Chuck's '83 TBird

Topic: Chuck's '83 TBird (Read 87235 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #450 – May 20, 2023, 08:12:58 AM

Yeah. Just one of those odd 80's redundancies. Just install the amp and such and there's no need for an ON/OFF switch. It's not like we're talking about 500W of extra power or anything...

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #451 – May 20, 2023, 12:39:36 PM

Personally, I think it'd make a great idea for a kill switch for the ignition. Nobody would ever suspect it.

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #452 – May 21, 2023, 10:46:18 PM

Well, the paint is on the car.

I'm going to wet sand it here in the next day or so to get rid of the over-spray and a couple runs. Then I'll give it a quick polish pass.

The color is off, but the spot is covered and will be covered by vinyl, so I'm not stressing it. I want the car available to drive.

The 1K stuff I bought for the cage bits matched better than this 2K product did. This car doesn't sit out in the sun/weather at all, so it's not faded paint contrast, just a bad mix. It seems like good solid stuff, if I was repainting a whole panel, fender, etc though.

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #453 – May 29, 2023, 09:00:49 PM

That is very off, you wouldve been better off painting the whole roof if you werent going to cover it.
I heard silver paint is hard to get right regardless.

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #454 – May 29, 2023, 09:15:44 PM

Quote from: Ductape91 – on May 29, 2023, 09:00:49 PM

That is very off, you wouldve been better off painting the whole roof if you werent going to cover it.

That may be the plan in the future when the wrap wears out.

It could've been more due to the 2K configuration vs the 1K I used on the cage bits.

The wife's Bug is on the ground and running now, so I can at least get it out of the garage for the sanding I need to do.

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #455 – June 04, 2023, 08:43:32 PM

Well, I should've just done the 1K paint on top as well.

I spent a couple hours wet sanding and polishing the roof out, and if it weren't for the poor paint match (and the evidently too heavy application by me, resulting in runs that wound up darker after I sanded) it wouldn't look too bad. There is an ever-so-slight ripple in area of the patch, but you really need to be looking hard for it. The wrap will hide the color issues and you won't be able to see the ripple.
I spent a couple hours wet sanding down to about 3000 grit and then hit it with the polisher. Got rid of all of the over-spray, and I polished the whole roof for uniformity's sake.
It is what it is for now.

I was thinking about driving it to work on Monday, so I took it for a little drive today on a couple errands. Good thing too, as the fans aren't kicking on. The wiring looks to be fine, but the relay isn't triggering.
The relay I'm using has a flyback diode in it, so I removed the original one I had in there.
I ran out of time to connect the laptop to it and make sure it's sending the trigger (It was before I did all of this work) and I probably should open up the MS unit and make sure the fan control circuitry didn't get damaged somehow.

The clutch feels fine but it is now evident that the 1st gear syncros are bad. Not a huge deal, but still annoying.

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #456 – June 09, 2023, 06:06:59 PM

The fans are fixed. The transistor in my MS fan circuit had died. Swapped that out and we're good to go.

I have the fans running on LO speed, as the 2.3 doesn't need both at full speed AND it totally pulls down the 130A alternator and bogs the engine when both run on HI.

Planning on driving it a bit tomorrow to meet up with some buddies. It will also be the first time the kiddos get to ride in it.

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #457 – June 11, 2023, 04:20:36 PM

Drive went well. Fans worked as they should and the clutch felt fine. Still have to be mindful of the 2-1 shift, but that's no biggie. I can rebuild the trans later.

As long as it dries up, I'm probably going to drive it to work tomorrow. I'll be able to test the clutch for slippage in 5th on the way there.

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #458 – June 11, 2023, 05:12:19 PM

Glad you have it back together man. I’ve been battling my Mustang for the last six months just reworking all kinds of that have over time been neglected. Hope to get it squared up here in the next couple of weeks and then drive the brakes off it this summer as it’s getting a MSPNP over the winter. Once I get that installed and dialed in I’m getting back on the Bird. It runs and drives but there is a list of I want to rework as I have the time and money now.

I want at least one of them running and driving so I don’t get withdrawals.

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #459 – December 05, 2023, 08:12:59 PM

So, I forgot to post this up when I found it a couple weeks ago, but this is the slug that put the hole in the top of the car.
NOT a handgun round...

Evidently it didn't enter the cabin, but just ricocheted out after it hit the car. I found it while I was cleaning up the spot while putting a new carport up.

I'm hoping to get with my buddy on the roof wrap before things get wintery around here. If not it'll have to wait until spring and the roads are clear of the inevitable salt coating they're sure to get.

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #460 – April 14, 2024, 05:58:16 PM

Well, the roof wrap hasn't happened, as winter set in before I could get around to it, and things have been busy since the first of the year. (And the weather is just now starting to cooperate)

Today was the day, however, that I got started on the transmission and clutch disc R&R. Got the car in the air and got everything removed in the cabin and got started underneath.

As a reminder, the transmission is being swapped out because the synchros in the current one are shot and the 6-puck clutch disc doesn't play nice in traffic.

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #461 – April 21, 2024, 12:22:50 PM

Finished this up today. (Had it done yesterday, but didn't have time to put the battery back in and test drive it)

Got the clutch disc swapped out.

Not too keen on the seemingly sparse friction material on the Sachs SD1228, but I'll run it for now. The 9-puck just doesn't play nice w/o revving the hell out of it to get things moving.

Put a new output seal on the replacement transmission, and the factory plug for the shifter box has long been gone (was using this trans for mock-ups on other projects), and I couldn't seem to find the proper part online, so I just turned down one from aluminum.

Old trans

New trans

The -155 was from an 87-88 TC and the -162 was from an 87-93 2.3 EFI Mustang. They are the same WC units, aside from the speedo drive gear.

This required me changing my driven gear from the 19T I had in there to a 17T for the 3.55 gears.

Once the under-car stuff was done, I got the Pro 5.0 shifter reinstalled and buttoned up the console.

Fired it up this morning and took it for a test drive.

Everything seems to be playing nice, so we're back in action. I do need to bite the bullet and buy new tires for it, though.

Also, bonus pic of all of the Foxes.

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #462 – April 23, 2024, 07:03:08 AM

The drive on Monday went well. The transmission was quiet and smooth. The clutch didn't give any issues in the slow traffic back across town to pick the kiddos up from school after work.

Now to buy some tires...

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #463 – April 23, 2024, 08:36:31 AM

Nice to see you got it moving again to enjoy the spring weather.

Surprised the 2.3L non turbo Mustangs have the WC T5 also. Good to know.

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #464 – April 24, 2024, 06:59:20 AM

Chuck, in the 20 years that I had my 88, with the same wheels you have, I had run through a set of Khumo and a set of Hankook tires. Didn’t care for the Khumo’s but the Hankook’s performed well. Price back in the day was very reasonable, especially compared to some of the more major brands. Since you don’t put a great amount of miles on the car, whatever you buy will probably age out before wearing out.
Good luck with your choice.
Rick