I am about to detail my trunk, but do not know the correct paint to purchase. I have a 1973 standard convertible, speckled trunk and speckled mat. I am trying to keep it original.

The CCOA judging standards seem to imply the trunk mat was optional. Dark gray paint should be under the mat and the spatter paint should be on the galvanized floor plugs and fuel filler boot. Not sure if the mat has been reproduced, but suggest you check the vendors on the club Web site.

My mechanic tells me that the proportioning valve for the power front disc brakes on my '68 XR-7 should be replaced. In a Cougar parts vendor's catalog, I found a listing for a valve for '67-'73, but my mechanic says it doesn't look quite right. He says it seems like the lines are routed differently. Was there a difference between years?

Original proportioning valves from Ford have not been available for a long time. But most parts vendors sell aftermarket valves, and you should be able to get one through your dealer. I am told the aftermarket units are adjustable. Regardless of the arrangement of the lines, remember that the original unit is an assembly that has the brake light warning switch circuit built into it; the proportioning valve itself is the cylinder gadget with only two lines that mounts on the assembly. You should be able to unscrew the two halves of the valve and clean it up to restore proper operation, assuming there is no obvious physical damage. If you have unequal brake action or lock up and these problems surfaced after brake repairs, be sure the front calipers are correct and bled and be sure the rear cylinders are correct for your car—there are three sizes of brakes used on the Cougar, and the springs, shoes and other components are different for each size. If the guy at the auto parts store did not read all the footnotes in his book, your mechanic might have been given the wrong (or even mismatched) parts.

What is the difference between a regular XR-7 and a "Bostonian" XR-7? I have heard lots of different things, which makes me believe that it is more then just a trim package. Is this car collectible? I recently purchased this car, but it didn't come with an owner's manual.

The following information on "City Edition" Cougars comes from COOL CATS Web site (www.coolcats.net): "These limited-edition Cats featured a vinyl half-roof, special ornamentation and a special striping package that were offered to Ford dealers by aftermarket suppliers. They were marketed all over the U.S. and Canada and were not limited to the 1983-88 era either; they were produced right up until the 1997 model year. Some examples of City Edition Cougars are the Bostonian, Coloradan, and Houstonian. Obviously, the cars were sold in the vicinity of the car's city or region name. There were probably many more cities or regions that took part in this series of cars. Total production is unknown but there seems to be quite a few of these cars around."

My '67 Cougar has a problem: The headlight covers will go up, but they will not close. Also, I hear a "hissing" from somewhere when I turn off the engine. Does one of the vacuum motors have a leak? Will one work if the other leaks?

In solving this problem, a good place to start is your '67 shop manual, page 15-9, which has a good description of the operation of your car's headlight covers. Because yours open and stay open, you should check each vacuum motor by temporarily attaching another vacuum line to the engine manifold, and connecting it directly to the top and bottom of each motor to check operation in each direction. The hiss you hear is vacuum venting to the passenger compartment, which is done to keep the system from sucking in oily air from under the hood. You could have a restriction in the "close" (yellow) hoses, between the solenoid and the tee to the two motors. The solenoid itself can bind and not re-position the vacuum for close operation. Also, there might be a rust leak in the vacuum reservoir tank, under the driver's side fender. But, if this is the case, the lights will close when the engine is running (lights turned off), but not after engine stops. The most common problem I encounter with lights not closing is the doors themselves binding (rubbing) on an adjacent grille bar. Usually, this only affects one side, though. One other thing to check are the springs connected to each side of the door. If they're broken, weak or disconnected, the door won't close properly. But because each door is independent and it is unusual for both to fail at the same time, I suggest you concentrate on the solenoid or the yellow line from the solenoid to the tee.

—Dick Hertzler