Why You love the fox Birds and Cougars?...

Topic: Why You love the fox Birds and Cougars?... (Read 4105 times) previous topic - next topic

Why You love the fox Birds and Cougars?...

Reply #15 – December 16, 2006, 10:40:54 PM

i actually had this conversation with my boss today. he told me the same things most people tell me, to ditch the cougar and get a mustang. that my car is MUCH heavier then a fox stang(which i know it does way more, but not like 1000 lbs more) and that each 100 lbs is a tenth in the quarter. and blah blah blah.

the truth is, i love the way my car looks, its agreesive, cool, and unique. sure its not as fast as a mustang, but i dont claim it to be. but i will say it looks so much nicer. i would go as far as to say about 1/16 to 1/8 of the kids at my school have some year or form of mustang, and thats alot of kids if u think about it.

but it doesnt take alot of modification to make these cars as fast as a mustang, (or at least a 5.0, i cant speak for the other engines) they have great "potential" it just takes a little work to unleash it. basically i like how unique it is, its fairly fast, very roomy, comfortable, and can usually be found for cheap...thats a hard car to find. i like them so much, im actually gonna try to look at buying a either a 88 sport, or and 88 xr-7, out the two, im probably ganna and up drive home my second fox, some mustang guys may say im a

, but screw them, i got a bigger backseat :p

Why You love the fox Birds and Cougars?...

Reply #16 – December 17, 2006, 09:07:11 AM

I was 16 looking for a car when I saw the '88 XR-7 in the local paper for $900. I had $1000 to spend on a car and wanted a V-8. I was hoping for a classic 60s-70s car or an 80s SS Monte Carlo but all of them, well all the decent ones were out of my range by a long shot. I checked out the Cougar on Saturday September 8th 2001 and instantly fell in love with it. My only previous knowledge on the car was remembering the one my grandparents neighbor had that they bought new in '88. An LS tu-tone with wire hubcaps. I loved the look of that car though even at the age of 3-4, I remember it like it was yesterday.

The first thing I noticed were the wheels. I was shocked not to see wire hubcaps. I clearly had no idea what XR-7 meant for the '88 Cougar. The combination of the bright white paint, white turbine wheels, blue leather interior, etc. had me hooked. I wanted to buy the car on the spot but couldn't get a temp tag from motor vehicles on the weekend. I put a deposit on the car and started searching the net once I got home. I found CoolCats and read up on everything about the car.

Monday September 10 2001, I was in school and my parents went and picked the car up for me. I'll never forget how it felt when I came home and took it for a short blast around the block for the first time. The only things that didn't work were the a/c (who cares about that anyway) and the moonroof. A $5 switch at a junkyard solved that problem though.

It had 172,000 on it when I picked it up but to drive it you wouldn't know it. As things started to go up though, I started modifying it. First with Flowmasters once the original lers ped out and that has since snowballed into what the car is today.

Now I have too much time and money into it to get rid of it. Not only that but that car is a part of me. It is a love-hate relationship but is always fun despite any problems I've had along the way. This car has such a personality and character like no other car I've driven. I love it so much, I got another one, the '86 GS. As long as rust or some idiot out on the road doesn't take them away from me, I'll probably be buried with both.

Why You love the fox Birds and Cougars?...

Reply #17 – December 17, 2006, 09:09:13 AM

I love my fox as I have the only Fila on the boards. All of my freinds ask me what it is, what year of mustang is that, and "oh shiznit, is that a big V6?" Anyone can own a mustang, a camaro or a ricebox but it takes a speical kind of guy/girl to drive a Tbird/Cougar.

Why You love the fox Birds and Cougars?...

Reply #18 – December 17, 2006, 11:03:10 AM

haha what year of mustang is that.

do you refer to it as "the fila" when people ask you what you drive? you should. "i drive a SHOE" "you drivin man?" "yeah im gonna take the shoe, hasnt been out in awhile"

cougarcragar--

, EVERY time i see that picture of your old black cat i am amazed. with those wheels and tires and from that angle it DEFINITELY calls back to the muscle cars. man that thing is sweet, what a friggin tragedy.

you should totally make your new 86 look like that. knowing myself i would be absolutely miserable if some yahoo wrecked my car and it looked like that. id have no choice but to re create it.

but whatever you do just make it how you like it!

Why You love the fox Birds and Cougars?...

Reply #19 – December 17, 2006, 11:15:14 AM

I got my 88 Tbird as a first car, and here's that short story:

Back in 1997-1998, my family went down to Florida on vacation to see my mom's side of the family. One day, my mom and dad had gone to a car dealership and my mom saw a blue '94 Lincoln Mark VIII. 4.6L V8, all the comforts, 140mph speedo, etc. She wanted the car, and my dad couldnt agree more after seeing what was under the hood. So they ended up buying the car and we drove the car back to NC. After having the car for a few years, the warranty ran out and there were too many problems starting to pop up with the car, so my dad set out to find another big, confortable V8 RWD car to replace it. Dad saw the Tbird sittin for sale in a parking lot for $1500 and couldnt pass the deal. We bought it from the original owner, an old lady who had ordered the car from the factory. She had taken great care of the car, as what you see in my pics represent about what it looked like when we got it. I remember when I first saw the car, my first thoughts were "Hmmm thatd be an awesome first car for me. Eh, it's too nice of a car though." About a year later, my dad was driving me to school and asked me if I'd like the Tbird as my first car, so I instantly took him up on it. The car was rarely ever used before it became my daily driver this August.

I like my car because it's uncommon. It's not a car you see everyday. It's overlooked and not appreciated as much as it should be; an underdog. Thats the same way I am as a person. They say a car should "represent" the owner, and my car does just that.

Why You love the fox Birds and Cougars?...

Reply #20 – December 17, 2006, 11:18:38 AM

1: it's not a Mustang.
2:it's the only 88 in the county

I get lot's of looks on the highway in my daily 85 mile commute. Wonder how many looks I'd get if I fixed it up?

Why You love the fox Birds and Cougars?...

Reply #21 – December 17, 2006, 11:44:40 AM

I guess its my turn huh...

back in '98 I was in foster care dad was driving the 90 aerostar that we had and one day he came to see me and he was driving the 83 TC my eyes got HUGE and I ask "whos car is that????" he said well its mine! so we went for a ride and I have been in love with it ever since, I still beg him to give me the car. so now I have my 88TC its the nicest 88 that I've seen in kansas. I also get lots of looks and people ask if its got a 5.0 or the turbo V6 I just kinda smile and gently raise the hood

Why You love the fox Birds and Cougars?...

Reply #22 – December 17, 2006, 12:25:31 PM

Quote from: ZondaC12;118852

, EVERY time i see that picture of your old black cat i am amazed. with those wheels and tires and from that angle it DEFINITELY calls back to the muscle cars. man that thing is sweet, what a friggin tragedy.

you should totally make your new 86 look like that. knowing myself i would be absolutely miserable if some yahoo wrecked my car and it looked like that. id have no choice but to re create it.

but whatever you do just make it how you like it!

Thanks, man. I really appreciate that.
It broke my heart to sell that car. It hurt even more when I saw it one month later with four flat tires, a broken window, and a bunch of laying on the hood.
One man's treasure is another man's trash, I suppose.

As of right now, I think the turbo cat will get a similar treatment, but with a two-tone scheme and some subtle touches.

Why You love the fox Birds and Cougars?...

Reply #23 – December 18, 2006, 10:24:40 PM

1.Style: I’ve always liked the way they look, especially the 87, 88 Turbocoupes. I was floored when they came out. It was the coolest looking car I had ever seen at the time. Of course at $18000 I thought I’d never own one.

2.Racing Heritage: It dominated NASCAR and NHRA in the 80’s.

3.Ergonomics: I’m 6’4” and fit in this car just fine. I like the dash and the console and door panel design on the sport and the TC.

4.Parts Interchangeability: It’s what gives our cars the potential that they have given that no aftermarket really exists for them. They’re really easy cars to hot rod.

5.Exclusivity: It aint a Mustang. They are becoming a rarity on the street and when done up nicely they turn heads. Basically it's different, virtually no one fixes these cars up.

Why You love the fox Birds and Cougars?...

Reply #24 – December 18, 2006, 11:03:26 PM

cragar--

also wanted to mention thats a neat story about how you came to own it! love the part about mowing the lawn real slow so you could look at it:cool:

well...i guess you just gotta cherish and enjoy what you have while you have it, it could be taken from you at any time.

i would go ape on someone if they nailed my cat for some stupid reason. i would lose all control. if its reasonable in the next few years im totally getting a beater. i mean, i drive this thing all the time, but when i sit and think about it, its crazy out there on the road, and i could be next in line for a nasty spill...

Why You love the fox Birds and Cougars?...

Reply #25 – December 18, 2006, 11:17:06 PM

I bought the first '83 as kind of a DD for myself when I had the '82 5.0 Mustang. I passed it to the ex when we sold her 79 Mustang. I liked it, but it never really clicked. I was still kind of a Mustang/Capri guy (79-82's). I was just beginning to find out all the differences with the Mustangs.
Then when my 80 Capri RS Turbo got totalled, I picked up the silver car (in my sig) as my new driver in '96. It kind of just went downhill from there....
I am VERY picky about these cars, and the 83-84's get my vote hands down. There is something about the 85-86's that just don't quite sit with me, and the 87-88's, well....not my bag baby.

I love the lines of the cars, esp when sitting "right". I could sit and look at the car for hours. I can see the potential in just about every 83-84 I see....and that's dangerous.....

They are pretty easy to modify, but still not completely "off the shelf", which appeals to me. Not everyone can really build a nice one.

I like the rarity on the road. I see very few 4-eyes, and most are ragged (saw a prime example of this just Friday). The comment I always get is "You don't see those any more".

I wish there were more restoration parts available as that's the real weak spot in keeping one of these around. Mechanicals are easy, but keeping them looking nice is going to take some work.

I'm also one of the odd-balls who like the 80-82's. Not for what they were, but what they can be. The lines are funky, but cool. I can't wait to get my 80 XR-7 on the road....it will be rough around the edges, but there won't be one like it anywhere around.....

If I had room, I'd be ding 80-84's....

Why You love the fox Birds and Cougars?...

Reply #26 – December 18, 2006, 11:18:01 PM

i like my ford bcuz the ladies tell me "thanks" for nothing and when i get pulled over its for my car looking so good when i was speeding lol. i was thinking of making a shirt that says those 2 quotes. there a little dumb but my friends thought they were hillarious

Why You love the fox Birds and Cougars?...

Reply #27 – December 19, 2006, 12:21:27 PM

I was instantly hooked on the body lines. From the grille and the long hood to the curved side windows and the straight rear window to the slanted rear, it's very unique. i have not seen another quite like mine in Kansas City yet!

Why You love the fox Birds and Cougars?...

Reply #28 – December 19, 2006, 01:02:12 PM

Quote from: ZondaC12;119194

i would go ape on someone if they nailed my cat for some stupid reason. i would lose all control. if its reasonable in the next few years im totally getting a beater. i mean, i drive this thing all the time, but when i sit and think about it, its crazy out there on the road, and i could be next in line for a nasty spill...

Same here; I plan on getting a beater DD within the next year or two, cause I dont know what I would do if my precious Tbird got in an accident.

Why You love the fox Birds and Cougars?...

Reply #29 – December 19, 2006, 03:57:39 PM

When I went out to buy my first car with my own money I wanted an 87-93 5.0 LX mustang. My parents flat out said "NO", which was a bright idea considering I was 17. I found this really nice 88 Thunderbird for sale (the one in my sig) and I was really interested because it had a 5.0 (didn't know it was a lo po at the time). I bought it because it drove good, and could lay a patch if I stomped on it:grinno: . I love the way it looks and I don't think I could ever get rid of it. It just looks so much better than a Fox Mustang. Plus it's the only one around my neighborhood. I never see another Fox Bird around except at the T-bird club shows. Plus my Bird just looks sweet