Mold an Aerogear body kit to a Cougar

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.