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Topic: Fox Mustang Exhaust on Thunderbird (Read 3413 times) previous topic - next topic

Fox Mustang Exhaust on Thunderbird

I got a killer deal on a fox mustang cat back 2.5" dual exhaust. I realize that my 86 5.0 Bird is longer than a fox Mustang, so it goes without saying that I will be adding length to the pipes somewhere. I'm sure I'm not the first person to modify a fox Mustang exhaust so the question is, where do I have to lengthen the pipes and by how much? The car is in the body shop and I'm trying to assemble the bill of material for the exhaust. I already have a set of BBK shorty headers and an off road H pipe.
1986 Thunderbird Elan 5.0 EFI AOD, 3.73:1 SN95 rear, 17" Mustang Bullitts w/Firestone WO Indy 500's. Future plan: 349 stroker, C9 block, forged dish pistons, Scat 9000 crank, 4340 I beam rods, ARP head/main studs, ported explorer intake, 1.72 CC RR, Vortech V2 supercharger, Mr. Freeze Meth Inj, intercooler, TFS 190 11R CNC heads (66CC), BBK shorties with 2.5" duals, 4R70W Transmission, Taurus fan.

Fox Mustang Exhaust on Thunderbird

Reply #1 –
Youll have to add and modify the exhaust hangars as well, probably the location of the fuel filter as well.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com

Fox Mustang Exhaust on Thunderbird

Reply #2 –
You'll probably spend more cutting and modding the Mustang catback exhaust to fit the Tbird then you would if you just had them fab it to fit the car and sell the catback to a Mustang guy for a nice profit.

I know,  because me and a friend both took our Tbirds to the exhaust shop on the same day to get this done. Mine was an 86, his was an 88. He had a catback off his wife's 5.0 that he brought.  I just had a pair of stock 91 GT tailpipes so that the hoop over the axle would be already done and smooth bends vs pleated bends that most exhaust shop pipe benders put into the pipe.

Mine went first. Took alot less measuring, cutting, and fitting than what we watched with his when they were trying to use his parts.  They did the cutting, then positioning, measuring and extending extending both his tailpipes and the lead pipes from the Hpipe to the lers. They both came out looking and sounding great but his bill was about $60 higher than mine even with him bringing most of his own pipes and lers. My Tbird got a pair of MagnaFlow takeoff lers they had pulled off someones car the day before, they only charged me $30 for those!  I guess because they got them for free.

Fox Mustang Exhaust on Thunderbird

Reply #3 –
Bought shorty headers, mustang xpipe, and a mustang LX catback.

I think we had to add pipes between the h pipe and the catback, then the rear pipes hung down like wheelie bars.

Ended up paying a local shop $90 to cut them and tuck them up into the fenders. They ended up flush with the bumper just like stock.
1988 T-Bird LX- Awaiting HO build, Monster "Eat My Shift" AOD rated 550Hp. BBK ceramic shorties, Jegs mustang (catless) H-Pipe. mustang catback modified axle back for tbird, 94 17" Cobra wheels, 98 'Stang GT 8.8 Traction-lock

Fox Mustang Exhaust on Thunderbird

Reply #4 –
Dunno if it's still available but I used Hooker's 2.5" system, includes everything except headers & lers... It fit with little issue, just had to fab hangers for Bird... Rear pipes are shorter than stock Stang but included turndowns for GT and also straight extensions(just galvinized) if used on LX, I used the turndowns... The extension pipes from H were actually too long, had to cut approx 1.5" for Bird... Hooker said they would be longer than necessary for Stang, as that gave installer choice of ler they could use... For a off the shelf system, I doubt you can do any better... I installed it in my garage with car up on jack stands...

Fox Mustang Exhaust on Thunderbird

Reply #5 –
I guess the proof's in the pudding when I mock it all up under the car. Like the Hooker system, mine also came with turndowns and straight extensions. It is a Summit system that may have been sourced through Hooker. One never knows.

I considered having a shop fab it up however, many shops will not fab up a cat-less exhaust for a car that had a cat. They claim it is illegal. It may differ from state to state based on how it is monitored or how effective you are claiming the car is for racing use only.

Does my 86 Elan have a double hump crossmember or do I have to source one? Don't have the car here to check.
1986 Thunderbird Elan 5.0 EFI AOD, 3.73:1 SN95 rear, 17" Mustang Bullitts w/Firestone WO Indy 500's. Future plan: 349 stroker, C9 block, forged dish pistons, Scat 9000 crank, 4340 I beam rods, ARP head/main studs, ported explorer intake, 1.72 CC RR, Vortech V2 supercharger, Mr. Freeze Meth Inj, intercooler, TFS 190 11R CNC heads (66CC), BBK shorties with 2.5" duals, 4R70W Transmission, Taurus fan.

Fox Mustang Exhaust on Thunderbird

Reply #6 –
All my 5.0 cars have had the double hump, but only a single hangar hole.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com

Fox Mustang Exhaust on Thunderbird

Reply #7 –
Jeg's makes a kit as well.  Comes with lers.....

http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS-Performance-Products/I/30400/10002/-1

It's aluminized.  I'd add header paint......
-- 05 Mustang GT-Whipplecharged !!
--87 5.0 Trick Flow Heads & Intake - Custom Cam - Many other goodies...3100Lbs...Low12's!

Fox Mustang Exhaust on Thunderbird

Reply #8 –
I swapped a Mustang drive train into my 88 and the complete MAC exhaust system (shorty headers, hi-flow cat h-pipe, lers and tailpipes) fit with two small mods. I had to add 3" forward of the lers. All the stock hanger locations worked fine. I also had to lengthen the tail pipes aft of the axle. This was about a 12" extension; you can see that it starts where the pipe straightens out after it goes over the axle.

Rick
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
1988 T/C body with a 5.0 transplant. Motor has a Vortech V-2 supercharger, Edlebrock Performer RPM II intake, heads, FRPP F-303 cam, Comp Cams roller rockers, Power Pipe, LMAF, full Mac exhaust, lowered, Koni's, 5 lug conversion, Cobra wheels, 13" Cobra brakes, etc.
SOLD September 2020. Will miss this car after 19 years of building/driving/showing it off. Time for a new chapter in my life.
Dynoed 446 horse/409 torque at the wheels.
2003 Tenth Anniversary Cobra Convertible. 1 of 369 Torch Red made.
2021 Chevrolet 3500 dually, crew cab Duramax.

Fox Mustang Exhaust on Thunderbird

Reply #9 –
I'll bet that's a hoot to drive!
1986 Thunderbird Elan 5.0 EFI AOD, 3.73:1 SN95 rear, 17" Mustang Bullitts w/Firestone WO Indy 500's. Future plan: 349 stroker, C9 block, forged dish pistons, Scat 9000 crank, 4340 I beam rods, ARP head/main studs, ported explorer intake, 1.72 CC RR, Vortech V2 supercharger, Mr. Freeze Meth Inj, intercooler, TFS 190 11R CNC heads (66CC), BBK shorties with 2.5" duals, 4R70W Transmission, Taurus fan.

Fox Mustang Exhaust on Thunderbird

Reply #10 –
Quote from: gtbird;458938
I swapped a Mustang drive train into my 88 and the complete MAC exhaust system (shorty headers, hi-flow cat h-pipe, lers and tailpipes) fit with two small mods. I had to add 3" forward of the lers. All the stock hanger locations worked fine. I also had to lengthen the tail pipes aft of the axle. This was about a 12" extension; you can see that it starts where the pipe straightens out after it goes over the axle.

Rick

I used Dynomax tail pipes, Flowtech tubes between the H-pipe and lers, and a Summit H-pipe. I had to do the exact same mods to get the stuff I used to fit.
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.

Fox Mustang Exhaust on Thunderbird

Reply #11 –
On my 5.0 83 TC I didnt want to move the rear brake line at the axle or the fuel pump and filter so I built a 3" single system.

I have BBK long tubes and I built a 2.5" Y pipe from a Flowmaster 2.5 to 3" merge ran into a Magnaflow and I used a Stinger 3" single tailpipe kit.  Worked perfect and sounds killer!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7uK9Vqu1D0
Brian R.
88 2.3t Ranger
83 TC  gt40p motor,Vortech,TFS1 cam,long tubes,MS PnP,T5,8.8,17x9 Cobra 17s

Fox Mustang Exhaust on Thunderbird

Reply #12 –
When I mocked up a passsenger side mustang tail pipe, the hanger hit the gas filler tube.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com
 

Fox Mustang Exhaust on Thunderbird

Reply #13 –
Hey Rick,
Could i pick your brain on your 5.0 transplant sometime ?