INCREDIBLY FAST!!! I was shaking for nearly an hour after dropping it off at the shop to get the mufflers and dual exhaust installed.

March 29, 2000. Driving it home from the shop was a blast!! The carb isnt quite right so it takes about a second to respond to the throttle input, but then you had better be ready, bam, it GOES. It is nearly impossible to accelerate from a stop without smoking the tires. What a rush.

March 30, 2000. I was taking it to the shop to get it inspected and I shattered a U-Joint. I had my wife tow me to the shop. I gave them the keys and told them I would come back and spend my lunch fixing the ujoint. When I came back after work to pick it up, they said they couldnt get it started. I thought what idiots. It had always started real easy for me.

March 30-April 5. I tried nearly everything to get it running again. I replcaed the plugs, wires, coil, and a bunch of other things because the plugs seemed like they were too wet when trying to start it. It would chug and act like it wanted to start, but nothing. I even bought a new Edelbrock carb thinking the old one was dumping gas. When I was replacing the distributor and checking the static timing, I noticed the spark at the number 1 wire was weak where it was fat, happy, and loud from the coil. I replaced the cap and rotor and it fired right up!

April 08, 2000. Even though it was running now, it wasnt right. It idled real rough, and didnt respond to the throttle like it used to. I removed a valve cover and noticed a couple of bent pushrods. Off comes the timing cover. I found what is probably the cheeziest timing gear set known to man. New timing gears, chain and pushrods. The chain hadnt jumped at all. After getting it back together, it was still bending pushrods. I double checked the cam timing, so that couldnt be it.

April 10, 2000. I figure either the valves have such a close timing to the pistons that a bent one is causing this by the piston hitting it. A compression test revealed good compression on all cylinder except one which is real bad. I removed all pushrods and cranking the motor shows excellent compression/vacuum on all cylinders, so the lifters must be bad and holding a valve partially open at all times.Replaced all the lifters, same problem. ARRRG!!

Tearing it apart for new lifters

April 12, 2000. Careful examination while cranking the motor shows the valves are staying open after the pushrods quit pushing, then the pushrods disconnect from the rocker arms and get bent the next time the cam tries to push them. Time to pull the heads. Opening the valves on the naked heads verify they are sticking open. Time to put the heads in the shop.

Apart again for rebuilt heads

Apart again for rebuilt heads

April 20, 2000. I got it all back together except the valve covers and headers connected to the exhaust. After priming the oil pump with a drill, it fired right up. No bent pushrods. Sweet. Big adrenaline rush. No time left to finish tonight.

All back together getting a bath before for inspection

Grill detailing got it own page, how lucky.

Started painting a pearly metallic blue, what a pain to shoot.

November 20, 2000. The first snows mark the end of the driving season. Mr C is parked for the season. Time to do some more upgrades as long as it is parked. The first thing to go has got to be the old cracked, warped, and ugly dash pad that I paid way too much for. After looking hi and low for a *decent* dash pad, I decided to make my own. I cut the bracket out of the old one, welded some side brackets to it and made a shell out of wire cloth and soldered it all together, then covered it with foam and naugahyde.

The dash shell all soldered up and ready to foam.

The dash shell covered in expando-foam and partially carved into shape.

New pad all installed. Havent figured what to do with the seams in the side front edges, prob have to mix up some vinyl patch of the correct color. Bottom line is that is is a billion times better than it was.

View from the outside.

Has nothing to do with the dash, but I couldnt help it. Someday I will get around to lowering the rear end and getting a pan for below the rear bumper. Someday.

December 17, 2000. It took about 30 hours to make the dash pad, but is as good as new. Now the dash face looks really crappy next to the new pad. I have picked out some new Autometer gauges to replace the stock ones. Only thing is I will have to fabricate a completely new panel to house the new gauges and switches.

Next (2001)