Words: Tommy Parry
An inherited family heirloom usually takes the form of an armoire, but some of us are luckier. Michael grabbed this pristine ‘68 Cougar from his brother, who had grown tired of the car and put it away once it started running roughly. Once Michael sold off the stock 289, which hadn’t done much in recent years other than provide lodging for the arachnids, he replaced the complete stock front suspension with a TCI front suspension kit including crossmember, tubular upper and lower control arms, Ridetech coilovers, power rack and pinion, sway bar, 2″ lowering spindles and Wilwood disc brakes.
It was the beginning of a long overhaul which, as suggested by the choice collection of suspension parts, would eventually morph this aging Cougar into an impressive Pro Tourer. The front end was complimented by an equally-desirable slew of goodies for the rear: a Detroit Speed mini tub kit, subframe connectors and rear torque boxes.
Michael’s next aim would be add a powerplant that would do the footwork justice. The GM 6.0 LQ9 LS motor and a 4L65E transmission sit further back in the engine bay, which has been painted in satin black. Clearly, weight distribution is important here — more important than respecting brand loyalties.
There’s something admirable about being willing to ruffle a few feathers, as it suggests Michael is more interested in figuring out what works within a reasonable budget than in adhering to the tenets of hot rodding. In the spirit of keeping with a tight budget, he also went ahead with some cheap Chinese eBay headers, which flow into a Magnaflow 2.5” stainless exhaust bought for peanuts.
Next came a Ridetech fuel door and a Shelby rear valance, as well as a set of Shelby tail light panels. Subtle touches which help simplify the features of the rear were the first aesthetic touches that spurred Michael forward; soon he was searching for colors of paint and a coat of poly surfacer.
Next came the interior tour. In the lower corners of the dash, he fabricated air conditioning vent housings, which would connect to a Vintage Air setup. He then smoothed the dash where the ashtray was and fabricated a perch for the DSE wiper switch. For a bit of comfort in the cabin, he opted for a layer of Dynamat, then started adding glitz with a B&M Quicksilver shifter and a set of Autometer Ultra-Lite Carbon Fiber gauges.
Following these tweaks, Michael turned to the powertrain again. While the motor was being updated with a COMP Cam, he added a TCI converter with a 2400-2800 stall, a Be-Cool radiator and dual Spal fans.
He finished the rear tail pan in satin black for a tasteful amount of contrast from the glossier silver covering the body. In the coming months, Michael will install a DSE Quadralink rear suspension, which should help fulfill his aim of having “a modern car in a classic body that will handle corners, stop on a dime and cruise in comfort while hauling ass.” With the current state of this build and the promise it holds, any self-respecting hot rodder ought to subscribe to his thread here.
