Changing Cougar - Advice needed on parts to retain

Mike Hart

Forum user
Jul 27, 2008
36
0
Hillingdon, West London
Hi Guys,

My V6 Frosty Cougar (the one that sometimes won't start when hot) has reached the end of its life ;(
...so I've bought a V6 Black one!!!! Woo-Hoo! ;)

The question is... What parts should I strip out of the old one before weighing it in for scrap?

Both are x-pack with roof, so I'm particularly wondering if there are any sunroof components that I should retain, having heard some of the '5mm open' horror stories. Apart from that, I've got...

Head unit, boot changer and cassette (for spares)
Sat-Nav bracket (an aide memoire for me!)
Amplifier and wiring (another aide memoire for me!)
HID lights (I bought them, they're great, so I'll keep them)
Sidelight lenses and bulbs (the clear ones)
Check condition and comfort of drivers seat and consider swap
Battery (the one in the 'old' Cougar is only a year old)
Sun roof?? rails?? whatever??
Hubcaps (mine say 'Cougar', and the new ones say 'Ford')
Wipers (I have those 'springless' ones)
Wheel lock nut
Fire extinguisher

Changing my Cougar is a genuine pleasure (..but changing my insurance with Adrian Flux was worse than hell !!! )
 
It's worth holding onto:
Alternator
PS pump
PS oil cooler
Starter motor
Wishbones and shock absorbers if they are any good
all the sensors you can find
Front abs sensors
Headlights
Bulbs
Fuses
Relays
Imrc

As much as you can basically if you have space to store it all :)
 
Before you strip the running gear off the car, (which is excellent advice) check that your local scrappers are willing to collect an immobile chassis.

You should be okay down there in Hillingdon - but up here in MK there is only one place that will do it.

Actually depending on where you are in Hillingdon - like over near the Master Brewer - you could probably just leave it on your drive and it'll be gone in the morning. :rolleyes:
 
...Aaaaand then your garage ends up looking like this;



:cautious:

I agree in principle but unless you have a shed, a barn or a double garage that you don't use for anything else, you really have to be selective.
 
Hi Mako,

This is the point. My intention was to take it to scrapper on the Bath Road, over near the Three Magpies, as a 'drive in'. I'm not a mechanic, and though my mate (Mark) is willing to help in the changeover, he didn't like the idea of stripping the gearbox out, even though he is more than capable.

So its back to the basic stuff, and leaving it in a (barely) running condition.

Thanks for all the helpful replies, and the other ones too!

Bigcatdazzer, not looking to break this. Just looking to retain any parts that might go wrong with my new one - like the sunroof. Thanks for the interest, tho.

Mako, the good news is that I'm over the other side of Hayes from the Master Brewer. It was a nice, sleepy estate until they built a new secondary school on the side of it. Last year, this outcode (UB3 xxx) was in the top-twenty of burgled addresses in the country. Coincidence? You be the judge. The new school was built on an allotment, and we never had any trouble from the allotment.

Cheers! - Mike
 
Thought it might be, Mike.

You could strip the car and sell parts here, but the market's pretty flooded at the moment it seems. So the most valuable parts (for someone who still has a Cougar) are underpinnings that are different from the Mondy, or which are ludicrously expensive. Wishbones and alternator. That sort of thing.

I grew up (or did some growing up) in Ickenham, which has changed beyond recognition in the 22 years since I lived there. Amazing that you never had any trouble from the fruit and veg; wonder how the council explain that? ;)
 
Handbrake lever.....mine failed (wouldn't ratchet), the parts dept at Ford said "you'll be lucky they don't make them anymore," "but you can buy one for a Mondi and try and swap bits around." So keep the handbrake....gold dust !!!!
 
Handbrake lever.....mine failed (wouldn't ratchet), the parts dept at Ford said "you'll be lucky they don't make them anymore," "but you can buy one for a Mondi and try and swap bits around." So keep the handbrake....gold dust !!!!

1137635(amongst others) is a FINIS listed for both the Mk 2 Mondy and Cougar handbrake levers.
 
Yeh !! The bloke at my parts dept is clearly a bit thick, I went in there last week for some "orange" anti-freeze, "Nah don't stock that anymore, it's green stuff now." So I take my chances with the extra job of flushing the coolant system and buy 5lts. When it comes to filling the system with coolant......well what do you know.....it was Orange. Stupid ***!
 
Yeh !! The bloke at my parts dept is clearly a bit thick, I went in there last week for some "orange" anti-freeze, "Nah don't stock that anymore, it's green stuff now." So I take my chances with the extra job of flushing the coolant system and buy 5lts. When it comes to filling the system with coolant......well what do you know.....it was Orange. Stupid ***!


I don't suppose you thought to check it yourself before you bled your engine? :oops:
 
Yep your right would have saved me a bucket load of time....when you walk into a Ford Main Dealer Parts Dept, there is a slight chance you have faith in the fact they know what their doing....i learnt the hard way, as the saying goes "once bitten twice ..."