SAAC Forum

Yes, that is one I've never seen before.

- Phillip

I'm sure you're already aware of all of this, but the VINs are known for the "mule" Cougar and the Pistone/Lund Cougar and interestingly the Pistone Cougar started life as an S code 390 4v car.

The "mule" Cougar was a A code 289 4v car that had already had some race modifications done before Bud Moore got involved.

The excellent "Kar-Kraft" book by Charlie Henry states that KK's lead Trans-Am engineer has said that KK didn't have anything to do with the TA Cougars other than make some suspension recommendations at Fran Hernandez's request - so it has been speculated that the initial mods to that first TA Cougar were done at Dearborn Steel and Tubing.

If anyone can shed any light on that that would be great.

- Phillip

Hey there Randy -

Please don't worry about my toes!! I'm here to learn and hopefully add to the knowledge base a little bit if I can.

I'm humbled to be called any kind of an expert. I am sure my story is familiar to a lot of us - you start off wanting to satisfy your own curiosity, one thing leads to another and then before you know it you've got an attic full of old racing programs and newspapers and magazines!!

Along with those I've talked with several drivers who are still around and their family members. I was very lucky to get to meet Bud a couple of times before he passed.

Near as I can tell and according to the info we have so far it looks like BME built (or had a hand in building, in the case of the first "mule" car) 4 Mercury Cougars for the 1967 Trans-Am season and then at least one more for the 1968 Grand Touring Division - so yes, 5 racing Cougars in all.

Bud sold one Cougar (the mule) at the end of the '67 TA season that stayed in that series and was wrecked badly at the 1968 Sebring TA race. The other 3 became NASCAR Grand Touring Division race cars plus Bud built another NASCAR Cougar.

Tiny/BME won the championship that year and then Tiger Tom bought that Cougar and Tiny drove it again for the '69 season. By the 1969 Paul Revere 250 that Cougar had '69 sheetmetal.

Reid Shaw bought a Cougar from Bud in April of '69 and then a second one around Sept. of '69. It looks like one was an ex Trans-Am Cougar and the other was a dedicated NASCAR Cougar. One of those may have been the cream colored Cougar that was raced by "Little" Bud Moore (no relation).

I think the Pistone Cougar was given 1970 Cougar sheetmetal, painted blue and ended up in his boneyard.

Shaw put '70 sheetmetal on one of his Cougars (at the insistence of Mercury who provided Shaw with new body panels) with the other Cougar retaining it's '67/'68 body.

In the 1971 Citrus 250 program there is a photo of Randy Banister racing a '67/'68 Cougar whose trunk lid looks like one of the notched Trans-Am Cougar trunk lids (one of the Shaw Racing Enterprises Cougars?).

There is of course other racing Cougars like the one C.B. Gwyn built from a wrecked production Cougar with the help of Holman & Moody.

So that kind of sums it up - it looks like the Bannister Cougar might still be out there somewhere and could be an ex Trans-Am Cougar.

I think the Gwyn Cougar is still around also.

- Phillip

Again, thanks for the compliments - especially on something I did in my youth.

Even though it has it's problems (which stick out to me like a sore thumb), I think my passion for the design of the '67 Shelby managed to come through.

2112, your comment actually got me to thinking that Photoshop would allow me to address the issues with the tires and wheels (along with trying different colors).

When I get some time I'll do that and then maybe make some posters available in the "for sale' section of the forum.

- Phillip

Great photos -

Gurney has said in interviews that his technique was to take off and then on a straight hold the steering wheel steady with his knees until he got his belts buckled.

- Phillip

Thanks Chris and Shelby_r_b  -  it's always nice to get a compliment now-and-then 

Yep, did that in 1978 when I was 17 using model paint rattle cans with acrylic washes.

It has that pre-computer, warm, 1970s "analog" feel to it - but it is amateurish. I was trying hard to figure things out.

- Phillip

Hey honker -

Seems that the magazines of the day labelled the new for '68 NASCAR series "Baby Grands", but I have since been told by the son of one of the drivers that that nickname wasn't particularly liked at the time.

The series was officially launched in 1968 and was called the Grand Touring Division. It was basically NASCAR's version of the Trans-Am series. The name was changed in 1970 to the Grand American Series.

NASCAR held kind of a trail run in 1967 with the Paul Revere 250 at Daytona International Speedway. It appears that basically all of the '67 Trans-Am cars ran a non-points race that started at midnight on July 4th and lasting until 2:30 in the morning. Parnelli Jone's brought his Bud Moore Cougar in first followed by Jerry Titus's Shelby Mustang. Bob Johnson was third in a Mustang and Peter Revson was fourth in another BME Cougar.

You'll see it quoted often that PJ never won a race in his Bud Moore Cougar, which strictly is not true. Shame it was a "non-points" race, Cougar might have won the TA championship with those points.

When Ford pulled the plug on the Trans-Am Cougars for 1968 Bud Moore took the Cougars into the Grand Touring Division, with DeWayne "Tiny" Lund being his main driver. Moore rotated drivers in the other Cougars including Suzuki for a couple of races. Other notable drivers who drove the Cougars for Bud include Swede Savage and Lloyd Ruby (who won the 1968 Paul Revere 250 in his Cougar).

Bud sold off his Cougars in 1969 to "Tiger" Tom Pistone and Reid Shaw.

There are also photos of Suzuki racing a Cougar later, with '70 sheet metal. Maybe the Pistone Cougar with new body panels hung on it (?).

Some posted this link to info on Suzuki - can't remember if was this forum or another.

Sadly, he was killed in a race in the early '70s.

http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=ct&n=942&fbclid=IwAR0i37ZItLmWhzYqnv7RQvEm7uXA7lUXHkD_4nqSnfE9xMXbd5284EXx8WU

- Phillip

Oh well - It's old artwork but unpublished plus I want to have my Shelby posts keep up with my Cougar posts.

This is something I did while in high school - all kinds of funky things going on (I didn't even know how to use oval templates then so the tires and wheels are farged up). Plus I put LeMans stripes on it!

But -

It proves I've been a long time Shelby fan even though Mercury Cougars are my #1.

- Phillip

I think a legitimate 10 spoke GT500 is really cool!

- Phillip

Quote from: Coralsnake on December 12, 2019, 08:09:59 AM
Yes its #2329, Cougar dash experiment with Cleveland engine, awesome car

Hmmm, does #2329 still have the Cougar dash?

- Phillip

You are always welcome Dave!

- Phillip

^^^ for sure -

Found this photo over at the Revs Digital Library recently and figured why not post it here.

There are several tributes to the NASCARized iterations of the Bud Moore Cougars being built now.

I know because they reach out to me for decals.

- Phillip

I'm sure we've all heard the often told story of how Ford hired Shelby American to modify and race Mustangs partly because they (Ford) wanted to alter the general public's perception of their new sporty car as a "secretary's car".

It is also well documented that Ford did not want the Cougar to overshadow the Mustang and when they raced against each other their was much political infighting going on behind the scenes - even some rumors of sabotage.

Partially contributing to Dan Gurney's move to Chrysler.

When my father came home from Viet Nam in 1968 he had some spare change in his pocket and wanted to buy a new car, ostensibly as an anniversary gift for my mother.

We were a Ford/Mercury family dating several generations back, and dad wanted a Mustang.

A brand new white with red interior (and pinstripes) Mercury Cougar sitting on the lot caught mom's eye and the Cougar went home with us.

I was eight and the rest, as-they-say, is history.

- Phillip

I've heard the Ring Brothers are building a Cougar. They are starting with a really clean 1967 XR-7 with a 390. Plans are for it to have a 5.0 Coyote engine, 10 speed trans and Detroit Speed suspension. That might help raise the Cougar's profile a little bit.

I try not to voice my opinion much on the various forums I participate in - which of course means I'm getting ready to do just that now 

But the '67/'68 Mercury Cougar body style is near perfection to my eyes - and the XR-7 dash/interior is among the best of any pony car. The XR7-G console also gets my vote as best looking console of that era.

- Phillip

Owned by a friend of mine and fellow Delmarva Cougar Club member.

I did the decals for it 

- Phillip