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Reply #30 – June 08, 2009, 10:27:47 AM

Quote from: rodsterh;276412

Ouch, Something else to look for in the junkyards!

Yeah, if I can find one! My step mother was the original owner of this car so she did not abuse it. The dash decided to get brittle and crack after all these years. Years of shear heat cooked it to the point it is like a cracker.

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Reply #31 – June 08, 2009, 10:31:53 AM

I pulled the dash from my '84 XR-7 before I sped it. IIRC it's in decent shape.
Won't ship it though...

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Reply #32 – June 08, 2009, 09:35:43 PM

Quote from: Chuck W;276445

I pulled the dash from my '84 XR-7 before I sped it.

Smart move!:)

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Reply #33 – June 09, 2009, 10:26:26 PM

Today I went to the salvage yard and found a few parts. Nicer condition chrome door lock s, 1987-88 style wiper switch/lever and turn signal lever, a bright trim for the brake pedal pad off a 1983 or so Lincoln Continental and three square stereo cassette FF/RW buttons that I had missing.

On eBay I found a black four spoke steering wheel like the 1980-83 models have. I like four spoke wheels better than the original 1984 A-frame. All I need is a cap with the Tbird emblem for the center. Along with this purchase came wiper and turn signal switches. I might need to use the turn signal switch for the horn function as was not in the pad before 1984.

I also purchased on eBay a LH taillamp in decent condition.

The latest restoration picture shows all the rusty metal painted black.

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Reply #34 – June 10, 2009, 08:52:54 AM

Looking good. Be glad you have solid floors! That's what stalled my project.

I'll be interested to see how your conversion to a 83 stalk mounted horn work out. I would think it should be easy but with Ford you never know.

I think ??? I have a decent PS taillight lens..lens only... if you need one.

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Reply #35 – June 10, 2009, 06:02:49 PM

NICE. The int is night and day now. lookin good so far, i can tell i need to start watchin your car now to see where it goes.

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Reply #36 – June 10, 2009, 09:54:09 PM

Quote from: rodsterh;276817

Looking good. Be glad you have solid floors! That's what stalled my project.

I'll be interested to see how your conversion to a 83 stalk mounted horn work out. I would think it should be easy but with Ford you never know.

I think ??? I have a decent PS taillight lens..lens only... if you need one.

The turn signal stalk horn is easy. I have the 83 style turn signal switch which I purchased with the four spoke wheel. However I may come across a horn pad that will work in the four spoke wheel. This would be a pad from later Ford models. However if I use a pad from later Fords, it will not have a Tbird emblem. I really do want the 1980-83 style Tbird steering wheel center trim with emblem.

Thanks for offering the RH taillamp lens, but mine is in good condition. The LH one just had a complete break in the reflector area next to the license plate.

I suppose I could obsess on finding the most perfect parts but finding many parts now is near impossible. For some reason I kinda enjoy something that is not quite perfect or moderately worn.

If I was looking for perfection I would seek out Chip Foose if I could afford him... LOL!

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Reply #37 – June 10, 2009, 09:57:59 PM

Quote from: ~AC;276870

NICE. The int is night and day now. lookin good so far, i can tell i need to start watchin your car now to see where it goes.

I am so anxious to get the interior resinstalled but I cannot do anything until I get all the mechanicals done. Plus I have no idea at this point if I will need to pull the dash to replace the heater core or evaporator. I have speakers to replace, one RH window motor and both door lock actuators to replace. I also want to hold off until I get the exterior refinished so the body shop won't ruin the interior.

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Reply #38 – June 10, 2009, 10:01:46 PM

Quote from: Watchdevil;276757

I forgot to mention that earlier I had already replaced the shift lever with the 1985-88 type. Not only is the shift lever and matching switch gear used in Cougars but it was also used in Continentals and Mark VII's.

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Reply #39 – June 14, 2009, 11:18:49 PM

I went to Pull-A-Part today and got a load of stuff for $20.

I snagged a black steering column cover off a 88 Cougar plus I got the tilt wheel lever, turn signal stalk and wiper switch. To my surprise this 88 Cougar had a 1983-86 Thunderbird front end panel installed on it. It certainly looked funny! Because of this I was able to snag the RH headlamp door trim. My original is cracked.

I installed all the parts today plus the 1983 style four spoke black wheel. I found a temporary horn pad (burgandy vinyl with Ford logo) out of a later model Crown Vic that dropped in nicely. Also, out of that Crown Vic I snagged a bright finish set of cruise control switches which had the extra leads for the horn switch in the center pad.

I went ahead and installed the 1983 turn signal switch with the horn on the end of the turn signal lever. Believe it or not there was no wiring modifications. Just plugging in the 83 turn signal switch into the 84 harness made the horn activate when you press in the stalk. Since I am using the 1985-88 turn signal lever, I had to file a notch in the front end of the metal portion of the stalk so that it would engage the horn switch lobe inside the hole. If you install the lever without filing this notch the lever will not push in to activate the horn.

I suppose I will have to sacrifice the function of the horn in the center pad if I get a 1980-83 steering wheel center trim with the Tbird emblem. No Tbird center trim was made for this wheel which included the horn switch. So I will have to settle for the horn being on the end of the turn signal stalk.

I snagged a heater and AC control panel from a late model Mustang which has the rotary dials. Unfortunately the Mustang control panels uses a dual cable setup with pullies and there is no way I can figure to rig it up to work. I should have read the PDF file on Coolcats.com for this conversion before I went to the salvage yard today. I needed to find a control panel from a 1990-91 Taurus/Sable which uses the single hot/cold cable.

I also snagged a 3rd brake lamp assembly from a 1986 Tbird. I have to paint it black.

After messing around with all that stuff today, I went ahead and looked at the master cylinder and power booster. I was afraid that I would need a new power booster. I took it off the car, tested it by pressing the lever in and then hooked up the vacuum while the engine was running and it seems to be okay. I used a steel brush to brush away the bubbled paint which was damaged due to the master cylinder leaking. I ran out of time this evening before dark, so I will later clean the booster and put a new coat of black paint on it.

The master cylinder is toast. It is all gummed up with gook where the brake fluid went bad. I am going to have to replace the master cylinder, wheel cylinders, front calipers, brake hoses as well as install new brake linings are hardware. I will have to flush the brake lines. I hope the proportioning valve will be okay.

I need to focus on completing the brake work and getting a good set of conventional wheels and tires. If I can safely move the car and stop it, the rest of the work I need to do to the Bird will be easier to do.

I have such a long way to go. I can hardly wait for it to become drivable. I have not been able to drive this car yet.

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Reply #40 – June 18, 2009, 09:18:45 PM

Quote from: Watchdevil;276949

Plus I have no idea at this point if I will need to pull the dash to replace the heater core or evaporator.

You shouldn't have to pull the dash out but it's still a tight fit.

Didn't you have your dash out?

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Reply #41 – June 18, 2009, 09:21:09 PM

Quote from: Watchdevil;277440

And if by chance you find a 83-84 Tbird or Cougar with woodgrain dash panel trim in decent condition I'd be interested in those trim parts.

Here's the right side...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/83-FORD-T-bird-Heritage-RH-Dash-Cover-w-Vents-OEM_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286Q2em20Q2el1116QQhashZitem2c4f45c0bcQQitemZ190308532412QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

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Reply #42 – June 19, 2009, 12:28:18 AM

Quote from: rodsterh;278570

You shouldn't have to pull the dash out but it's still a tight fit.

Didn't you have your dash out?

Oh yeah I have it out now, just waiting to eventually put the new carpet in because the dash is so delicate I don't want to risk cracking it anywhere near where the center stack and console meet.

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Reply #43 – June 19, 2009, 08:23:42 AM

Quote from: Watchdevil;278619

Oh yeah I have it out now, just waiting to eventually put the new carpet in because the dash is so delicate I don't want to risk cracking it anywhere near where the center stack and console meet.

I have heard that you can soften the dash by treating it with GOJO hand cleaner. I think I heard it on an episode of My Classic Car when Dennis was interviewing the owner of Just Dashes.

Nonetheless, I will be trying this trick on my old cracked dash soon, and I'll let you know how it goes.

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

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Reply #44 – June 19, 2009, 09:43:54 AM

Quote from: ProTouring442;278643

I have heard that you can soften the dash by treating it with GOJO hand cleaner. I think I heard it on an episode of My Classic Car when Dennis was interviewing the owner of Just Dashes.

Nonetheless, I will be trying this trick on my old cracked dash soon, and I'll let you know how it goes.

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

Oh I was referring to the entire hard plastic dash shell (see previous posts with pics) and not the top pad. The top pad is toast. It has a giant split and literally the consistancy of burnt toast. I plan to just fill the giant spilt with a can of insulating foam and recover the original pad in vinyl because I do not like those hard plastic dash caps (which I do have one handed to me from my parents who planned to use it but never installed it). I have seen classic restorations where they just covered the pads in vinyl or leather and they look great.