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Tech

Mercury Cougar passengers side view
1. With the Aerogear Millennium body kit, NSX side scoops and 19-inch Quantum Tek S-13 alloys this is one of the coolest Cougars we've seen.
Mercury Cougar front drivers side view
2.
0305lre 03z+Mercury Cougar rear drivers side view
2. & 3. The first thing to do is to lay all of the "baby blue" gel-coated parts out to make sure that the kit is complete.
4. Every Aerogear part has an official ID tag with individual serial numbers.
Mercury Cougar rear view
5. The new Aerogear rear bumper cover will completely replace the factory cover.
Mercury Cougar rear view
6. Then, Abel began by jacking up the rear of the car, removing the tires/wheels, taillight assemblies and the rear bumper cover. The Aerogear bumper cover was then attached using the stock hardware.

Mold an Aerogear body kit to a Cougar
The hot new Millennium kit gives the cat-like coupe a "purrfect" new look.

By Dick DeLoach
Photography: Dick DeLoach

We've noticed that the redesigned '99 to 2002 Mercury Cougar has gained in popularity among Euro enthusiasts around the country. That's no doubt why respected automotive aerodynamics manufacturer Aerogear (Hayward, California) chose to design a complete Millennium body kit for the coupe. That's also why when Jimmy Jennings from Forbidden Fantasies Car Club told us that he was having a Millennium kit installed on his Cougar we were interested. Jimmy said that the work was being done by body and paint pro Abel Perez at Best Auto Body (Santa Fe Springs, California) and we were very interested. Abel is known for doing smooth, strong bodywork, be it restoration or custom, and we were anxious to work with him. Aerogear products are developed and designed for today's ever-growing and changing custom compact scene with full body kits, Predator hoods, side scoops, Aero Z fenders and rear wings available for a variety of import and domestic cars. Designed for what the consumer demands, which is quality, style and service, all Aerogear products are manufactured from hand-laid fiberglass using a poly-vinyl ester resin mixture. Each part is then gel coated in a signature "baby blue" finish. All Aerogear products are then tagged with an aluminum identification badge, which is individually serial numbered.

"Aerogear prides itself on creating a new innovation of style and design," says company spokesperson Patrick Gabriel. "All Aerogear products are backed by a limited lifetime warranty against any defect pertaining to the structure of the product." Always look for the official product identification tag on every part, so you know that it's real. Patrick adds, "And you must remember to fill out and send in your warranty card to activate your warranty." Aerogear's Web site is a great source for more warranty information, FAQs, models (the female type), video clips, cars and photos of their products and applications. More is being added all the time.

"We would like to thank every customer for their continuous support from day one," says Patrick. "We understand that without the help of our 'true, loyal customers' we would not have made it this far. We are still growing and if you like what you have seen from us now. Look forward to seeing a lot more from us in the near future." For the finishing touch, Jimmy added a set of custom-drilled 19-inch Quantum Tek S-13 alloy wheels wrapped with low profile Yokohama radials.

We captured the high points as Abel transformed the stock Cougar body into a fully molded custom that has a look all its own with the Millennium kit and NSX side vents. Some kits require modification for proper fit, so Aerogear suggests that you have a professional installer familiar with fiberglass install the kit. To do it as clean as Abel did, we agree.

Mercury Cougar front drivers side view
7.
7. & 8. Each part was test fitted then, for added strength, attached with special self-tapping screws (instead of double-sided tape) at the proper points as shown.
Mercury Cougar drivers side view
9. Next, after removing the headlight assemblies, the front bumper cover was removed and the Aerogear cover installed. The installation could end at this point if you wanted the "riveted" race look.
10. Jimmy wanted a more custom look, so Abel ground down the screw heads and filled them with Kitty Hair fiberglass. A light coating of plastic body filler would be added later.
11. Even the side skirt screws were ground down along the door sills.
12. Here are the supplies that Abel will use for the filling and painting.
13. After applying the plastic body filler everything is wet-sanded with fine-grit sandpaper.
14. The body is ready to be primered and painted.
Mercury Cougar Rear view
15. Jimmy decided to have Abel shave the Mercury emblem off of the trunk lid.
Mercury Cougar rear passengers side quarter
16. After seeing how the kit looked, Jimmy decided to have Abel go all the way and "mold" it in.
17. Even the doorjambs and side skirts were molded in.
Mercury Cougar front view
18. An Aerogear Series 1 Predator hood was also installed.
19. NSX-style side scoops would be molded in each side.
Mercury Cougar front drivers side view
20. The finished transformation makes the Cougar look more sleek and stylish.
Mercury Cougar hood view
21. The new hood is lightweight, stylish and provides increased air flow to the engine.
Mercury Cougar rear bottom quarter view
22. The large ducts in each side of the rear bumper cover provide improved air flow for the rear tires and brakes.
Mercury Cougar Wheel
23.
 

SOURCES
Aerogear
249 W. Jackson St., Dept. LRE
Hayward, CA 94544
Best Auto Body
10638 Unit "F" Painter Ave., Dept. LRE
Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670
Quantum Tek Alloys
12850 Moore St., Dept. LRE
Cerritos, CA 90703

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