Cougar buying info needed

S

SAFRANEV6RXE

New user
Jul 7, 2016
7
3
Devon
Hi
New to the forum so please be gentle with me!!!
I,ve been looking at buying a V6 cougar for a while now,and at last I,ve saved up enough so now I,am looking.
I only want a V6 version not sure if I want a manual or auto,and I like most colours so not bad there.
Now the things that worry me are what to look for when buying one,i,am going to read through the forum tonight and get some tips,want to know about engine reliability,gearboxes etc etc.
Also I need some info about options,i would like one with all options which seems to be the difficult thing to find
so what was exactly in an X pack etc?
I,ve seen them with sunroof,heated front screen,CD player,rear spoiler and rear parking sensors.
Is that a complete X pack setup or is there more or less.
Sorry to go on but I love the look of these cars and there seems to be a few to choose from.
 
Well here are a few things to look for...........
Avoid the Auto Box, if it breaks it is a car killer due to cost of repair.

Engines are bullet proof if well maintained and regular oil changes have been done. No real issues with gearboxes either.

The major issues now are all under the car, look for rust, mainly the sills, rear sub-frame, brake pipes, fuel filler neck. Be totally honest with yourself when looking as the car is now getting on in age.

Sunroof, front heated screen, rear spoiler & Parking sensors were all extras from the factory I am afraid and not part of the xpack spec.

Take your time and look for a very good one as if you end up getting a dog it will now only be fit for a scrap yard or cost you the earth to maintain / repair.

Good luck.
 
I was in your position 18 months ago when I was looking, and if you're restricted by the Cougar-realm budget, you'll struggle to find a more reliable and well put together car for the money.

The post above is a pretty good summary of what to look for. The engines are easily the strongest aspect of the car, but the rear subframe is biggest downfall. They were considered virtually impossible to replace due to prices, but I think some people have been able to import them from the states for relatively good money now.

Sunroof has caused more people bother than pleasure as the car has gotten older. Having seen what a broken one can do to the sills, I'm grateful for not having one.

When I bought mine, it had it's issues. They were all pretty small issues really. Most were easy fixes, and some rust will fall within the sub-£100 price remit, but you have to be vigilant with your inspection. If it looks like it's had a tough life and there's repair work here and there, you've probably got a car with a lot of hidden issues. There are well kept models out there, and there are a few popping up on this site (which should probably be your first resource as we all know each other's cars).

I admittedly bought mine without knowing much about the car, nor what to look for. I drove it home and to work the next week and I never looked back, as I'm passionate about her. My friends think it's emptying my pockets, but it's honestly not. This year I've put 12,000 miles on her in 7 months and all that's been necessary to fix to keep running is 2 tyre changes, power steering cooling pipe and a wheel alignment. That's about £300. Finance on a Vauxhall Viva is something like £99 a month. I know what I'd rather be in!
 
Welcome, what you are looking for is a strong body, give the sills a good thumb all along their length, if you hear metal bouncing walk away, if the sills are good get under the back end and give the rear subframe an inspection, prod it, thump it, get your finger in any orifice and feel around (ooo errrr o_O) surface rust is not an issue it can be rubbed back treated and painted (y) Flakey metal is an issue and you should walk away. check the state of the brake discs next, if the car has been sat for any length of time they wont be very shiney, that will give you an indication of driving condition. get the owner to start the car whilst you look at the exhaust for smoke, pay attention here:
Black smoke = not good walk away
grey smoke = not good walk away
white smoke = more than likely steam (the V6 runs hot and moisture in the exhaust system evaporates and looks like smoke)

Check for warning lights on the dash, turn the engine off and then turn the ignition on, you should get 7 audible beeps, all warning lights should illuminate and then go out when the beeping stops, if the traction control light and the charging system lights stay on that is indicative of the ABSpump failing, traction control light on its own is indicative of a sensor fault. If you are looking at an Auto check the digital display in the rev counter for a ! this means there is a problem with the transaxle

Remember there are a fair few cougars for sale most of the time so make sure you get a good one (y) There is enough knowledge on this forum to repair every fault with a cougar so if you do overlook something with the correct application of space and bacon it can be fixed :)
 
SAFRANEV6RXE said:
Hi
New to the forum so please be gentle with me!!!
I,ve been looking at buying a V6 cougar for a while now,and at last I,ve saved up enough so now I,am looking.
I only want a V6 version not sure if I want a manual or auto,and I like most colours so not bad there.
Now the things that worry me are what to look for when buying one,i,am going to read through the forum tonight and get some tips,want to know about engine reliability,gearboxes etc etc.
Also I need some info about options,i would like one with all options which seems to be the difficult thing to find
so what was exactly in an X pack etc?
I,ve seen them with sunroof,heated front screen,CD player,rear spoiler and rear parking sensors.
Is that a complete X pack setup or is there more or less.
Sorry to go on but I love the look of these cars and there seems to be a few to choose from.
Click to expand...

Hello, can't any more than what the guys above have already mentioned. Where in Devon are you? as I too live in Devon, down in Ivybridge near Plymouth. Happy to meet up with you and give you an idea of what my coug looks like. Cheers, Tim.
 
Fantastic advice from all, I bought mine without knowing a thing and have had both subframe and fuel filler replaced as they were rotten through but still believe it's absolutely worth the money I've spent and you can't get any more car for the same price
 
Worth pointing out that for the most part you're replacing common parts found on a Mondeo.

I've learned today that I need to replace my starter motor in the near future, and it's a motor used on V6 Mondeos and Jaguar's and won't set me back more than £70 which is great. For those surprised that my starter needs replacing, it seems that a new solenoid hasn't fixed my issues. Solenoid was only £10, for topic's case :)
 
Ah yes had a new starter as well to add to my immense list! Mine exploded, think I paid about £80 but still not that bad
 
SAFRANEV6RXE said:
New to the forum so please be gentle with me!!!
Click to expand...

Welcome! We're a pretty friendly lot, very interested in newcomers and their cars.

One of your questions that I haven't seen answered is the trim level. The 2.0 Zetec is pretty basic as standard; cloth seats, no fogs, etc. The V6 Duratec came with a few more options, but the X-Pack was basically the same thing as a Mondeo Ghia-X, including leather seats and doorcards. As I understand it, the sunflap and heated front screens were dealer options not included with that spec (mine is an X-Pack and has neither).

There were also two models of the Mk8 Cougar: the C1 and the C2. They have different wheels, front grilles and headlights, a different steering wheel and seats, and chrome interior accents, among other things.

I'm not sure that any of them were actually sold with parking sensors, so any you've seen are likely aftermarket.


elipton said:
Worth pointing out that for the most part you're replacing common parts found on a Mondeo.
Click to expand...

This is an excellent point. Except for a major engine issue (like a blown head gasket or big end bearings) I would not walk away from a car that has a mechanical problem, as long as it has a solid chassis and front subframe....

The Mk2 Mondeo rear subframe is a direct swap, (with a slightly different-shaped reinforcement webbing) so it's not a car killer by any means.

The front subframe isn't easy to get hold of for reasonable money. You could fit a Mk2 Mondy one (with the godawful Mk2 wishbones) but we don't recommend it because, oddly, the Mondy one is nowhere near as strong.

Inner and outer front sills should be the one thing above all else that you pay attention to. Look for signs that it has been jacked up badly. Tap it with your knuckles along the full length and listen for a rustling rattle noise, which is flakes of rust bouncing around in there. Maybe find out if a friend has a boroscope?

Get one with a nice long MOT on it, and get yourself to a Mini-Fix/Swap-Meet (MFSM). These small meets are the best introduction to the club, and we can kick your tyres and look her over for you

Lastly, don't go for the first one you see that seems to fit the bill. Get your hands on a couple of them and see how they feel. They're all characters and all just a bit different.
 
hi and welcome friend.

really nothing to add as all the best advice has been given by my comrades:)

chris(mako) is dead right about character ,they all have little differences that makes them unique and yours...i genuinely believe these cars have a soul ,mines saved me many times as payment for looking after her, getting from Brighton to bedford with no alternator for one.

try out a few and you wil get the feel for which one's right.
as for parts mines got a mondy rear sub and even some of the suspension ,power train ,engine are the same ,when looking up parts always compare the cougar part to a mondeo as often the mondeo is identical yet cheaper ,example v6 water pump ,radiator etc.

as been said do not be scared to give it a good prod ,especially the sills near the rear wheel and just behind the front wheel.
and if you find a good un i cant emphasize enough. get a paint brush and get some underseal on there.

and dont be afraid if the car does let you down at some point in its life or it needs some rustprofing ,were all willing to jump and help out just to keep a coug on the road and help out a fellow member.
i dont think you have full access yet but if you get it you'll see what i mean...just look at the mfsm thread.

good luck:beer:
 
Hi
THANKYOU very much for the advise I,ve read it all twice now!
I will take this all on board and keep looking for a nice example that fits the bill,if anyone heres of such a car for sale please contact me.
I,am in Seaton,Devon and yep I like big Renaults having worked for them for over 20 years,and yes I own the car my username is,a rare old Renault V6 that is!

- - - Updated - - -

This looks smart?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Coug...747105?hash=item46502ba061:g:JfMAAOSwMNxXajS9
 
SAFRANEV6RXE said:
Hi
THANKYOU very much for the advise I,ve read it all twice now!
I will take this all on board and keep looking for a nice example that fits the bill,if anyone heres of such a car for sale please contact me.
I,am in Seaton,Devon and yep I like big Renaults having worked for them for over 20 years,and yes I own the car my username is,a rare old Renault V6 that is!

- - - Updated - - -

This looks smart?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Coug...747105?hash=item46502ba061:g:JfMAAOSwMNxXajS9
Click to expand...

25s were my thing ;)
 
SAFRANEV6RXE said:
Hi
THANKYOU very much for the advise I,ve read it all twice now!
I will take this all on board and keep looking for a nice example that fits the bill,if anyone heres of such a car for sale please contact me.
I,am in Seaton,Devon and yep I like big Renaults having worked for them for over 20 years,and yes I own the car my username is,a rare old Renault V6 that is!

- - - Updated - - -

This looks smart?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Coug...747105?hash=item46502ba061:g:JfMAAOSwMNxXajS9
Click to expand...

Ahh, yes, Seaton, not too far from where I am. We'll have to organise a meet up and you can have a look around my Coug. What's your name by the way? (not your forum name lol)
 
Hi
The names Dave,i was on the forum for ages last night reading all the interesting stuff and pics,very helpful.
Must admit after reading up I do fancy a (Frosty?)silver car,manual,but will have to see what comes up,the rust inspection I will look at very carefully aswell,but I just need to find a car first.

- - - Updated - - -

This seems to be one of the more smarter examples for sale at the moment.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Coug...747105?hash=item46502ba061:g:JfMAAOSwMNxXajS9

No mention of rust in the MOT history and mileage appears genuine,no options though by the looks of it
Strange how the numberplates kept getting advised on the MOT.Also notice hole on seat edge.
 
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