Cougar & Probe - Ford's Aussie Orphans?

DRU842 · 25-04-2005, 09:46 AM

Just picking up on the sentiments in another thread here; Should we start a 'club' for Ford's Orphan Coupes. It seems we are forgotten by most of the official 'clubs' when it comes to full membership and while its nice to be along as an associate, it would be good to have somehwere to call home. Not sure how the Cougar guys find this but I suspect it might be the same.

professorsabre · 25-04-2005, 11:24 AM

Yeah I'm all for it but I don't think there's too many of us here. The club I use to be in wont let me be an assosiate member anymore and another I tried said no to be a member and no to be an assosiate member. So would be nioce to have a place to call home.
Now how do we get this thing started....

Cheers

DRU842 · 25-04-2005, 04:48 PM

We looked at setting up a new club a few years ago, when the Probe scene was a fair bit stronger but the costs & hassle of incorporation were too steep.
I've always missed on discussing this with the Small Ford Clubs, as I think they would be the best fit. Perhaps someone here would give us a home?

Dshibi · 28-04-2005, 04:20 PM

Hey DRU842, whereabouts in Sydney are you?

I just picked up my Cougar last weekend, I'm out west near Blacktown. Would be good to have a place where the "rare orphan" Fords can get together and discuss things.

I'm guessing there's not too many Cougar/Probe owners on these forums?

Abraxas

b2tf · 28-04-2005, 04:30 PM

There is a Cougar in Wagga Wagga and i have heard the owner express his interest in a club for the cars. There were only 250 or so made werent there?

Cougar_Cougs · 05-09-2006, 10:50 PM

Hi,
There was only 100 made of mine TICKFORD COUGAR.

Cougar

professorsabre · 28-04-2005, 09:38 PM

Abraxas congrats mate. You ended up getting the Cougar.

How you enjoying it?

If regards to back2thefutura's q, how many Cougars were sold in Australia? I seem to remember reading something in Wheels saying 900 odd. Anyone know exactly?

Cheers

b2tf · 28-04-2005, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by professorsabre

Abraxas congrats mate. You ended up getting the Cougar.

How you enjoying it?

If regards to back2thefutura's q, how many Cougars were sold in Australia? I seem to remember reading something in Wheels saying 900 odd. Anyone know exactly?

Cheers

Ahhh ok, i always thought they were a limited run, not just built to order.

professorsabre · 29-04-2005, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by back2thefutura

Ahhh ok, i always thought they were a limited run, not just built to order.

The Cougar were imported from the US. I'm pretty sure they sold close to a 1000 of them in Australia. Then Ford US dumped the car because of poor sales.

Still, I enjoy my Cougar.

Dshibi · 28-04-2005, 11:00 PM

Hey ProfessorSabre,

yep, as I mentioned I got her on Saturday last weekend. Have driven her a little (but had to be careful of double demerits), but I still have my old car so I'm getting my usage out of that. The Cougar drives like a dream. Still has a few months of New Car Warranty left, and there's a couple little issues that I'm going to get fixed up before that runs out.

I've ordered some clear side indicators for the car and am looking at some other minor adjustments. I've got a whole heap of questions for you if you don't mind helping me out with in the near future?

Not sure how many Cougars were sold here, but I rarely see any on the roads. That was part of the appeal of buying one.

Abraxas

Quote:

Originally Posted by professorsabre

Abraxas congrats mate. You ended up getting the Cougar.

How you enjoying it?

If regards to back2thefutura's q, how many Cougars were sold in Australia? I seem to remember reading something in Wheels saying 900 odd. Anyone know exactly?

Cheers

professorsabre · 29-04-2005, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abraxas

Hey ProfessorSabre,

yep, as I mentioned I got her on Saturday last weekend. Have driven her a little (but had to be careful of double demerits), but I still have my old car so I'm getting my usage out of that. The Cougar drives like a dream. Still has a few months of New Car Warranty left, and there's a couple little issues that I'm going to get fixed up before that runs out.

I've ordered some clear side indicators for the car and am looking at some other minor adjustments. I've got a whole heap of questions for you if you don't mind helping me out with in the near future?

Not sure how many Cougars were sold here, but I rarely see any on the roads. That was part of the appeal of buying one.

Abraxas

Glad you're enjoying it. Happy to help you when you're ready.

Have fun.

Cheers

DRU842 · 29-04-2005, 05:32 AM

Sorry, can't help on the Cougar numbers but there were 2010 Probes imported by Ford.
We're in the Shire (southside). There are several other Probers in our neck of the woods.

sbutler · 30-04-2005, 08:25 AM

I love both those car, & I dont see why ford dropped them. Again Ford marketing lets down another pair of good cars.....

**Polyal** · 30-04-2005, 09:42 PM

Yeah I love both cars.

The one Id really like is teh Cougar Ebiach. There is one on carsales going for ~30,000. A bit optimistic I think but it looks HOT!

EFFalcon · 30-04-2005, 09:45 PM

Me too, i'm a big fan and its such a shame both the cars don't have more interest over here..
the amount of interest in probes in the states is unbeleivable.

professorsabre · 01-05-2005, 01:26 PM

It's the same with cougar's in the states. The interest over there is hugh. So much stuff avail. for them over there I'd like to see here but I doubt we'll see anything.

Dshibi · 01-05-2005, 03:08 PM

Yeah, the Cougar scene in the states, and to a smaller extent in Europe is quite large. That's why I was shocked to see ProfessorSabre's Cougar had the Wings West front lip on it and then realised he was in Australia!

Abraxas

Quote:

Originally Posted by professorsabre

It's the same with cougar's in the states. The interest over there is hugh. So much stuff avail. for them over there I'd like to see here but I doubt we'll see anything.

professorsabre · 01-05-2005, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abraxas

Yeah, the Cougar scene in the states, and to a smaller extent in Europe is quite large. That's why I was shocked to see ProfessorSabre's Cougar had the Wings West front lip on it and then realised he was in Australia!

Abraxas

I got that front here in Australia, what I couldn't believe was that there's a official Wings West distributor in Sydney.

Dshibi · 02-05-2005, 11:54 PM

I'm going through a bit of a learning curve with getting bits and pieces for my car. Autobarn looked at me like I had four heads when I asked for a panel filter! It's gonna be fun working on this car.

So, on the topic of this thread, do the "Cougar clubs" that exist out there in Australia snob the NECO Cougars? I get Performance Ford mag and notice there is a Cougar club listed in there.

Abraxas

professorsabre · 03-05-2005, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abraxas

I'm going through a bit of a learning curve with getting bits and pieces for my car. Autobarn looked at me like I had four heads when I asked for a panel filter! It's gonna be fun working on this car.

So, on the topic of this thread, do the "Cougar clubs" that exist out there in Australia snob the NECO Cougars? I get Performance Ford mag and notice there is a Cougar club listed in there.

Abraxas

I know the club your talking about. I think that Cougar register is for classic Cougars only.

murcod · 03-05-2005, 08:34 PM

You could get something like this made up:

I bought and cut up the alloy and got an engineering joint to weld it up for $50 - total cost excluding the K&N was $65.

dontask · 15-05-2005, 10:44 PM

Hi Dan,

My car is currently completely disassembled and I've just got a parts order come in from the States. Should be good to go soon.

Dont think they'll offer much of a discount with only a few buyers - but hey, at least we could save on shipping. With my current mods, the compression ratio will be bumped to 11.0:1 so dont think I'll be doing much turbocharging.. ;)

I'm in Brissie.

Dontask.

DRU842 · 16-05-2005, 12:28 PM

Looking at a run down Berry (from Sydney) way this Sunday (22/5). A few details to be sorted yet but keep an eye on http://forums.probetalk.com/showthread.php?t=1701139993
Happy for any stry Cougars to meet up as well.

thearrow · 04-08-2005, 05:25 PM

Hello to everybody on this board I am a brand new member and proud owner for the last 3 months of a 2001 Cougar Eibach. I must say it is the best looking car I have ever owned (and there have been a few). I bought this vehicle from a dealer for A$22750 and it had only done 55000K. Compared to a lot of other cars around I reckon it was a real bargain.

The best thing about it is every time I get in it I feel like a "ROCK STAR". :1syellow1

People now stop me in the street and want to talk to me about my car I just hope some bastard doesn't knock it off.

If the weather is good in Sydney over the weekend I will post a pic. :voldar02:

Dshibi · 04-08-2005, 11:45 PM

Hey there! Congrats on your purchase, you've had your Cougar about the same amount of time as I've had mine.

Whereabouts in Sydney are you? We should meet up some time I'd love to meet another Cougar owner/enthusiast.

Abraxas

Quote:

Originally Posted by thearrow

If the weather is good in Sydney over the weekend I will post a pic. :voldar02:

cpapashley · 24-09-2006, 02:47 PM

I noticed this forum when surfing around looking to see if we had any performance versions of the cougar/probe bought over to Australia with the SVT components (You know those performance bits that are in america for one of the most popular vehicles around)

I have a Mazda MPV 2000 model that over the next few years I intend to make some "slight improvements" to performance of its delightful 2.5 v6 duratec engine. Amazing that I have this same engine (few slight changes but not much) as yourselves.

When I read about you guys being orphans I thought of myself as I am the only regular australian on the MPV club forum (mainly american/canadian). I think I must be the only one in Australia interested in Modding the MPV as there is "ZERO" available off the shelf so I certainly know the frustration that you all experience.

First cab off the rank was a DIY cold air intake that has certainly allowed the vehicle to breath better. Second is is a set of headers. I am having them custom built by CES an exhaust place over near loganholme in Brisbane. Should be fitted this coming week so will be interesting to see if there is any performance improvement

:

I know that Trevor (the guy at CES) said he had done a set of headers for a ford probe a couple of years ago, interesting to know anybody on here saw any significant improvement in their probes/cougars with exhaust changes. Anybody done any dyno tests?? I decided to do a baseline for the PV and it was very similar to a graph I found on D&T exhaust systems. Interesting indeed.

:

So Just wanted to stop buy and encourage you all, personally I think a "Ford Duratec Club would be a great idea"

Happy motoring

cpapashley

Discovery · 16-05-2005, 12:55 PM

Ooh, I just found this part of the forum! I too am a Probe owner. Great little car.

A pic of it is in my avatar. Sadly I am thinking I may have to sell it in the near future as my kids are growing and the car isn't! Any ideas on how much a '96 build, first reg '97 Probe with 98000km on the dial would go for? Oh, and it's manual.

murcod · 18-05-2005, 09:43 PM

For Cougar power upgrades and turbo kits check out the forums at www.contour.org - it's a US based site for the Ford Contour (USA model Mondeo); but the Cougar and Contour/Mondeo run the same engine/ drivetrain and the engine bay is exactly the same.

A few guys are running single turbos on their 2.5 V6's and last time I looked there was an off the shelf turbo kit was available. Quaife make an LSD to suit as well.

thearrow · 05-05-2006, 05:43 PM

My poor CAT suffered the indignity of being bashed into by a heap of ty Korean Hyundia yesterday and is now at the panel beaters with over A$7000 worth of damage. :jab: I am as mad as hell. :jab:

The ******** who went through a GIVE WAY sign could only say "SORRY".

I must say though that without ABS it would have been much more serious. I saw him coming hit the brakes and swerved to avoid him but just clipped him with my front left fender. I then ended up on the opposite side of the road on the nature strip but was able to steer my way past a metal pole and a tree without hitting either of them.

THANK GOODNESS FOR ABS.

Zetec20 · 06-05-2006, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thearrow

My poor CAT suffered the indignity of being bashed into by a heap of ty Korean Hyundia yesterday and is now at the panel beaters with over A$7000 worth of damage. :jab: I am as mad as hell. :jab:

The ******** who went through a GIVE WAY sign could only say "SORRY".

I must say though that without ABS it would have been much more serious. I saw him coming hit the brakes and swerved to avoid him but just clipped him with my front left fender. I then ended up on the opposite side of the road on the nature strip but was able to steer my way past a metal pole and a tree without hitting either of them.

THANK GOODNESS FOR ABS.

huh???