91 Cougar LS 5.0 Teardown and Build

[supergordo]

Much appreciated! If it wasn't my first car, I'm sure I'd have moved on. Too much time and money invested at this point to quit!

Believe me I get it! My son did the same thing. Started out as "just a paint job and some other stuff"...

 

[theterminator93]

Thanks guys, there were times I thought about giving up to be sure.

Makes me want to consider rethinking my decision with my car. I'm glad this is working out so well.

 

[Zep5.0]

Makes me want to consider rethinking my decision with my car. I'm glad this is working out so well.

It's all cost benefit analysis. Honestly if I knew what the paint and body was going to cost I would not have done it. That said I'm happy with the final result. Sometimes things just work out and good ole stubborn mindset helps.

 

[Zep5.0]

Finally found windshield trim clips. TBSC had some on eBay. So for 10 bucks I got some decent used examples. I think foxbody clips for the rear hatch glass may work if needed. Decided that after I found the fox windshield clips did not, so I'm glad I found these. Had to paint them so I did not get it installed tonight, but I did get the rubber gasket installed. I'm using this as a spacer since the original rubber is long gone from my trim. This is right at 1/16" thick so it should fill the gap of the trim.
I also put some on the back of the trim to fill in that gap some.
I hope it looks somewhat factory when done. It wasn't exactly the thickness and bevel I had hoped for but very close.

 

[Zep5.0]

Then I did this. This was last resort, but it didn't turn out to bad. Just need some hardening silicone to fill the corner gaps.

 

[Zep5.0]

Interior sound and heat insulation is mostly in. Wire harness is also mostly in. A few finishing touches and speaker wire to go. Then it's installing the seat belt tracks and getting the doors operational with windows in.






I went with a much lighter weight insulation in the trunk. Basically aluminum backed carpet padding.

 

[Grog6]

A coat hanger helped me get the wires thru the door 'tubes'. I had a roll of 12awg, so t wasn't easy, lol.

 

[Zep5.0]

A coat hanger helped me get the wires thru the door 'tubes'. I had a roll of 12awg, so t wasn't easy, lol.

I'm hindsight, I should have added the speaker wire into the loom and then fed it through the door. Coat hanger has been the saving device in many operations

 

[Grog6]

I had to go thru the entire closet collecton in my house, to find one last time. Damned plastic hangers.!

 

[Rodeo Joe]

Yeah, I think the only place to get a wire hanger is the dry cleaners!

Joe

 

[Grog6]

I made an invisible kite out of a dry cleaning bag as a kid. Won 3rd for looks, and 1st in tree, lol.

 

[Zep5.0]

Update after taking a couple weeks off with a pulled/torn calf muscle.
trunk is mostly back together, other than a few items such as the little plastic nuts that keep it to the back of the car. After I get the interior and suspension together, I'll build a sub box and battery tray. Hoping that will work in the spare tire well. More measuring to do there...


And interior starting to go in. Stopping here to do the rear subframe restoration/ upgrades.

Pressed the FTBR hubs and bearings in a couple weeks ago.

 

[Zep5.0]

Ok, so I lied. One more interior item before I get back to the rear subframe. I got this pad and didn't want it sitting around the house.



I traced the old mat on the new one as it was very deteriorated. Cut out the holes then applied an aluminum back tape to smooth or the flow for the floor vents. This mat didn't have a smooth surface like I thought it did.
Here it is loosely over the trans tunnel. I need to staple the vent ducts to the mat when I find my stapler. It is turning out well and should be good with a few relief cuts.

 

[Zep5.0]

And then back to the rear. I got the drums, knuckles and axles out the other night.
Then just to feel like I did something I put the reflector panel on.

 

[White Lincoln]

It's coming along nicely Zep. The beer must be for the rehabilitation of the calf....

 

[FordMan77]

A nice Kona Big Wave will do wonders sometimes, lol.. Cougar is looking good, Zep!

 

[Zep5.0]

For the subframe back in and the right side basically buttoned up. Got dirty so the pics didn't look great. Control arms are on the other side, just ran out of time before I had to leave.

 

[XR7-4.6]

View attachment 7469View attachment 7470
For the subframe back in and the right side basically buttoned up. Got dirty so the pics didn't look great. Control arms are on the other side, just ran out of time before I had to leave.

I think the pics look great, It’s such a pretty rear suspension system, and your halfshafts aren’t crusty rusty like mine lol

 

[Zep5.0]

Posting a few before pics of the 5.0, that will be a 5.7 in a couple months. Block gets dropped off Monday(Veterans day).

 

[Zep5.0]

If you ever need a reason to not restore a car.... Wiring harness should be that reason.
Took me 30 minutes to get the current battery and alternator wiring out, since I'm moving the battery, and the alternator will live were the air pump once was. Then I started to replace the loom cover with summit racing braided loom. When I get it all done I'll share, but it's really nice stuff.

 

[KevinVarnes]

So going 347 then? What heads/cam/fuel induction are you planning on?

My dad still has bags and bags of '65/6/7/8 full size Chevy wiring harnesses that we got from junkyards when we were heavy in the restoration phase of our Biscayne. I spent many an hour re-wrapping harnesses. The good news is that as tedious as it is, it looks really good when you are done. That was back in the day before they started using that plastic convoluted split wire loom.

 

[Zep5.0]

So going 347 then? What heads/cam/fuel induction are you planning on?

My dad still has bags and bags of '65/6/7/8 full size Chevy wiring harnesses that we got from junkyards when we were heavy in the restoration phase of our Biscayne. I spent many an hour re-wrapping harnesses. The good news is that as tedious as it is, it looks really good when you are done. That was back in the day before they started using that plastic convoluted split wire loom.

347, balanced and forged bottom end with RPM crank, Scat rods and Mahle pistons. AFR 205 heads with 58cc Chambers for around 10.5:1 comp ratio. Custom billet hydraulic roller cam that Ford Strokers specs. I'm planning on Holley hi-ram intake with 90mm TB. Should be right at 500hp to the flexplate. I have a Canton oil pan and 1 3/4" hooker super comp headers to support that kind of power that I prefit. I'll have to do some interesting steering shaft stuff, but it should work.

 

[XR7-4.6]

I’m one of those weirdos who gets a high out of wiring, I absolutely love it. This was the beginning of just my engine harness…



Using leftovers from this



To create this

 

[Zep5.0]

I’m one of those weirdos who gets a high out of wiring, I absolutely love it. This was the beginning of just my engine harness…

View attachment 8680

Using leftovers from this

View attachment 8686

To create thisView attachment 8687

That second pic gives me anxiety. Turned out great, tho!
I'm hoping to run some of the engine management wiring under the intake. That may involve extending the injector wires, so I'm not sure yet. It may end up being where the heater core hoses go, as well. I'll end up adjusting some of it, but I want to get it in place so that I can install everything but the K member, engine and trans, which I'm hoping to do all at once from the bottom.

 

[MadMikeyL]

I also like doing wiring on a project. Chasing down a wiring problem can be frustrating, but building or modifying a harness for a project has always been a zen-like experience for me.

 

[XR7-4.6]

I also like doing wiring on a project. Chasing down a wiring problem can be frustrating, but building or modifying a harness for a project has always been a zen-like experience for me.

Same. Frankly I’d rather rewire from scratch than track down an electrical fault through diagnosis. I don’t particularly enjoy tuning via a laptop either for that matter but it’s interesting a lot of the car guys older than me are more comfortable with than than the wiring portion of EFI.

 

[Grog6]

I made a career out of diagnosing and fixing electrical issues,lol. but my harness work won't ever look that good.

 

[White Lincoln]

Hey Zep, did you remove the rear window when you repainted the Cougar? Or just tape and cover around it?

 

[Zep5.0]

Hey Zep, did you remove the rear window when you repainted the Cougar? Or just tape and cover around it?

It was removed. No issues removing it putting it back in other than the moulding which is unobtainable. Mine is actually in good overall appearance, but shrunk enough that I can't get back on without the one corner splitting. I've been brainstorming how to heat it up enough to get back on there as I don't care for the rubber replacement I found.

 

[White Lincoln]

It was removed. No issues removing it putting it back in other than the moulding which is unobtainable. Mine is actually in good overall appearance, but shrunk enough that I can't get back on without the one corner splitting. I've been brainstorming how to heat it up enough to get back on there as I don't care for the rubber replacement I found.

The reason I asked because it looks like it was never taken off. But I know you stripped the car down to just the frame, but don't recall a pic of the window being gone. When I had my car painted and I took out the side windows, door trim and all that happy crap, i read that it is a real B to remove the window and if it ain't broke, leave it in. I think one of the reasons was the heated glass. When they did tape up the rear window, it had just a few lines of overspray on the rubber trim, but not that noticeable.

Good luck with that rear window trim creation brain storm. I know you'll share what you find that worked.