My new toy, a 1994 Mercury Cougar

[HillbillySailor]

Here's my new toy that I picked up yesterday...



with 3.8 V-6 power...



Got it for a grand. It has 191,000 miles on the odometer, but the engine and tranny only have 70,000 (Jasper engine and tranny rebuild), and the front and rear suspension have recently been redone. The interior is grungy, but a little cleaning will help with that. I'm going to let the wife drive it around for the time being. I'm transferring to Norfolk in a few days and won't have time to do anything major to it until this summer (but I will give it a tune up this weekend). I'll be down there by myself until June/July time-frame. That will give me time to collect parts. It will eventually see V-8 power, but I'm thinking about playing around with the V-6 first. I've heard that the Ford Windstar intakes are worth some extra horsepower. Any ideas fellow Bangshifters?

[antmnte]

Re: My new toy, a 1994 Mercury Cougar

I had a T-Bird like that, I wanted a Cougar when I bought the T-Bird but they were too much $$ . The doors get
rusty on the bottom as well as the rockers. Otherwise it was a really good car for a long time .It needed haead gasket at about 165K but after I did that it ran fine again. The front rotors always got warped, I guess it was kind of common on them too since my friend had a brand new Cougar and his did it too.

[BBR]

Re: My new toy, a 1994 Mercury Cougar

My parents had a '92 and my dad has regretted selling it ever since. lol

It was a cool car that I borrowed for a couple of road trips and I really enjoyed driving it.

It loafed down the highway and would get 30mpg no prob. They had a diff bearing go bad (noisy), it was covered under warranty, but IIRC that was the only thing they ever had trouble with.

I really looked at these cars hard when I was looking for a new project.

[DanStokes]

Re: My new toy, a 1994 Mercury Cougar

ME and I had a Windstar. Nice van, crappy 3.8l engine. The last time I did head gaskets I used ARP studs instead of the stretchy bolts. We sold the van shortly after that so I don't know how that held up over time. Anyhow, if the gaskets take a dump I'd suggest the ARP kit - it's sold for the SuperCoupe but works on all 3.8s with some fiddling.

No clue on the intake but it will be easy to find a dead Windstar 3.8 in the salvage yard.

Dan

[nesabo]

Re: My new toy, a 1994 Mercury Cougar

my '90 cougar is a SC version. I think your basically going to do your, better filter, exhaust, timing, etc. You will not get "holy $hit" power but enough to help MPG and seat of the pants.

I was surprised to see a distributor on that I though by 94 they went to DIS.

[milner351]

Re: My new toy, a 1994 Mercury Cougar

I had a 93 tbird with the 302/aod

LOVED that car - comfy, GREAT road manners, just fine in the snow - adequate power (no means a hotrod)

another one of those daily drivers I bought, fixed up, drove a couple years, and sold for what I had into it.

Just a great all around platform.

Even if you do have to put head gaskets in it - it's not a bad job - and all the new gaskets are of the improved design, so you won't have to do it again! You should knock down killer highway mileage with this car.

I have a complete rear subframe / IRS from one of these - saving it for a cobra kit or who knows what someday.

[Huskinhano]

Re: My new toy, a 1994 Mercury Cougar

I had a 92 Tbird with the V6 and AOD. Nice driving car. Traded it in for a new 95 Windstar. I think you did good.

[Shawn Anderson]

Re: My new toy, a 1994 Mercury Cougar

My parents had a dark blue 92 that I really like, but I totaled it :'( great car.

[min301]

Re: My new toy, a 1994 Mercury Cougar

Super Coupes and XR-7's are cool.

[HillbillySailor]

Re: My new toy, a 1994 Mercury Cougar

my '90 cougar is a SC version. I think your basically going to do your, better filter, exhaust, timing, etc. You will not get "holy $hit" power but enough to help MPG and seat of the pants.

That's the plan for right now. I'm dealing with the unknown as far tune up items goes with this car, so I'm just going to replace everything. Shouldn't cost too much for pugs, wires, and such

I was surprised to see a distributor on that I though by 94 they went to DIS.

As was I. I wonder if they changed it up mid-year?

[antmnte]

Re: My new toy, a 1994 Mercury Cougar

Another thing, that friggin PS pump always made noise.Never went bad just noisey.

[fast Ed]

Re: My new toy, a 1994 Mercury Cougar

DIS was only on the California spec NA 3.8 in those cars.

Check out www.v6power.net for tips on this engine, what applies to the 94-98 Mustang mostly crosses over to the T-Bird / Cougar application.


cheers
Ed N.

[HillbillySailor]

Re: My new toy, a 1994 Mercury Cougar

Thanks for that info Ed. I did some of the tune-up (ran out of time) and it already runs much better. I'll finish the tune-up this weekend. Before I did anything, I checked the codes. She had a bad MAF sensor. The first upgrade I'm going to do to it is reconfigure the exhaust. That has to b e the most restricitve thing on the planet! Two cats per side, dumps into a long-ass muffler, and then dumps into another muffler right at the back! I figure I'll lose two cats and that long ass muffler, and make the exhaust a true dual set-up. Still deciding on what size pipe to use. I hear V-6's prefer 2 1/4 over 2 1/2, but I also want to leave it in position to support a V-8 when I decide to drop it in there.

[occupant]

Re: My new toy, a 1994 Mercury Cougar

The MN12 or whatever they're called T-Bird/Cougars are truly great cars from the 90s. I came <--> this close to buying a '94 XR7 back in '95. Chose a turbo '87 New Yorker in the end, but that black on tan Cougar was absolutely sick inside and out. These cars take nicely to basic power adders and if you want to go wild, there's no ceiling. Favorite YouTube example of a Cougar decked out would be Spqqky, a 92/97 mishmash with a generous helping of awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_82TpF8zrQc

[fast Ed]

Re: My new toy, a 1994 Mercury Cougar

Shannon, the big muffler in the centre acts as a resonator. I'd suggesting leaving it on, or at least using an aftermarket high-flow muffler in its place. I know a few guys with SCs that ran without anything in the middle in the search for more power, but the V6 just sounds like azz without a resonator in there. On my SC, I had 2-1/4" downpipes with aftermarket cats, leading in to a Magnaflow dual-inlet / 3" single outlet muffler for the resonator. Behind that was a 3" pipe which Y-ed out to 2-1/2" pipes with Borla mufflers mounted on almost a 45 degree angle to the corners of the car ... that way the inlet to the mufflers didn't need to make a tight 90 right in front of them. Lots of room under the car at the back to run it that way since you don't have to worry a moving live axle, and the sound with that type of setup is decent. Mine had a bit of drone in the back seat at 75-80 mph, so I was told, the only time I was in the back seat was for "other purposes". ;D


cheers
Ed N.