Well fellow gear heads, I am calling on you all for help. In the near future I will be fiscally positioned to complete a project. I'm now just trying to decide what project it should be. As some of you know, my 88 thunderbird was rear ended a few months ago. The smooshed rear-end has made me take stock of what might be a overzealous love for an average car. For the past five or so years this car has been my toy, my daily driver, and my prized possession. I've won and lost races, gotten decent gas mileage, and dumped a poor man’s fortune in to it. Now I have a chance to either take it as far as It can go, or start with something new. This is where my mind gets clouded. I know there are faster cars (a lot of them) and I know there’s easier way to go fast, but the history is there with the tbird, so it’s hard for me to decide.
That’s why I'm asking for help, please show me some unbiased views to consider.
Here are the cars I'm considering:
Fixing the old 4banger tbird
4 door fairmont sleeper with my 2.3t, or a v8
2 door fairmont sleeper with the same
82 nissan 300z with a chevy 350ci and a 150shot(actual car available to me.)
64 thunderbird hard top
maybe another fox mustang?
So tell me what you think.
300z -those things are super fast with the v6's,so there aint no tellin what that puppy will do with a 350
Hmmm, if the 300 had a SBF I'd say go for it.
I say Fairmont BC they are light as hell.
The fairmont is winning right now, Theres a fairmont guy telling me that a 4 door can below 2800lbs easy! WOW and I wont have to brake my back anymore getting the little one in her car seat! what a sleeper!!!!
I saw a Fairmont Futura with a EFI 5.0 T-5 that tipped the scales with driver at 2950 IIRC ;).
If i get one I'm going to put the 2.3t and t-5 from my smashed tc in it.
I'd love to find a wagon:burnout:
There's a Fairmont Futura 2-door parked in front of a garage locally. It doesn't look like it's for sale, but I stare at it every time I drive past. It's in great shape, too.
How cool would that be with a HO 5.0 and a T5? I would even keep the dog dish hubcaps on it.
You and me both man, you and me both.
my girl nixed the wagon:( but she likes the 4door:)
Yeah, she'll say its a stupid idea till the day comes you have a load of stuff to move around. Then her story will change.
go with the 4 door fairmont with the turbo 4 and make everything manual, it will be easily under 3k pounds.
If you're going to buy a wagon though, I would go for a full size. You can pick them up for cheap, and they will haul pretty much anything a pick-up will, and then some!
(http://www.fquick.com/images/vehicles/full/30363279682.jpg)
Shiny Side Up!
Bill
That right there is a 3500 lb. car though, the one he's looking at might tip the scales at 3000 with a driver and the kids ;)
Oh I know! When towing the boat (a 19' Larson) down to NC, I average 10mpg! :eek: Still, it hit 20mpg when not towing.
A smaller wagon is a good buy if you are primarily looking to use it as a people hauler, with the occasional trip to Lowe's for a couple bags of mulch or fertilizer, but if you'll also be hauling lumber, a full size can't be beat.
Shiny Side Up!
Bill
Normally, I would vote for the two door Fairmont, but in your situation (carseat), I would have to vote for the four door Fairmont. That would be very cool. Just don't stick TOO much money in it. Good luck and let us know what you decide.
2.3T Wagon FTW!
2 door fairmont
Well for the most part I've desided on the four door mont.(though when it comes to cars I'm as bad as awoman with shoes.)
Reasons for this choise go as fallows:
As stated above 4 doors make car seats MUCH more painless(my bad back)
I love sleepers, and a 4 door makes a great sleeper.
they are a bit cheeper than the 2 door.
and lastly, I just want one;)
Sounds like you made a great choice. To bad you couldn't get a wagon :(
That is the key to 99% of vehicle purchases. My buddy did appraisals for years, he owned his own appaisal business. I asked him what the hardest thing was to appraise, paint, engine, interior, underneath, trim, options, or ?? Without hesitating, he said, "Emotion." Guys always think their cars are worth more than they are because of emotion. And why not? You wouldn't buy the car if you didn't like it. So, if you want a 4dr mont, BUY ONE!!!! Good luck in the search.
Ya the search is going to be the hard part. Finding exactly what I'm looking for and all. Then agian finding the perfect car is half the fun!
Where are you located we may be able to help in the search. That or try looking on Four Eyed Pride, theres quite a few Fairmont/Marquis/Zephyr guys on there.
I'm not quite ready to look, I have to get my mark vii lsc, and 72 buick running first.
but thanks for the tip!
My dad's 91 wagon weighed in at just over 5,000 pounds without a full tank of gas and under 200 pound driver. Back in the day you had to have a real life break check and they weighed your car to get the front to rear brake ratio. It was nearly 2600 pounds front and 2590 pounds rear. If you really want something slower then ANY bird ever was, then yeah that would be a good car to get. Even with the H.O. 351 there 1/4 mile time is over 19 seconds.
Coudn't have been a Fairmont...:crazy:
Especially when you consider that the old GM wagons with the clam-shell rear windows weighed less that 5,000lbs! Maybe it was a motor-home? :D
Shiny Side Up!
Bill
School bus perhaps?
I'm all for the Fairmont, though some may expect it as a sleeper.
Just curious, if you have two other cars to finish before you are ready to start looking for a Fairmont, why did you even start this thread?
91 LTD crownvic wagon with all the options. Forgot to mention that.
Fair question, let me explain.
The lincoln is only in need of 4 new bags, and a power steering pump.
The buick needs the motor rebuilt and a front bumper.
All this should be done with in the next few months. Then the lincoln will take on primary duties as daily driver, and the buick will continue to be a family heirloom.
After that it will be time to build something cool!
and to add, when it it ever needed to have a reson to talk future projects?:hick:
LMAO, I'm always planning future projects without finishing one! Something about the "find" rather than the "finish"
I'm actually hoping this gets done. I always liked Fairmont/Marquis/Zephyrs :)
The only thing holding me back on comitting to this is that I've never killed a car, and to do this right I'll have to kill my tc:flame:
Nothing wrong with 4 door play toys ;) I've got one myself (some assembly required...) If the 4 doors will make life easier, do it up. Though I'd be in the wagon crowd myself, I have an odd obsession with wagons (a 2.3T T5 Pinto Cruison Wagon would rule!)
(http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v511/221/91/522631428/n522631428_1275042_3472.jpg)