86 Cougar 3.8 V6. 49K miles for $3800. You know it would help if the owner took more pictures.......
https://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/cto/d/1986-mercury-cougar-low-miles/6336367173.html
There's an 84 just like that with under 50k miles for $3k here. Started at $6k. Probably been up off and on for 5 years.
It's probably over priced, but who knows? I don't see any interior pictures so it's hard to say.
Sill for sale.
As a side note it seems the bulk of the low mileage, "minty", Fox Thunderbirds and Cougars near me for sale are low option V6 cars.
Ive noticed that also, seems most of them are V6 cars.
Something like 75% are Sixers, about 12% are v-8 and the rest are tc's roughly. Some years more or less then others, but that's the basic "new sale" breakdown.
Explains all the V6 cars that are left. Plus most cars don't have all the option boxes checked either.
As boring as the v6s are, the few I have owned have been very reliable. I don't think I had a major issue out of any of them. They almost always leak oil from somewhere though, heh.
I've never had a v-8 that didnt leak.
I'm pretty sure the 83-87 CFI 3.8s are better about keeping the head gaskets intact than the 88 and up cars.
Not in my experience...they all left a lot to be desired, regardless of model year. My current '84 had a head gasket failure when I bought it (cracked heads). My first '84 suffered a head gasket failure at 130K+ miles, not too bad for factory, but still inevitable.
I had a 95 Thunderbird with a 3.8. Made it to 92000 miles and 16 years on the factory head gaskets. I traded it away at that point but I assume it has popped the gaskets by now.
I thought the 83-87 cars were better in the fact that they could make it over 100K miles before the gaskets popped. The 88 and up 3.8s were going south in the 50-60K mile range.
My 83 3.8 still looked like no one had messed with it. It had 114k or so before it got wrecked.
Still for sale: https://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/cto/d/1986-mercury-cougar-53k-miles/6626762430.html
Down to $2600. Tempted to offer $2000 cash. But no place to store it, plus it needs $$$$$ in upgrades (at least a 302, trans mods, 8.8 rear, frame reinforcement) before I'd be happy.
Wow, still for sale from last November! The '86 I just bought looks just like it, minus the dings and scuffs mine has, and some bubbling under the paint in the quarters. But the paint, wheels, etc are all the same. Mine also has the 3.8/C5. My car needs a trans, but I only paid $375 for it. Interior is still clean as a pin, with about 120k miles on it. Hope you get it.
It's not going to be mine. I have 4 cars and no more space.