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Messages - JKATHRE

2
General Fox T-Bird/Cougar Discussion / Auto auction
Hello,

Just thought I'd mention this.  Some are very interested in Turbo Coupes and I thought this would be of interest.  The auction note lists this 1987 as a "Wear and Tear?"  The coupe is located in Denver.  Auction in less than 24 hours, no bids yet.  The site is COPART auto auctions.  Rather easy to search on and lots of vehicles.  All non-damage stuff is seen as "Mechanical" so wear and tear seemed odd. 

I just recently took my 3.8 out on a few drives.  Wish I could do springs, it needs them.  Weather VERY mild in midwest for 2 months.  No measurable snow since Mid-December.  Weird sorta. 

JR
4
Lounge / Got rear ended Monday night.....
Had a thought years ago that some vehicles were possibly more pr0ne to rear ends.  An older coworker in 1970 had just bought a new Olds Cutlass.  Sharp looking car with slit like brake lights (If I remember right?).  He was rear ended just a week into ownership.  I saw it--trunk was mashed nearly to the rear window. Wow was he ever pissed off.  I just wondered if glare interfered with others seeing his brake lights. 
Recently, a coworker driving a company bus was rear ended in the Chicago Suburbs.  The driver was a woman who managed to total the steel bumper on the bus and got into the body as well.  Her SUV was totaled (I saw those pics).  It takes a lot of energy to do that to a bus.  She claimed she did not SEE the bus.  I guess she was right because she must have never hit her brakes.  How do you not see the rear of a BUS? 

Redd
5
General Fox T-Bird/Cougar Discussion / License Plate Bingo.
Hmmm,  Regal Games, St. Charles, Il.  Chicago area.  Odd, most of the older vehicles there rust out due to the tons of salt used in winter.  It will even go up your nose from the vents!!  I remember!!!!  I drove the '88 T-Bird there in summer 2013, for a day, and I could tell----people thought I was an alien or something.  Did not see anything 10 years or older there.  I love the area, but I still need a sinus transplant for all the driving I did there!!!!

Redd
6
Lounge / Post products you are **EXCEPTIONALLY happy with
The list mentions Liquid Nails products....  Just recently bought the Liquid Nails Adhesive for a flooring project.  I have used this stuff since the early 1980s and found it to live up to its name.  It had a grey color/somewhat thick like Cold Ice Cream; Sets up quickly, and is very difficult to remove from your fingers if you elect to use a finger to paste it or handle it (Me).  Having some Acetone around helps remove it.  In the '80s, used it to fasten paneling to drywall.  Well, just bought a bunch of tubes and find they have altered the stuff---it is now a whitish color and looks and acts like window caulk.  I hope it has the same results.  It also does not smell as bad--in fact I could not smell anything (But I am old now).  Years ago, the smell of it would knock you over.  I think the stuff now has become water soluble which is the apparent track for all volatile components these days...  The plug stick in the picture shows the old sand color and new White Caulk look. 

Redd
7
Lounge / Some jerk stole my catalytic converter!
A reason I suspect for not having a raised vehicle.  Last year I discarded this nice old porcelain china sink at the curb for pickup.  Nothing wrong with it, in fact, I tried selling it first--quality made from the early 1960s.  A metal sper--a lady--came by and tore the sink up removing the POS faucet--I watched from a window.  She left the sink after her considerable faucet effort.  I later looked at the sink and it was mangled and shot. Then there are other jerks--those who are stealing manhole/sewer covers from streets.  What could a faucet be worth to a s metal yard--especially when it is partially plastic and corroded!!!??
8
Electrical Tech / helppppp-!!!
Another idea....?  The first post says nothing about replacing the plug wires.  Are those new as well?  If so, are they good?  The comment "Sounds like a diesel engine" suggests to me--multiple misfire.  I would think bad wires could test OK for a momentary check, but go bonkers when under load.  If the weather is damp or the vehicle is in the cold for awhile, it certainly could be wire failure to me.  I heard somewhere that if you use misting water on the plug wires in the dark (Very carefully), you will soon see the problem.  Over the years, I assisted several people with this problem. A friend could not start his early '80s, so I popped the hood and had him crank the engine.  It was night.  It was easy to see a large spark exiting the ignition coil wire to the D-cap--I showed him.  A piece of tape made it go away for the moment--his car was about 5 years old.  He was amazed.  Under regular use,  I have usually trusted wires for about 5 years--not sure about today's vehicles.  Are the wires routed correctly--and all to the correct plugs?  Several years ago I had trouble starting a Lincoln with the same issue--hard starting; foot on the gas and then it die anyway.  Turned out it was the MAP Sensor.  The T-Bird has it mounted on the firewall.  See Pic.  It solved the Lincoln Problem.   

JR
9
General Fox T-Bird/Cougar Discussion / 'Vintage' picture
I took a look at Google Maps and the only building I could possibly ID was a Sheraton Hotel--which appears to be the wide dark high rise in the upper left corner of your pic.  It is still there.  Incredibly, nothing else remains other than the 16th St Mall appearance itself.  I was last in downtown Denver in 1998 and I remember looking at the ballpark and the main railroad station (Classic style). Much of the railroad yard acreage was abandoned and I took this picture--the terminal is on the left side--hard to miss it.  ps-I loaded my picture into Whatwasthere.com.  The weird part is the Google street address I used is on 16th St Mall---the street was extended toward my vantage point in the same general area.  The city must have acquired the land from the railroad, I presume.  Railroads have disposed of much of their land holdings over the last 30 or so years. 

JR
10
General Fox T-Bird/Cougar Discussion / 'Vintage' picture
Quote

...A coworker/friend of mine bought a new '79 Toyota Celica in June that year.  He was raving mad about US automakers downsizing their late '70s vehicles and raising prices at the same time--Imagine that!!!  It was a sign of things to come due to the new era of rising US gasoline prices and a short lived gas shortage here in '79--minicking 1974.  The puppiesanese at the time were selling these cars well, and their rep for quality was already making news.  These hatchbacks were the fad.  Being tall, I was paranoid trying to sit comfortably in these cars and never cared for them--plus they were marketed with manual trannys for fuel economy.  I myself was driving a '78 Chev Malibu which had a V-6 engine which I learned was a V-8 with 2 cylinders lopped off.  It remains one of the worst performing cars I ever drove. 

JR
13
General Fox T-Bird/Cougar Discussion / 'Vintage' picture
Yeah, V8 Demon I was thinking the white shorty one was a Yugo, but thought American makers had similar size vehicles then.  I wonder what that Landau roof GM one is...  Also, if that pickup is what I think --isn't it one of those GM saddle gas tank jobs which became the subject of scrutiny because the tanks are behind the cab and along the bed sidewalls on either side?  A nice surprise for anyone T-boning the truck in those areas...

JR
14
General Fox T-Bird/Cougar Discussion / 'Vintage' picture
Hmmm,  I think I see a Pontiac Fiero; A Toyota Celica and a Ford LTD all in the same area.  I am lousy identifying cars, but that's my guess.  You should locate this scene/place by street address--check it on Google Maps, as of today, and then post this picture in website Whatwasthere.com.  Interesting website. Takes practice to overlay the picture but the website is neat.  Or tell me the street address and I could post it for you. 

JR
15
T-Bird/Cougar Parts & Cars FOR SALE / 87-88 rear lights harness for sale.
I obtained this harness from a junker at a yard.  It is intact EXCEPT (I believe) for the leads to the license plate light, and the fact I cut it at a location somewhere upward in the trunk.  See pic.  The harness came from an '87 but will work with a '88.  There is a difference with the lights.  This harness supports Bayonet type bulbs---The insert and turn type which have a metal base and were the standard US auto bulb for eons!  Whereas my '88 has the plastic base bulbs which work with a metal clip for retention (PIA).  There are also several lamps which are push in types which means this harness has 2 types of lamps (as both would).  If you need more details, I can get more pics.  You are also welcome to the handful of clear and amber bulbs which came with the harness--I cannot guarantee their quality (untested). Write for details and agreement on cost incl shipping.  Davenport Iowa location. 

John R