Fantastic 1971 Mercury Cougar convertible. Six-figure rotisserie restoration with receipts and photos. 351 Cleveland with EFI, automatic, factory A/C, upgraded stereo. Is this the finest 1971 Cougar convertible in the world?

This incredible 1971 Mercury Cougar convertible was a true labor of love. Starting with his father’s Cougar, it was treated to a cost-no-object restoration by Cole’s Classics, and we have proof in the form of a 2-inch thick stack of receipts and more than 1800 restoration photos. It was stripped to a bare shell and rebuilt from there, with a few expertly done patches in the usual locations, then covered in luscious bright red paint that looks a mile deep. A few tasteful modifications include the hood scoop and painted rear bumper, but the look is still 100% Cougar. The chrome that remains is in excellent condition, with bright emblems and lenses to complement the deep red paint. Of note, the fine grille fins and headlight surrounds are in excellent condition with no pitting, which is rather remarkable in itself. Panel gaps are excellent and the car fits together extremely well. You can clearly see where the money was spent on this one.

The interior remains largely stock, and from the restoration photos, the work was just as thorough inside as it was outside. The seats were stripped to bare frames and refinished, then covered with fresh foam and correct black vinyl upholstery (a change from the original green). The door panels are in very good condition and we believe they are originals, and the carpets were obviously replaced with correct reproductions. There aren’t many big changes aside from the smaller-diameter steering wheel, the upgraded Pioneer AM/FM/CD/Bluetooth head unit, and the controller for the Holley Sniper fuel injection neatly integrated into the console where the clock used to live. The weather seals were all replaced, so this convertible seals up rather well, and it carries what might just be the best-fitting convertible top we’ve ever seen. No wrinkles, no bagginess, and shockingly, it’s easy to fold and latch, so it’s not super tight. There’s also a new matching black vinyl boot to give it a finished look. In back, the trunk has been custom upholstered to showcase the upgraded audio components, including a pair of big Orion subwoofers and custom amplifiers with LED lighting—pretty cool!

The engine is the original 351 Cleveland V8, which was completely rebuilt to mostly stock specs save for an upgraded camshaft, an Edelbrock aluminum intake manifold, and the aforementioned Holley EFI system. A few dress-up items help the engine compartment look great, including the custom air cleaner and finned valve covers, but everything is factory stock, right down to the fasteners. Almost everything under the hood is new, including the wiring harness, cooling system, fuel system, and more, so it runs and drives quite well and is surprisingly fast. There’s a custom dual exhaust system with Flowmaster mufflers, so it sounds spectacular with that muscular idle everyone wants. The C4 3-speed automatic is rebuilt and shifts cleanly, and with 3.00 gears in the 9-inch rear end, it’s a comfortable highway cruiser. You’ll note that the bottom of the car was coated in color-matched bedliner material, so it’ll look great for years to come, and things like the torque boxes and rockers are excellent. There’s a new gas tank out back, including a custom electric pump for the EFI system, and all the lines and hoses are new. 15-inch Magnum 500 wheels are always the right choice, and they carry fat 235/60/15 BFGoodrich T/A radials all around.

Documentation is extensive, including hundreds of pages of receipts plus a thumb drive with over 1800 photos of the restoration process.

For Cougar fans, this is a rare find—a Cougar restored to an extremely high level. These cars don’t usually carry enough value to justify a six-figure restoration, but here it is, priced at 40 cents on the dollar. If you care about quality, this car measures up. Call today!

Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.