Classic muscle cars sitting for decades in a barn is an enthusiast's worst nightmare. Nothing upsets me more than abandoned muscle because these cars should be flexing their V8s on the streets, no matter the brand and the nameplate. Luckily, there are plenty of car enthusiasts out there who drag old cars out of barns and fields to put them back on the road.
This 1969 Mercury Cougar is one of the lucky ones. Parked in a garage back in 2000, the Cougar has been off the road for a little more than two decades, and, needless to say, it was no longer running. Bradley of Poor Boys Garage found it for sale near his shop and immediately pulled the trigger on it.
The Cougar is a classic survivor as far as looks go. It's not yet rusty, but the body shows lots of dents and scratches. The vinyl top is in rough shape too, which is a real shame. I love the way these Cougars have vinyl trim that extends over the top of the rear fenders. But it's nothing a little bit of TLC can't fix.
On the other hand, the car's interior looks decent, a sign that storage conditions weren't that bad. The same can be said about the engine bay, but the V8 needed a few new parts to run again.
Fortunately, Bradley took care of that, and after a spark plug change, a new gas kit for the intake, and a few repairs, the 5.8-liter Cleveland V8 came back to life. And it sounds even better than it did when it left the factory back in 1969 since the exhaust pipes were shortened.
Part of the first-generation Cougar, essentially Mercury's take on the Ford Mustang, this 1969 example is an H-Code model. The 351 Cleveland mill, which mates to a three-speed automatic gearbox, was rated at 290 horsepower and 385 pound-feet (522 Nm) of torque, and it still has plenty of life in it.
The car seems to run well, and it really takes off when the gas pedal hits the floor. The driver is obviously excited about the car and does a few donuts and even some drifting in a roundabout to celebrate.
But it doesn't stop here. He also takes the Cougar on a dirt trail, pushing it really hard on uneven terrain. That's not something you should do to a classic muscle car, but it's some sort of signature test at Poor Boys Garage. The Cougar takes it well, but it needs to go back to the shop for more TLC. Hopefully, we'll see a follow-up on this project soon because that Mercury looks like a solid restoration project.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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