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- JG300-fr8ycat

For now it's official, I'm keeping it. Wrenching on it again and getting her running has given me the "bug" and just to get it street worthy again might cost me about $500 doing the work myself ($100 of which has already been spent). I always seemed to find the money to piss away on less worthy projects.

Seeing this post pretty much sealed the deal.
www.mercurycougar.net/...een-289-4V

Yep that would certainly do it. Yours being a nice clean Californy car, I'd like to think it's not too far away from that pontential.

And ya know... Richard Rawlings had to start outwith one car himself....maybe you're in line to be the Gas Swine Garage!

I was tracking this one, a 289, 2V car that was near identical to my mom's old car. Clean and plain and very low miles. I suspect it had wreck damage at one time for the $17,000 price that was being asked at this claimed mileage. Was a beaut and just begged for a crate motor.

www.streetsideclassics...ury-Cougar

Great minds think alike.

I did honestly contemplate both shows but have to agree with Stoopy. For the most part the Gas Monkeys tend to keep it more stock and when deviating don't go overboard and if I offered Richard 4 cases of beer he might just restore it for kicks.

For now it's official, I'm keeping it. Wrenching on it again and getting her running has given me the "bug" and just to get it street worthy again might cost me about $500 doing the work myself ($100 of which has already been spent). I always seemed to find the money to piss away on less worthy projects.

Seeing this post pretty much sealed the deal.
www.mercurycougar.net/...een-289-4V

Yeah, 3-piece 20" wheels would just look so wrong on that car. I don't know what got into me.

Even though he's on the other side of the country where I wouldn't hear the screams of anguish, I couldn't bear to let Chip Foose barf up his cookie-cutter "custom" approach on Richard and that fine Grecian Gold machine. Doing that to a fellow Wilde Sau is just wrong.

Far better to try to get the Gas Monkey Garage guys to engage in some pro bono work...they seem to have a strong preference for the FoMoCo brand, and are easily plied with promises of beer. I'll get to writing right away...

- JG300-Stoopy

Dang, sorry to hear that Richard and I can only echo what Ascout says. Sometimes I wonder if the effective useful life within an organization is limited to about 15 years anyway. Best of luck in using this time to catch your breath and charge back into the fray. Freelancing sounds pretty interesting I'd have to admit!

Oh and glad you've not sold the Cougar. That was too good of a deal, if you're going to sell it at all it needs to end up on Gas Monkey Garage where it (and you) can get some proper national exposure as is deserved.

Hey, Chip Foose said last night that they're still taking projects for next season! A wordsmith such as yourself could probably think up some embellishments and other marginally true nice things to say about Richard!

I don't think they've ever done a Cougar, but who's going to be the "insider"?

Dang, sorry to hear that Richard and I can only echo what Ascout says. Sometimes I wonder if the effective useful life within an organization is limited to about 15 years anyway. Best of luck in using this time to catch your breath and charge back into the fray. Freelancing sounds pretty interesting I'd have to admit!

Oh and glad you've not sold the Cougar. That was too good of a deal, if you're going to sell it at all it needs to end up on Gas Monkey Garage where it (and you) can get some proper national exposure as is deserved.

Some of my best vacations have been "between jobs"...and that's not just a platitude. Never a better time to re-evaluate your chosen path and consider options. Sometimes, the burdens of an established position obstruct our ability to seriously consider our available choices ("oh, it would just be too complicated, etc., etc.")

It's always nicer to come to that point as a matter of choice, but having a severance package will hopefully take some of the "crisis" element out of it and allow you to make rational (rather than rushed) choices.

Hey, you're a "Wilde Sau", that means you've got the grit to carry on (and a little shadetree mechanic'en, always clears the head). Good things are coming for ya', just gotta' recognize it when it happens!

Well, after about 15 years of faithful service...I was laid off last Friday. Can't say I'm exactly surprised with all the layoffs and closing of buildings over the 3 years or so but it was a rude awakening. I've been in the process of trying to change careers over the last couple of years so to be honest, I wasn't that tore up about it. They did give me a decent severance package so between that and unemployment I should be good for 6 months or so and already have friends giving me some leads on some freelance work.

On a better note, I've had plenty of time to do other things around the house, or maybe I should say around the garage. After completely neglecting my poor Cougar over the years, I've spent 3 days bringing her back to life. Drained the gas tank, changed the fuel filter and gave her a go. After much effort finally got it started but it wouldn't idle. Knew the
carb was probably gunked up so pulled it off and opened it up...man what a mess. Honestly thought I might have to buy a new carb. Got it all apart last night and spent all day today cleaning it out and with the help of a rebuild kit got it back together. Changed the plugs, oil & filter and put the carb back on and it fired right up and idled with now problem.

As Ascout knows I did have it up for sale but only listed it on one site, there's a part of me that just doesn't want to part with it. Amazing how being unemployed puts your life into perspective.