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Topic: Earliest 1983 TBird (Read 19508 times) previous topic - next topic

Earliest 1983 TBird

Reply #76 –
Quote from: FoxChassis;451702
Very few early V8 VINs at Lorain in 1983..

1FABP46F9DH100005
1FABP46F2DH100007
1FABP46F4DH100008
1FABP46F5DH100017
1FABP46F5DH100051
1FABP46F0DH100054
1FABP46F4DH100056
1FABP46F0DH102886
1FABP46F3DH104969
1FABP46F0DH105058
1FABP46F4DH105175
1FABP46F2DH105188
1FABP46F4DH105189
.
.


Add 0058 to your list!

Would be interesting to see a Marti report for this car.....
tbirdregistry.com
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27373

Earliest 1983 TBird

Reply #77 –
Atlanta 5.0 car 165816.  Sold in Lawton, OK new with 6 miles on the clock to my father and has never left the family though it is far from how it left the assembly line.

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

Earliest 1983 TBird

Reply #78 –
My 84 TC shows 5/83 vin#148035

I was told my car was formerly owned by NASCAR driver Kenny Schrader and some paperwork in the glove box seems to indicate that as true.
Brian R.
88 2.3t Ranger
83 TC  gt40p motor,Vortech,TFS1 cam,long tubes,MS PnP,T5,8.8,17x9 Cobra 17s

Earliest 1983 TBird

Reply #79 –
Quote from: deathbypsi;456278
My 84 TC shows 5/83 vin#148035

I was told my car was formerly owned by NASCAR driver Kenny Schrader and some paperwork in the glove box seems to indicate that as true.

I remember a car for sale many years back that was claimed to be owned by KS and had some paperwork with it.
tbirdregistry.com
26480
27373

Earliest 1983 TBird

Reply #80 –
Something curious I found on my car.

When I was under it I noticed that looking up into the trans tunnel it looks like there is a huge hole cut out of the floor pan with a torch and there is another tunnel shot down over top of that with the small hole for the manual shifter. I can see very jagged melted edge and a bunch of sheet metal screws.  Was thinking this floor pan might have been for an auto trans car to start with and just "modified" for a TC.  Anyone else seen this? I will get some pics next time its in the air.
Brian R.
88 2.3t Ranger
83 TC  gt40p motor,Vortech,TFS1 cam,long tubes,MS PnP,T5,8.8,17x9 Cobra 17s

Earliest 1983 TBird

Reply #81 –
Every Fox Mustang factory 5 speed car I have seen the shifter boot mount is a separate piece of formed steel that was spot welded over the tunnel.  The trans tunnel all look like they were cut with a jig saw or sawsall for the shifter opening and then the shifter boot mount was spot welded and seam sealed over that.  It would not surprise me if the 83 Birds were installed in the manner you are describing as it was the first year of the car and first year they offered the TC but I believe the TC was offered late in production?  Either way would really like to see some pictures.

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

Earliest 1983 TBird

Reply #82 –
Assuming same year, AFAIK a floor pan is a floor pan...

Generally openings are cut with a torch for floor shifter cars and either mount for auto shifter or 5 speed boot is installed...

Earliest 1983 TBird

Reply #83 –
Generally?  No.  I have worked for Ford for 20 years at 5 different plants including a stamping plant and there is no way cutting out a hole with a torch 600-1200 times a day would be a normal production process,not even 50 times a day. They can just stamp the hole they want. For 6 years I built Lincoln Town car, Continental,LS and Tbird floor pans at Wixom Assembly and never once seen a torch in the hands of someone doing production work.
Brian R.
88 2.3t Ranger
83 TC  gt40p motor,Vortech,TFS1 cam,long tubes,MS PnP,T5,8.8,17x9 Cobra 17s

Earliest 1983 TBird

Reply #84 –
Quote from: deathbypsi;456968
Something curious I found on my car.

When I was under it I noticed that looking up into the trans tunnel it looks like there is a huge hole cut out of the floor pan with a torch and there is another tunnel shot down over top of that with the small hole for the manual shifter. I can see very jagged melted edge and a bunch of sheet metal screws.  Was thinking this floor pan might have been for an auto trans car to start with and just "modified" for a TC.  Anyone else seen this? I will get some pics next time its in the air.


Yes. I've seen this on at least 2 83 TC's.

Quote from: Aerocoupe;456971
Every Fox Mustang factory 5 speed car I have seen the shifter boot mount is a separate piece of formed steel that was spot welded over the tunnel.  The trans tunnel all look like they were cut with a jig saw or sawsall for the shifter opening and then the shifter boot mount was spot welded and seam sealed over that.  It would not surprise me if the 83 Birds were installed in the manner you are describing as it was the first year of the car and first year they offered the TC but I believe the TC was offered late in production?  Either way would really like to see some pictures.


Exactly as you described! ;)

X
X
X
tbirdregistry.com
26480
27373

Earliest 1983 TBird

Reply #85 –
That's just how mine looks. Cant believe they would do it that way!
Brian R.
88 2.3t Ranger
83 TC  gt40p motor,Vortech,TFS1 cam,long tubes,MS PnP,T5,8.8,17x9 Cobra 17s

Earliest 1983 TBird

Reply #86 –
Yea, sure does seem odd.
tbirdregistry.com
26480
27373
 

Earliest 1983 TBird

Reply #87 –
My '88 appears to be cut with some type blade, definitely not stamped or torched(my bad, thinking of my Cobra Jet)... Looks to have been done  before paint was applied...

Being as the majority of Fox Birds were column shifter, floor pan was likely cut sometime in early stages of assembly, before going to paint would make sense... The ones torched were probably flubs that made it to line after paint... Obviously there wasn't anyone with torch experience, work on my Cobra Jet is pretty, includes the staggered shock mount that was also installed on line(428, 4 speeds only)