1997ThunderbirdLXV6
PostWhore
Is that so? I wonder why.
Classifieds and Auctions Thread
- Thread starter Vicinity
- Start date
Is that so? I wonder why.
But in that case I’d also make the sad but mostly true argument that these cars tend to be more worn out for a given mileage than many of those examples, be it rust, needing suspension rebuilds, shabby interiors etc, some of which due to owner neglect, some of which being build quality.
I’ve always said I don’t care about mileage, a well taken care of 200k car is better than a normie driven 100k car
I don’t really think it is unless we’re talking SuperCoupes which most certainly fetch a premium. Cougars and Tbird LXs I typically see listed for about the same.
Vicinity
Stock CD Player
I assume its because there's no references or expectations for the cougar. Nobody really talks about the original Cougar, even though they're miles more interesting and attractive than old mustangs. The styling of 80-90s cougar caters more to a dated luxury commuter at photograph distances, also considering most of the examples to be seen in real life have those luggage racks, soft tops and fenders. Don't get me wrong, Id love to have one and can see how they can nudged to aggressive styling. The sellers probably don't 'know what they have'
The Cougar sellers that “know what they have” usually have the puffy landau tops and chrome fender arches nobody who does want a Cougar wants lol
I’m not sure I agree with that assessment, at least as far as the nameplate legacy goes. Who really talks about 55-57 Tbirds anymore either? The market for those has absolutely cratered in recent years as with many other 50s cars where the still fairly healthy muscle car era market has seen 67-70 Cougars hit higher highs than they used to (not hemi Cuda territory but more than 67-70 Tbirds that’s for sure).
For MN12s I totally believe the styling of the Cougar is simply off putting to many, but I still don’t really see that reflected in the prices I see(and in reality the Cougar design isn’t much different from the G body GMs that are selling for decent coin these days). If I gave a fair market assessment I think there might simply be more supply for clean Cougars, which were often bought by older buyers) than Tbirds which tended to be middle aged who used them up/handed them down to their kids to thrash and it’s simply supply and demand that might occasionally favor a clean Tbird over a clean Cougar.
1997ThunderbirdLXV6
PostWhore
I can see that, because the roofline is so shoehorned into the design. Personally I like it, and I love the rear headroom and bigger trunk opening.
The problem for me is all the rest. For a Cougar to go from good to great, it needs Thunderbird's:
- Black window frames
- Chrome-delete
- Full-length LED taillights
- Nicer wheels (although certain Cougar wheels are very nice)
I like the level of chrome on 94-95s, it’s basically just the grille, taillight spears and the side window trim(which I think early base 89-92 Tbirds that also used it look great with), it’s the perfect balance between the LS and XR7 of prior years.
Mind you I personally have never been crazy about 96-97 Cougars with the thick chrome accents in the bumpers and cladding though, but truthfully 96-97s bug me in the first place for sharing hoods and headlights with the Tbird which was pure Ford beancounting at its worst. I like the Sports and 30ths that utilized unique wheels sourced from the earlier XR7s and Mark VIII respectively but apart from their powertrain refinements pale to 94-95s for me.
As for LEDs… Fixed
This one could be worth this to the right person.
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Reviving this point, I just spotted this tonight, 5-speed 35th in pretty decent shape at 90k miles for less than a quarter of the asking price of that $1,000 mile one
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Which one’s the better buy?
MadMikeyL
Administrator
It isn’t a matter of which is the better buy, those are totally different things. One is a cool old car to drive, the other is a piece of history to be maintained, maybe shared at shows, but never driven. Nobody looking for the piece of history wants the 90k mile car with torn seats, malfunctioning gauges, and questionable power steering, at any price let alone $5000. And nobody looking for a car to drive wants something that has sat not being driven at all for the last 35 years. Personally, I would never own any vehicle specifically to not drive it, however having done some work on a sub-1000 mile 35th, it was really cool to see one of these cars “brand new”, and the owner of that car trailers it to car shows and collects trophies, and he gets great enjoyment out of that. But honestly, in my opinion the “best buy” is the $11k 30k mile Cougar! I would sooner buy that knowing it is practically brand new with beautiful interior and a powertrain that I can rely on for another 200k miles vs twice the price for a 1000 mile car that will be less reliable or half the price for a car with 3x the mileage, a lot more wear and tear.
Stanley
3rd Gear Poster
Yeah, it's very much a matter of preference rather than one being objectively better. That having been said, I like buying old whisky and drinking it, not saving the bottle. If I ever came across a pristine MN12, I could definitely admire it but ultimately I'm having a lot of fun Frankensteining the hell out of my Bird and driving it like it was meant to be driven.
What do you want the car for? That's the question here. If I wanted a driver, 90k miles. If I loved a 90th and wanted a super clean example that only went to shows, it's the 1k miles. And the white letters are a $500 fix that's totally worth fixing. They should have been relegated to 15" and under wheels.Reviving this point, I just spotted this tonight, 5-speed 35th in pretty decent shape at 90k miles for less than a quarter of the asking price of that $1,000 mile one
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Which one’s the better buy?
And also uninstall the aftermarket stereo and find a factory one with the same amount of miles lacking typical wear and tear…
A car like Mike mentioned is a different story from this one, it’s probably still on its original tires I’d wager, trailered around as a true time capsule, not brought to driver status on new rubber and a Bluetooth stereo to listen to your tunes as you tick away all of the novelty mile by mile. It becomes literally the same car as the 90k one doing nothing more than driving it. They’re only original once.
1996 Mercury Cougar XR7 for sale - Vancouver, WA - craigslist
1996 MERCURY COUGAR This is a Very Nice 2 Long Term Owner V8 Cougar with only 36k miles. These were Luxury and Style in one package. This was a local car so it is Rust Free. If you want to know more...portland.craigslist.org
Here is a beautiful '96 XR7 w/37k miles. Sometimes when these cars have low mileage I am skeptical, but this beauty looks exactly like you would expect a 37K mile car to look like. Not sure if $11,495 is a fair price, but it would be hard to find another one this clean.
1994 Ford Thunderbird - sporting goods - by owner - sale - craigslist
1994 Ford Thunderbird I was told the engine works great but reverse in the transmission is out. Come and get it I just need to get rid of itseattle.craigslist.org
Here is '94 LX with 160K that looks like it has 160K, but it is only $650. Looks like a good project!
That steering wheel looks super chunky; it must have been recovered.
Had to go look at mine to make sure I wasn't wrong.
View attachment 11456
That steering wheel looks super chunky; it must have been recovered.
Had to go look at mine to make sure I wasn't wrong.
It looks great! That’s as thick as my FR500 wheel
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