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Junkyard Gem: 1970 Mercury Cougar

The plot of the Mercury Cougar story took a lot of strange twists and turns during its 35 or so years, from ponycar to immense luxobarge to family sedan to station wagon to Integra competitor. Examples of the first Cougar generation are nearly extinct in American wrecking yards, so I was excited to spot this one in Denver. Lest you shed any tears over this car going to the crusher, know that it was suffering from the ravenous teeth of the Rust Monster long before it got here. The 1967-1970 Cougar was based on the Mustang platform of the same era, and so it was a sleeker and quicker cat than its successors. Still, the longer wheelbase, extra equipment and all the cool-looking bodywork added some heft; the 1970 Mustang hardtop with V8 scaled in at 2,923 pounds, while the 1970 Cougar weighed 3,307 pounds. The current Ford Focus would fit just between those two weights. There was also a mid-cycle refresh in that era, with the '67-'68 and '69-'70 having different exterior styling and interiors. The '69 and '70 had different front end styling as well, with the latter re-adopting the vertical grille slats featured on the earlier model years. The '69 has horizontal slats. The drivetrain and just about everything else of value has been shorn from this car, perhaps before it arrived in this yard. In 1970, a bewildering assortment of V8 engines was available in the Cougar, including a Boss 302, two completely different 351s, and a 335-horse Cobra Jet 428. The base engine was a 351 Windsor making 250 gross horsepower. Since car rooftops mostly don't rust, why would someone cut out this one? Sheet metal needed for patching a leaky shed roof, perhaps? This 2005-2006 Denver Nuggets window sticker indicates that the car was on the street (probably) as recently as 11 years ago. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. It's savage. It's cool. It's primitive. It's sleek. It's wild. It's elegant. Password for action in the 70s! Featured Gallery Junked 1970 Mercury Cougar View 18 Photos Auto News Mercury

Junkyard Gem: 1991 Mercury Grand Marquis LS

Ford's now-defunct Mercury Division first began using the Marquis name in 1967, on a sporty full-size hardtop based on the Ford LTD, then began offering the Grand Marquis beginning in the 1979 model year. These big, boxy luxury sedans were replaced by big, curvy luxury sedans (on the same platform) starting with the 1992 model year, so today's Junkyard Gem is one of the very last squared-off Grand Marquises ever built. The 1991 Grand Marquis (or "Grandma Keith," as many refer to it today) looks nearly identical to its 1979 predecessor at a glance, just as the 2011 model doesn't differ much from the 1992 model. Ford saw no reason to follow short-lived fashion trends with its simple, sturdy rear-wheel-drive sedan. Only two Grand Marquis trim levels were available for 1991: the base GS and the (somewhat) upscale LS. The former listed at $18,741 and the latter at $19,241, which comes to about $41,494 and $42,601, respectively, in inflated 2022 dollars). This interior would have seemed comfortingly familiar to a 1968 (or even 1958) Mercury owner time-traveling to 1991.  This is the optional "full grain leather seating surface," which cost an extra $489 (about $1,083 today). Dig those opera lights! Air conditioning was standard equipment in the 1991 Grand Marquis and its wagon counterpart, the Colony Park. The engine is the good old pushrod 5.0-liter Windsor V8, which would be replaced by a far more modern 4.6-liter SOHC mill in the '92 Grand Marquis. This engine was rated at 180 horsepower. A four-speed automatic was the only transmission available. The early 1990s ended up being the last gasp for padded vinyl roofs being considered mainstream equipment on new Detroit cars; this one was called the "Formal Coach" roof and cost an additional 725 bucks ($1,605 now). Such roofs were still available on a few cars later in the decade, but their time had passed. Why would such a clean Grandma Keith end up in a place like this? That's easy: it got T-boned directly into the right front wheel, mangling the body and bending up the suspension. This damage might have been worth fixing when the car was five years old, but it's a write-off when it happens to a 31-year-old Ford Panther. 1991 Mercury Grand Marquis Commercial - Savings Ad The granddaddy of them all, and on sale in South Texas! Related video: 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid test drive Autoblog

Ford recalls 600,000 older-model sedans for braking issue

Ford is recalling 600,166 older-model Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles over an issue that could affect braking and increase the risk of a crash. The safety recall covers certain Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ sedans from the 2006 through 2010 model years that were built at Ford’s Hermosillo Assembly Plant in Mexico between Feb. 22, 2006, and July 15, 2009. Ford says a valve that is normally closed inside the hydraulic control unit may get stuck in the open position or be slow to close, which could make it harder to engage the brakes and increase risk of a crash. Ford says itÂ’s aware of 15 reports of accidents and two injuries possibly related to the issue. Dealers will inspect the hydraulic control unit for signs of the problem and replace it, if necessary. The dealers will pressure-flush the system with brake fluid and replace the reservoir cap with a new one. Ford is also issuing a small recall of 33 of its 2020 F-150 trucks in the U.S. and 51 in Canada over potentially damaged spare tires. It says the bead area on the tires may have been damaged when it was mounted onto the wheel assembly, leaving it vulnerable to corrosion, separation of the bead wire and ultimately a rapid loss of air pressure and detachment from the wheel. Dealers will replace the spare tire. Affected vehicles were built at the Dearborn Truck Plant from Nov. 10-21 of this year.