There are often times when you visit a website and cannot make a connection to the creator. This site will never be one of those--there is definitely a person behind COOL CATS.

Let me formally introduce myself...my name is Eric Dess and I live in northeastern Ohio, U.S.A. I've had the great fortune for owning Fox Cougars for over 20 years. They are a passion that runs deep in me. I've accumulated a lot of knowledge about these cars--and cars in general--because of my love for them. The Cougar is such an extension of my personality that most of my friends say that we are one and the same.

My love for the Mercury Cougar goes back to high school in the 1980's, when the local Lincoln-Mercury dealer was located next to the school. I used to daydream out the classroom window at those beautiful new Cats all day long. Two days before I graduated, my parents helped me buy my very first car--an '84 Cougar V6. Talk about love at first sight! She got me through college, numerous road trips, and to my job and back without ever giving me trouble. I had to sell her in 1992, a move I've pretty much always regretted but was necessary at the time. She found a very good home with a loving family; what more could anyone want? Still, it wasn't just because she was my first car ever...she was just gorgeous.

My next car, an '86 Cougar 5.0, was a truly a black Cat in every sense of the word. She'd been in two major wrecks, had dings and dents all over, the paint flew off with the wind...but I still loved her. I bought her with 118,500 miles and sold it with nearly 200,000 miles, still running strong. She was my "guinea pig" for testing things, diving a little deeper into the performance world. The next owner had good and back luck with it, and eventually the following owner killed it. As I said, it was always a black Cat.

Then in 1996, my dream Cougar found its way into my life: an ultra rare '86 Cougar LS convertible. I first saw this very car locally in 1988, and I just knew back then that it would have to be mine one day. The previous owner had it for 8 years and did most major work to it (new top, new brakes, new shocks, etc.). Through a series of fateful events the car became mine, and I began the modifications that I'd dreamt about only a few years earlier. That process continues to this day and, knowing me, will never stop. (One viewer once wrote that I'll probably be doing the "hover conversion" in 2030...he's probably right!).

Next was an all-white 1988 Cougar XR7. I'd always wanted one of them because of the factory dual exhaust, analog cluster, floor shifter...all the good stuff. It had a decent ride, sporty handling, and killer looks. I didn't modify it very much; in fact, it was almost all stock since it was just a daily driver. It simply had way too much rust to be anything but what it was. I sold it in 2001 to a friend; his family is still driving it every day.

In 2000 I purchased a wrecked 1988 Blue Max Cougar V6. Ever since they were new, I always liked the color combination and styling of the Max. This one, unfortunately, was a little too far gone to be put back on the street. I saved what I could and had to scrap the rest. You can't save them all.

A recent daily driver was an '88 Thunderbird Sport V8, purchased in 2001 directly from the salvage yard. After a transmission transplant, new battery, and other odds and ends, it was a thoroughly reliable car for commuting. Again, rust ate away at it -- these %$#@& Ohio winters!--but it still performed flawlessly when called upon...especially after the H.O. conversion. The new owner loves it also.

Another daily driver was a 1988 Blue Max Cougar V8 with a very clean, straight and rust-free body. I added a console and sport seats but kept the rest of the car mainly stock. Space limitations forced me to sell it. But the new owner loves it and has big plans for it...I can't wait to see what he comes up with.

And finally, I have found another 1984 Cougar V6, identical to my first one. To say it's in good shape wouldn't do it justice. Some 15 years after selling the first one, the love never went away...I probably love this one even more. It goes without saying that I'm keeping this one for a long time!

Well that's my life with Cougars. After all I've been through, and the experience I've gained by working on them, I felt confident enough to start my own website in late 1997. I'm now able to share the information that I've gained with you via this site. It's always free and always online for you to enjoy. I invite you to use it as needed, and if you like it, let me know.

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