The ’67 Mercury Cougar debuted in late 1966 as an upscale cousin to the legendary Ford Mustang.
Cougars never sold in Mustang numbers, but they did make a big impression in the car world because they were pony cars for buyers with a bigger bank account.
Jerry Sutherland
Billy Guiboche was not a buyer with a bigger bank account. He was 11 years old when he saw his first brand new Cougar and he said, “It was love at first sight—the sequential signal lights and the hideaway headlights told me I want one of those.’
Decades later, the opportunity to own a 1967 Cougar came and Billy jumped on the deal. His boss owned one, so Billy told him, “If it’s ever for sale I’ll take it.” That was in 1999 and four years later in 2003, the Cougar came up for sale—Billy bought it on the spot.
Billy had a big ally on the deal because his wife recommended that he buy the car. She knew he’d been looking for years but he never had the money to get into the game, but Billy was in a better position when the car came up for sale.
This was the starting point because Billy admitted he never drove the car after he bought it. He explained how there were some problems with the 289 under the hood, so he needed time to get the engine up to better-than-new.
That kind of work takes money, so Billy took on some jobs to build up a war chest for the ’69 Cougar project. He found a mechanic who told Billy he’d “cut his teeth on those cars” so he was the right man for the job. He did everything from top to bottom on the Cougar’s small block.
The body was another issue with the Cougar because Billy said, “There were some bubbles under the paint’, so he had a trusted friend take on the job. The body was in great shape because the car came from a drier climate in Western Canada, so it wasn’t a massive job. Billy helped him at every stage because he wanted it keep costs down plus, he wanted the final outcome to be a great paint job.
The results speak for themselves because Billy’s Cougar still has a factory fresh look 19 years later.
Billy hasn’t put thousands of miles on his Cougar because he’s a busy guy. He drives it to local shows and admits there are years when he hasn’t taken it out from under its cover. He’s definitely a proud owner because he invites people to jump in and turn the key—it fires up like it just came off the showroom, so Billy’s careful approach over the years really paid off.
The Cougar is everything he expected—and more–since the day he saw a brand new one when he was 11 years old. Billy’s plan is to keep enjoying it and he has a succession plan because his son also loves his Cougar.
It runs in the family.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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