Manufacturing has come a long way since
1969. Even the most unremarkable, throwaway commuter car of today is made to
tolerances that would startle Cold War-era aerospace engineers. We totally take
for granted tight panel gaps, leak-free weather-stripping, and drip-free
engines. Take this Cougar, for example. Study the panel alignment and linger
over the silky-smooth paint. This car looks like it was assembled today. And
that’s because it was.
Manufacturing
has come a long way since 1969
Dennis Taylor is the original owner of this
car, it spent a couple of decades on the road and then sat under a carport in
Pensacola, Florida, for another decade after it became road-unworthy. Dennis
wasn’t willing to part with the car, it was like family to him. Now retired, he
was finally able to have the car restored to the exact specifications he dreamt
about for decades. Spending several hours researching restoration shops online
and through word-of-mouth testimony from friends and acquaintances, Dennis
finally decided to send his car to Jeff Lilly Restorations in San Antonio.
Eric
Oricshack did the final assembly of the body, and Nat Rameriz did the
show-quality cut and buff to the paint. See full build photos at JeffLilly.com
There, Jeff and his crew spent nearly two
years restoring it. The body had the typical rust holes in the bottoms of the
doors and quarter-panels, for which metal man Lou Carrillo made patch panels
from scratch. Bod Ives spent dozens of hours trimming and shaping the edges of
all the panels to get the gaps tight, even, and parallel. Bob also shot the
paint, using Glasurit’s basecoat/clearcoat system. The interior was intact but
needed a thorough scrubbing and some pieces replaced. The Eliminator-specific
302 engine had long since been replaced with a 428. Dennis wanted that chunk of
iron updated with a more modern Windsor-based 413 stroker built by Kutzer Racing.
Tremec’s stout TKO-600 transmission was tapped to handle the near-500 hp the
small-block makes.
The details are where this car shines.
Jeff’s crew spent hours massaging the body and nearly the same amount of time
routing the fluid lines and wiring, trying to hide them as much as possible,
yet still keeping them accessible for routine maintenance or repairs. The
results are a car that looks like it rolled off a barcode-scanned,
computer-controlled assembly line. Its cool exterior is matched by a high-tech
suspension and braking system that make this old Cougar look and drive like a
modern, high-performance sports car.
Tech notes
Who: Dennis
“Dat” Taylor
What: ’69
Mercury Cougar Eliminator
Where:
Pensacola, Fl
It
comes complete with a 1,000-cfm throttle body atop an aluminum single-plane
intake manifold, billet fuel rails, a mass airflow sensor that hides in the
air-cleaner housing, and all the wiring and sensors needed to run the engine
Engine: The
original engine is long gone, and Dennis also wanted the 428 he had installed
years ago to disappear. In its place is a more powerful 413 ci, Windsor-based
stroker. Build with a Callies crank and rods, and forged pistons, it has a
tough-as-nails foundation to withstand any abuse Dennis sees fit to dole out. A
9.5:1 compression ratio means it will still run fine on pump gas, though. The
camshaft is a hydraulic roller with specs that the owner doesn’t wish to
divulge. A pair of ported Edelbrock Performer RPM cylinder heads ensure
efficient airflow into and out of the engine, and Mass-Flo’s electronic port
fuel injection tops it all off. It comes complete with a 1,000-cfm throttle
body atop an aluminum single-plane intake manifold, billet fuel rails, a mass
airflow sensor that hides in the air-cleaner housing, and all the wiring and
sensors needed to run the engine. The accessory drive is from Billet
Specialties. On the dyno, this combination was good for 495 hp and 525 lb-ft of
torque.
Exhaust:
Custom-built 1⅞–inch headers dump into a 2½-ich, handmade exhaust system with a
cross-pipe and Spintech mufflers.
The
gauges and steering wheel were also refurbished
Transmission/Rearend: A Tremec TKO-600 replaced the old Toploader, and it twists the
gears inside a Chris Alston Chassiworks’ FAB9 rear axle.
Suspension:
Dennis wanted a car that could handle corners, so Jeff and he chose a front and
rear suspension system from Total Control Products. It comes with Varishock
coilovers and tubular upper and lower control arms on the front. Out back,
you’ll find their Rear Pushrod Suspension System, which replaces the leaf
spring with lower trailing arms, a torque arm, a Watt’s link, and horizontally
mounted coilovers actuated by pushrods. Both front and rear suspensions are
fully adjustable for ride height, ride quality, and for aggressive cornering.
Brakes: Baer
brakes, front and rear, ensure the car stops as well as it negotiates a corner.
With six-and four-piston calipers gripping 13-inch rotors, slowing this car
down is a snap.
This
Cougar wears 17-and 18-inch versions of the Magnum 500 wheels
Interior:
The original Comfort-weave upholstery was salvageable, keeping the Cougar’s
interior looking factory-correct. The gauges and steering wheel were also
refurbished.
Body/Paint:
Painstaking care was taken to get seamless rust repair and perfectly aligned
panel gaps before the car painted. To clue you in on the attention to detail
these guys strive for, all the panel gaps measure 3/16-inch. The basecoat is
Glasurit’s Wimbledon White, followed by several coats of clear. Eric Oricshack
did the final assembly of the body, and Nat Rameriz did the show-quality cut
and buff to the paint. See full build photos at JeffLilly.com.
Wheels/Tires: We like class wheels remade in modern sizes, and this Cougar wears
17-and 18-inch versions of the Magnum 500 wheels, manufactured by Wheel
Vintiques. Jeff had them custom-made to his specifications so they’d have the
exact offset needed to completely fill the wheel-wells. They are wrapped in
Dunlop Sport Max GT tires, measuring 225/50-ZR17 and 265/45-ZR18.
