504" Cougar

[482supersnake]

https://youtu.be/31GjUJyEpaU

[410bruce]

That car's awesome! Thanks for posting!   

[KMcCullah]

Super clean build. The exhaust was done right!

[mike7570]

Nice clean engine compartment, front end is a little loose for street driving. Trying to figure out how he got it to run on 600cfm vacuum carburetors. (I think they said they were 600) I tried a set of those on my 452TP and it wouldn’t run right at all. Went back to the 660’s. I wonder if he’s giving up some hp with those carbs. Needs the tops with the equalizer port for the vacuum secondaries.

[shady]

Super nice car, but for the life of me I don't know why these guys shift em like my grand ma. Sounds like it has a rev limiter, so whats the fear? Breaking it or missing a gear? Come on, flat shift that bad boy.

[Gaugster]

Awesome car. I've been bit by the FE Cougar bug too! Totally understand where these guys are coming from. Thanks for sharing!

[Stangman]

Very nice like the color

[475fetoploader]

Definitely unique. Glad to see an FE in there.  Hard to tell from a video, amongst the tire spin I feel like there were some dead spots, maybe in the carburetors like Mike7570 mentioned.  Definitely a really neat street car.  I have a goal of driving up to Pacific Raceways, running 9.99, and driving back home. 

[cammerfe]

My first 427 car was a new '64 Custom. My second was a '67 XR7 GT. I scrounged 427 parts and assembled a fresh engine. Block was a '63 that I bored .030 because I had a set of C8AX-type pistons that were oversize. (We had Sunoco 260 readily available at the time.) I kept the air conditioning and the cruise-control.

It was a great road car with a 3.50 rear gear. And there were a number of hemi-roid-equipped cars around that didn't believe the gold T-bird on the front fenders.

KS

[Posi67]

I'm a Cougar fan as well but some yes and no from me on this car. Nicely done (not necessarily what I'd do) and $$ spent however it doesn't seem very fast despite the 750 HP claim. Owner does need to power shift as mentioned and it possibly  could use more Carb but if it made 750 with those, then why bother.  I've had the same 600's on everything from a 454" to my current 390 with no issues however I don't street drive. Bottom line (for me) is it's cool but not as impressive as the video makes it out to be.

[bobb428]

More than likely it has Moroso Trick springs. Loose front ends are really not bad to drive on the street with it being a hot rod. And the speed shifting thing, Tremec's are junk IMO! They hate shifting when spinning on the street. I know from experience!

[Stangman]

I’m with Posi 67 I had 600s on my car and they were just fine on the street and track. No hesitation and good power. I’m not saying something else couldn’t make more power but they ran just fine. I was just talking to a buddy of mine yesterday who had his motor dynod a couple of years ago and it’s in a fairlane that runs 10.10s/10.20s and it’s got 738 HP. I’m thinking this car doesn’t run low 10s but maybe it’s deceiving. Not sure how long that tranny would last with a set of slicks at the track. You can’t deny that the car is nice though.

[Blueoval77]

I saw this the other day when it popped up . I instantly noticed the curley Que headers and thought they must be REF . That X pipe does everything for that exhaust note... I am doing the same thing right now with 3.5" stainless oval pipe ..

[Falcon67]

More than likely it has Moroso Trick springs. Loose front ends are really not bad to drive on the street with it being a hot rod. And the speed shifting thing, Tremec's are junk IMO! They hate shifting when spinning on the street. I know from experience!

I've had Moroso Tricks and CE 90/10s in the front for years and haven't had any issues driving the thing.  I'm also like the Cougar, not set up to swing around corners like a Trans Am.  I see videos like this and remember how much fun it was having a stick in the car. 

[Barry_R]

That car is really, really nice - I like it a lot.  I am not a big fan of the gray paint and blacked out wheels that are currently in fashion, but have to admit that it looks good on the Cougar.

The TKO600 shifts like a broomstick in a bucket of gravel - so the granny shifting does not surprise me.  The front end looks a lot looser than it probably feels.  Don't know - or really care - if its a real 750+HP or low 10 second piece, but he's definitely got the pieces in place to chase those numbers.  I'd love to line up against him.  He aint gonna hit the tens pulling levers like that though...

[Rory428]

I also like the Cougar, although my tastes run with chrome bumpers, and shiny wheels, but I guess I am not one of the "cool, with the times, kids" . Speaking of times, if that thing makes anywhere close to the HP claimed, it should be well into the 9s, but looking at the video, just not seeing that. I wonder how much better the new TKX 5 speed would be, so it can be shifted in a much brisker manner?

[TomP]

That's the impression I got from the video... I think the T19 in my truck shifts faster! The TKX would have to improve things. The suspension seems to work. I suppose on a track that car could probably hook OK and run decently. Also no fan of the grey and blackened shiny bits. But I understand todays black and white only trend is a fad so i'll get painted Calypso Coral with chrome bumpers and polished wheels at some later date.

[6667fan]

The front end rises as much as it does due in part to the Open Tracker components that were installed. I don’t begrudge the guy shifting it like that. He might be getting used to the car or not want to break stuff. If he powershifted it he could end up in the weeds if he is not ready for it.
I don’t like the wheels or paint scheme but love the fact that he has a honking FE with a stick behind it and he is having fun.

[cleandan]

Watching the car react to launching, hard acceleration, and shifting I think the suspension is set up pretty well for what he wants it to be.
While the front does rise, and fall, quickly there is no waggle, sideways stepping out, twist, or other things that are generally part of driving a high power 60's car.

Watch his steering wheel inputs...He is basically driving the car with little effort and very little correctiong required...meaning the suspension is working well.

The TKO-600, at least from my direct experience, is NOT a friendly quick shifting transmission.
A Toploader will shift quick and smooth.
A TKO-500 will shift fast and smooth.
A Muncie will shift fast and smooth.

A TKO-600 will make you look like a fool the first 35 times you try to speed shift, or clutch shift very quickly.....Then you check, recheck, and check again everything you think may be causing the problems to end up realizing they just don't shift as fast as other transmissions.

Because of this I have come to dislike the TKO-600 even if it is the go to high torque tranny.
I can literally shift a stock 3-on the tree truck tranny faster than a TKO-600.

I have a friend installing the new TKX in a Cobra roadster (FE Power) and I hope to get a chance to drive that because I really hope it is a quick, smooth shifting transmission.

[Rory428]

I would like to get a TKX 5 speed for my 59, I like the Toploader currently in there in town, and for rowing thru the gears, but I must admit that modern vehicles with overdrive transmissions have spoiled me for freeway trips of any distance. I have heard of how poorly the TKOs and some over 5 speeds like doing foot to the floor powershifts, so that is a real concern. The TKX sounds pretty nice, but I don`t want to have to deal with spacers, and it seems that Tremec doesn`t think making a version with a Toploader replacement length input shaft is worthwhile, even though I understand they do offer a GM version of the TKX that is a direct replacement for a Muncie. Go figure. I would rather put up with having the 428 buzzing on the freeway with the Toploader, than have a "better" 5 speed that you have to granny shift under power.