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Topic: My 87 Bird next up grade. Is it worth trouble? Help please (Read 2906 times) previous topic - next topic

My 87 Bird next up grade. Is it worth trouble? Help please

I bought an 87 Mustang Gt for a really good price and was thinking of using it as a donor car for t-bird...does anyone know if wiring harneses are different?

My 87 Bird next up grade. Is it worth trouble? Help please

Reply #1 –
They are. If your 'Bird is already a 5.0, just drop the engine and EEC from the stang in, and good to go.
If you have a 3.8 car though, it's gonna be a lot more work. You'll need the engine wiring harness, headlight harness, and mounts from an '87 ONLY V8 Thunderbird/Cougar.

Even so, you can still use the spindles, hubs, and calipers from the Stang for an 11" brake conversion for the Bird. Easy swap, can do it in a few hours if you're savvy.
The rear brakes would also make an upgrade over the stock 9" drums you have now. And if the Stang is an AOD car....the transmission is a little better than the Tbird version..it has more clutches.
Of course, if it's a T5 car...you have everything for a 5 speed conversion. Good luck!
'84 Mustang
'98 Explorer 5.0
'03 Focus, dropped a valve seat. yay. freakin' split port engines...
'06 Explorer EB 4.6

My 87 Bird next up grade. Is it worth trouble? Help please

Reply #2 –
cool!!My Bird is a 5.0 and mustang is a GT convertable with very pore hail damage repair..running gear in GT is HO with 5sp and a few other goodies.. runs awsome! Got good deal on Mustang (almost fealt bad) from freind. It has all the stuff I ever wanted to put on bird. Do you know if subframe would interchange?

My 87 Bird next up grade. Is it worth trouble? Help please

Reply #3 –
Is the Bird a floor shift car? If not, you can cut a hole in the floor, and other than that, with the Stang there as parts, you have all you need to do the 5.0 H.O and 5 speed swap. 100% bolt in.

IF you do the 5 speed swap....which would be awesome....you might want to grab a console for the Bird to go around that shifter, or, you can always do without a console.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

My 87 Bird next up grade. Is it worth trouble? Help please

Reply #4 –
bird is floor shifter..console rough need to replace! what about the drive shaft? would it be off by a few inches going from AOD to 5spd..Had a guy tell me one time that AOD had bigger clutches than alot of others ..is that true?

My 87 Bird next up grade. Is it worth trouble? Help please

Reply #5 –
sadd part is this all started when!! I decided to take my 68 cougar to custom shop for estimant to have it paint etc.. Came back home and wife said I need to do another one first and it needed to be the T-Bird. Have had it for 16 years . It has been "restored" 3 times. Fixed after about 5 deer! Last front end I went back with stock front clip etc and again hit a deer! So I guess wife is right...I always told her That I would not part with it as long as I had from the doors back! lol Crack head with no insurance took off front end! then it had flat black front end with scoop and all!!

My 87 Bird next up grade. Is it worth trouble? Help please

Reply #6 –
Well, sounds like you have most of the stuff you need, engine will be a direct, drop-in-and-drive, make sure you swap over the eec as well.

Lucky bastid, lol

Get wrenchin! Pics too!
'84 Mustang
'98 Explorer 5.0
'03 Focus, dropped a valve seat. yay. freakin' split port engines...
'06 Explorer EB 4.6

My 87 Bird next up grade. Is it worth trouble? Help please

Reply #7 –
Could you not put the console from a Turbo Coupe in it, as they did actually come 5 speed.
1987 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe (daily driver) - T5, Short Throw, Ranger roller cam (soon to be Boport 1.5), stock turbo and TMIC (also soon to change.)

My 87 Bird next up grade. Is it worth trouble? Help please

Reply #8 –
Quote from: Mischief;365715
Could you not put the console from a Turbo Coupe in it, as they did actually come 5 speed.

Yes, it can be installed. Turbo Coupes came with an auto or a 5 speed.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

My 87 Bird next up grade. Is it worth trouble? Help please

Reply #9 –
I might have a spare one around here somewhere...think I even still have a lid that's in fairly good shape, if the OP might want to buy one....
'84 Mustang
'98 Explorer 5.0
'03 Focus, dropped a valve seat. yay. freakin' split port engines...
'06 Explorer EB 4.6

My 87 Bird next up grade. Is it worth trouble? Help please

Reply #10 –
The stock or stock length drive shaft remains with the 5 speed swap.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

My 87 Bird next up grade. Is it worth trouble? Help please

Reply #11 –
how much for 5spd console?lol its in!!

My 87 Bird next up grade. Is it worth trouble? Help please

Reply #12 –
Does your car have a console already? If so, you only need the shift trim panel, boot, and lower rubber boot that bolts to the floor to seal the shifter and keep heat and debris from entering the cabin.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

My 87 Bird next up grade. Is it worth trouble? Help please

Reply #13 –
Otherwise, you will need the console assembly, floor brackets, front center stack trim panel (goes around the stereo/heater/etc), metal bracket that goes to the bottom of the center stack that holds the console in place. It's a small group of parts. If you need parts, or all of it, post it down below in the classifieds and somebody may be able to help.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

My 87 Bird next up grade. Is it worth trouble? Help please

Reply #14 –
price?