1999 Mercury Cougar 3L Turbo

[Sabre Tooth]

I agree, that is basically what I was getting at in my post. The Focus RS is on the limit of what a FWD car can do with that kind of power. The Cougar was never made to handle this kind of power from stock, after all it is all based on the Mondeo running gear, and that car is just a family 4 door car, not a sports car.

I came up against one of these the other day at the traffic lights. I allowed Christine to growl at it, nuff for him to think 'game on'..........then as the lights changed, I just gently pulled away & watched him boot it.................................no way could I have lived with that pace, from a standing start though.

It seems to be a bit of a minefield when stretching the limits, beyond what a car was designed to do...............get it right & you have a beast, get it wrong & you're stuck with a very expensive lemon.

 

[charliecd001]

I just wait till it is wet! Then you can see the wtf expression as they wheel spin and tc kicks in and the old green banger squats down and goes!

 

[F7OUD]

I came up against one of these the other day at the traffic lights. I allowed Christine to growl at it, nuff for him to think 'game on'..........then as the lights changed, I just gently pulled away & watched him boot it.................................no way could I have lived with that pace, from a standing start though.

It seems to be a bit of a minefield when stretching the limits, beyond what a car was designed to do...............get it right & you have a beast, get it wrong & you're stuck with a very expensive lemon.

I think when you are faced with this kind of situation it is always best to just let them get on with it to be honest. What is the point in trying to race off the lights when most of us only have 170 BHP max, up against something that is for a start 10 years younger + 130 BHP more powerfull. No contest really + when you then get to the corners the Focus RS would leave us dead in the water for sure seen as it is one of the finest handling cars in its class in the world. Even in bog standard form it is a great handling car and the 2litre would give most of us a run for our money.
I do agree about balance though, if you do go through with all that extra power you really do need to do all the other stuff as well ( suppension, brakes, ARB, Driveshafts, etc etc..... ) so at least then you got a car that can handle it all and not just a straight line lemon as you put it.

 

[F7OUD]

I just wait till it is wet! Then you can see the wtf expression as they wheel spin and tc kicks in and the old green banger squats down and goes!

Ah but you got 4x4 running gear. Different story all together. If you was on a standard set up like all us lot, the RS in the wet would still blow us all away, but I bet you do get some jaw dropping moments from people when it does happen !!!

 

[charliecd001]

From the arse end drive boys as well!

 

[Sabre Tooth]

I think when you are faced with this kind of situation it is always best to just let them get on with it to be honest. What is the point in trying to race off the lights when most of us only have 170 BHP max, up against something that is for a start 10 years younger + 130 BHP more powerfull. No contest really + when you then get to the corners the Focus RS would leave us dead in the water for sure seen as it is one of the finest handling cars in its class in the world. Even in bog standard form it is a great handling car and the 2litre would give most of us a run for our money.
I do agree about balance though, if you do go through with all that extra power you really do need to do all the other stuff as well ( suppension, brakes, ARB, Driveshafts, etc etc..... ) so at least then you got a car that can handle it all and not just a straight line lemon as you put it.

Absolutely Peter, know your limitations & don't get suckered into dangerous driving, in a futile attempt to prove a point, I agree (though I must admit there has been the odd time when I've found it necessary to stretch my right foot lol!).

That said, the cougar is no slouch & still holds it own on today's roads. With the sports exhaust & induction I'm running, I've probably recaptured a few of the horses that have galloped off over the last 10 years, maybe even added a few, but I strongly doubt it's reached that magic 200bhp yet. The V6 cougar is an excellent cruiser IMO (can't vouch for the zetec, as I've never owned one, but would imagine it to be a similar story), it comfortably maintains high speeds effortlessly, once it's reached them.

It is fascinating to see what others have done to push the envelope & enhance the performance though & for that, I take my hat off to them.

On a side note, whether modified or standard, the styling is still a real head turner, regardless of the speed.

 

[F7OUD]

Absolutely Peter, know your limitations & don't get suckered into dangerous driving, in a futile attempt to prove a point, I agree (though I must admit there has been the odd time when I've found it necessary to stretch my right foot lol!).

That said, the cougar is no slouch & still holds it own on today's roads. With the sports exhaust & induction I'm running, I've probably recaptured a few of the horses that have galloped off over the last 10 years, maybe even added a few, but I strongly doubt it's reached that magic 200bhp yet. The V6 cougar is an excellent cruiser IMO (can't vouch for the zetec, as I've never owned one, but would imagine it to be a similar story), it comfortably maintains high speeds effortlessly, once it's reached them.

It is fascinating to see what others have done to push the envelope & enhance the performance though & for that, I take my hat off to them.

On a side note, whether modified or standard, the styling is still a real head turner, regardless of the speed.

I agree, I really think it all about the styling of the car over and above the power of it. They is nothing out there even today that can still turn heads like the Cougar does. I get asked each and every day " What car is that mate "
It always makes me smile to think that we all run such an exclusive vehical.
The only thing that bothers me is all your silly Saxo / Fiesta / Polo owners who see you and have to have a go just because they see a spoiler and exhausts on the back end of the car, but it always gives me the pleasure to blow them all away when the road opens up and it is safe to do so.
It is great to see many people push the boundrys of this cars engine and it always makes interesting reading of what can be done to such a humble car.

 

[Relliott6879]

Wierdly enough, every time we go to Burnley in the Fiesta we get the Chav brigade trying to 'boy racer' us at the lights. It's a metallic beige 5 door diesel ferchristsakes, and I drive it like a Grandad. On the rare occasions that we take the Cougar though, not a sniff of it, they don't even try. Odd.

 

[F7OUD]

Wierdly enough, every time we go to Burnley in the Fiesta we get the Chav brigade trying to 'boy racer' us at the lights. It's a metallic beige 5 door diesel ferchristsakes, and I drive it like a Grandad. On the rare occasions that we take the Cougar though, not a sniff of it, they don't even try. Odd.

I am always getting it all the time with them to be honest but 95% of the time I got the kids in the car with me and I will not race anyone with them in the car.

 

[JJ]

Same here mate always have people trying to race from pug 306 to a 10 plate focus rs this morning while I was doing 65 in the inside lane of the motorway!!!, have to disagree about the handling though mine can outhandle a lot of cars it shouldn't.

JJ

 

[F7OUD]

Same here mate always have people trying to race from pug 306 to a 10 plate focus rs this morning while I was doing 65 in the inside lane of the motorway!!!, have to disagree about the handling though mine can outhandle a lot of cars it shouldn't.

JJ

I do think the car handles very well but after all it is a big car and it does handle just the same as the Mondeo. the only thing I will say is that the car does let you know when you are at the limit and you would have to be a plank to over cook it.

 

[mofo sob]

I do think the car handles very well but after all it is a big car and it does handle just the same as the Mondeo. the only thing I will say is that the car does let you know when you are at the limit and you would have to be a plank to over cook it.

Something wrong with GG at the moment - she hates right hand bends but hopefully the mafia will be sorting that on Thursday but - left hand bends - since I had the front and rear strut braces fitted to compliment the eibach suspension - I've not managed to find the limit yet - and I can assure you it's not through lack of trying

 

[charliecd001]

And while GG is having it's twitchyness sorted you get to try and kill yourself in mine!

 

[mofo sob]

Nah - too much respect for the fourby to rag it - and besides...................................................she ain't quick enough

 

[Pid_16V]

Absolutely Peter, know your limitations & don't get suckered into dangerous driving, in a futile attempt to prove a point, I agree (though I must admit there has been the odd time when I've found it necessary to stretch my right foot lol!).

That said, the cougar is no slouch & still holds it own on today's roads. With the sports exhaust & induction I'm running, I've probably recaptured a few of the horses that have galloped off over the last 10 years, maybe even added a few, but I strongly doubt it's reached that magic 200bhp yet. The V6 cougar is an excellent cruiser IMO (can't vouch for the zetec, as I've never owned one, but would imagine it to be a similar story), it comfortably maintains high speeds effortlessly, once it's reached them.

It is fascinating to see what others have done to push the envelope & enhance the performance though & for that, I take my hat off to them.

On a side note, whether modified or standard, the styling is still a real head turner, regardless of the speed.

Speaking purely from my own point of view Mark, the zetec, when driven "properly" can set a pace, and hold the top end really nicely. Obviously the torque isnt there, but it is still a joy to drive, and the grin is just as wide.

I agree, I really think it all about the styling of the car over and above the power of it. They is nothing out there even today that can still turn heads like the Cougar does. I get asked each and every day " What car is that mate "
It always makes me smile to think that we all run such an exclusive vehical.
The only thing that bothers me is all your silly Saxo / Fiesta / Polo owners who see you and have to have a go just because they see a spoiler and exhausts on the back end of the car, but it always gives me the pleasure to blow them all away when the road opens up and it is safe to do so.
It is great to see many people push the boundrys of this cars engine and it always makes interesting reading of what can be done to such a humble car.

My traffic light routine:
When the chavs do the business and give me the eye, i return the nod and some revs. Then at the critical moment (when amber turns to green) I let them spin the back wheels off while i drive away as normal, then i put the foot down and 9 times out of ten cruise by at the next set of lights . Oh the look on their little purple spotty faces kills me

Btw, :stop: we are getting a tad "OFF TOPIC" with this one.

 

[Sabre Tooth]

Gotta say though, watching those vidz of the turbo'd coogs, the standard N/A V6 has a great sound, add induction & a sports exhaust, the sound gets even better .............that turbo sound on top is very sexy & addictive!

Here is the supercharger whine as a comparison :

 

[bigc23]

Oh Man!!! if only I had the money, I would get that 3L set-up. Turbo-Charge, 4X4 turn our stunning looking cruisers into ultimate mean machine performance vehicles! How much do you reckon you would have to throw at our cars to get them over 350HP and give it the real performance that the looks deserve, I mean forgive me if Im speaking out of turn here but honestly the looks of our cars don't match the stock performance they were given.

 

[Sabre Tooth]

Oh Man!!! if only I had the money, I would get that 3L set-up. Turbo-Charge, 4X4 turn our stunning looking cruisers into ultimate mean machine performance vehicles! How much do you reckon you would have to throw at our cars to get them over 350HP and give it the real performance that the looks deserve, I mean forgive me if Im speaking out of turn here but honestly the looks of our cars don't match the stock performance they were given.

I would say at a rough guesstimate, you'd be looking in the region of £3-4k for the turbo/supercharger, to include all the necessary internals & running gear, about the same if you went for the 4X4 conversion.

 

[bigc23]

I would say at a rough guesstimate, you'd be looking in the region of £3-4k for the turbo/supercharger, to include all the necessary internals & running gear, about the same if you went for the 4X4 conversion.

So we would be looking at about 7K for the 4x4 and supercharger option? when im rich an famous this is what im going to do. I have said to the fiance that finance permitting im never selling my car. The time effort and money that you put into it, you would never get it back when selling, when i have all the money im gonna do the supercharger and 4x4 conversion (as he kneels down before bed to pray to the lottery man)

 

[Sabre Tooth]

So we would be looking at about 7K for the 4x4 and supercharger option? when im rich an famous this is what im going to do. I have said to the fiance that finance permitting im never selling my car. The time effort and money that you put into it, you would never get it back when selling, when i have all the money im gonna do the supercharger and 4x4 conversion (as he kneels down before bed to pray to the lottery man)

LOL..................sweet dreams bud!