The Dirt Track Thunderbird May 11, 2008, 09:15:02 PM Heres a few pictures of the Chicken right b4 the first race. She drove great at first but manage to get both rear quarters dented by some rookie.It has alot of potential just needs a bigger badder motor the stock old 302 just doesnt have quite enough grunt to win yet but deffinatley a top 5 contendor. Quote Selected
The Dirt Track Thunderbird Reply #1 – May 11, 2008, 09:20:05 PM As much as i llike to see our cars doing everything they can i hate to see the parts get destoryed. Especially 83-86 stuff like those fenders and doors. 87-88 parts sre so much easier to find right now. Go any after pics? Quote Selected
The Dirt Track Thunderbird Reply #2 – May 12, 2008, 12:15:31 PM always nice to see a car gettin used and enjoyed; thats what they are built for. id rather look at pics of your dirt car all day long than another ebay auction for a 1xx original miles TC....as far as "destroyed" goes, most of these cars people try to "save" will eventually end up in the same s pile as all the worn out racecars as soon as they lose interest in the project, so i see no difference there. everyone has a different idea about how to enjoy their cars. im glad there are guys out there who enjoy storing a pristine version of the car they love, cause i couldnt do it. id rather drive the wheels off em.:burnout: Quote Selected
The Dirt Track Thunderbird Reply #3 – May 12, 2008, 02:12:08 PM Cool. It's actually nice to see and doesn't bother me one bit. The last time I went to the dirt track, all I saw was second generation Camaros and a butt load of g bodys. I thought about doing that to the '86 Cougar I had. It wasn't worth fixing but would have made an awesome dirt car. Quote Selected
The Dirt Track Thunderbird Reply #4 – May 12, 2008, 08:18:29 PM Quote87-88 parts sre so much easier to find right now. Not around here..... Quote Selected
The Dirt Track Thunderbird Reply #6 – May 12, 2008, 11:37:45 PM Quote from: cougar86_89;218419As much as i llike to see our cars doing everything they can i hate to see the parts get destoryed. Especially 83-86 stuff like those fenders and doors. 87-88 parts sre so much easier to find right now. Go any after pics?lol ive heard this alot on this site and this car was saved from the crusher by doing this i wouldnt tear up a car that was close to saving i dont have b4 pictures but trust me this car was past saving for the street the rear quarters were rotten and all the floor pan Most of which replaced with 1/16 sheet steel minus the 1/4 inch plate the aluminum race seat is bolted to. It also has tearable hail damage down the hood ,roof,upper fenders and the trunck had about an 1/8 inch of bondo in some spots. originally it was a v6 car but it has a plain jane 302 in it now with a 2 barrel carb to fit the rules. the rearend is an sn95 with 3:27 gears with minispool the uppers are stock but shortened to change the pinion angle the lowers are stock but with urethane bushings on one end from global west and heim joints on the chassis side its got a set of caster camber plates ford racing springs global west bushings in the a arms new balljoints lincoln mark 7 or 8 im not sure brake calipers on the front. For the motor still being bone stock internals this thing is a rocketship and it pissed one guy off b/c it could pull a straightaway lead on him from a dead stop and he has a motor built to about 425horse in a metric monty carlo. A friend of mine ran a car just like this and used most of the parts at a similar track a few years ago and dominated with a stock 351w the first year taking a track championship then he rebuilt the motor to a 396 stroker and won the track championship for another 2 years b4 he decided to move up to Bmods with his motor and he gave me a pretty good deal on most of the parts on this car. Quote Selected
The Dirt Track Thunderbird Reply #7 – May 13, 2008, 12:10:42 AM Good luck buddyWhat did you do to stiffen the car up? These cars handle great power to weight is good but they bend to easy I speak from experience. I ran an 87 bird w/a stock 5.0 in a local ¼ mile track. Are you familiar with Enduro racing is pretty tuff on cars. The perfect balance was the 70s GM g-body’s not only did they handle but they took a beaten real well I ended up buying a 76 monti. Some people started running the caprices the old box one the new lt1 one ran like hell but had reliability problems like me they weren’t tough enough. I missed my bird on the track I always got complemented on it too. Not many people run fords chevys are just too easy and cheap. What kind of chassis work did you do? Quote Selected
The Dirt Track Thunderbird Reply #8 – May 13, 2008, 12:25:52 AM “metric monty”LOL last I heard that was at the track yes mine was on its way to the bone yard too my brother found a telephone phone pole bending the frame (that the band aid on it) and w/ over 245xxx on it in 1999 it went out with a bang.Even around here Paul it’s a shame I talk to these guys at the bone yards and these cars come in all the time and the just crush them for weight. So hay if you need a part for racing and you’re going to save from the melting pot its ok w/me. Just dot take it from some one garage saving for a restore. Quote Selected
The Dirt Track Thunderbird Reply #9 – May 13, 2008, 08:20:09 PM The car has a 16 point rollcage tieing all the way from the strut towers to the very back of the car. the nice thing about them is you can research the ministock mustang rollcages and copy them. i did to a point we werent allowed any bars passed the front tires. granted they still are a unibody car and thy dont take the beating a full frame car will so if u drive rough its not the best choice however i race figure 8 on a 1/5 mile dirt track and thi thing is like a rocket once ur clear of traffic they cant catch it you just have to watch getting through traffic and dodge and weave. We have some enduros around here but these cars are to short to allow them their and there not allowed at any IMCA or USRA track so my options are limited when it comes to racing it but hey i like figure 8 more anyway gotta love dodgeing traffic lol. Quote Selected
The Dirt Track Thunderbird Reply #10 – May 13, 2008, 08:26:31 PM my car looks like this under the skin roughly but like i said i dont have any tubing in front of the strut towers. but if you rules allow a descent amount of modifications these cars can get out ahead of everyone where u dont need to have a tank. Im upgrading my engine this weekend from the 5.0 to a 351w that was refreshened. i might have to put some lead in the back to get the car balanced again which sucks but hey. Quote Selected
The Dirt Track Thunderbird Reply #11 – May 14, 2008, 09:25:37 AM Figure 8 you crazy that’s great. Weights not that bad as long as it’s balanced right, get in and out of the turn anyone can drive straight.Our endures here technically the cars are suppose to be 108 wheel base but I never seen them give a bird/cougar/mark a hard time in the 8 cly class never seen a mustang show up but plenty in the 4 & 6 cly classes. OH whana break your hearts guys show up w/turbo of all for the 4 cly class just to compete its was killing me watching this perfect T/C start the season Quote Selected
The Dirt Track Thunderbird Reply #12 – May 14, 2008, 06:37:00 PM the wheelbase is 104 for the fox tbirds and most tech guys dont notice the 4 inch differance. You should give figure 8 a try theres nothing quite like dodging traffic at 60mph lol let alone sideways in the dirt. Quote Selected
The Dirt Track Thunderbird Reply #13 – May 14, 2008, 07:23:06 PM do u run dirt or asphalt? Quote Selected
The Dirt Track Thunderbird Reply #14 – May 15, 2008, 08:15:33 AM It was asphalt reason saying I haven’t been back at the track for two years since I had my kid, life just got to busy for me but I never got rid of my car still have it, I keep saying maybe this year. Funny thing is I’m getting more other stuff done now including working on my thunderbird. and I joke I say racing is like a drug you live breath and sweat it all else goes on the back burner. I would have a house project to do and find myself working on the car again and again or my buddy’s car. Its was like crack LOL.But maybe this year ill get out there for a race or two or three.my car on right Quote Selected
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