| The story of Ray's purple Cougar |
|---|
|
After a long wait (14 years I have been wondering) we have answered the question “How many Purple Rocky Mountain Specials were produced for the same named Insurance company in 1969” Ninety eight. Six of which were not ordered with deluxe seat belts however the rest of the option sheet is the same for all Rocky Mountain Life Insurance special order Cougars. Each 69 xr7 RMS was ordered with Tinted glass, white vinyl roof FA white leather interior, tilt away steering, PS PDB, console, immersion heater, heavy duty battery, E-78x14 white sidewall bias ply tires with deluxe wire caps, AM 8 track stereo, bumperettes and door edge guards .
|
My attention was first drawn to this Cat about 1989/90 when a friend who was racing Cougars showed me what looked like pretty decent fenders he was about to smash up from a 69 Cougar that was clearly Purrple undersides.
I asked about the condition of the rest of the car and was told it was in similar condition to the fenders. I went for a look. I dragged this carnation around the better part of ten years before she saw paint in her original hue WT9083. A short trip up island to where the cat lie exposed and near certain death I saw clearly that the body was also painted Purple from factory. I thought to myself “Cars were painted Purple in 60s but when was the last time I saw one?” I could not recall if I ever had seen one but felt I was onto something in this hulk which was ready to be crushed.All the original parts were stripped, and sold off the shell long before I arrived on the scene. To find no doors seats dash pad (the gauges were face down in a pool of water) interior exterior suspension brakes steering and differential including housing were all missing. In fact only ˝ the floor roof hood front valance and filler panels remain of the original today.
|
|
The entire wreck which ironically had been rescued from an auto wrecker by its previous owner was now on its way to my home during the time where I had been stock piling 69 Cougars and parts. I bought 3 ˝ Cougars that weekend and had enough parts to assemble the shell with driveline body parts etc which I did and then Cat sat while I attended to my driver Cat and business relationships etc. About seven years after I assembled the Cat I painted it in PPG and a custom blend as at the time I did not know about thecorrect color WT 9083. The first I heard of WT 9083 was from Marvin Hillyer whom worked at Universal Lincoln Mercury in Calgary Alberta Canada at the time the cars were new. Marvin owns a 69 RMS today and is repainted Competition Orange/Vermillion/Calypso Coral. |
| Most RMSCatz were repainted to another color when the fleet was returned to ULM in 1970/1 and resold. |
| Ironically I was called to a service call at my local parts store when a guy couldn’t unlock his 68 Mustang. When I arrived in PC the gentleman started telling me about the Mary Kay car I owned. I corrected him its origin when he pipes up with he was the head attorney that shut Rocky Mountain Life down in about 1970/1 for selling insurance on the wrong side of the laws. |
| This was all very interesting as I was enroute to Vancouver w/PC and was writing the Canadian Classics magazine article on ferry to Cougar show which came about at another car show. |
| The local Mustang club was having a show at the beach and I being a club member showed my 67 Fairlane 390 4speed Ranchero. Sometime during the day a 57 Fairlane Ranchero arrived and pulled up next to me. |
| Later in the show I was at the Ranchero area and met Lawrence Woytowich who was soon to have his mind blown as was I. He passed me a copy of the recent Canadian Classics magazine. Upon opening the magazine the pages fell open to one of the 1971 Pink 340 Dusters that were DSO’d to Edmonton I think in response to the 98 Purple Cougars running around the year prior through out Alberta. |
| I made mention to Lawrence I had a Purrple Cougar and I saw his eyes gaze as he began to recall and reflect on his life in Alberta and announced that he had a 69 PurrpleCat in his driveway in 1969/70. |
| When he came to, he asked if I would be interested in an article and could he come by and look. We agreed to both and a friendship was borne. |
| Cougar crazy , Rays Cougar article from Dec 2000 featured in Canadian Classics magazine. |
| Rocky Mountain Cats were issued to salesmen who purrformed at a certain level of sales. After they were returned and repainted the cats were redistributed through out the western provinces maybe more but for certain the cars were bought and sold in BC Alberta and I believe Saskatchewan. |
| Today few of the 98 remain. The CCOA registry project reflects seven remaining and I know or heard of three more for a total of ten of 98 or about 10% which is what we expect for survival rate of cars of the era. Today the Cat has sat again another three years since I drove it last. The engine has been replaced with a correct 69 351 4V FMX completely rebuilt 2000 and has zero miles logged on it. |
| 2001 Correct wire wheel caps were added |
| 2002 saw new leather seats frt and new vinyl seats rear |
| Eventual plans are to do a front end alignment since the donor 81,000 mile 1970 parts I installed 12 years ago have never been set as well as to replace one broken rear leaf at same time. |
| Modifications/deviations from stock are 1971 IMCO emissions and FORD electric choke. Otherwise I have tried to correctly return this cat to its former color known as Purrple. While this is not the finest Cat in existence it is the only one restored back to its former Purrple glory. |