When Ron Dunn first fell in love with classic Cougars, he was driving a '65 Chevelle Malibu convertible.  Then he saw a new 1970 Cougar in a dealer's showroom, and he knew he had to have one.  So Ron traded his Malibu for a '70 Eliminator and his love for the Cat was born.

For many years, work and travel—including living in South Africa for a period of time—spoiled his plans for getting another Cougar.  While he kept looking for the right Cat, Ron could never seem to find it until he got on the Internet and was introduced to the world of eBay, the on-line auction service.  What Ron found on eBay was an unrestored 1970 Cougar that was up for auction and close enough to his home in Florida for him to take a look at it.

Since he actually planned to drive this Cat, the first step was to put a new set of tires on it.  The car had sat so long that the tires were dry rotted from the inside out.  As for the rest of the Cougar, it was in need of fresh paint and the interior was pretty rough.  Otherwise, everything still worked, including the ignition key warning buzzer and the air conditioner!  Ron was also fortunate to receive the original owner's manual and warranty card, two rare pieces of his car's history that we would all love to have for our Cats.

The interior, however, was another story.  The Cat was built with Medium Ginger Leather trim, but Ron remembered the white interior of his first Cougar and decided to make a change.  So the seats, headliner and panels were replaced with white, and the dash was dyed black.  This was the perfect combination for Ron.

Ron did add a couple of upgrades, though, like replacing Cat's original AM radio with an after market AM/FM cassette stereo for sound quality.  He also decided to install a Mallory Unilite Distributor, which improved performance and eliminated the need for changing and setting points.  Other than the electronic ignition, the engine was left as he found it—not too bad for a car that's been on the road for 32 years and traveled 107,000 miles.

In spite of this Cougar's beautiful condition, a classic restoration is never really done, and Ron's car is no exception.  Engine compartment detailing and the restoration of the XR-7 wheel covers are next on the agenda.  Most important, now that he has fulfilled his dream of owning another Cougar, Ron plans to enjoy driving the car.  That's what our Cats were made for, right?