Ford’s mid-level brand Mercury was one of many car companies that didn’t survive the Great Recession of recent yeara, making orphans out of the small-but-dedicated fans of this once-great automaker. The brand peaked in the 1950s and 60s, and the 1967 Mercury Cougar AKA “the gentleman’s Mustang” was named Car of the Year by Motor Trend for good reason. It brought style, class, and luxury to the muscle car world while still offering all the performance of the Ford Mustang.

Of course that’s the performance standard of nearly 50 years ago. These days engine technology has come a long way, and GM’s LS series of engines are among the best performers in recent history. It was only a matter of time before one of the General’s motors made its way into a Mercury, and this LS-powered 1967 Mercury Cougar built by Andrew Borodin is the kind of heresy we can get behind.

You wouldn’t know that this was a Ford-GM bastard just by looking at it though, as the subtle 20-foot paint job (accented by a few rust spots) just makes it look like another neglected Mercury. Once you pop the hood, however, you can see the 5.3 liter aluminum engine under the hood. The engine has been mildly modified with an ASA camshaft and a Holley Dominator ECU. On the dyno the Cougar sounds absolutely wicked while putting a healthy 325 horsepower to the wheels, proving this old cat can still get-up-and-go.

Sending power to the rear wheels is a T-56 six-speed transmission, and Borodin didn’t overlook the suspension either, installing a Total Control Products tubular front end and Varishock QS-2 bolt-in coilovers. You can see from his runs down the drag strip that this cat can really scoot, blasting to the mid-12s without much effort at all.
For an orphaned feline, this LS-powered Mercury is one cool cat.