The Cougar Stands Apart from the Mustang

Inside and out, the Cougar was impossible to mistake for a Mustang—it was longer and more luxurious, with sequential taillights, “electric shaver” headlight covers and a posh interior. And it was still sporty: Mercury tasked Bud Moore to campaign the Cougar in Trans-Am racing, with no less than Parnelli Jones driving for Moore in the inaugural ’67 effort.

A Stunning Convertible Worth the Wait

By weight of numbers, the Mustang has always been more popular than the Cougar, but that doesn’t decide the issue of which car was actually best. We know that Mark Iorio cast his vote for the Cougar, speaking loudly by voting with his wallet; the stunning ’69 Cougar convertible you see here is his. But while Mercury made the car low, stylish and sporty, the car was never like this. To look like this, the car had to spend two years in the care of Rick Hunter and the crew at Hot Rod Express (816/224-9597) in Blue Springs, Missouri.

From Rust Bucket to Custom Frame

After disassembling the car, HRE learned that the bulk of what was there was too rusted to bother repairing. So, rather than abandon the project or start over, the builders decided to fabricate a complete frame for the car, which, of course, was unibody from the factory. But building a new frame allowed them to incorporate a better suspension, make room for the drivetrain and let the car sit as low as any you’ll ever see. HRE set the stance by placing the Cougar on the shop’s frame table, cutting out the wheel arches until the body sat right over the 18×8-inch set of polished Torq-Thrust wheels ensconced in 215/35R18 BFGoodrich KDW tires, and going from there.

Air Suspension and Handling Upgrades

The front suspension makes use of a Heidt’s Mustang II-style arrangement, with airbags and shock absorbers. This allows the Cougar to scrape the pavement when the owner wishes, nail the 11-inch disc brakes when necessary, or tool around using the power steering that helps the car to drive in style. The rear suspension incorporates a triangulated four-link to position the 9-inch rearend. Inside the centersection you’ll find 3.73 gears and a limited-slip differential; at the ends of the housing you’ll find a pair of Camaro disc brake calipers, and all is supported with airbags. The rear Americans are even bigger than those in front, at 20×10 inches wide, and are shod with 285/30R20 BFGoodrich rubber.

A Modern Powerplant for a Classic Ride

Classic Cougars came with a wide variety of powerplants in different trim levels that made these cars unique. Depending on the year, buyers could choose from a 289, Boss 302, 351, 390 and 428, to name a few. But this cool Cougar demanded a modern engine, so the builders sourced a 4.6-liter DOHC mod motor from a ’97 Mustang Cobra by contacting Ford Racing Exchange in Blue Springs, Missouri.

Performance Tweaks and Smooth Finish

In stock trim, this engine develops 300 hp, and with a little tweaking from custom HRE headers and Flowmaster exhaust, the output is now a bit higher. A modified Mark VIII intake tops the engine, with the modifications addressing throttle-body positioning and routing air into the engine. The aluminum-block engine is now painted in an aluminum finish for a smoother, less labor-intensive finish. The valve covers are factory Ford parts, but the same is definitely not true for the hand-fabbed steel air cleaner/engine cover assembly.

A Modern Transmission with Vintage Muscle

Behind the engine sits a 4R70W automatic transmission, Ford’s most recent iteration of the venerable AOD automatic. But compared to the AOD, the 4R70W is stronger, with a lower first gear, wider gear-ratio spread and electronic shifting operation. This particular transmission came from a ’99 Mustang. Ford Racing Exchange also supplied this transmission and the 2,000-rpm stall converter inside it. An aluminum radiator and electric fan work to keep the engine cool.

Rebuilding the Cougar from the Ground Up

Bringing the car’s sheetmetal back from the dead provided HRE with plenty of work. What had to be done? “Everything,” Hunter says. Though the car’s condition at purchase didn’t appear completely awful, and it was certainly worth what Iorio paid for it, the car didn’t turn out as good as it looked. Rot was all over the floors and rear quarters, and after cutting away the wheel arches to determine the ride height, the builders replaced both rear quarter panels.

Custom Body Modifications for a Seamless Look

The car’s floor is completely new; after fitting the transmission and body to the frame, the builders created a new floor that effectively channeled the body over the drivetrain to maintain that low ride height. HRE removed the door handles, locks, trunk locks and side marker lights for a smoother appearance. To provide clearance for the mod motor, and to give the Cougar a unique appearance, the shop also created a new, custom steel hood.

Show-Stopping Paint and Trim

With the body mods complete, the builders devoted countless hours to smoothing the reworked panels to prepare it for paint. HRE’s Steve Hays sprayed the Mercury in PPG Vibrant Nutmeg, and it looks great paired with the bright chrome bumpers and windshield trim. Of course, the Cougar’s signature headlight covers remain, as do the sequential turn signals. The Haartz cloth top is Light Oak in color, to provide a subtle contrast with the brilliant paint finish.

Luxury Interior Built In-House

Unlike most hot rod shops, Hot Rod Express handles its own upholstery work in-house, so there was no need to outsource this portion of the build. The shop began by modifying a stock set of Cougar bucket seats and creating a custom rear seat to account for the raised driveshaft tunnel. The shop then covered the seats in a mix of curry- and nutmeg-colored Symphony faux leather embossed with metal rings that look awesome—almost like twin leather belts running down each seat. Much of the dash is upholstered in the same material, but not much of the original dash remains. HRE sectioned the dash, removing 5 inches of material before adding a set of Classic Instruments gauges in a Carpathian Elm burled-wood inlay.

High-End Electronics and Custom Trim Details

The same inlay backs the Vintage Air A/C controls, and a similar piece provides a mounting location for the chrome Cougar emblem on the passenger side of the dash. The finish of the center console is similar to that of the dash, with leather around the perimeter and the same Carpathian Elm material inlaid there as well. The console houses the air suspension controls, the shifter, power window buttons and a storage cubby at its rear. The steering column is painted to match the body, while the Billet Specialties wheel is half-wrapped in the synthetic leather. Stereo equipment consists of a touch-screen Kenwood head unit with navigation, DVD and iPod compatibility. The trunk houses Clarion amps and dual Audiobahn amps to power the numerous speakers throughout the cabin.

Award-Winning Final Result

Hot Rod Express completed Iorio’s Cougar in November 2007, after two long years of work. Seeing the finished product makes us sure that waiting for the car had to be torture, but in the end, the wait was worth it. In the car’s only public showing thus far, the Kansas City World of Wheels show, the Mercury earned a Best in Class award, which did not surprise us. This summer, however, the car will likely be at numerous Goodguys shows, as Iorio has a chance to get out with his car and have some fun. And we could think of no better way to spend a summer—top down in a way-cool Cougar sounds just about right to us.