1968 Mercury Cougar XR-7 Custom Cat

The Details
Mark Dienes' '68 Cougar XR-7

Engine

• '94 FRPP 351 Windsor
• Cast-iron block
• 4.00-inch bore
• 3.50-inch stroke
• GT-40 cast-iron cylinder heads
• 9:1 compression ratio
• FRPP hydraulic camshaft, 0.496/0.520 lift, duration @ 0.050 290/300
• Edelbrock Performer RPM intake
• Edelbrock 750-cfm four-barrel carburetor
• K&N air cleaner assembly
• Holley fuel pump
• MSD 6AL ignition
• Reverse rotation serpentine drive
• Power Master 100-amp alternator

With the Grant steering wheel,... 

   

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With the Grant steering wheel, white-faced gauges, and the B&M shifter, the interior has an all-business look. Mark was careful to remove all faux wood grain trim that was a part of the XR-7 interior.

Transmission

• '74 C6 three-speed automatic
• TransGo Shift Kit
• TCI 10-inch 2,500-rpm stall converter
• B&M Hammer shifter

Rearend

• 9-inch axle
• Richmond 3.50 gears
• Traction-Lok differential
• 28-spline axles

Exhaust

• Hedman 1 5/8-inch primary long-tube headers
• Aluminized custom exhaust 2 1/2-inch diameter
• Flowmaster mufflers

Suspension

• Front: OE rebuilt with 620 springs, 2/3 coil cut for lowering, Monroe gas shocks
• Rear: Leaf springs, Air Ride air bags, Monroe gas shocks, Competition Engineering subframe connectors

Brakes

• Front: OE drum
• Rear: OE drum

Wheels

• Front: American Racing Torque Thrust II, 17x7
• Rear: American Racing Torque Thrust II, 18x10

Tires

• Front: BFGoodrich G-Force T/A KDWS, P235/45R17
• Rear: BFGoodrich G-Force T/A KDWS, P295/45R18

Interior

• OE black leather bucket seats, RJS seatbelts, Interior work by Bedford Auto Trim of Bedford, Ohio, Grant steering wheel, white-face conversion, factory tachometer, modern three-wire conversion, Vintage Air Gen III A/C kit, Insulshield Technology insulation and sound-deadening products used throughout the interior, Pioneer in-dash CD player with twin amplifiers and six speakers, Lokar pedals

Exterior

• Custom hood by Al Dienes, Eliminator-style rear spoiler, smoothed firewall, shaved door handles, radiused and flared rear fenders, House of Color Tangelo Orange Pearl paint applied by owner, OE black vinyl top

Cougar Facts
What's An XR-7?
The XR-7 was an appearance upgrade package on the basic Cougar that really dressed up the car. Included were a woodgrain dash trim, overhead console, T-handle shifter, black-faced gauges, and a woodgrain steering wheel. Special upholstery was also part of the package. The GT package, with the 390 engine and heavy-duty suspension, was also available.

1968 Cougar production: 113,726
Engine options (six-cylinder engines were not available in the Cougar)

The convertible body style and 351W engine were not offered until 1969.

The rear view of the car shows...        read full caption The rear view of the car shows a '69 Mustang spoiler. Mark certainly has plenty of rubber on the back axle, and you have to look closely to notice the carefully flared wheelwells. The larger rolling stock out back also imparts a nice rake to the Cat. It's easy to see from this perspective that the Cougar wheel base is 3 inches longer than the Mustang's.