Cougars in crisis

T

telboy

Well-known user
Mar 17, 2013
209
117
bozeat
I think that our poor old car has had its days well and truly numbered and we will end up with a very small handful of hard core people keeping them going.

I as many know I have broken a few cars manly for parts for myself but have sorted a number of people out with bits on the Forum but when cougar C2 parts no longer have no or little value and cars can be brought for less than £100 our cougar is in trouble.

So to the very few hard core owners like myself who in the next few years keep on cougar owning and keeping this great Ford icon going I tip my hat to you, because as time slips by and we number less and less maybe we will be the ones owning a proper car built when Ford was a leader as I for one love the cougar and all it stands for.(y)
 
Or are we just at a low point right now with an upturn in values around the corner? This kind of thing has happened to many Ford models over the years - Capris and early Escorts had hardly any value 15 years ago or so but are now considered classic and values have risen. I know this - I sold my old Capri for peanuts when it failed an MOT in 2003 (or thereabouts), now similar models (even basic models) command decent prices. I've noticed recently that Sierras seem to be doing a similar thing - again even basic models, not necessarily RS/XR versions, are creeping up in value as time goes on. I think it's only a matter of time before we see Cougars following the same pattern, that's what I'm hoping anyway! Even if they don't, they're still great cars :)
 
Totally agree, I fully believe that in time the Cougar will become a classic and values will increase but as most Fords it will be for standard unmolested cars so I guess you need two, one moded, and one standard if possible. I also think it will both C1 and C2 that will become valuable, well lets hope but as you I just love the car.
 
I recall similar comments a couple of years ago I think . .
Values tend to go up when demand increases, normally when cars get quite rare. So, cougars are in a good starting position since they were only made for 5 years or whatever. But that hasn't helped yet . . and lets not forget many cars although rare don't increase in value as there's no demand for them.
Predicting the outcome is crystal ball gazing I fear o_O
 
The car will be a future classic but we are talking about 20+ years from now and it would have to be totally original even down to the fried eggs !!!
 
i have terry to thank for much of the humble beginnings of melina when i got her.
most of the stuff on her came from terry but not just this, i had no idea what a clay bar was or how to get a 15 year old paint job to look like its just come out of the showroom..i have terry to thank and chris..

personally for me i really dont care what the value of my car is ,they can offer me 50p if they want to it wont change how much i like the car...
the problem for the cougar and indeed other cars is people have changed how they look at a car. now its just something to get them where they want to go and its gotta do it for as little as possible.
now in my day people loved owning a car for what it was. and xr3 or 4 or the wonderful cosworth and get joy outta driving it. now all people care about is what its gonna cost em ,they dont care if a new fiesta looks like a slighty deflated focus or a mondeo looks like an s max lowered with smaller roof..cars all follow a simular design now.
where as in the 80's an escort looked nothing like a capri.
ive always wanted one from the word go and now that ive got one i intend to keep it no matter the cost...the only thing that could part me from it is if some kid nicks it and burns it:cautious: and they better hope i dont get my hands on em:devilish:

i think the cougar will end up a classic just like the escort mexico and other iconic cars that also weren't actually good sellers for ford and were rare in there day.
but what the cougar does need to do this is dedicated owners who are willing to foot the bill or put the work in when that subby crumbles or it needs new sills fabricating..the rust can be beaten..
the coug gets a lot of stick from ford clubs and various st clubs etc...but then u will notice most of these people are the type that after a few years give up on there poor thrashed shagged car and get the next fast ford. these are NOT car enthusiast's these are lads that think driving down a ramped street at 50 mph and trolling people like us is cool..:cool:

sorry terry...rant is over:LOL:
 
I love it Paul and rant away mate,I totally agree with every word you say, I think us hard core cougar owners and many owners of classic cars that just love what they own will keep them on the road but for me and know you the cougar is something very special and as you say long live the cougar I hate most new cars they are soulless.
 
About 12 years ago I bought a Mk 2 Escort 1.3 Ghia in good nick with MOT for £90.
Looking around on the net something similar today could command at least £5000.

Every dog has its day(y)
 
I typed this this morning but before i could "post" Virgin Media decided it wasn't playing ball and has been down all day until a couple of hours ago. i thought to copy it to a txt file to save doing it again :):

In reply to the o/p.
Good post Terry, and i'm in full agreement. I'd also add that the old addage "you don't know what you've got till it's gone" stands true. These cars are at an all time low, value wise, we're getting to the point where realistically they are worth scrap at repair times. We are the custonians, of what could be "the classic car that ford forgot".
You only have to witness the looks from people as they pass by your car, they notice it and wonder. This is not the case with 95% of other cars.
There are enthusiasts for every marque, and i guess we are the enthusiasts for this marque. Heck, even my mum gets asked "what is that car your Alan drives?" I'd love to have a second, bog standard C1 to look after and cherish, but realistically, i neither have the space or the finances to justify.
 
Pid_16V said:
I typed this this morning but before i could "post" Virgin Media decided it wasn't playing ball and has been down all day until a couple of hours ago. i thought to copy it to a txt file to save doing it again :):

In reply to the o/p.
Good post Terry, and i'm in full agreement. I'd also add that the old addage "you don't know what you've got till it's gone" stands true. These cars are at an all time low, value wise, we're getting to the point where realistically they are worth scrap at repair times. We are the custonians, of what could be "the classic car that ford forgot".
You only have to witness the looks from people as they pass by your car, they notice it and wonder. This is not the case with 95% of other cars.
There are enthusiasts for every marque, and i guess we are the enthusiasts for this marque. Heck, even my mum gets asked "what is that car your Alan drives?" I'd love to have a second, bog standard C1 to look after and cherish, but realistically, i neither have the space or the finances to justify.
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exactly this!
my dash cam has motion detection with audio and its laughable to see people walking passed it and hearing them say wow what is it.....mercury! ive never heard of them.. the cougar definitely attracts attention.
it recorded a young lad with his mum walking passed at school time and i can just hear the kid say look mum its like knight rider...how he knows who knight rider is i dont know.. maby his mums a fan:LOL:
although i have also had people think its a v*****ll calibra too:cautious:

im trying very hard to get the missus to have a cougar but at the mo she loves her scorpio too much..another forgotten ford..
 
Great posts by all of you that sum up why we love these cars

We don`t know why we love them we just do

I sold my 3dr Cossie six months ago and in all the time I owned it (two years) I missed the Cougar that I sold to make way for it

There will always be a hardcore of members that keep the things going

Once you have been bitten you are screwed for life, it never goes away completely
 
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rikedwards said:
Great posts by all of you that sum up why we love these cars

We don`t know why we love them we just do

I sold my 3dr Cossie six months ago and in all the time I owned it (two years) I missed the Cougar that I sold to make way for it

There will always be a hardcore of members that keep tyhe things going

Once you have been bitten you are screwed for life, it never goes away completely
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yknow i think ive been bitten by the cat too:LOL:
 
rikedwards said:
We don`t know why we love them we just do
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Sir. I respectfully disagree. This is a very attractive car that is insanely easy to service. Members of the public act like it's an exotic - and we love that - but you can fix it for Mondeo money. We love them because they're gorgeous.

rikedwards said:
There will always be a hardcore of members that keep the things going
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I hope that includes me. I could afford other cars, but I don't want them. To be honest, I wouldn't bankrupt myself to keep a Cougar running, but I hope that never happens.

rikedwards said:
Once you have been bitten you are screwed for life, it never goes away completely
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I know that we need to reduce our dependence on petrol, but I hope I never have to give up my V6 and don't have to give up the possibility of owning a V8.
 
shirtyzeus said:
what you want more pistons!:eek:

my my you have cought the piston envy bug haven't you...first it was 4 then 6 and now he wants 8!:LOL:
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Well yes! Rik is a great supporter of the Coug regardless of how many cylinders it has. But I would love to own a car that has eight of them! Six will be good enough though. :)
 
I hope the Cougar doesn't go the way of my other fav Ford where otherwise salvageable examples are being used as a basis for a fifties-style coupe. A few would be fine, like the Audi R8 lookalike (though why?).
I must say though, look at Ford's "new edge" range; Ka, Galaxy, Fiesta, Focus, Mondeo, and Cougar, the Cougar is the only one that, well, isn't ugly (IMO).
 
The Cougar is already a 'classic' in my opinion, they have started in appear in ads in Classic Car mags etc, also a low mileage C2 was recently sold at auction for £3,000 !
But as others have said, it does not get the full recognition it deserves...... yet......
I'm sure it will become 'collectable' in the not too distant future, as have other Fords.
Yes, I get positive comments when I'm out in a Coug ("lovely car mate, what is it")!
I recently got a parking ticket and the guy put JAGUAR on the ticket by mistake lol!
In the meantime, it's a great club and I enjoy driving the Cougar so much, yes Terry I agree so many cars are soulless in comparision.
Why some Cougars are still so cheap (e.g the £37 ebay C2 recently!), is difficult to understand, but the more we can save/keep on the road the better!
P.S I'm still looking for a red one..........
 
Matt, the best bit is that I challenged the charge because he recorded the vehicle details incorreclty and I got off!
 
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