My 1967 standard Cougar with power steering has recurring steering vibration. It occurs on smooth roads after maintaining a steady speed of 35 mph to 70 mph and will continue until the vehicle is slowed or stopped. It tends to increase in intensity unless the car's speed or direction are changed. Also, the steering wheel pulsates violently when the brakes are applied at speed. On less than smooth roads, the problem seems to go away or does not start at all. I have rebuilt the front end and had it professionally aligned and installed a new power steering pump and steering ram. Could the steering ram control valve cause this by floating back and forth when it's centered? Is there an adjustment I can make to it?

You hit the nail right on the head! The power steering valve needs to be rebuilt. I'm not sure exactly what goes wrong, but your symptom is exactly like mine in 1975. A new valve (they were cheap then) fixed my problem. Rebuild kits or new or rebuilt valves are available from most Cougar parts vendors. Check the vendor list on this site.

I just finished installing a rebuilt 351 Cleveland engine in my 1973 Cougar and I think my firing order is not right. What is the correct firing order?

The firing order for the Cleveland ( or Windsor) is 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8. For the Cleveland, the distributor cap will be turned about one position farther clockwise than the Windsor, when viewed from the front of the car. When either engine is correctly timed, you will notice that the vacuum advance unit on the distributor will be nearly centered between the air conditioner and thermostat housing. If it comes close to touching either side, the distributor could be off one tooth. Also, check the wires and plugs and the dwell and timing.

Are the tail lamps on a '68 XR-7 replaced individually from inside the trunk or must the external plastic bezel be removed to provide access to all four lamps concurrently?

These bulbs are all accessible from inside the trunk. Remove the card- board protector panel, if it's still there, and remove any socket by gently pressing to either side and pulling straight out. Before reinstalling the socket, it's a good idea to rub sandpaper on the inside edge of the hole and spread the lamp socket grips to get a solid contact to ground. Also, make sure you use only 1157 lamps.

I plan on buying a '69 XR-7 convertible in Minnesota and will have it professionally inspected by a third party before purchase. The owner says there is rust through the trunk, above the gas tank. I don't have much experience with rust and wonder if this is common. If so, does it indicate a bigger problem?

You made a wise choice in getting the car inspected before purchase. The '69 is prone to rust in the torque boxes and seat supports, and these are critical structural items, particularly in a convertible. Also, rust inside the cowl box is common, both around the air intake and along the front edge seam to the firewall. This leads to wet feet and floor pan rust, and can be the cause of torque box and frame rail rust. Salt from winter use also will also rust these areas, particularly if the area under the front fenders where the frame rail turns up toward the spring tower is caked with mud and grit. As to the area above the gas tank, some minor rusting is common here, caused by leaks under the reveal molding or rear window seal (hardtops) or the "rain drain" trough (convertibles). Make sure you look under the trunk floor mat to evaluate the extent of the rust there. Also common is rust at the rear of the trunk where the spring shackles attach, another structurally important area. Once you have your inspection report, make your purchase decision. Repair of the rust is straightforward, but will require a complete disassembly to the body shell.

My wife's '73 Cougar (351C-2V, automatic) burns up points. The problem's so bad, I have to carry extra points at all times. Any ideas?

The only thing that burns up points is a missing or bad resistor wire to the coil in the engine harness. Perhaps it was damaged in early years and a straight wire was installed in its place. Be sure the coil is installed correctly and not wired backward. Of course, inexpensive points manufactured overseas, as most are these days, do not last as long as the originals. Also: make sure the condensor is functioning properly.

—Dick Hertzler