Originally Posted by
RhinoFLA
Alright so 3.0 duratec swap + MT conversion and you're in the hole another 3-5k. If for some insane reason I were rich enough and looking to spend ~90k on a replica/kit car and I popped the hood to a 2.5L 175hp Duratec with an AT, I would laugh hysterically all the way back to my mansion.
Who in the hell gave you a 3-5k number??
I owned a 2001 Mercury Cougar ZN model ATX model. 2.5l Duratec. With a CD4AE tranny. Keep in mind I might be off a letter or number so don't quote me on the actual tranny code.
1. There are many different types of 3.0L duratec motors you may use for the 99-02 Cougar. Keep in mind these are 200+hp and 200+tq motors in stock form.
01-02
-Ford Taurus
-Mercury Sable
-Ford Escape
-Mazda Tribute
02-03 DOHC 3.0L
-Ford Taurus
-Mercury Sable
-Ford Escape/ Mercury Mariner
-Mazda Tribute
If you ever went on car-parts.com you can easily pick up one of these motors between $300 and $800 dollars respectively. Yes I understand other places sell them for more and some for less. Converting it over to MTX is not expensive being that I BOUGHT the kit to do this from a wrecked car that was hit in the back. I spent a total of $600.00 which included everything from the sub frame, mounts, brand new lines, MTX-75 tranny, Clutch, etc.. etc..
So lets say you find a motor for $600 and you get the MTX kit for $600. I've also seen kits go a little less way after I purchased mine. that right there is only $1200.00 to convert everything over from a 2.5l duratec over to a 3.0l duratec with 200+ hp/tq and a 5 spd tranny. On top of that you don't have to switch it to a MTX. You can stay with a ATX tranny and save yourself the $600 bucks.
So you wouldn't be spending no more then $1200.00 for everything you need. Now there is a company that is piecing the bodykits for the cougar. They have a Ferarri kit and also a Audi kit. It hasn't been fullly priced, but it's estimated to cost less than 7k. You can find a 99-02 cougar with a blown motor or tranny between $500 and $1200 dollars. You can find a running one between $1200 - $3000 depending on how much work was done to it.
So finding a car for $1500 + $600 for a 3.0l Duratec + $600 for the whole MTX kit is only $2700.00 which is what most people on this website would probably spend on a beat up civic that isn't pushing more then 130hp. 90k from this guy is a joke. Just because he is asking for 90k doesn't mean he'll get it.
So $2700.00 dollars for a cougar with 200+hp is not bad. The cougars are a half way decent looking vehicle. They do not look bad at all. Keep in mind you can minus $600.00 off this price if you don't do the Manual swap. So $2100.00 for a 99-02 cougar with 200+hp without any mods done to the motor is not a bad price. Also this is a possibility for people who own a cougar already. So if you own a cougar already doing the engine upgrade will be pennies being that you already own a cougar and you might already have a manual. And you don't have to switch to MTX if you have a ATX. Now add the kit for around 7k and you got yourself a Ferrari or an Audi kit car for under 10k. You go pick yourself up a 80's Feiro with a lambo body kit and your paying way over 10k for a slow piece of crap that looks like crap. Now think about it. There must be some confusion on his price or he did a typo. Whoever has money for a 90k car is not going to purchase a kit car when you can get the real deal for a little more. 90k for a car is a lot. There not gonna cheap out and buy this POS. Would you? Not me.
Now before you jump down my throat. Do I think it's worth it? For the right person yes. For me ? No, but hey some people like to be different and unique and spend money on this stuff. I don't have a problem with kit cars if they are done right from start to finish. My Cousin which I haven't talked to in a while was about to purchase a Bat mobile kit from the original batman show. That was gonna run him a shit load of money. The Ones done with the Ferrari kit looks like its an actual Ferrari that rolled of the lot. It was done with a lot of work. It wasn't a hack job.
Kit cars for the most part are lame, most especially 175hp ones that handle like a short bus and are pretending to be an 1,100+ bhp supercar. Think of how embarrassing it would be to drive around in this with geo metros giving you a run for your money. Almost as embarrassing as this Sebring with a Pep Boys turbo badge sitting next to me in traffic.
Who cares. Everyone is different. It's nice to see people put in the hard work and make something unique out of something like a Fiero, cougar, or whatever car. I laugh seeing some of these cars in the street with GTR batches or Turbo badges or whatever.
I owned a cougar and I was apart of newcougar.org You can go on their website and cross reference anything I've said from prices to whatever. The 2.5 and the 3.0l Duratecs are capable of a lot of different mods and upgrades very cheap. Please don't compare the prices from this car to a civic. Two different worlds and anything made for a civic can be bought for pennies. People on the neco website have cougars with 300+ hp some with super chargers some with Turbo chargers on them Hell there are a few still active on that site that are strictly N/A pushing over 300+ without a Turbo or Super charger and there not that expensive to mod. You just have to have patience. Not a lot of room under the hood so a little modification to get a Turbo or Super charger to fit.