Craigslist Crapshoot

The World’s Worst Car Is For Sale On Craigslist
Welcome to Craigslist Crapshoot, our weekly search for the most bizarre, awesome, and/or terrible vehicles that the online classifieds has to offer. 
When it comes to exotic cars one generally has to make certain allowances. They aren’t going to be the most practical, they likely won’t have the best ergonomics, etc. But what if they also were from a company so small that it came and went like a kitten’s fart in the wind? That’s what we went fishing for last week: the weirdo super car brands from the past 30 years. We’ll get obscure in a minute, but first this week’s quest.
You know that you can be a cat person or a dog person. Or, you can be like me and like both cats and dogs just the same. This week however, we’re going to get catty. Specifically, let’s look for the best deals on a certain kind of automotive cat—the Mercury Cougar. Price is no object but coolness and historical impact (you’ll be asked to show your work) will be taken into consideration. Me-ow!
As always, we want your finds to go down in infamy and not in the site’s spam filter. Since we’ve changed commenting systems, you may need to update your commenter account. Make sure you have a Disqus account – they’re free and easy to get – and then comment away.

Got that? Good, Now, let’s get weirdly exotic.


I’m going to give you all a bit praise to start out here: you sure do know your weird. Last week’s journey into the world of off-brand exotics and performance cars was a master class in the subject. Oh where do we begin? Let’s start with the first post, a Canadian TVR 2500 located by mdharrell. Sure, it was a little outside of our 30-year stipulation, but then rules are meant to be broken. The Lancia 037 Stradale didn’t break rules, it set records, including being the last RWD car to win the WRC Manufacturers’ Championship. To do that, Lancia had to homologate 200 road cars, and one of those was located by engineered.
Andrew_theS2kBore found us another TVR, while an amazing Hurst UH Scout (again more than 30 years old, but who’s counting) was dug up by Batshitbox. Eclectic doesn’t begin to describe the selection in last week’s finds, it might however, describe the taste of anyone who would drive the Mastretta MXT offered up by Alff, the Qvale Mangusta found by Wayne Moyer, or the romper-stomper Opel nanoop nominated.
Our winner was also one of Batshitbox’s contributions, and that was this amazing 2014 filthy Lucra. An American made, hand crafted boutique-built sports car, the Lucra is also noteworthy for still being in business. That same can’t be said for Mercury or the Cougar so while I offer congrats to Batshitbox and thanks to all, let’s start thinking about which generation of Cougar you think will be the best to presently buy.
2014 Lucra LC470 R FOR SALE OR TRADE!!

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26 responses to “Craigslist Crapshoot”

  1. GTXcellent Avatar
    GTXcellent

    Houndstooth top!
    No pics of interior, but I believe it should have matching houndstooth seats too. I don’t think it’s an XR7, but still – Houndstooth!
    https://images.craigslist.org/00i0i_hDLSQ1Te2qP_600x450.jpg
    https://images.craigslist.org/00202_hOOVAN4RJIy_600x450.jpg
    https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/cto/5713974379.html

    1. Batshitbox Avatar
      Batshitbox

      Badge sez XR7 right there.

  2. Kiefmo Avatar
    Kiefmo

    Considering what a same year Mustang GT390 would cost in similar condition, this 1967 Cougar with a warmed-over 390 for $9k looks like a screaming deal.
    http://images.craigslist.org/00x0x_gjMZo18xvXP_1200x900.jpg
    http://kansascity.craigslist.org/cto/5721180134.html

    1. Alff Avatar
      Alff

      Best gen Cougar. A somewhat less hoary version of this car will be my daily driver as soon as I can get my head above water.

  3. The Real Number_Six Avatar
    The Real Number_Six

    Aspirational pricing ($7000 “(In side yard)”)! Maybe the fact of being the worst Cougar evar increases the value? http://images.craigslist.org/01414_7SB2kefWhx6_1200x900.jpg
    http://decatur.craigslist.org/cto/5715462655.html

    1. Wayne Moyer Avatar
      Wayne Moyer

      My best friend had 1980 XR7 and I have some very fond memories of that car. We used to cruise up and down High Street in Pottstown Pennsylvania in it. It was naturally brown and not very fast but who cared. It was for slow cruising.
      I miss that car.

  4. Muthalovin Avatar
    Muthalovin

    Not either of the Cougar’s I was picturing in my head when I read this weeks challenge.
    1978 Mercury Cougar (Brougham) – $4000
    http://austin.craigslist.org/cto/5685654298.html

  5. Muthalovin Avatar
    Muthalovin

    “It is the 35th Anniversary edition.
    V6 / Automatic. Has tuner exhaust & JDM vinyl decals on the doors. Also has an OBD2 chip plugged in for gas mileage and a little extra horsepower.”
    Mercury Cougar Sport. – $2800

    1. Hatchtopia Avatar

      I don’t care what anyone says, I like this design. It should have been the third generation Ford Probe, however.

  6. Batshitbox Avatar
    Batshitbox

    Woot! I still don’t know what a Lucra is, but whatever, it’s a winner! I live in the Silicon Valley bizzarro land of billionaire playboy technocrats, so “exotic” becomes a sorta geographically weighted term.

  7. Batshitbox Avatar
    Batshitbox

    There’s Cougars all over the place (hello! Ladies’ Night at the VFW!), but try and find a Bobcat? Not happening. I found this one in Dallas. There are some 2-door wagons, but no good pics.
    Performance Modified Bobcat no less! Mustang drivetrain (cough4cylindercough!)
    http://killeen.craigslist.org/for/5674872244.html
    http://images.craigslist.org/00505_fd1hGNENfr8_600x450.jpg

    1. Wayne Moyer Avatar
      Wayne Moyer

      My mother had an 80 or 82 blue Bobcat when i was young. It had replaced our AMC Spirit. Every three thousand miles like clock work the rear on that car would break. What a wonderful car.

      1. dead_elvis, inc. Avatar
        dead_elvis, inc.

        Mom’s got a lot of junk in the trunk, sounds like.
        (Yep, still 13 sometimes.)

  8. mad_science Avatar

    A little dear for what it is, but this is a perfect starting point for a nice driver. Give me one (ok, two or three) weekends and we’d have the stance sorted, a 4 speed swapped in and the interior gutted/cleaned up.
    http://images.craigslist.org/00V0V_je860uhIkuZ_600x450.jpg
    http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/5720016865.html

  9. longrooffan Avatar
    longrooffan

    Not surprisingly, this was my first thought.
    http://saleofcar.com/mercury-cougar-b/011937

    1. boxdin Avatar
      boxdin

      There actually were Cougar wagons around 81 or so.

  10. ptschett Avatar
    ptschett

    Final year of the convertible, final year of the Mustang-based Cougar, XR7 trim so it’s loaded (leather seats & air conditioning even!) Not sure whether it’s actually a 4-barrel when the air cleaner lid has the 351C-2V decal though.
    http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/cto/5726599322.html
    http://images.craigslist.org/00s0s_6Dly8AJklyo_600x450.jpg

  11. Douche_McGee Avatar
    Douche_McGee

    The Cougar is one car that I’ve never really been fond of, for no particular reason.
    I kinda like how this ’73 Convertible looks, but I can’t say I’d be happy to drive it
    http://stlouis.craigslist.org/cto/5730452910.html

    1. ptschett Avatar
      ptschett

      I’d drive it, but my 1st car was a blue ’73 XR7 hardtop with white interior and canopy-style white vinyl roof.

  12. 1slowvw Avatar
    1slowvw

    Historical impact be damned!
    This cougar looks like it was caged up in a trailer made from the back of an old box truck with an axle thrown under it in attempt to make a budget fifth wheel….or semi portable garage,it’s your choice.
    With only two pictures, and one focusing mainly on the trailer, which is not included, this could possibly maybe potentially theoretically be the car of your dreams. If your hunting for that kind of cat. Add that to the fact the car is in a steel town on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean where presumably they only know how to forge steel in an attempt to replace the local supply at the rate which it rusts away and this becomes even more of a gamble.
    The only logical question I can think of asking the seller is “how much with the trailer?”
    http://www.kijiji.ca/v-classic-cars/cape-breton/1972-cougar/1190938409?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

  13. Sean McMillan Avatar
    Sean McMillan

    It’s got a 302 “Elderbrock” motor! No tire kickers! Looks good, but at 17k, I’ll puff puff pass. The white ones a better deal.
    http://images.craigslist.org/00202_ifWldxLiAn5_600x450.jpg
    https://myrtlebeach.craigslist.org/cto/5691996459.html

  14. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    If I was a bit more flush, I’d take this one.

    All I’d do to it is swap in a 4 or 5-speed, complete the necessary bodywork, and then drive the wheels off it.

    It’s not an XR7, but a 289 should be more than adequate for a driver.

    http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDUwWDgwMA==/z/JbYAAOSwkl5Xc-ba/$_27.JPG

    http://www.kijiji.ca/v-classic-cars/edmonton/1968-mercury-cougar/1178015199?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

  15. gerberbaby Avatar

    http://rmn.craigslist.org/cto/5720916731.html “She does pretty good in the snow” $1800 Seller can’t be bothered to show us the rust behind the drivers door. Either the seller is disabled (pass given), or the laziest human I have never met….