"Mess to Modern" A 67 Cougar Project

[jstanard]

Lights look sharp. What did you use? Are they bolt in, or did you have to modify?

5 3/4” crystal metal high beam w/white COB led ring H4 Super White from Octane Lighting.

they were a close fit but not exact. I had to cut a notch in the bucket to get it to seat correctly.

[jstanard]

Tonight, I wired up the computer that controls the sequential lights. Everything works as expected.

[mc84_zz4]

Huge congratulations! You are out of paint-jail!
i really enjoy seeing another garage build. Kudos man!

[jstanard]

Huge congratulations! You are out of paint-jail!
i really enjoy seeing another garage build. Kudos man!

I painted it in the garage so, I guess I was my own jailer. Body work and paint did take way too long.

[langleylad]

I painted it in the garage so, I guess I was my own jailer. Body work and paint did take way too long.

I did all my paint and body in my home garage as well , it was definitely a test.

[jstanard]

Anybody remember this thread? It's been a long time since I've posted anything. I'm going to try to catch everyone up to present day.

[jstanard]

It's been so long since I updated this thread, I don't remember exactly where I left off.

I installed a power window kit from Nu Relics for the front windows. It was an easy retrofit of the original regulators.
I left the rear windows manual since they rarely get rolled down anyway.

[jstanard]

I am still looking for a deal on a decent walking foot sewing machine so I can sew my own custom seats. For now, I'm going with a temporary option of re-coloring the tan seats with Duplicolor Vinyl and Fabric paint. It doesn't look too bad but it needs to be touched up once in a while. I also installed headliner while the front and rear windows were out.





Oh yeah...looks like I have also installed three-point retractable seatbelts in this photo.

[jstanard]

While the rear glass was out, I tinted the windows. This is SolarGard Ultra Performance 40% over factory tint. Factory tint in ‘67 was practically clear.

The rear window is not mounted for this picture as I still have one more project to complete that will be much easier with the window out.

[jstanard]

One last project before the rear glass can be installed. The Cougar has a really big rear deck that is the perfect size for mounting a 10" subwoofer. I didn't want to mount the sub directly in the deck though. The ideal solution is a ported box mounted in the trunk directly below the rear deck in such a way that the sub and ports are directly connected to the interior of the car - otherwise known as a blow-through configuration. This should eliminate a whole lot of trunk rattle that you would normally get from a trunk mounted sub. The first picture shows the mounted box with the back panel removed.

[jstanard]

We moved to a new house down the road and my focus switched to house renovation projects. The Cougar was looking nice enough to show but there was still a lot left undone. Except for the occasional drive to keep the battery fresh, it sat untouched for most of a year.

Here's a picture from Scarecrow Cruise and Car Show last year.

[jstanard]

Once again, I stole some inspiration from Langleylad's 68 Cougar project and installed a front spoiler from a 67 Camaro. Very little modification is required. I bolted it directly to the front valence.

[jstanard]

Building a center console for this car was tricky. I needed it to hold a 7" touchscreen head unit and also accommodate the shifter and parking brake. I had the options of either building it entirely in place, or making it modular. I ended up going with a two piece design that consisted of a rigid wooden frame with a slightly flexible fiberglass overlay. This would allow me to install or remove the frame as needed and fit the overlay over the shifter and brake once the frame was in place. This might make more sense once you see the pictures.

Frame without overlay


Making the fiberglass overlay


After the fiberglass had hardened, I sanded and filled and sanded some more until I had a paintable surface. Then I separated the overlay from the frame for paint.


Finally, I wrapped the frame in vinyl. Here's the finished console before and after installing in the car.

[jstanard]

I needed some custom boots sewn for the shifter and parking brake. My garage sale sewing machine got the job done. It has all the power it needs but it feeds thick material inconsistently without a walking foot. I'm looking for a used industrial walking foot machine before taking on the seat projects.



Here's the console with boots and head unit installed.

[jstanard]

Last of the pictures for now...finally caught up to present day.

I needed to cover the A pillars but I didn't want to purchase plastic replacements. The simple solution was to "wrap" them in upholstery vinyl. Just needed a strip of vinyl backed by 1/4" headliner foam glued to the A pillars and tucked under the windshield gasket and windlace.

Before and after:



The door cards needed some accent color so I wrapped a thin piece of Luan with contrasting upholstery vinyl.

[jstanard]

The more I drive this car, the more I realize the 30 something year old engine management computer is struggling to keep up. I have decided to take matters into my own hands and learn how to tune electronic fuel injection myself. A new Microsquirt ECU and wideband O2 sensor have been ordered. Hopefully, I'll have the car under new management by the end of next week.

I am working on some custom kick panels/speaker pods. The subwoofer hits stupid hard and gets super low. I can't wait to finish up the sound system.

I have a plan for air conditioning, I just need to pull the trigger on the parts. One of the things holding me back is the engine frustrations. I can't tell you how many times I have wanted to just rip it all out and put an LS in it. If I change directions with the engine, I will have to rework the AC brackets. Once I have the engine issues smoothed out (literally) and I am sure the engine is staying, I can order the parts I need to fit the A/C.

I'll be re-doing the front and rear seats soon. My plan is to locate a decent used walking foot sewing machine. If I have to spend more than I want on one, I can always sell it after the project is complete and recover some of my investment. Or use it on other projects, like recovering the old couch in the poolhouse that the dogs have trashed. I'm thinking something like heavy weight cordura covering for the whole couch. That would be an interesting project.