Just sold my car, and I no longer need this rear end. It was pulled out of an 88 Turbocoupe. Has 3.73's to my knowledge (or it should anyways based on the car it came out of) but I haven't checked. Disc brakes, etc. I'm located near St.Louis on the Illinois side of the river.
Asking price? $175. I'm willing to trade for chevy parts if you've got them for an 82-92 Camaro, or engine parts. Will also consider trades for 351W parts (like an Edelbrock manifold for it or a nice carb for it.. I can add cash if needed).
PM or post if interested. I'll get pics up as soon as I can.
I have the Coolcats walkthrough on the whole thing, but I'm running into a problem with the proportioning valve. I forgot to grab it when I bought the rearend from the guy I got it from out of his turbocoupe, and finding one of these things is impossible. I see one on Ebay for an SVO Mustang @ $150 for a used component, but that's pretty expensive and I still have a bunch of stuff I need to pay for (brake lines and such) to get everything ready to go. Might be my only way out, though.
Any ideas? The guys I'm working on this thing with won't even consider going with one of the adjustable valves because they all say they are too inconsistant. Considering I've never done a rearend swap, I'm at their preference and I need something that will be easy to work with (as far as "easy" gets, anyways).
As many of you guys know, I am active on this board because of a common interest with the T-birds and cougars. Unfortunately, the local counsel has sent me mail saying my car needs to be moved in 10 days today. It's sitting IN my driveway not harming anyone, but someone apparently has nothing else better to do than to complain. Regardless, my car is up for sale and not by choice. It needs bodywork in the rear quarters and needs a new rearend put in, of which I do have a 8.8 Turbocoupe rear for the car. I'm asking $650 for everything including a brand new battery I put in about a week and a half ago. I think that's more than fair for even just a parts car, but the car has a clean illinois title signed over and ready to go. I figured I'd give someone here a chance to save this car. I bought it to save it from the crusher. I really don't want to do that, but I might not have a choice if nobody here grabs it. To reiterate: THIS CAR RUNS AND DRIVES, but it needs the rearend. Here's my listing with everything I'm including and some pictures. If there's anyone local that has a place to help me fix this, I would also be willing to pay for your place and time. I really just don't have a spot for it right now, and I'm out of options. I can't afford a storage spot right now, otherwise I would.
If you're interested, post here and/or PM me (or call me if you're inclined). I've got nothing to hide on this car, obviously it needs work in the right areas. Here's the ad:
While I'm all for parting cars out that have no grace in being reformed, I have a hard time believing this one needed to be where it's at now. Not saying every "decent" looking car is okay, but that car looks exceptional for sitting in a s yard. Someone probably just didn't want to pay to have it fixed I guess and they decided $200 sounded better. Figures. I've seen this before many times, but it just makes me think I guess. That's all.
Alright, so I've got the rearend out for swapping in my Tbird Sport... There's 3 different bolts that hold the caliper in place over the brake disc, one of which is VERY difficult to get clearance for. It's stuck in there on both each side of the rear (the bolt tucked down in there nearest the brake lines and caliper... it's a 15MM). That being said - any idea how to get this thing out? I hit it with PB blaster and put a wrench to it and tried to wack it out with a hammer, but it's not doing anything. It's stuck in there pretty good, and I definitely don't want to round the edges out because they're already starting to on a few spots. I tried that and a vicegrip, neither of which have done anything. Not enough clearance for a socket because the line fitting is in the way. Any help would be appreciated. I'm trying to clean up the discs and get new pads in there before stuffing it back in, but that's not going to happen if I can't even get the caliper off.
I had a set of quarter panels lined up, but the last guy I talked to accidentally screwed them up so I need a set. It's for my 87 Thunderbird Sport. I need the whole panel and preferrably rounded into the door jamb area for a clean weld. I need both the driver and passenger side, but the passenger side is most important. I'm willing to pay to have it shipped as well, so offer away.
Have any of you found anything that will work that's around 2 inches? I've found 3 and 4 inches, but the 3 is VERY expensive for just a scoop. I need it for hood clearance for the 351 and an airgap. Here's what I've found so far I guess.. still not perfect, but I doubt I'll find that with these hood dimensions being so short.
Last but not least - any of you have a good direction or at least pictures of your hoods that you did some work on? This whole thing is bothering me and I'd like to find something that fits where I don't need a huge bulge to make it happen.
I've also got a lead on some mint floorpans if any of you guys are looking for some. I bought a rear end, a door, and some other stuff off of him. Real nice guy. Anyways, hope one of you grabs this car.
That being said, has anyone done this with their hood on this forum with a weld-on application and it actually look decent? I think this would look cool as well as primarily give me the room I need, but what do you guys think? Would this style cowl look out of place on the T-bird? The other reason I want this one (particularly in metal) is because I am thankful to say I'm very skilled at welding.. but fiberglass, not so much. Thoughts?
Alright, I've done this before on other cars but not this one. My 87 thunderbird has all the power options and all that fun stuff. I have the skin unhooked completely, but the midsection won't come off and I can't get the door handle linkage to unhinge at this current point. What am I doing wrong here?
Hey everyone, I'm new here to the forums and very happy to say I bought my first T-bird yesterday to save from the yard. Can any of you point me to a writeup on how to do bodywork, fillerwork, and rust repair? I tried taking classes this summer at the school I go to, but they didn't offer any novice courses. It's not pleasant now, but it's savable from cutting and welding for the time being if I get it taken care of in time.
*IF THERE ARE ANY BOOKS YOU RECOMMEND, PLEASE SAY SO. I would love to read it as that's how I've learned most stuff and taught myself thus far.
Some things I would like to know (if there aren't any write-ups or decent books you guys can recommend) - What grit paper should I use to hit it to the metal? I am guessing hand sanding it is the proper way of doing this to ensure an even wearing on the surface? Anything against electric sanders for this reason? - After I sand it down, how many coats of primer do I need to do. Just one? Or do I need to rough sand it, then shoot it again? - Tips on rust prevention, and hiding the damage with filler and such? what about dents that can't be fixed, or metal that has irreversible unevening (like if a shopping cart hit the door real hard or something like that.. something that would leave an "imprint" if you will). - When I'm ready to paint, I do have a compressor.. but it's only a 26 gallon or something like that so it's not really huge by any means. Constantly spraying will drain it. How will this affect the paint quality (this is assuming I stop spraying when optimal pressure decreases)? - What kind of paint should I use? I don't need candy apple red or anything like that, I just want a good solid color like a nice dark Ford blue or a Corvette blue. Something simple like that. How is the paint applied (distance, duration, methods, etc)? - should plastic be prepped differently and sprayed with a different paint mix to ensure paint flexibility and prevent orange peel and cracking? How does this work? - How many coats of clear does a paintjob normally get?
Oh, and pics for your enjoyment. Runs and drives, but needs rearend work. Brand new battery and two sets of keys with a clean title. $350. Digital dash with all power options that work perfectly. I thought I came out pretty good. I want this to be the car I learn how to do bodywork on. I'm 23 and I've waited long enough to learn this, and I'm tired of listening to people that tell me I can't do it. I know I can, and I want this car to be the prime example of what dedication and commitment can do.
