2000 Mercury Cougar, What to Look Out For?

[Dyoel182]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
My dad's 1998 was built at the Kansas City plant, I specifically remember the sticker. That might explain why it relatively trouble free until it was wrecked.


Yeah my girlfriend had a first year Mexican Focus that had lots of weird things until it finally ate itself just past 100,000.

 

[97tbird]

I'd trust a 1996-1997 MN12 Cougar a lot more than a 2000 Cougar

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: 97tbird
I'd trust a 1996-1997 MN12 Cougar a lot more than a 2000 Cougar

True, but what FWD car is better than a 4.6 RWD Cougar.

 

[sciphi]

Wow, this thread touched a nerve.

Eh, I'll see the car this weekend, and have more to report back.

 

[sciphi]

The car is sprayed in dark gray primer over the factory gray metallic paint, and is in need of work. Much work.

The previous owner took out the stock intake in favor of an intake I laughed at, then replaced some of the duct tape holding it together. The real carbon fiber hood (worth more than the rest of the car) hits the filter when it is closed. The muffler has been replaced with a glasspack, and the catalytic converter has broken free at the body of the cat. The interior is stained and reeks of smoke. And the transmission grinds when shifting too quickly. The car has been sorely abused.

Plans are to get a stock intake, replace the cat and the muffler with inexpensive units we can clamp in place, and clean the interior. Then he'll take it to get inspected, and do more work on it.

I hate it when people abuse their cars. And am cursing my friend for buying somebody else's problem.

 

[addyguy]

Good luck. Sounds like that car is trashed.

 

[Dyoel182]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
The car has been sorely abused.


That sounds like an understatement. I really hope he didnt pay much for it. My 1-owner SVT with 100,000 was only $3500.

 

[dishdude]

It's amazing how all of those "mods" actually depreciate the vehicle.

Nothing like throwing your money down the drain.

 

[sciphi]

He paid a little over $1000 for it. And knew it was going to need work heading into buying it.

I knew from what he had told me it wasn't in the greatest shape, but the shape I found it in was just astoundingly bad. This is definitely one of those where "it'll buff right out". And it's been in an accident that wasn't reported on the Carfax. Tick, tick...

Oh well. There's no helping the engine since it's likely damaged from ingesting debris-laden air for thousands of miles because of the junk intake, but the rest of the car can be straightened out with a weekend's work and a trip to the local junkyard.

It does make me feel a lot better about my decade-old car that looks like 10 cents but runs like a million bucks (knock on wood)!

 

[Dyoel182]

Tick tick? You mean tsk tsk?

$1000 isnt so bad for a car that needs works. Even if the engine is damaged he can always do the 3.0 swap from a Taurus and have a newer better engine for another $1000.

 

[occupant]

They can be fun. My stepdaughter's daddy bought her a silver 2001 model with the V6 and automatic. I feel bad they paid so much ($4500) for it, considering I'm looking at a 2000 model now with half the miles and some unknown battery drain problem for $700. I probably won't get it because I hate electrical gremlins but the car is clean and if it doesn't get scrapped, it'll make someone happy.

 

[brianl703]

Originally Posted By: occupant
some unknown battery drain problem


Does it have an aftermarket stereo?

 

[sciphi]

Update: my friend went to the yard and got a factory exhaust for $5, and we re-did the intake to one not held together by tape. He couldn't find a stock airbox. So we ended up clamping a cone filter onto the MAF sensor using an adapter that came with the car. Whatever, at least it's held together with clamps. He needs a new catalyst, as the one on there does not have enough metal to put a flange on, and likely a new flexpipe so we can get the new cat on.

Still needs exhaust work, and then it's all set to hit the road.

 

[crw]

Post a pic!

 

[BrianWC]

Did the later Cougar share any DNA with the Probe? I know I read it was, at one point, planned to be badged as a Probe, but I never knew if it was an actual evolution of said car.

 

[Dyoel182]

Nope. It was considered by some to be the 3rd Gen Probe but it was 100% Ford unlike the Probes and was more like a 3rd Gen Contour Coupe.

 

[javacontour]

Correct, it was built largely out of the same CDW27 platform of the Contour/Mystique/Mondeo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_CDW27_platform

 

[Dyoel182]

I actually asked a Cougar owner to pop their hood while pumping gas the other day so I could check some wiring connections compared to mine. She seemed very confused but did it anyway.