Project Grip...02 Cougar

[ScubaSteve1987]

Well since my 97 saturn is the daily for a 6 year project of mine, perhaps somebody is interested in keeping up on what i would call my life project, i will never get rid of it!

also current mods, i did at least keep up on this!

2002 Ford Cougar

black/black/red
132000 miles
3.0 liter DOHC 24v Duratec
5 Speed transaxle(mtx-75)

Engine:

2004 Mercury Sable 3.0 DOHC Duratec port-matched to my LIM,UIM,TB for an OEM install
Optimized Stock Throttle Body
K&N Fuel Injection performance kit
Gutted Precats
Trubendz Cat-back 2.5" single flowmaster 40 series into a polished magnaflow oval shaped side tip in front of the back tire
Mobil 1 5w20 synthetic with motorcraft filter
stock fuel pump housing with SVT Focus pump motor 255 lph


Transaxle:

Spec Stage 1 Clutch
Torsen T-2 Full-time Torque Sensing/Torque Biasing Differential
Ford Reman Axle shafts (16 destroyed thus far)
94A liquid Polyeurethane front and rear Roll Resistors
New Synchros for the 1-2, 3-4, and 5-R{as-of OCT 08}
Ford Honey

Brakes:

TCE 12.2 Big brake kit:

Front
Wilwood 4 piston forged NDL caliper Brand new (6/09) Powdered Red
Wilwood BP-20 track compound Pads
12.2 2 piece lightweight rotors with tophat painted Red
stainless steel lines
Rear
Mintek 1144 semi/metallic pads
new (new a decade ago...lol ) motorcraft rotors

Suspension:

New Control Arms with Ball joint
Sway bar endlinks
Drivers knuckle with bearing
Tie Rod Ends
All Strut Mounts
K-Sport Kontrol Pro 36 way adjustable Strut/Coil-Over combo (Full Slam, Full Stiff, Control Arms parallel to the ground still in alignment spec!

Aesthetic modifications:

Knauberized and Debadged
Ford badge on rear hatch in place of Mercury badge
5% rear window tint, 20% front side windows, 5% 6 inch lip on windshield
Clear sidemarkers
Painted body color V-tech tail light covers
red leather/black side bolster sparco look-alike racing seats
4 point black harnesses
Carbon Fiber door panel inserts with top part painted silver,
Carbon Fiber gauge bezel
HVAC controls relocated to under steering column, oil pressure and a/f gauge in the holes
Every LED in the switches has been replaced from green to red
Red Samco Hoses from Europe (only 20 in the states!)
Red valve covers with black bolts
Black Upper Intake Manifold with red bolts
Black block and Heads, Red timing cover and Oil pan
Transaxle is now Gloss Red
Polished Aluminum Coolant and Power Steering Reseviors
Relocated IMRC to next to battery tray, above transaxle

Wheels and Tires:

Maxxim E-racer 18x7.5 black with polished lip
BF Goodrich G-Force KDW2 NT 225/40zr/18 (all with 10/32 or more!)

Stock 16x7" alloys
Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50 225/50/16
snow wheels ^

I.C.E.


Pioneer CED-780MP headunit
0 gauge power from engine bay to rear Hatch, into a AudioPipe distrubution block with 4 4 gauge outputs
4 Guage ground from Red Top into Kicker Distribution block


Interior speakers powered by:

Arc Audio Foose 2150
50x4 at 0.003 THD%

Subwoofers powered by:

Arc Audio Foose 1200.1
1200x1 at 0.005 thd%

Mids and Highs Provided by:

Front:

Kicker SS 6.5 inch component speakers with 1" tweeters in air vents(Yea they still work too ) and both cross-overs mounted underneath door panel
Kicker 8" midbass in door panel 80-200hz crossover as well mounted underneath the door panels

Rear:

Pioneer 6x8 4 ways

Bass provided by:
Monster Cable XLN-301 RCA cable
Arc Audio Flatline 12D4 2X
SounSational (Indianapolis, IN) vented enclosure built to spec with brushed aluminum faceplate with RhinoLined Exterior

[ScubaSteve1987]

Re: Project Grip...02 Cougar

also incase anybody cares...here how it previously has been!

[ScubaSteve1987]

Re: Project Grip...02 Cougar

i figure why not, it could be nice to have a project log, its just a shame that i'v waited so long to care...anyway!

so i still have alot of work ahead of me. but as with any project should be done in stages. it took me a long time to realize that after making additions to things that after so long that it just stops exciting me. it was time to remove everything and restart. i begin with the interior because it was long over-due! I also had a chance to get into some well-needed intake mods that would greatly benefit me for my future of Turbo. so i got a SHO Source BB Lower, finally an SVT Upper, a 65mm TB, and a 3" coupler for my already velocity benefiting, composite plastic K&N FIPK! if you weren't aware, i simply had the 01-02 OEM LIM, OEM UIM, and an Optimized 2.5 OEM 57mm TB...very weak compared to this...! also a few teaser pics of the beginning of my interior tear-down, still haven't pulled the pillars and up, the console, or any of the dash yet...i'm willing to bet that many of you will greatly enjoy my plans of red/black carbon accents/console, silver/black carbon headliner/roof/hatch/hood, red carpet, red perforated leather lower door inserts instead of carpet, carbon surrounds for my seat bracket hardware...and finally no more backseats its amp rack time! my ability to now make my living from home really opens new doors for me, that allows me another 6 months of pure work time on the coug because aint no way i'm working in my cold garage for a living but i always figure somethin out!

onto the preliminary pics!





yea i'm rewiring every single friggen wire!

time for mister battery to go in the trunk!



fast forward to today...i'm awaiting my svt UIM to be finished by my powdercoater...but boy is the LIM promising looking!



how it sits awaiting an upper......also still need to get a battery relocate box...and new wire

finally did plugs, plug wires, and a new motorcraft coil...when i did my 3.0 swap i didn't do anything but swap my old parts over, as naturally i got my old motors problems with this swap, not anymore, bye-bye crappy TB and TPS!

i also need to reweld in my mistakes from previous stupidity as a kid when i somehow needed to fit a 9.5 cube box that only lasted an hour untill i literally blew a sub into flames, i then within a month killed another sub and then the amo stopped outputting, it was then stolen and i got paid fat cash for POS and the personal satisfaction of thhe thought of some moron lugging around a 47 pound MA Audio HK12, but 2 subs and a 4400 watt four foot amp that was all DEAD!...BAHAHAHAHA

so i became friends with the Indiana ARC Audio Supplier, and then made the switch soon after to an entire arc foose amp lineup, and 2 12" flatlines...yea buddy! then had Chip Foose sign the amps at AutoRama 09...EVEN BETTER!

i figure now they deserve to be displayed in proper fashion, more on this as this progresses though!




and also my workshop in progress...still need to insulate, drywall, epoxy the floor, air compressor, welder, but at least a got almost every tool i could ever need!



more to come asap

Steve-O

[ScubaSteve1987]

Re: Project Grip...02 Cougar

also i unfortunately only have 2 videos but i am one of like 2 with sidepipe...i wouldnt ever trade it up...even after turbo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8i632wCMaU&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQds1_nuiqI&feature=related

ENJOY!

more to come soon!

[stevejr47]

Re: Project Grip...02 Cougar

pretty damn clean, keep it up dude!

[TypeSL2]

Re: Project Grip...02 Cougar

Car looks pretty good man. I am from Dearborn. Where abouts are you at?

James

[bulldoguk]

Re: Project Grip...02 Cougar

So . . . is it a European Cougar?

I thought they were Mercury Cougars over here and marketed in Europe as the Ford Cougar (no such brand as Mercury in Europe).

Looks very nice though, I like it

[sleeperSL2]

Re: Project Grip...02 Cougar

Very clean

[geod919]

Re: Project Grip...02 Cougar

I never really was a fan of those cars, what you're doing at least appears to be a clean well thought out build though. So Thumbs up for effort, and going in a slightly different direction!

[ScubaSteve1987]

Re: Project Grip...02 Cougar

it is a rebadged mercury, i just went with ford because the european/american cougar shares only a steering wheel difference, and clear corners...lol

its a shame to show it so naked now, but i couldn't deal with all the half-assedness that surrounded me, it was time to finally put my foot down and redo nearly everything.

i unfortunately have an 02 land rover stereo install for this weekend so there may not be many updates on progress although i friggen hope so!

i also live at pelham and outer drive...what about you mayne?

Scuba

[GBRunner24]

Re: Project Grip...02 Cougar

I knew I recognized that car! You're Cougar on Xceed aren't you?

[ScubaSteve1987]

Re: Project Grip...02 Cougar

yes i am...i'm a member of many forums, newcougar.org, contour.org, xceedspeed, sixthsphere, tbssowners.com, cobaltss.net, mustangforums, caraudioforums, fiberglass forums, and soon to be autobody101

its good for product knowledge as i am in the process of developing a clientele for my soon to be own shop, my life goal has always been to be a jack of all trades and i'm 1 cert from master tech...and just turned 23...woot woot

lol

[Shift12]

Re: Project Grip...02 Cougar

I have to say, credit is given where credit is due. I'm not a big fan of those cars, but what you have done thus far is some really nice work. Looks clean as hell and props to you for doing something different.

One thing... get rid of those diamond plate steel floor mats. If your name isn't Paul Walker... no one should have them in thier car lol.

[ProDarwin]

Re: Project Grip...02 Cougar

Project Grip?

[ScubaSteve1987]

Re: Project Grip...02 Cougar

1.15 Gs
100-0 in 4 seconds
1/4 in high 13s

210/210 on stock tune/injectors/maf

sorry i shouldve mentioned before that me and this fawger were ment to be after 5 years, its the car i could never get rid of, just alter it...mid-engine cougar anyone...should be 5 years away or so!