Wisconsin’s hot rod builders, Ring Brothers, are known for their rest mods. Mike and Jim Ring specialize in taking vintage cars and revitalizing them with modern components. His most recent project is a 1968 Mercury Cougar.
The emblem may say “Cougar”, but there is a Coyote under the hood, as in Ford’s 5.0-liter V-8. It produces 460 hp and drives the rear wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission from a Ford F-150 Raptor.
The car received a frame restoration, with new floor plates and a new transmission tunnel, as well as a new front bumper, grille and emblem. A DSE performance suspension was installed, as well as modern brakes. Cougar uses three-piece forged HRE Series C1 C103 alloy wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport tires.
Ring Brothers 1968 Mercury Cougar
While some of the earlier versions of Ring Brother had flashy paintings and heavily modified sheet metal, the Cougar looks quite original. The main advantages are the forged wheels mentioned above on the outside and the F-150 gearbox on the inside.
Launched in 1967 as a companion to the Ford Mustang, the Cougar never escaped the Ford’s shadow. The Cougar eventually moved to a platform shared with the Ford Thunderbird, becoming larger and more luxurious in the process, and then it was reinvented again as a compact front-wheel drive coupe. This final generation ended production in 2002, and the Mercury brand followed it into oblivion a few years later.
“We had never made a Cougar before, so it was a fun build,” said Mike Ring in a statement. “I love working with new formats and coming up with new ideas. Ring Brothers would normally reveal a newly completed car at SEMA’s annual aftermarket show in Las Vegas, but that was not possible due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Mike Ring said he hopes the car can be shown to the public soon.