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March, 2001 Cruise News

STORY LINE-FROM THE DRIVERS SEAT, ROAD TEST 429CJ-1971 Mercury Cougar

MERCURY; in Roman mythology a god of commerce, eloquence, travel, cunning, and theft who serves as a messenger to the other gods. In our world, Mercury is the closest planet to the sun.

A little Mercurial history first. Walter P. Chrysler was looking for a mid price car to fill out his new company. He tried to buy Dodge from the bankers who were running the company. That not working, WP created DeSoto-a few years later he did own Dodge. General Motors had a complete 5 car step-up line, from the low priced Chevrolet all the way up to the luxury fortified and expensive Cadillac.

Henry Ford had the Ford and Lincoln automobiles-everyday and high brow, but no middle priced vehicle as did the General and Walter P. Enter Mercury in 1939 and Ford now had a car that could compete with the Dodge/DeSoto and Pontiac/Oldsmobile lineup dollar for dollar.

Mercury cars were similar to the Ford line but always just a bit larger with a longer wheelbase and slightly larger displacement engines. Mercury in the late ‘50s used the big Lincoln engines of 430CID and upwords of 400HP with 3x2 barrel carburetors. During the ‘60s and ‘70s Ford and Mercury shared powertrains all the way up to the mighty 427-FE, and the 429/460 engines commonly referenced as the ‘485’ Series.

Our road test vehicle, as supplied by Showdown Auto Sales, is one of those very rare, J VIN code CJ-429 RAM AIR powered, 1971 Mercury Cougar standard 2dr hardtop. As the picture exhibits, this is a no visual frills and ‘Plain Jane’ model from the outside. Only the functional ‘Ram Air’ hood scoop and dual exhaust rumble is telltale of what’s possibly under the hood. The only emblems are the Cougar script on the front fenders-no numbers. Simple steel wheels with center cap and trim ring, one drivers side chrome mirror and that clean ‘race car’ Data code M, white body color-no pin striping, no graphics.

Passenger accouterments: Dark red hi-back vinyl covered bucket seats with a typical Ford style floor shift control for the C6 automatic transmission. A simple dash void and stark of useless gadgetry-just the all important speedometer and tachometer for the pilots viewing. Power steering, power front disc brakes, AM pushbutton radio, tinted glass and air conditioning for creature comforts.

The boiler: Code ‘J’ 429CID-Cobra Jet Ram Air, 370HP @ 5400rpm, 450lbs-ft torque @ 3400rpm, 11.3:1 compression and a single Rochester Q-Jet carburetor. C6 Select-Shift automatic transmission and traction-lok differential round out the wrangling qualities of the Cougar. The canted valve arrangement of this engine, it should be noted, is similar to the ‘porcupine’ Chevrolet V8 ‘Rat’ motor-more commonly known as the Mark IV and the old Mopar ‘poly-head’.

The drive: Smooth, quiet and comfortable … the last part only somewhat, as when you are not as young as those days when these cars were new, alas its cushy big couches that I so enjoy. But this’ll work for today. Quiet and smooth with a 4-inch longer wheelbase than its sister car-the Mustang, I would think that one would feel and sense the difference between the two cars when stepping from one to the other.

With a base vehicle price of $3289, add in the options at $1428 that include; 429CJ/$311, C6/$243, traction-lok/$48, PS-PDB/$185, Ram Air/$65, AM-PB radio, $66, tinted glass/$38 and at $408 the AC is the most expensive option-and the most comforting for ‘cool’ cruising-the bottom line list price was just a ‘C’ note shy of $5000.00 in 1971.

Stealth at its best, relatively comfortable, especially with air conditioning and buckets of torque from this first year optional ‘485’ Series CJ429-V8. And if and when you want to call on the horsepower-all 370 stallions-its just a toe tap away. When is the last time you saw a real CJ 429 Ram Air Cougar ‘sleeper’ like this one-just prowling around.