Custom restored 1968 Mercury Cougar XR7

This 1968 Mercury Cougar XR7 has been a one-family California car until two years ago when the current owner and seller relocated it to the East Coast. Converted by the original owner into a road-legal but strip-ready machine. Cosmetics are near perfect and all work was done with an eye towards quality. and further adds that it’s 100% ready to drive and very fast. Paint is without flaws excluding a 1. 5 cm mark on the driver’s side front fender where a hose nozzle was accidentally dropped during washing. Lowered over polished Torque Thrusts and with an Eliminator-style rear spoiler. sheet metal is super straight. The motor is a 351 Windsor with a 427 stroker kit built by Speed-o-Motive in Riverside. CA. The cam is a 110 centerlobe 292 duration 540 lift. Sounds very mean!! It has AFR heads victor IR manifold. holly 850 double pumper. speed o motive steel crank and H beam rods. JE pistons. ARP bolts throughout entire motor. Aeromotive fuel system with sump in the original tank. Very well built!! Transmission was built by Art Carr. it is a C4 automatic 2500 stall and a stage 2 shift kit. It has an aluminum drive shaft. good for up to 1000 HP. Original owner had Currie enterprises build the whole back half of the car. It has a Currie rear end with 355 gears and an auburn posi. ladder bar set up with qa1 coil overs on all four corners. goes very straight! Front end is a total control strut front end. top of the line! The custom rear suspension features coil-overs and enlarged wheel wells for additional tire clearance with no fender cutting. Big 3. 5” pipes exit either side just aft of the 245/45/R16 Daytona ZR rear rubber. while remaining bright work on the bumpers and around windows provides a welcome contrast to blacked-out Inside. the interior has been largely stripped back to the basics excluding the OEM radio. though speakers are not included. A half cage helps resist twist and provides added peace of mind at the drag strip. aftermarket Pro-Comp gauges replace factory items. a custom switchbox containing controls for ‘start/ignition/radiator fan/fuel pump/water pump/lights’ resides between the seats. and a manual ratchet shifter controls the beefed-up C4 automatic. Roll cage and Interior has a full custom tweed interior by Petersons Upholstery. Paint color is a 2002 dodge neon blue with black pearl added. Car was setup to have a 10. 5 rear tire and a 4. 5 front tire to make it a street and strip car. The tires on it now are for the car shows. Power steering. heat and A/C have both been removed for weight savings. More than $55k invested in parts. labor and fabrication. Runs cool. drive straight and delivers tons of power. The car is capable of slow street cruising but will be happier speeding on an open road.