Hello all!

P

Paul. W

New user
Jul 9, 2012
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Thought I would sign up and say Hi! I've been thinking of buying a Ford Cougar for a little while now, but I dont know if its the right car for me. This is where im hoping you will help!

Bit of background...I currently have a Focus 1.8 TDDi which I have owned for the last 5 years. Its total mileage is nearly 180,000 miles. I simply cannot fault this car during my ownership. However as you can imagine, its starting to tire and I quite fancy something different now. Its also my first car since passing my test!

I used to be a member of FFOC, and I enjoy being part of a good owners club. I dont mind fixing and servicing things on the car myself, however larger jobs such as suspension bits I simply dont have the facilities for.

I want a motorway cruiser. 90% of my daily commute to work is motorway. I want something comfortable, and a little bit different. MPG isnt really a concern for me. Servicing and other running costs are however, and I wouldnt want them to be massivly more than the Focus. I dont want anything French and I dont want anything to do with Vauxhall :)

I'm a sucker for reading up massivly on various forums for any infomation I can absorb. I cant seem to come across any glaringly bad things about the V6 which is nice. I think the main one is the corrosion on the rear subframe, and wishbone suspension bushes. Any pointers on looking out for these on viewing cars? Also the IMRC ive read upon. So I guess I need to take any car I view for a test drive.

If there's anything you can add or advise, please do so! :)
 
Well the V6 is perfect for motorway cruising if mpg isn't a concern ( will still return 35+ if 90% is motorway) no real problems tbh, wishbones you will need to budget for unless they have been done in the last 2-3 years. Subframes (rear) are starting to become an issue now surface rust isn't a problem but some are showing signs of proper corrosion now.

Imrc you will know if it is working or not fairly easy as there should be a noticeable "kick" at 3500rpm under hard acceleration. Some are also needing lambda sensors 2 or three depending on the age of V6 you go for cost around £35 each off of eBay.

Other than that I wouldn't worry about mileage massively far more important is condition and how well you think it has been cared for.

The zetec isn't actually much slower or that much better on economy unless you do short journeys in which case the zetec is the better option.

JJ
 
Hi Paul and welcome to the forum - evrything you could ever want to know about the magnificent beast to be found on here.

Fantastic motorway cruiser, comfortable - and certainly a little bit different - especially when modded to your own taste.

IMRC problems are usually an easy fix but best to get a Cat that has had new wishbones in the not too distant past. The bushes can't be replaced and the wishbones will set you back £300 - £400 fitted!!

Petrol aside - the running and servicing costs are relatively cheap - especially when a member of this fine club. For example - I needed a new ABS pump - Ford price £1970.00!!!!!! - ukcougar.com price £35! The club is also renowned for its minifixswapmeets which will sort anything.

You really can't get more car for your bucks these days - it's the way to go!
 
Thanks all for your replies! I've got a couple ive eyed up online that im going to view. I just hope the previous owners didnt decide to sell when the wishbones were due!

Does anyone use an ODBII bluetooth reader with the Torque application on their smartphone? I may purcahse one if it works with the Cougar. Will let me see if its throwing up any codes before buying.

Cheers
 
Hi Paul, welcome to ukcougar.com, your in the right place for all things cougar related, as well as some crazy banter. You will also be able to find all the fixes you need in our subscriber sections. Have a browse around the open forums and get a feel for the place. Remember! ukcougar.com is the only workshop manual for the big cat.
Apart from the wishbones already mentioned, running costs are comparable with other fords, ie mondeo/focus etc so very good. Any rattles at the rear on the test drive will usually be due to worn droplinks which are very cheap and very easy to change.
From your opening post, i'd say you're already a cougar owner , you just havn't bought it yet:)
 
Welcome on board chap, in ref to the ODBII bluetooth reader with the Torque application.

I have,lol but being honest not used yet.

Plugged in, to check works & could find with the phone and thats it. i will have a play over weekend and let your know how i go.
si.
 
Hi and welcome to the forum.
If you have read up as you say then you will know all the common faults (wishbones, ARB droplinks, IMRC already mentioned) - another one not mentioned so far in this thread is that alternator related problems are quite common, and they are awkward to change.
Even knowing all these possible faults, I predict you will find it impossible to resist buying one once you have had a test drive.

Cheers
 
Hello there :)
Another thing to look out for and avoid like the plague is rust Bubbles coming through the rear arches and sill area.
Good luck finding a good one.. There are plenty of bargains out there :)
 
Welcome aboard!! The main points look to be covered. Reference your mention of the Torque thing, the Cougar has a self test mode that displays on the left hand information screen within the speedo unit. When in test mode, it will show any DTC codes in the system and will also let you see things like running voltage output of alternator, actual VSS MPH etc. worth a read up on ;)
 
Cheers all for your comments so far :)

Sorry I havent replied back in a while, however I have viewed a few cougars. The first was fit for the scrapheap. The rear of the car was literally rusting to pieces (bits fell off in my hand), and I was quite angry at the wasted journey considering it was in 'excellent condition for the age' :oops:

The second one was nice. Y reg, green, x pack etc. However completly missing service history from 60,000 onwards. The car was on 90,000+. In them last four years it had also seen multiple MOT failures for lots of silly things like tyres, brake pads etc. Things that any reasonable car owner would simply LOOK at before an MOT. And the salesman just wouldnt shut up, obviously because its been sitting there for a few months already! Walked from that one. There's been others as well which have just gone really scruffy and wasnt worth me putting money into. I dont mind spending a bit extra for one thats been looked after, its just actually finding one!


Anyway, I've found another one. This one is a private sale from a lovely lady I spoke to on the phone today, and I'm going to view tomorrow. Lets prey and hope!
 
There's a stunning extremely rare Laser Red C2 Zetec in the for sale section. An absolute steal at £750!!
 
Hello and welcome aboard - Hope you manage to find a good coug that will serve you well. There are lots out there, so don't be too quick to jump in and buy. As Kully said above ^^^^^^ There is a very nice Lazer Red C2 at a very reasonable price, although it is down here in the West Country in Torquay (you could come down for a couple of days hols!! lol)
 
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