Thinking of joining the ranks.....

[radiogareth]

Hi, my trusty 1992 Scorpio estate is getting a bit long in the tooth and I like my leather, air con and cheap Ford parts. Saw a Cougar locally and thought "What's that??". Now I know. It is also about time I had something more rewarding to drive

I'm looking for a Blue Manual (had enough of expensive auto boxes on Scorpios thanks) with leather but have some questions perhaps people could help with before I spend my hard earned.

I'm familiar with the 2.0 Zetec (son has one in his Haynes Roadster) and I had a V6 Cosworth in an earlier Scorpio. That expired the timing chain at 116,000 which was replaced by a low miles donor. I have endured my Scorpio 2.0 DOHC for 40,000 miles and now I want the option of a bit more fun, somethimes, hence the V6. Does the 2.5 have any weak points I should be aware of? What sort of mpg are people getting - I can tease the scorpio up to 38mpg on a mway run?

I converted my Scorpio to LPG and have been 100% pleased with it - single point closed loop system.
Has anyone on here had theirs done recently (I have had a search through the forum) and if yes, what size tank did they manage to squeeze in to the spare wheel well, which I presume is a full size spare? Is it the v6 that is electrically complex - any special reason why? WHat are the V6's like to work on - accessibility nightmare or what?

Are decent roof racks available for the Cougar as I sometimes need to transport a bike. I'd also like a towbar, not least it stops people using my car as a parking aid, plus I do sometimes need to drag something!

Any rust problems I should be aware of - they are now reaching that point in life where it may be a problem.

Thanks!!

Gareth

 

[dogsbody]

Hello Gareth, welcome to the forum.

The V6 is a pretty solid engine if it has been looked after, the right oil changed ofton and a regular check on the level is essential...if this has been done then it will be good for a couple of hundred thou. Timing chains rarely fail but the followers may need replacing on a higher mileage example.
I average 26 mpg with my V6 ( with a few mods) but can get 32 mpg on a motorway run ..at best...if i drive like a granny.
A couple of members here run LPG and swear by it. The spare wheel is a space saver though.
The Cougar is electrically complex to me..but i have been used to working on the old Mk2 escort and Capri which have about 4 wires between them.
Roof bars are available and crop up on here or ebay every now and again but are pretty rare.
I have a towbar fitted to mine with detatchabe ball, you cant see it when i remove the ball, cost about £70 from ebay.
Some Cougs are showing rust on the sills especially forward of the rear wheel arch. Also the rear subframes can be a problem on some cars..apart from that they are pretty good.

Hope this helps and good luck finding a nice one ( Black is the best colour though )

Mart

 

[scunnycougar]

welcome to the club gareth.

Totally agree with Dogsbody's sentiments.

v6 coug (or even a 4 pot) would be an excellent choice - brilliant value.

 

[JJ]

I have owned both the v6 and zetec ( zetec is the current one) and both will make you smile going from a four pot Scorpio to a zetec cougar will not be an issue it is fairly pokey and I get 37-39 on motorway runs but have a lot of mods some are getting more, the v6 is obviously a better puller if your going to tow every now and again but mpg will not be as good as you could get from a zetec with the same driver in both.

Either will put a smile on your face tbh, the main things that will need replacing at some point with be the usual drop links, bushes and most likely wishbones which are easy and relatively cheap.

Do not worry about mileage my v6 did over 140,000 and my zetec is now on 172,000 go for condition and how it drives.

Good luck.

JJ

 

[Zummerset]

24 hours in and site is great to explore, I hope you enjoy joining in and secure the Cougar in your area... David (Somerset)

 

[radiogareth]

Thanks everyone for the comments, all usefull stuff. I drove the mondeo before we removed the engine (1993 2.0 saloon auto) and was quite impressed how well it went 'on the floor' but torque steer was fun as it shifted 1-2!! That would not be such an issue with a manual. Also planning to add motorcycle throttle bodies to the zetec which on a standard engine with exhaust mods can yield over 170 bhp...if it would fit under a cougar bonnet that is nearly V6 territory. Assuming underbonnet is similar to a mondeo, there is not a huge amount of room unless I could curl the intake trumpets back over the engine. No harm in dreaming... the website detailling this conversion is here....http://www.fatbaldbloke.co.uk/westfield_articles/Westmsq.html and since I am familiar with the excellent Megasquirt system it is a possibility....talk is cheap though!

Thanks

Gareth

 

[radiogareth]

Spent some time trawling Auto trader website looking at 2 litre Cougars - two of the adverts list "Full size spare". Was this a change during the 4 years of UK sales or did the 2.0 have different size wheels to the 2.5? I'd want a full sized spare variety if possible as you can get a decent sized LPG tank in there - I don't want one in the excellent luggage space. My Scorpio does about 220 motorway miles on a fill (£28), about 170 around town. All my journeys take me past plenty of LPG filling stations, so it's not really a problem these days.

Gareth

 

[mofo sob]

As far as I know they all came with space saver spares but you can actually fit a full size wheel into the spare bay - no difference in the size of the well.

You really need to PM topcat (Tony) - he is the resident LPG expert and I'm sure that he will be able to expertly answer any questions that you may have.

Click on messages and type in top and topcat will come up as an option - click on that and send him a message

 

[Bill Poster]

Go for the V6. You won't regret it... years ago my missus faced a similar issue when buying a Probe. Despite me telling her to go for the V6 2.5l she went for the 4 cylinder 2 litre and regretted it. The roar of the 6 pots never stops making you smile (I'm into my 7th year of ownership of the Cougar now)... as others have said, the engine is good for a lot of miles (I'm on 123K and rising). The things you have to watch out for are worn wishbones (nearly £200 each to replace) and a box of tricks on the V6 that opens up additional inlet manifold ports. You can test this by taking it out for a spin and flooring it to get the revs over 4k. If it feels sluggish, the IMRC box needs replacing. Again about £200.

 

[JJ]

Wishbones are now £130 not £200 ;-)

JJ

 

[Bill Poster]

Excellent, cheers. Glad I rejoined!

 

[WildV6]

Just to say hello and welcome aboard, hope you find yourself a decent Coug - there are lots to choose from, so take your time.