oldest cougar
- Thread starter Franspeed
- Start date
You guys ARE the prototype. In US, the 1997 cougar was this honkin masterpiece of a fricken land yacht
In 1998 mercury didn't produce a cougar in the US. They're nonexistent and any part site you look at excludes the 1998 model year. In 1999 however, the following year we got the cougar until 2002
I will check and report back.
This car has been the subject of much debate over several years on the Forum, so some of this has been covered before, but it is of interest in being possibly the 'oldest' surviving Cougar, and will be saved.
I have just tried Ford Etis again, and is says build date USA 15/08/1998 Reg date 07/08/1998 and the V5 says reg date 08/07/1998 !
This car has been the subject of much debate over several years on the Forum, so some of this has been covered before, but it is of interest in being possibly the 'oldest' surviving Cougar, and will be saved.
I have just tried Ford Etis again, and is says build date USA 15/08/1998 Reg date 07/08/1998 and the V5 says reg date 08/07/1998 !
Dan, I think it was 100,000 for Ford vehicles and 600,000 for Mercury vehicles. Yours should be over 600,000.
Ok so the serial number on that car is 200002. Was it 100000 or 200000? If its 100000 then thats the 100002 car built and would definitely take it out of prototype status. However if its 200000 then thats the 2nd one built. And unless the first one is in a museum or someones garage then you certainly would have the oldest.
For a prototype that ford is working on do they assign it a VIN? If not then 2 cars would have been built after the prototype.
If they do assign them a VIN wouldnt it be 00001?
If it is a prototype and thats the VIN of it, what happened to prototype number 00001?
These are the questions we must ask ourselves.
Pretty sure oldest.
For a prototype that ford is working on do they assign it a VIN? If not then 2 cars would have been built after the prototype.
If they do assign them a VIN wouldnt it be 00001?
If it is a prototype and thats the VIN of it, what happened to prototype number 00001?
These are the questions we must ask ourselves.
Pretty sure oldest.
WFO - Ford Germany (registered company)
H - Driver and Passenger Front and Side Airbags and Active Belts
T6 - Mercury Cougar
1 - Unknown
L - Duratec 25
5 - VIN Check Digit
X - St Thomas assembly Canada
Rest are sequential numbers.
It seems to be that because it's a prototype, they used part of the US numbering system, so as to whether it was built in Canada or not, who knows? I'm guessing it's a maybe if production hadn't started
H - Driver and Passenger Front and Side Airbags and Active Belts
T6 - Mercury Cougar
1 - Unknown
L - Duratec 25
5 - VIN Check Digit
X - St Thomas assembly Canada
Rest are sequential numbers.
It seems to be that because it's a prototype, they used part of the US numbering system, so as to whether it was built in Canada or not, who knows? I'm guessing it's a maybe if production hadn't started
Taken from TIS Cougar Identification Codes:
WF0 - Ford Werke A.G. Germany(European vehicles)
H - Active belts (all positions) and front and side airbags (driver and passenger)
T - Passenger car
61- Cougar V6
L - 2.5lits
5 - Check digit.
X - Model year 1999. (As Dan was bemoaning upthread there wasn't a 1998 Model year Cougar)
5 - Assembly Plant - AAI Flat Rock Michigan.
Last six digits are the Production Sequence Number - 100,001 to 599,999 for Ford vehicles. 600,001 to 999,999 for Mercury vehicles.
Info is here:
http://workshop-manuals.com/ford/co...scription_and_operation/identification_codes/
WF0 - Ford Werke A.G. Germany(European vehicles)
H - Active belts (all positions) and front and side airbags (driver and passenger)
T - Passenger car
61- Cougar V6
L - 2.5lits
5 - Check digit.
X - Model year 1999. (As Dan was bemoaning upthread there wasn't a 1998 Model year Cougar)
5 - Assembly Plant - AAI Flat Rock Michigan.
Last six digits are the Production Sequence Number - 100,001 to 599,999 for Ford vehicles. 600,001 to 999,999 for Mercury vehicles.
Info is here:
http://workshop-manuals.com/ford/co...scription_and_operation/identification_codes/
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Not necessarily Dan. I was reading on a Mustang forum that US Sequential Numbers don't actually match with the order the cars were built in.
So we can pretty much say this is the oldest and first car into the UK, we must assume No001 would have been crash tested and destroyed. As I keep on saying, this car will be of value in the future, there is no doubt about it given the Top Gear link as well. I just wish I bought this car when I had the chance a few years ago but he wanted way to much money for it given the condition it was in as well.
Thanks to you (and everyone), for your interest and info on this revived thread.
Yes, I agree this Cougar appears to be the oldest and first in UK (maybe in the World?!)
It is dry stored at moment, and I hope to start the restoration early next year.
I will visit it again soon and check for any differences from a standard C1.
I seem to remember there was some small anomaly with the gear stick or something.
It's in a bit of a state, but saveable. I'll post some pics.
Yes, I agree this Cougar appears to be the oldest and first in UK (maybe in the World?!)
It is dry stored at moment, and I hope to start the restoration early next year.
I will visit it again soon and check for any differences from a standard C1.
I seem to remember there was some small anomaly with the gear stick or something.
It's in a bit of a state, but saveable. I'll post some pics.
Wil, it appears as though HAR was built even earlier than first thought:
That date is in the UK format ie day before month.
The warranty start date was listed as July, when it was first registered.
The info is via dealer-level access to ECAT.
Strangely VERY few of the S-XAV reg. vehicles show up on the system.
That date is in the UK format ie day before month.
The warranty start date was listed as July, when it was first registered.
The info is via dealer-level access to ECAT.
Strangely VERY few of the S-XAV reg. vehicles show up on the system.