FREE Ford Cougar Track Project Build Thread
Discussion
The interiour will be fully stripped out, bar the dash and two front seats. I will keep all the bits so it can go back together again if that is what I decide to do, luckily I have the space to store all the bits.
The reason I have not started fully on the car and have done little jobs like painting the towing eye ect is because I have had exams since I have got the car, and decided that my time would be best spent on those than the car. Painting the eye took a few mins at home, and was somthing to do when I could take revision no more! My last exam is on friday, but I might take tomorow to go and do some work on it, depending on how I feel. I have also had work to do on my other car, which I need to get around the place
I appreciate that some of you think I may loose motivation on the project, but I can assure you it wont happen. It is somthing I will enjoy working on in my spare time at my own pace, and unfortunatley Uni must come first. I am sure the car will still be there when the exams are over
I plan to have the clutch changed at the end of Feb / begining of March, which gives me time to get some money together.
The reason I have not started fully on the car and have done little jobs like painting the towing eye ect is because I have had exams since I have got the car, and decided that my time would be best spent on those than the car. Painting the eye took a few mins at home, and was somthing to do when I could take revision no more! My last exam is on friday, but I might take tomorow to go and do some work on it, depending on how I feel. I have also had work to do on my other car, which I need to get around the place
I appreciate that some of you think I may loose motivation on the project, but I can assure you it wont happen. It is somthing I will enjoy working on in my spare time at my own pace, and unfortunatley Uni must come first. I am sure the car will still be there when the exams are over
I plan to have the clutch changed at the end of Feb / begining of March, which gives me time to get some money together.
porka944s said:
why does everyone rave about stripping out cars, its a romantic notion, making you think you're a racing driver! Stripping cars out is crap, they are too noisey, uncomfortable, cold, look s
t, rattly and no one wants to be with you in it. No one will ever have that car again and it'll be destined for the scrapper. For the one track day a year you'll do its not worth it. And for the towing eye? get the car drivable so you can ditch it in the gravel to need one.
There should be a fair saving of weight by striping out the interiour, and as it is already a heavy car it will all help. I will keep all the old bits so can be put back together again. It doesnt worry me if it is noisy and rattly - its not an everyday car.t, rattly and no one wants to be with you in it. No one will ever have that car again and it'll be destined for the scrapper. For the one track day a year you'll do its not worth it. And for the towing eye? get the car drivable so you can ditch it in the gravel to need one.Oh, and I like the idea of it
TBH I wouldnt bother with storage of the bits to put it together, if its soley a track car then the bodywork and engine arent going to be up to much anyway after a year or two, plus cougars are in short supply so a premium price can be got for the parts, you have storage area for the parts but when you are finished with the car it will be such a pain in the ass to refit them that you probably never do it.
If you decide to strip it out properly you wouldnt be able to refit trim anyway as taking the double skin doors down to single skin takes the mounting points for the door cards etc away, removing double skins from doors, boot lid, bonnett etc can save a serious amount of Kg so its really worth doing, you could sell the passenger side windows aswell and fit in plexiglass which would be dirt cheap if you cut it out yourself. And you really should do away with the dash, theres a mountain of unneccessary crap in there for heating and cooling the car in 20 different ways, storing rubbish, cupholders, etc which will never be used again anyway.
Keep the seats untill you can afford some cheap composites, pairs are on e bay all the time for very little money and then youre really on the way to a race car experience
If you decide to strip it out properly you wouldnt be able to refit trim anyway as taking the double skin doors down to single skin takes the mounting points for the door cards etc away, removing double skins from doors, boot lid, bonnett etc can save a serious amount of Kg so its really worth doing, you could sell the passenger side windows aswell and fit in plexiglass which would be dirt cheap if you cut it out yourself. And you really should do away with the dash, theres a mountain of unneccessary crap in there for heating and cooling the car in 20 different ways, storing rubbish, cupholders, etc which will never be used again anyway.
Keep the seats untill you can afford some cheap composites, pairs are on e bay all the time for very little money and then youre really on the way to a race car experience
Spent a couple of hours on the car today. Got the battery on charge (which I think is knackerd). I've got annother one kicking about which is in good condition if the other one doesnt come round, which I can put on if needs be.
Stripped the boot out fully, rear seats and door cards + seatbelts.
Total weight lost so far; 52KG
There is a load of redundant metal in there, which I will leave in for the time being, but will probably cut out at a later date. There must be a good 50KG at the back of the car atleast.
Pics will be uploaded tomorow.
Oh, and I now have a hankering for a set of racing seats, but seem a little out of budget ATM!
Stripped the boot out fully, rear seats and door cards + seatbelts.
Total weight lost so far; 52KG
There is a load of redundant metal in there, which I will leave in for the time being, but will probably cut out at a later date. There must be a good 50KG at the back of the car atleast.
Pics will be uploaded tomorow.
Oh, and I now have a hankering for a set of racing seats, but seem a little out of budget ATM!
Sorry for the delay, pics as promised;
Not much to see I'm afraid, but gives a rough idea. There is lots more to come out, but didn't have all the tools with me.
Also, the car is booked in to have the clutch changed the first week of march, so will be good to be able to give it a drive!
Not much to see I'm afraid, but gives a rough idea. There is lots more to come out, but didn't have all the tools with me.
Also, the car is booked in to have the clutch changed the first week of march, so will be good to be able to give it a drive!
TheLurker said:
Also, the car is booked in to have the clutch changed the first week of march, so will be good to be able to give it a drive!
Have a go at it yourself. If you can't do it then trailer it in.driveshafts out
gear linkage off
unmount gearbox from mounts (with jack underneath)
undo bolts holding bell->engine
wiggle
simples
I would love to have a go myself, but it a complicated job. It requires removel of subframe, exhast, powerstearing components, steering rack and other bits and bobs. By the time I have bought all the required specialist tools, and aquierd an engine hoist (required apparently), it will have cost about as much as my local independent will do it for (I know him well and have a deal )
) Sorry, the only work is a new battery 
I've got the clutck kit on order, and thats going to be fitted on the first of march. I can then drive it home and get on with the preperation where there is more room to get acces to everything. The first jobs will be finishing striping the interiour and new pads and disks on the front (DS2500 pads).
I would love to get on with it a bit faster, but I have so much Uni work at the moment it is difficult to find the time. I do look forwad to taking it out for its first drive though!
I've got the clutck kit on order, and thats going to be fitted on the first of march. I can then drive it home and get on with the preperation where there is more room to get acces to everything. The first jobs will be finishing striping the interiour and new pads and disks on the front (DS2500 pads).
I would love to get on with it a bit faster, but I have so much Uni work at the moment it is difficult to find the time. I do look forwad to taking it out for its first drive though!
At last - the car is going to the garage in about an hour to have the clutch done. Should be ready by monday 
I drove it back last sunday (~30 miles) late at night so there was little traffic about, and it seemed to go well. I look forwad to being able to try it out properly!
Anyway, thats about it for the time being. I will keep you updated
I drove it back last sunday (~30 miles) late at night so there was little traffic about, and it seemed to go well. I look forwad to being able to try it out properly!
Anyway, thats about it for the time being. I will keep you updated
So, a little update is in order I think.
The car now has a new clutch, and drives very well. I was expecting it to feel like a slugish barge, but it doesn't. Through the corners it feels very composed and slower than you are going. It should be a good base for a project
Unfortunatley I have been a bit buisy with Uni asignments for the last few weeks, and the only work that has been done is taking the passenger seat out to look at the damp. As it needs to come out to remove the carpet, it wasnt a problem.
I handeded the work in this afternoon, and now have a little breathing space. Unfortunatley the car is booked in for its MOT at 11:30 tomorow, and the windscreen washer refused to work. I hoped it would be a case of no screen wash, but alas, it was not no be that simple. The washer bottle is up in the wing, and idealy, the fron bumper needs to come of to get acces to it, which is a big job from what I have read due to bolts shearing off.
After checking fuses, I conceeded to needing to get acces to the pump as this was the probable cause. If not I could rig up a push switch in the cabin for the MOT and sort the problem late. I therefore decided to try and get access through the wheel arch. Pics for those of you who are interested in that kind of thing;
The wheel arch liner was held in with a combination of bolts and little plastic clips that are seemingly impossible to remove without mullering. Well done yanks.
With a considerale amount of contortioning from my arms, I managed to undo the bolts and get enough acces to remove the pump;
There was 12V going to the connector, so my assumption was the pump had given up the ghost. Luckily Halfords had one in stock, but it was then dark by the time I got back. Due to the rain (I know it doesnt look like it in the Pics, but it was peeing it down) I thought running a cable out to power a lamp may end in curly hair.
And so we wait untill tomorow....
The car now has a new clutch, and drives very well. I was expecting it to feel like a slugish barge, but it doesn't. Through the corners it feels very composed and slower than you are going. It should be a good base for a project
Unfortunatley I have been a bit buisy with Uni asignments for the last few weeks, and the only work that has been done is taking the passenger seat out to look at the damp. As it needs to come out to remove the carpet, it wasnt a problem.
I handeded the work in this afternoon, and now have a little breathing space. Unfortunatley the car is booked in for its MOT at 11:30 tomorow, and the windscreen washer refused to work. I hoped it would be a case of no screen wash, but alas, it was not no be that simple. The washer bottle is up in the wing, and idealy, the fron bumper needs to come of to get acces to it, which is a big job from what I have read due to bolts shearing off.
After checking fuses, I conceeded to needing to get acces to the pump as this was the probable cause. If not I could rig up a push switch in the cabin for the MOT and sort the problem late. I therefore decided to try and get access through the wheel arch. Pics for those of you who are interested in that kind of thing;
The wheel arch liner was held in with a combination of bolts and little plastic clips that are seemingly impossible to remove without mullering. Well done yanks.
With a considerale amount of contortioning from my arms, I managed to undo the bolts and get enough acces to remove the pump;
There was 12V going to the connector, so my assumption was the pump had given up the ghost. Luckily Halfords had one in stock, but it was then dark by the time I got back. Due to the rain (I know it doesnt look like it in the Pics, but it was peeing it down) I thought running a cable out to power a lamp may end in curly hair.
And so we wait untill tomorow....
The pump wasnt running, for either the rear or front screen, so most likley to be the pump - which it was (although the filter was also a little blocked.
Anyway, got all that sorted and a couple of bulbs changed. Unfortunatley, it failed. All four brake pipes are severely corroded, so will need to be replaced. Ive never worked on brake pipes before, so will be a bit of a learning curve. I need to have a look tomorow to see how easy acces is.
Also, the rear brake disks are a bit pitted (which I knew anyway) and the parking brakes not great, so will probably put some new pads and disks on. Other than that,it was fine (except for an advisory for lack of seats
)
Lets hope the weather is good next week!
Anyway, got all that sorted and a couple of bulbs changed. Unfortunatley, it failed. All four brake pipes are severely corroded, so will need to be replaced. Ive never worked on brake pipes before, so will be a bit of a learning curve. I need to have a look tomorow to see how easy acces is.
Also, the rear brake disks are a bit pitted (which I knew anyway) and the parking brakes not great, so will probably put some new pads and disks on. Other than that,it was fine (except for an advisory for lack of seats
)Lets hope the weather is good next week!
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