Adding Cruise Control to a Car

[Chriss]

I love my car (1999 Ford Cougar 2.5, 100k on the clock), it's got pretty much everything I need (Ok, I could do with an estate for the dogs, but apart from that), but it doesn't have cruise control!

Now, I can have cruise control added, aftermarket for £500. But seeing as my car is probably only worth about £1500 it doesn't seem worth while. And like everyone says, what if something goes wrong with the car, and I have to pay out for a big repair or something?

So I looked at getting a new car, pretty much the only car I can start to afford that I like, is a Skoda Octavia VRS Estate, but a lot of those don't have cruise control, but if I did add it, it would seem worth while. But then I'd have to spend a lot of money for a newer car, and I feel I'd be worse off (let alone the extra car tax, insurance etc, and what if I had to pay out for a big repair to a newer car?)

So come on BCF, I've been thinking about this for months, decide for me, look for a new car, or just add cruise control to the existing one. Karma for help!
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TheShaggyDA: I've got 3 or 4 pairs that predate my wife, so at least 11.5 years old.

[yandy_yay]

i could sell you a housebrick for ummm..

bout 25p.




































this is not a serious post but a vague attempt at humour.
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past bikes: (20 years ago) cg-125 (wriiten off), C-50 (thrashed n' finnaly scrapped), CZ-125 (nicked - never recovered, insurance payout was more than i paid for it !!!)
Current bikes: GN 125(now sold), Divvy 600s.

[Silver]

This is in no way helpful in your plight, but I never understood the need/desire for cruise control. I mean, bloody hell, stick me on a motorway for a couple of hours and it's all I can do to stay awake anyway. Take away the need for me to maintain my speed too? I'll be counting the sheep as I plough through the central reservation!

[Whosthedaddy]

Never liked cruise control when I've tried it in several different cars even if my right leg has started to go numb and ache.

[Chriss]

I used it once for my journey from Elgin to Broadstairs. It makes the drive a million times more relaxed, hence I need it.
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TheShaggyDA: I've got 3 or 4 pairs that predate my wife, so at least 11.5 years old.

[Faldo]

On Mk4 Golfs (Which an Octavia is based on), cruise control is already plumbed in to most models, they just don't put the switch in the car unless it's a top spec model or it was ordered specifically when the car was new. So to get the cruise control working you just have to get the indicator stalk with the cruise control button on and plug it in!

IN FACT A QUICK SEARCH ON EBAY FINDS IT'S PRETTY CHEAP COMPARED WITH WHAT YOU'VE BEEN QUOTED FOR THE COUGAR

[EDIT] FWIW I am a fan of cruise control. Never thought I would be until I bought a car that had it. Sure I could live without it, but the same could be said for electric windows
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Current: ZZR1400
Previous: ZXR 400 L9, ZX-7R P5, ZZR 400, ZX-7R P6, Bandit 600, GSXR 750 Slingshot, DRZ400, DR650, ZX10R C1H, ZXR 750 L1, ZXR 750 L3, '99 ZX7R P4, KTM 300 EXC, ZX-9R E1, TDM850

[Chriss]

Dogs would never fit in a golf. Two greyhounds, and one of them's a big greyhound too.
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TheShaggyDA: I've got 3 or 4 pairs that predate my wife, so at least 11.5 years old.

[Faldo]

No, what I meant was, if you get an Octavia with no cruise control you can fit it easily and cheaply as the Octavia is basically a Golf underneath.
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Current: ZZR1400
Previous: ZXR 400 L9, ZX-7R P5, ZZR 400, ZX-7R P6, Bandit 600, GSXR 750 Slingshot, DRZ400, DR650, ZX10R C1H, ZXR 750 L1, ZXR 750 L3, '99 ZX7R P4, KTM 300 EXC, ZX-9R E1, TDM850

[rotax81]

cruise control keeps me awake when driving. you would think it was the other way around. maybe something to do with not looking at the speedo all the time.
my audi just needs the switch, similar to what is mentioned above somewhere, it just needs the switch and the ecu program activated with a plug in.
check to see if your car is a simple switch and program first
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ZX636C6F road. ZX636C1H track. ZX7R redundant. ZX0.5R minimoto as ornament.
Audi A4 Avant 1.9TDi and VW Transporter 2.5TDi 888 Special (no mot and tax lol)

[Robby]

If you want a big, cheap, comfy, fast estate with cruise control, then a ford scorpio 24v will fit the bill.

Unbelievably ugly, but good to drive, 207bhp, and every toy you could have in the mid nineties fitted as standard. My dad used to be jealous of mine because I had courtesy lights under the doors, and his merc E-class didn't.

[Chriss]

[Phoenix]

Cruise control is essential on trucks but for cars I never use it, at 70mph+ i'd rather have my foot on the accelerator and next to the brake.

However, I do wish people who persist at driving at 55mph in lane 1 of the motorway WOULD use their cruise control or buy a car with it fitted, fed up of doing 56 in the truck and being made to slow down, speed up, overtake to be then undertook again, then overtaken etc by some arsehole who can't keep his foot steady and is incapable of doing the 70mph speed limit for various reasons, usually to save 0.002mpg or because they're blind.

[pits]

See if you can get hold of these guys they might do a cruise control kit for the cougar, big following in America, about 200 quid i think. More importantly buy a thundercat badge for it
https://www.bouncingmonkey.co.uk/USERIMAGES/Cougar%20206.jpg

[flat spot]

I deliberately bought a car with cruise. Wouldn't be without it now.
You should try and get it added to your car but find somewhere cheaper than £500.

[Chriss]

Phoned round a bit, and cheapest I've found it now is £400. Ford don't make a simple plug and play (at least, not that the garages want to tell me about, but have you thought about a newer car sir?)

From my research, I can't find any evidence anywhere of a manual with cruise control so I think it's a automatic thing only, unless I go after market.
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TheShaggyDA: I've got 3 or 4 pairs that predate my wife, so at least 11.5 years old.

[G]

My M3 has cruise control and is manual... pretty sure you can get it on other decent spec 3 series BMWs.
Can get e36 325i estates for pretty reasonable money these days.

[NSR Mick]

My Passat has cruise control as well as pretty much everything else you would want. £4000 to you .

[/shameless plug]
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If you dont like the way that I ride.......Stop trying to keep up!!!

[JonB]

Can cruise control be fitted to any car?
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Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[Kwaks]

I got a couger for my dad when I worked for a ford company. Bought from new in 99, 2.5 L V6 with all the toys......mileage now approx 20k


Not worth trading it in now as mileage way off the scale given by Parkers etc so all the offers are derisory
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Fallen Angel "Nae sniffing my seat now!!!!! "
www.cliqueycuntsmcc.co.uk
I AM NOT A FAST RIDER!!!!!!!!!

[carvell]

[chasman231]

https://www.conrad-anderson.co.uk

They do aftermarket cruise control systems for just about anything.


As for manual cars and cruise control, my Navara is a 6 speed manual with cruise control and my dad had a 307 D-Turbo with cruise too. The cruise only works in 4th/5th and 6th I think - very useful for average speed cameras on motorways through roadworks
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"If everything is under control..........you are not going fast enough!"

[Chriss]

[Chriss]

[carvell]

Are you trying to tell me that cruise control wasn't an option on a 1999 Ford?
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Yamaha TDM 850

[Chriss]