THOSE '80s CARS     &

American Automotive Design Trends

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Articles - Mercury Cougar XR-7 LS 1982

 

What I Drive This is the last year of a 3-year model run of the box style. Its sister car, the Ford Thunderbird, of this generation is often referred to as the “box-bird”. I guess this makes my car a “box-cat”. I purchased the car because I like the style and the triple French Vanilla color. Aside from different platforms, it has many similarities to my 1980 Lincoln Versailles, such as trim, options and mechanical features. With the up-right radiator grille flanked by quad halogen headlamps, coach lamps, twin-comfort lounge seats, power windows/locks/seat/trunk release, illuminated entry, illuminated vanity mirrors, light group, electronic cassette/seek/scan stereo, premium sound system, intermittent wipers and leather seats/steering wheel, the car is well-optioned, luxurious and formal.   A total of 16,867 Mercury Cougar XR-7s were made for the 1982 model year. This includes both the base GS and upper trim LS models. It’s unknown; however, how many of each trim level were sold.  Weighing 3,298 pounds, the optional 4.2 litre V-8 with 4-speed automatic overdrive has been achieving 26mpg for me in mixed driving. When I Bought It I purchased this car in May 2008 from a private seller in Washington state. The car spent its entire life in Washington, with two previous owners, prior to my purchase. I have since spent much time and money detailing the car and stopping all fluid leaks. Why I Bought It I seem to like cars that most do not. As a teenager in the late 70s and early 80s, I tend to appreciate the new cars of those days. That period was defined by “personal luxury” cars with coach/opera lamps, vinyl roofs, plush carpets and quiet interiors. If they made a new car with all those features today, I would buy one! With such a low production volume, the car is rare today. How I Restored and/or Modified It I’ve been keeping the car original and repairing/restoring the car to keep it as original as possible. To-date, I’ve replaced: the rear main seal, crankshaft bearings, oil pan gasket, intake manifold gasket, rack & pinion bushings, thermostat, fusible link, u-joints, belts, all 4 halogen lights, headliner and the rear defroster switch.  The previous owner had a problem with the battery going dead repeatedly. So, they disconnected many options. I reconnected them all. Most notably were items associated with lights: the under-dash courtesy lights (removed by previous owner) and reconnected the illuminated entry module. The problem of the dying battery seems to have been fixed with the replacement of the fusible link and repairing a cracked wire shorting against metal.     Where I Drive It I use this car as an errand car and the occasional Sunday drive. Of all my cars, this has the biggest trunk. It’s great for running to the home improvement store. The trunk can hold 8-9 bags of mulch! That’s a lot!! Also, I’ve driven the car from Charlotte to Atlanta on business trips. It’s a 4 hour drive that exercises the car well. It’s comfortable and quiet with a great sounding stereo. And, I can always find this XR-7 in any parking lot.