06 July 2020


Hello Everyone!

    I'm not sure who is going to read this, but I'm going to try to keep it updated as I continue along my month long roadtrip in my dream car, my 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7. 

    First, I'm going to give a brief backstory on the car and what I have done to it, then I'm going to give a super-brief and vague outline of the trip, and then finally I'll describe the trip up until now. 

The Cougar: My car is a 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7. It has the 351W (5.8L) V8 engine and a Toploader 4-Speed manual transmission. I have installed entirely new high-performance front and rear suspension, and an entirely new power steering setup. I have replaced the camshaft, lifters, valve seals, valve springs and associated hardware, re-sealed the carb (QuickFuel 600 DP), re-sealed the transmission, replaced a rear axle seal, replaced the brake pads/liners front and rear (stock-ish rears and EBC Yellow-Stuff pads). I also replaced the entire fuel system with a stock style setup and new mechanical fuel pump, since the previous owner had butchered an install of an electric pump. The master cylinder is a manual setup from a '74 Maverick that I installed because previous owner had butchered a manual pedal into (not)working with a power booster and MC. I also adjusted the Hurst Competition Shifter that was hanging on by 1 bolt (it installs to the transmission with 3...), and recurved the MSD distributer. A Vintage Air Gen IV air conditioning system and a new McLeod Clutch and SFI approved billet flywheel were installed before this trip, along with new front floors. I won't go into details, but getting the Vintage Air compressor to work with my KRC power steering pump was a nightmare, and took much cutting and fitting. I'm definitely forgetting some stuff, but you get the gist of it. Lots of replacing and/or adjusting worn out/improperly installed parts.





Anyway, the headliners are the Mike Maier Inc. front coilovers, lower control arms, solid strut bars, panhard bar, Bilstien rear shocks. Mike's power steering kit, his subframe connectors and shock tower brace, and Maier Racing leafs (165lb?). 

TL;DR: My suspension is perfect for my grand-touring goal, and everything else is lightly-modded '69 Cougar. 

Trip Outline: Badlands, Yellowstone, Redwood, and Death Valley National Parks, then making my way back across the southern states, and visiting several of my friends along the way. I'll be going around the US roughly counter-clockwise over the course of July to roll into LBI, NJ right at the start of August. 

Trip Update: on 03 July I drove up to Boston to spend most of the weekend with my girlfriend, Sara. We had a great time watching Parks and Rec on Netflix, and playing Borderlands. On 05 July, I headed over to visit my family upstate.



    Today, on the 06 July, I drove from upstate NY to lower NY to pick up my cousin, Jimmy. We changed the oil and wired in a power converter, then hit the road for Columbus, Ohio. We were originally supposed to stay with one of his friends in Columbus, but he had to cancel so we instead booked a hotel using some Chase Rewards points I had stored up for this trip. Without realizing it, we booked a hotel that was attached to a very good brewery, and were greeted with 'check-in beers' after our 600+ mile drive to get here. If you're ever in Columbus and enjoy good beer, you MUST stay at the DogHouse Hotel. Trust me. Service is great, and the hotel and its amenities are stunning. This is a mystical place.


In total, the Cougar covered about 800 miles today, and it performed flawlessly. AC was on almost all the time, oil pressure stayed right at 50psi at 3000rpm, and she cruises fast with the 3.00 gears in the back. Temps rarely went above 210, and never for long. All in all, the car is performing amazingly and drinking very little oil, so I'm happy so far. I love Amsoil. 







Check back up tomorrow for another update, we should be in the middle of Wisconsin by then!

Ken







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