1968 Mercury Cougar GT-E XR-7 427 Side Oiler eBay

[2112]

Which exhaust manifold did the GTE Cougar use?

427, yada, yada, yada...what's the point of an engine that will drop a valve over 6,000rpm's?

All FE's are 6,000 rpm engines UNLESS you go in and rework the valve train. Mostly valve springs but salt belongs on the dinner table in shakers, not in valve stems.

Depends on how you build them. Here is an original, one-owner Cobra being auto-crossed 2 weekends ago with a 9,000 rpm FE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnTvAizlQwA

[gt350hr]

All the sites say Side Oiler but so think not.

    Side oiler block for hydraulic lifters.

[papa scoops]

lot of $ for a car with a bunch of dented up chrome, mis fitting parts, non original color, (way to far off to even be a variant) mis matches interior parts, no radio knobs, and an ugly color combo. just my thoughts, but i'd still like to have one. phred

[propayne]

It's deja vu all over again -

Here are beautiful examples of both flavors.

- Phillip

[Bigblock]

just my thoughts, but i'd still like to have one. phred

Me too, find two of them.

[Bigfoot]

Looks good propayne.

[2112]

The pictures Phillip just posted really drive home how poorly the eBay car was put together. Sheesh!   

[propayne]

^^^ yes, the mountains of info that was lost due to the crash of the old site really does break my heart.

It was a thread on the GT-E that first prompted me to officially join this forum.

Timing is everything, as they say, and Cougars are my first passion and will always be.

I am also a bonafide Shelby enthusiast and first became a SAAC member in the early '80s and am a current member.

- Phillip

[2112]

^^^Nicely Restored Cougar!   

I think that is Bob Eubanks showing off his new Cougar to the young lady.

[propayne]

LOL - that does look like Bob Eubanks!

Maybe it is - that is a seldom seen vintage L-M marketing photo of one of the pre-production GT-Es.

- Phillip

[shelbydoug]

Which exhaust manifold did the GTE Cougar use?

427, yada, yada, yada...what's the point of an engine that will drop a valve over 6,000rpm's?

All FE's are 6,000 rpm engines UNLESS you go in and rework the valve train. Mostly valve springs but salt belongs on the dinner table in shakers, not in valve stems.

Depends on how you build them. Here is an original, one-owner Cobra being auto-crossed 2 weekends ago with a 9,000 rpm FE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnTvAizlQwA

If it's 9,000 rpm, then it's no way the engine is original.

Remember the GT40's at Lemans were limited to 6,000 rpm.

Original valve spring technology was maxed out at 7,000rpm.

You can't even use a stock block to run that rpm. Aftermarket yes. Probably a Pond block.

[2112]

Car is original. Engine is Blue Thunder on top of a CS block. Bryant crank, Carillo rods, no expense spared kind of build.

But the architecture is real FE.

[silverton_ford]

It's deja vu all over again -

Here are beautiful examples of both flavors.

- Phillip

The black car is fantastic!  I get to drive it and ride it in it on occasion.  A very good friend owns it and he lives about 10 miles from my house.   The GTE is highly under appreciated with the general public.  Obviously due to recent prices in the past 10 years or so there are some folks that think highly of them, but as a whole the general population doesn't know that Ford had a 427 in a production car in 1968.  Many folks assume they are some sort of creation or resto-mod.

The car in the Ebay ad may appear nice from the photos, but a friend inspected the car at the 50th Anniversary of Cougars show last year(location of where photos were taken) and it still needs more work to be considered for that kind of money.  At that Cougar show the painter/engine repair guy was trying to sell it to recoup his unpaid bill.  Some how he had the title (maybe a lean.... I don't know the specifics). The true owner showed up the day of this show and it was an awkward reunion between owner and mechanic.  (Per the story I was told, I was not there.)

[shelbydoug]

Really nice cars. The black one is a show stopper for sure.

[propayne]

Thanks for adding some background story to the GT-E that is the subject of this thread Brian - that is fascinating.

Yes, "Blackie" and her owner are well known in Cougar circles. A black GT-E is a beautiful thing, an already handsome car in a tuxedo.

I should also mention that the photo credit for that terrific shot of Blackie belongs to WCCC employee Andrew Chenovick - a very talented young photographer and videographer.

- Phillip