Original 428 Cobra Jet: 1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminator
It is no secret that as the 1970s dawned, the American muscle car market had shrunk significantly. Manufacturers focused on meeting upcoming legislative changes, while insurance companies twitched uncontrollably every time a customer application for one of these potent beasts landed on their desks. However, there were still great cars out there for those willing to pay the price. This 1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminator is a perfect example of the breed. From its excellent presentation to the fire-breathing 428 Cobra Jet V8 hiding under the hood, it is ideal for a new owner wishing to taste raw horsepower.
The Eliminator joined the First Generation Cougar range in 1969 as a replacement for the GT. It paralleled Ford’s Mach 1 and Boss 302 models, and removing the GT badge from the equation went some way towards reducing owner stress brought about by insurance companies. Our feature Eliminator rolled off the line in 1970 wearing Competition Gold paint. Its presentation is impressive for a vehicle of this vintage, although it is unclear whether it has undergone any form of restoration. The paint retains a healthy shine, while the panels are as straight as an arrow and feature tight and consistent gaps. The seller supplies a comprehensive range of images, confirming this classic is rust-free. The trim and glass are in good order, and the front and rear spoilers are intact. The alloy wheels are a later addition that suits this car’s character.
The defining feature of this Cougar hides below the hood, with this car’s first owner ordering it with the mighty 428 Cobra Jet V8. They combined this powerplant with a four-speed manual transmission and a 3.25 rear end but passed on luxuries like power assistance for the steering and brakes. The muscle car segment may have contracted by the time this Mercury left the showroom, but it did so with 335hp and 440 ft/lbs of torque at the driver’s disposal. Its ability to scorch the ¼-mile in 14.7 seconds from Day One confirms it is a car that is worthy of respect. The seller doesn’t indicate whether this classic is numbers-matching. However, they use the word “exhilarating” to describe the driving experience. I find that easy to believe, and it also suggests this is a turnkey vehicle that is in excellent mechanical health.
The positive vibes continue inside this Cougar, with its interior presenting beautifully. Someone fitted a retro-style stereo in place of the original radio, but that appears to be the only aftermarket addition. The Black vinyl upholstered surfaces are free from wear and distress, with the dash and pad in excellent condition. There are no significant carpet issues, and the gauges feature clear lenses and crisp markings. The first owner didn’t tick many boxes on the Order Form, suggesting they focused on outright performance. However, the buyer will undoubtedly welcome the console and factory tachometer.
The seller listed this 1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminator here on eBay in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It has only received three bids, meaning it is unsurprising that the current figure of $15,600 is below the reserve. I suspect there is a long way to go before it reaches that point, with a figure beyond $80,000 a realistic expectation for a car of this caliber. The action may be subdued, but even if it is out of your financial reach, the auction may be worth watching to see how it develops.
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Comments
Pretty car. I suspect that the lack of amenities means that it racked up a good chunk of its miles a quarter mile at a time.
4sp 🐈 Eliminator 😎 ✔️ 🏁
Hey Stan, looks like I’m allotted 1 thumbs up and you get it!
This is one of the few posts where the “thumbs up” icon is working! Bravo!
Nice looking car. Dish/slot mags look good on any car from that era.
Steve R
Looks orange to me.. Guy in hi school had a white one fast car
The Cougar Eliminator was really out of it’s league. It’s as if Ford said, “we better get a hot car to our Mercury dealers before this thing goes bust”. Mercury was for a more sophisticated( read older) bunch than for the beer swizzling speed junkies, that was what the Mustang was for. These weren’t cheap either. I read, the car cost $3115,, $284 more than a Mustang and an option list a mile long. The 428 cost a whopping $310 bucks and the 4 speed $204, plus the “needed” items with the 428 sent it well into the $4s. With only about 5,000 made for ’69-’70, I can say the public just didn’t take a performance Mercury seriously, yet, Cougar ’67-’70 made up 40% of all Mercury sales. The Eliminator wasn’t one of them. Cool cars,,,for a Mercury.
I remembered Mercury did a lot of advertising for the Cougar. If I remember correctly, I hot girl and a Cougar was the commercials.
No power brakes or steering. Might be nice options to have on this beast.
It would be nice to see a Marti Report to be 100% sure it’s an Eliminator & what it should be equiped with.
If it is Mercury color code U, that would be called Competition Gold in 1970 and was a color available in the Eliminator package. Note that it is the same color code as Ford Grabber Orange in 1970, so whats in a name.
For the 1970 model year there were certain colors that Mercury preferred that a customer would choose to have their 1970 Eliminator painted however any Ford color could be had. There are multiple 1970 Eliminators out there that have blank color codes on their door data plates indicating a special order color.
The Eliminator package included the competition suspension, which used the same 16:1 steering box as cars with power steering. With a big block, the fast steering box, and no power assist, you’ll get a real workout driving this thing around the parking lot or show field. I suppose that’s a small price to pay in return for much better steering feel on the roads.
Interesting comment about the steering. I put a 428 into a 68 Mustang, it had power steering but I removed all the hydraulics but kept the box. That would explain why it was not fun to park. Even dips in the road would pull you around
I have a 1968 Torino GT 428. I can only imagine how difficult it is to access those back spark plugs on this Cougar. Ford big block power, gotta love it.
Awesome find! I would prefer the original gold color, but I could live with orange.
This was a “halo car”. It associated the Cougar with horsepower and a younger vibe. Perfect for getting the showrooms filled with buyers for more common fare.
The Competition Gold color was not actually gold, it is orange. So this very well may be the original color. Posting the Marti report would have really helped this seller.
This car has been repainted. The under hood latch pieces should not be body color. The area behind the taillights should not be body color, it should be blacked out.
Great looking car all around and all business, too. I could make myself drive it. Is it just me or do the wheels look cleaner on the right side? Maybe the light.
Didn’t the Eliminator version of these cars have and emblem or letters on the flanks that said that on the car?
Yes, on the quarter next to the marker light. This cat has them, just hard to see them in the pics.
On a 1970 the Eliminator wording is on the rear section of the quarter panel by the rear side marker light and on the top surface of the rear spoiler. On a 1969 the Eliminator wording is on the forward part of the quarter panel just behind the door and the top of the rear spoiler is plain body color, no wording at all.
In 1970 – in addition to the rear quarter lettering mentioned, the gas tank cover and “center grill” (on the nose of the hood between the headlight covers) would also be different for an Eliminator vs. the standard and XR7 Cougars. This does appear to have the correct cat on both pieces.
The hood center grille is almost exactly the same between a standard Cougar and an Eliminator. The center grille on this car is a standard Cougar one. A correct Eliminator center grille will have all the chrome except for the running cat blacked out.
The gas door does have the Eliminator only running cat center emblem but the background foil piece behind it should be blacked out.
The sign of the cat
I had a ’69 Cobra Torino, and yes the plugs in the rear meant losing the motor mounts and lifting it a bit. Mine had Hooker headers which helped a bit but not much. Todays plugs are longer running that the old Autolite’s of past. This is a great car, won’t stay at 17K.
This is the most desirable Cougars of all Cougars.Mercury really made a statement with the Eliminator.It still has some questions that needs to be answered without that Marti report.
Great eye! The original Eliminators had the “Eliminator” callouts on each quarter. I’ve seen a few that didn’t, but I owned a 71, Boss 351 back in the day. And I’ve seen one or two that didn’t have the Magnam rims. So…maybe. real one. Just guessing it is as the ad sounds legit.
Wish I could afford it!
Thanks Mike 76 I missed them!
This is listed for 85K on the dealer’s website. This is not selling via EBay unless the dealer takes a reality pill.
Do the headlight covers work as intended?
This Eliminator (0F91Q511602) has been available via private sale for quite a while, and as mentioned is available on eBay and the Dealer’s website.
It IS a confirmed factory Eliminator which underwent an amateur restoration / repaint & refurbishment around 2020. While it is a beautiful and clean-appearing car, it appears to have been repainted an incorrect color and appears to be more reddish than is typically seen with Competition Gold (aka Grabber Orange). Otherwise, the paint and bodywork appear to be pretty nice!
Likewise it is missing a lot of rare and expensive parts under the hood as well as a laundry list of missed details which have certainly held it back from being sold at the $85k asking price.
~Mike B.