Big turn around

S

Scott1102

Forum user
Jul 19, 2014
17
0
Doncaster
Can I just say a big thanks to Pid_16v for helping me out with my previous topic and a thanks to Shaggy for his messages.

Iv iv just done a huge turn around. Called the scrappy who was coming for the cougar and cancelled it. Main reason that worried me about it was headgasket. But garage near me says it's fine and cougar owners say it's not really a common fault with these. So apart from that, all it needs is some front brakes, rear tyres, new anti roll bar stabilizer link, boot struts, air con pump leaking.

Not sure if I'm allowed to mention big company garages where I took it. But I was hoping I could be allowed to quote the prices iv been given on paper for each individual fault and someone within South Yorkshire area tell me how/where to beat that price. :)

biggest cost looking at this sheet would be the air con. Says "non gen - £647.82" I'm more than happy to live without air con for that price lol just roll windows down.

Prices quoted:

air con - £848.27(gen) £647.82(non gen)

front pads - £56.09(gen) £39.66(non gen)

front disks - £208.94(gen) £182.35(non gen)

rear tyres - £140.75(conti) £69.20(nexen)

play in anti roll bar stabilizer link £96.32(gen) £80.59(non gen)

boot struts - £207.79(gen) non gen unavailable.
 
Not sure mate :/ it's just a printed off list of stuff that needs doing from garage near me. Thought if I took it to them I'd be safe with it being a big name. But I'm not so sure because looking on internet, boot struts only show around the £35-45 mark. So not sure how they came up with over £200
 
Exactly, the 'big names' will rely on you assuming they're going to be the best value.

You can get the tyres cheaper than that fitted by any on the website/van based lot (black cicrles, etyres etc, just punch in the tyre sizes.)

That's your starter for ten.
 
Does anyone know the exact tyre sizes for standard c1 cougars? Lol

and is that air con price real? Seems expensive for a leak....
 
The exact size is ludicrously expensive USA Flavor Rubber, refit whatever you've got fitted if it's doing the job size-wise in my opinion.

If the compressor is leaking, then it's about right to replace and refit a warranted compressor by an established franchise. If it's definately the component that's leaking though you can make a safe bet that somebody on here will sell you a working compressor for considerably less, remember this price may well factor in gas, nitrogen testing and leak-down though.
 
Yeah, those prices you're being quoted are "From a Ford dealer, with a massive extra loading by your garage".

The fact that even Eurocarparts can beat those prices - all of them - says to me that you'd be better off buying components independently and getting them fitted. The garage bills will still sting (and some of them don't like it when you bring the bits to them) but you'll still be hundreds of pounds better off.

Just one example... http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/F...6b34f70ca70649aea6ea7ccda35b8c4e8e0986&000027

Also: LOL at non-OEM boot struts not being available. Just who the hell are they asking? Jeez.

One last thing: For the second time in a couple of days I find myself agreeing with Benham. Don't scrimp on your tyres. With all the savings you can make on the other parts by shopping around you should be able to do far better than Nexen (and Contis are rubbish too in my opinion).
 
Scott the discs & pads, drop link (stabiliser), and tailgate struts are easy DIY jobs.

Discs and pads
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_o...5573.m570.l1313&_nkw=disc+pad+cougar&_sacat=0

Drop links (front or rear) are buttons:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_t...1313&_nkw=drop+link+cougar&_sacat=0&_from=R40

tailgate struts:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_o...70.l1313&_nkw=tailgate+struts+cougar&_sacat=0

to echo the above - Nexen are god-awful, please fit something better.

The correct tyre size is 215/50/16, but these are pricey, and sometimes hard to find, 225/50/16 are cheaper and more readily available, you could also go down on the width to 205/50/16 but these are in my opinion too narrow for the car
 
when it comes to tyres and brakes buy the best you can afford that said I am running discs and pads bought off ebay for less than £100 and mid range tyres like falken, Toyo or pirrelli shouldn't set you back more than £70 a corner fitted, with a basic toolkit you can do brakes and ARB link yourself (sure you will get help if you ask for it from the northerners) put your car in for a regass and confirm where the fault is, shouldn't cost more than £40 and it might not be the pump at fault, if it is I have a spare one somewhere in my garage I can sell you (y)
 
Thankyou for all your replies all :) love when people help on forums lol hard to find now a days when there's so many spammers out there.

Dogsbody - please elaborate :D pm me how/why/prices lol I can make it to castleford!

can I just get the air con taken out? I have no intentions of selling the car on. And I really won't need it. We are coming upto autumn/winter and even in summer I'd rather have windows open anyway. And I'm probably wrong but iv always been told air con units weigh the earth and for performance you can just remove them
 
If the system is vented, then you could quite literally "hack" at what you can see and leave the rest, or remove the dash and finish the job properly.

Given that the Cougar is quite porky anyway (especially in fully laden guise) you'd have the effect of "micturating in the ocean" though, so I'd be inclined to either fix it, or just leave it alone.

If it's just a leaky compressor you may get it fixed for £150 including gas with secondhand parts.
 
Scott1102 said:
Bet removing it isn't as simple as it sounds lol and I'm going to assume 100's of pounds to be removed properly? :(
Click to expand...

Nope. You can leave everything in situ, or you can remove it all. If you do remove it all including the pump, you'll need a different auxillary belt (the one you can see at the front (right hand side) of the engine) but they're easily available. I'm assuming a V6 here.

The risk with leaving the pump in place is that it won't be properly lubricated and so may eventually sieze.
 
Now that is good news to hear.
I'm sure the old girl deserves it!

Don't come to me for mechanical advice though, I'm currently running 205 section 'Mohawks':LOL:

They're legal and come between your alloys and the road, which is all I'm concerned about.
Plus the generosity of the guy that sold them to me.(y)
 
That's good news mate. As for your parts do a bit of searching on Ebay and eurocarparts. Ebay do a good deal on Mintex disc & pad sets for under £40. And there's plenty of help here if you need it.:beer:
 
Thanks shaggy.

I would love to take the dive in to doing things for myself but I'm really not mechanically minded :/ can someone who's never done things like there own brakes, actually do them with a step by step? Or should I just buy the parts and pay for a garage to do it
 
It certainly can be done mate. I think I could do it if I put my mind to it, but I never like the idea of taking my daily driver apart then not having it back together in time for Monday morning.
Like anything, give it a go and practice and you'll learn, which is what I need to do more of.

Or just buy another Cougar to practice on :)
 
That aircon price is staggeringly expensive. I've changed an a/c compressor on a V6 Cougar. It's a dawdle. A brand new compressor for one of these will cost a few hundred quid. A reconditioned one probably around £250 and a used one about half that.

It will need an hour's labour absolute tops to change the compressor over (straight out/in from underneath job, no need to remove half the car to gain access) and it'll need a pressure test and regas.

FWIW I'd choose working air conditioning over warm wind and noise via open windows. Nothing worse than sitting baking in a car on a hot day in slow moving traffic.
 
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