In 1968, you only got a small portion, but it was still spaghetti

If you've never spent a Saturday afternoon trying to figure out which vacuum line goes where on that '68 Cougar you bought from the guy who thought his vacuum system modifications would improve things, you're very lucky.

The fact is, even Lincoln/Mercury's technicians needed occasional help when it came to untangling the spaghetti-like mass of vacuum lines under the hood of the '68 model line. In that battle, they had a special weapon at their disposal that you can now add to your personal Cougar arsenal: the 1968 Lincoln/Mercury Vacuum System Diagnostic Guide. And to make things easy, we've also made a handy PDF version that you can download and save to print out as needed.

Hopefully, they'll make the spaghetti a little less frustrating.

You don't know what you've got until it's gone...

Many of us didn't fully appreciate the TCCN until it was no longer available. TCCN had become, for many users, the best place to learn about our classic Cougars and to get the technical information needed to fix the most common problems.  And even if your car didn't have a problem today it served as a wonderful place to while away the hours thinking about all of the things you might someday want to do to your Cougar.

After doing a complete revamp of the site several years ago, when TCCN officially became TCCN II,  Steve Eitzen knew exactly what he faced if he tried to bring the site up to a more modern standard once again.  Faced with such a huge task, he made the decision to shutter the site.  Steve has let it be known that he might be willing to entertain serious offers if someone or some group were willing to purchase the site.

Even then, they knew just how to play you. If the 1968 Mercury Cougar didn't have you searching your couch cushions for pennies, the Dealer Guide would.

It's 1968. You're standing in front of the Lincoln-Mercury dealership. The gas station on the corner is in the midst of a "gas war" with a station down the street; premium is going for 19.9 cents a gallon. Your palms are sweaty. You take a deep breath and walk through the door of the dealership, telling the salesman who meets you at the door that you're interested in a new Mercury Cougar.

Two hours later, he's told you all he knows about the model on the showroom floor. He's had to pry your fingers off the wheel at the end of a long test drive, and he can tell by the gleam in your eyes that he's got you just where he wants you. He sits you down at his desk, and with a flourish, he produces...the Dealer Guide. A showroom model will no longer suffice. You're ready to forfeit your soul for a custom-configured Cougar if they'd only show you where to sign.

Click on the image above to view a flipping-page version of the Mercury Cougar section of the Dealer Guide, or download the Cougar section of the Dealer Guide in PDF format here. Be sure to check out the photos of the Mercury Cougar interior color section of the Dealer Guide in the Classic Cougar Community photo gallery.