1968 Mercury Cougar

Stunning restoration on a real X-code 1968 Cougar XR-7. Spectacular paint and bodywork in original Diamond Blue, highly detailed 390 cubic inch V8, restored undercarriage. Beautiful original upholstery. Easily the finest Cougar weve ever seen! Thanks to a comprehensive restoration on an outstanding original car, this stunning Cougar XR-7 is in amazing condition in just about every way that matters. It almost looks white, but the Diamond Blue on this car has just a hint of blue in it and its just beautiful in person. It wears 100% original sheetmetal and we can find no patches or other evidence of rust or damage, and the way these doors close will tell you that this car has led an easy life. It has been comprehensively restored by a Cougar enthusiast with encyclopedic knowledge of these cars and he got everything right. The paint is probably better than new with a deep gloss only possible with modern urethanes, and a pair of hand-painted pinstripes follow the contours of the Cougars fenders for a little contrast. Most the chrome was restored and the emblems are NOS or nice originals, so they look right and fit properly. Perhaps most importantly, the hidden headlights work properly and the sequential taillights blink like they should, both some of the Cougars most appealing features. And speaking of the taillights, theyre incredibly expensive to restore properly but youll note the chrome fins are in excellent condition with no pitting-this really was an excellent original car. Youll also find unmarked glass with the correct markings, new weather seals, and even proper wipers to give this cat the right look. Weve never seen a better one. The black leather interior upholstery is original, so that should tell you all you need to know about how carefully maintained this car was over the years. New carpets were installed to give it a crisp look and theres new foam in the seats to make the look and feel new. The woodgraining on the dash is beautifully rendered with no fading or streaking and even the original dash pad hasnt cracked in the sun. All the gauges are fully operational, including the factory tach and clock-nice! In fact, everything works on this car, from the lights in the shifter indicator to the factory AM/FM radio that was added during the restoration. That little overhead console is still one of the coolest features and there are aftermarket carpeted floor mats with ‘Cougar embroidery to keep the new carpets clean. Even the headliner is original and while its not quite perfect, its much too nice to replace. The trunk is correctly detailed with a plaid mat, matching full-sized spare tire assembly, and factory jack. The X-code was a 390 cubic inch V8 with a 2-barrel carburetor, although during the restoration this one was upgraded to a correct 4-barrel with the attendant air cleaner assembly, intake manifold, and other hardware (the restored, original 2-barrel setup is also included with the car). The numbers stamped on the back of the block match the VIN, so we believe this is the cars original engine. And before the big 6.5 litre V8 went back into the engine bay, it was fully detailed for show with Ford Blue engine enamel, new wiring, correct hardware, and reproduction wires, hoses, Autolite battery, and even proper wire hose clamps. It starts easily, idles with a muscular burble from the dual exhaust, and has plenty of that effortless torque that makes these big-engined Cougars so much fun to drive. The transmission is a tough C6 3-speed automatic, which suits the XR-7 and its luxury/sport mission, and there are 2.75 gears out back, making this a superlative highway cruiser. Power steering and power disc brakes are part of the package, so anyone can handle this awesome cat with ease. The undercarriage is as highly detailed as the engine bay, including proper red oxide primer on the floors with just a bit of Diamond Blue overspray, which is how the factory did it. Theres a reproduction exhaust system with the right tone, proper markings on the suspension and driveshaft, and new air shocks out back that allow you to fine-tune the ride height a bit. Theres also a new gas tank out back that feeds all-new lines and hoses, so this Cougar is ready to show or go. 14-inch styled steel wheels are simply gorgeous and wear 215/70/14 BFGoodrich Silvertown redline radials for a traditional look and modern handling. Documentation includes the original owners manual and Deluxe Marti Report. This car is simply stunning. The attention to detail is extremely impressive and the fact that its a big block XR-7 is simply icing on the cake. If your goal is collecting trophies, this car will do it (it has not been shown so you will have the opportunity to debut it at the show of your choice), but if this were ours to keep, we think it would be hard to stay out of the drivers seat. As we said earlier, weve never seen a better one. Call today! Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.