62c cougar oddity

[moston100]

I recently won this item as part of a larger joblot and thought it might be a genuine cream cougar. However upon closer inspection there appear to be a few anomolies with it. Firstly the interior, although the correct ivory colour, is rhd and looks different to the common red interiors of the normal model. It also has windscreen wipers and rear view mirror like the later models. My thoughts are why would somebody go to the trouble of fakeing this toy only to then deliberately chip the paintwork and chew up the towhook. Any comments/observations would be appreciated.

Frank

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Hello Moston100, Your Cougar certainly looks to be the right colour and it seems to have a similar vague windscreen top frame as a genuine 'Cream Version' but points against it are the rather tatty rear rivet, the glazing detail you have already mentioned (wipers and mirror) and the right hooker steering wheel seat moulding. The playware on the body does not match the quality of the better looking tyres.

One other viewable difference are the axle-ends. On known Cream models, both axles have the large end on the right-hand side of the car away from the driver's seat, on your model only the front axle has the large end on the right side of the car, but of course it then has the wrong interior, that makes it a British right-hand drive car.

I am sure many more forum members will come forward with their views on this model, because if it is genuine, then you have a very nice catch, but as I mention above, I do not like the look of the base rivet.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[matchboxkiwi]

Unfortunately for you Frank, I fear that Ghosthunter is right. However, coming in a job lot, hopefully it wasn't too expensive and if you were after something else for your collection then this would have just been a bonus.
I'll try and dig my cream mercury out latter and compare it.

Cheers, Steve

[Idris]

The body colour looks to be spot on.

[johnboy]

The colour does look good, what is the rivet for the windows like?

[Idris]

Looking at the baseplate photograph, it would appear that the bodyshell either side of the wheel arch above the rear rivet is deformed. Note how it does not sit flush against the edge of the baseplate as it does either side of the other wheel arch. Could this be evidence of prying?
I also think that there is evidence of reriveting:

62c1.jpg (7.76 KiB) Viewed 2385 times

However, in spite of the interior, baseplate, tyre, and glazing issues, this could still be a genuine factory paint job!

[fixer]

It's the interior that puzzles me looks to be from a #25 cortina if it's been reassembled is there a left hand drive #25 out there somewhere

[Idris]

...what is the rivet for the windows like?

Good question!

[moston100]

I will try and take a good picture of the window rivet and post it later tonight.

[moston100]

In response to Johnboys question this is the best shot I could get of the window rivet. There does seem to be some distortion/tampering with the rivet so I can only conclude that the base has indeed been removed and a 25d interior fitted.
Oh well I will keep searching for the elusive cream cougar.