Photo: Ringbrothers
When it comes to restomods, Ringbrothers is one of the greatest companies you can go to in 2021. The Wisconsin-based firm has modified cars from all major American brands and rolls out anything from clean-looking restomods to beefed-up muscle cars with more than 600 horsepower.
We've recently showcased their 700-horsepower Mustang Mach 1, called UNKL, and Ringbrothers unveiled yet another created based on a Ford. This time around, it's a clean-looking 1968 Mercury Cougar. It's not as powerful as the UNKL, but it packs a few unexpected surprises.
The result of a frame-off restoration that includes new floor pans, this Cougar is a classic restomod build. It's pretty much identical to the original 1968 Cougar, with only the forged HRE wheels and the Michelin tires setting it apart. But unlike its period siblings, this muscle car was finished in BASF paint and boasts a custom Flowmaster exhaust to the rear. Ringbrothers rounded off the exterior with a new grille, new front bumper, and new badges.
So what's under the hood? Well, don't go looking for a late 1960s V8. Ringbrothers replaced the original engine with a 5.0-liter Coyote. Yes, this Cougar features a modern Mustang engine. And it's also as stock as they get, generating the same 460 horsepower as in the Mustang GT you can find in Ford dealerships today.
What's more, the Coyote mill is connected to a 10-speed automatic gearbox taken off the Ford F-150 Raptor. And it even comes with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. Needless to say, it's probably quicker than an all-original Cougar from 1968.
"We put our heart into each car we build, and this Cougar is no exception," said Ringbrothers co-owner Jim Ring. "The finished product is mild and classy, yet any enthusiast instantly knows it's not stock. I imagine this is what Mercury designers would have come up with if they were building the Cougar today."
The 1968 Mercury Cougar is part of the first-generation run. Mercury launched its own take on the Ford Mustang in 1967 and kept it in production with minor changes until 1970. Engine options ranged from the 4.7-liter Windsor V8 to the massive 7.0-liter FE V8.
The Cougar nameplate soldiered on until 1997, and it was briefly revived from 1999 to 2002.
The result of a frame-off restoration that includes new floor pans, this Cougar is a classic restomod build. It's pretty much identical to the original 1968 Cougar, with only the forged HRE wheels and the Michelin tires setting it apart. But unlike its period siblings, this muscle car was finished in BASF paint and boasts a custom Flowmaster exhaust to the rear. Ringbrothers rounded off the exterior with a new grille, new front bumper, and new badges.
So what's under the hood? Well, don't go looking for a late 1960s V8. Ringbrothers replaced the original engine with a 5.0-liter Coyote. Yes, this Cougar features a modern Mustang engine. And it's also as stock as they get, generating the same 460 horsepower as in the Mustang GT you can find in Ford dealerships today.
What's more, the Coyote mill is connected to a 10-speed automatic gearbox taken off the Ford F-150 Raptor. And it even comes with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. Needless to say, it's probably quicker than an all-original Cougar from 1968.
"We put our heart into each car we build, and this Cougar is no exception," said Ringbrothers co-owner Jim Ring. "The finished product is mild and classy, yet any enthusiast instantly knows it's not stock. I imagine this is what Mercury designers would have come up with if they were building the Cougar today."
The 1968 Mercury Cougar is part of the first-generation run. Mercury launched its own take on the Ford Mustang in 1967 and kept it in production with minor changes until 1970. Engine options ranged from the 4.7-liter Windsor V8 to the massive 7.0-liter FE V8.
The Cougar nameplate soldiered on until 1997, and it was briefly revived from 1999 to 2002.
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