Delete Reply #76 – August 05, 2009, 12:45:58 AM QuoteI cut the multi-looped Tbird cable end off and run it through the hole in the slider on the hot-cold gear-slide mechanism. I left the original cable grommet-clip in place but set it to the inside of the Taurus grommet-clip opening. The Tbird grommet-clip base where it meets the cable sleeve fits inside the Taurus cable clip opening. It protrudes to the outside of the Taurus grommet-clip base. I secured it on the outside with a simple small hose clamp. It works perfectly but the Tbird hot-cold flap does not have the travel range that the Taurus does so cold is 9 o'clock and hot is 3 o'clock.And that is exactly what I wanted to know, thank you very much sir! Quote Selected
Delete Reply #77 – August 05, 2009, 04:11:21 AM Indeed, Thank you for the info.I think i'll be doing this soon. Quote Selected
Delete Reply #78 – August 05, 2009, 09:24:16 AM Quote from: Romeo2k;285349Indeed, Thank you for the info.I think i'll be doing this soon.Fellas, be sure to look for a rotary panel that uses the cable control. I got mine out of a 1991 Taurus. Some of the later model years use an electric control. Also, I considered using one from a 1994-04 Mustang but it has the dual cable with the pulleys and there is no way to adapt it to operate with the hot-cold damper control. Quote Selected
Delete Reply #79 – August 05, 2009, 10:19:58 AM Thanks for the heads up, I pulled mine from a 91 Sable, the 92 Sable was all electric. Quote Selected
Delete Reply #80 – August 05, 2009, 10:49:06 AM What about one from a fox-Mustang, like from a '90?Shiny Side Up!Bill Quote Selected
Delete Reply #81 – August 06, 2009, 07:11:29 PM Couldn't tell ya. In the writeup, it lists the 92-96 Stang as a donor, but I cannot verify this. Quote Selected
Delete Reply #82 – August 10, 2009, 12:32:54 AM Quote from: jrad235;285592Couldn't tell ya. In the writeup, it lists the 92-96 Stang as a donor, but I cannot verify this.The 94-04 Mustangs have a dual cable and pulley that is not compatable with the Tbird/Cougar hot-cold flap lever. Tried and verified. No way to make it work. You have to find a donor car that uses a single cable.Also, take a close look at my picture with the radio/hvac trim off. Look at the rotary panel mounting screws. The rotary panel is slightly too narrow to reach full width accross. I lined up the panel to the left and lowered it slightly so it centers in the trim bezel opeing . The screws on the right do not go through the rotary panel but catch the outer edge. It worked out best this way because with the radio/hvac trim panel in place the graphics around the right side of the mode rotary are not cut off or hidden by the trim plate. Quote Selected
Delete Reply #83 – August 10, 2009, 10:28:53 PM The engine decided to run today! The fuel must have stabilized or something. I have no idea what but it's running. I was able to move the car to the side of the house so it would stop taking up my driveway. Well, since I got the engine running I was able to test the HVAC rotary panel for function since I now had vaccum. It works flawlessly!Also, the last day off I had I took out the headliner and sunvisors and stripped the material off and sed the base board clean. The headliner material basically turned into dust! I also removed all the interior trim panels in the rear seat area and cleaned them. I removed the rear package shelf carpet which is in bad shape. I have to save it as a template for the new carpet. That day I discovered that the left taillamp lens has a crack in the wraparound corner that I had not noticed before. I bought it off eBay and when I received it I never noticed the crack. I installed it on the car and perhaps some stupid kid here in the neighborhood ran a bike up against it or something. Who knows. But I guess I will be looking for another taillamp or lens. Quote Selected
Delete Reply #84 – August 14, 2009, 01:47:35 AM The engine is still running!Today, I worked on the detached armrests that are famous for breaking away from the interior door panels. I went to Lowe's and bought some small angle brackets, speed nuts, small fender washers and stainless steel screws. I drilled a few holes in the right places and reattached the armrests with all that simple hardware. My biggest challenge was figuring out how to reattached the power door lock buttons and bezels. They both had broken tabs which holds it on the forward end in the slot in the door panel and I just about figured they were a total loss. My persistance looking in Lowe's paid off. I went down the electrical aisle and found these very thin support plates that are used to mount electrical outlet boxes into drywall. I cut them apart with tin snips, drilled holes to mount them to one of the speed nuts that holds the lock button to the bezel and bent the long tabs back against the back of the door panel. After the success of getting the armrests to better than factory sturdy, I decided to go to Pull-A-Part. I found four steel rims for $7 each. I will need these to use the 1980-82 Tbird stainless steel wheel covers I bought off eBay. a bonus was that two of the rims are mounted on tires that hold air and have decent tread. I discovered today that the left front original TRX wheel is bent, therefore not seating well at the bead and loosing air. So now I have backup tires on rims to get the car moved around. I gotta paint the steel rims with a fresh coat of paint. Three came off a 1986 Cougar and one off a Mustang. While I was at Pull-A-Part I found an buttstuffog clock. It was very cheap. I tried it out when I got home and it runs but not consistantly. The only reason I got it was because I thought my digital clock was bad, but DUH, I forgot to plug the wiring harness into it. After I plugged it back in, I still thought it was bad... DUH again!... I forgot I pulled the fuse for the dome lights so I would not run down the battery while working on the car. I also got two other items, a sleeker dome lamp assembly from a later model Taurus (my original was corroded and pitted chrome) and an inside rearview mirror with dual maplights. While I was looking in the salvage yard I came accross a 85 or so Lincoln Continental with real honest to God wood inserts on the dash. It had light yellow colored wood. It even had a pliable non-cracked dash pad. It would have been a direct drop in unlike the SN95 Mustang dash I test fitted. I got excited for just a minute thinking how cool it would be to swap the peaunut brittle dash in the Tbird for the Continental one. Then I thought about all the electronic digital dash functions and diagnostic warning lamps and tripminder computer the Continental had and realized I should forget about it. However, it was a beautiful dash! Quote Selected
1984 Thunderbird Restoration Update 08-17-09 Reply #86 – August 17, 2009, 06:20:17 PM Spent some time yesterday in Pull-A-Part again. I snagged some rear inside quarter panel dome lights from a Cougar. I also snagged some power window, seat and mirror switches from a Grand Marquis which have the chrome finish. I just thought it would brighten things up in the center console. I also pulled a healamp switch that has a ring of bright chrome as opposed to the all black I have now. I also snagged a good set of headlamp buckets from a Cougar that I needed to replace the ones that rusted out. Oh yeah, I pulled the remote mounted TFI module and heatsink from that same Cougar. I definitely want to get the heat away from the distributor mounted module so it will be relocated. I also pulled from that Cougar a decent black steering column shroud.I got a dead pedal from a Mustang.My intention was to keep looking for more stuff I could use, like a used power window motor and door lock actuators. It started raining like crazy and I got soaked! Quote Selected
Delete Reply #87 – August 24, 2009, 12:49:18 AM A few days ago I painted all the steel wheels with a new coat of black paint. I found a used passenger side window motor today and it works perfectly. No luck finding good door lock actuators. Every one I find is .I had to find a fuel gauge today and because I did research ealier I found out that the actual gauge unit behind the gauge faces are common in many late 70's early 80's Fords. So I snagged two in case one didn't work. The donor vehicles were a old Ford Ranger and a Ford F-150. I opened up the cluster, popped the fuel gauge out and removed the gauge face. I tested the fuel gauges for continuity and they both passed. So I removed the Tbird instrument cluster today and replaced the fuel gauge unit. It fits perfectly and works like a charm. With the second one I have a back-up in case the one I installed ever fails. I painted the faded out red needles on the instrument cluster a nice turquoise blue. I seen the turquoise needles on late model Tbirds and decided I would paint mine that way. While I had the cluster open, I also added a blue LED light inside the front of the cluster housing to brighten up the cluster for night time driving. The light output is horrible on 1983-84 buttstuffog clusters. I have never seen an cluster so dim which is unlike any other car I have ever had. It's just a very poor design because there is only four bulbs on the back of the cluster and they are all situated at the top. Examining the perimeter of the gauge faces they did not leave enough opening around the edges for light to get out. I went on a scavenger hunt to find compatible chrome window switch buttons that will fit in place of the black ones in the original window switch. The original black buttons pop off and chrome ones snap right on. I had to look through various Town Cars, Grand Marquis and Crown Vics to find them. Most of the cars were already stripped of switches. I also had to snag a taillamp socket.I hope I am done looking in Pull-A-Part for a while. I am ready to get the Tbird mechanically sound and get the carpet and headliner ordered and put in. I am so looking forward to it getting new paint. Quote Selected
Delete Reply #88 – September 01, 2009, 11:43:48 PM I took some new pics today! I had to move the Tbird to cut grass. When I was done cutting grass, I drove the Tbird for the very first time in my neighborhood! I was excited!The bent TRX wheel which would not let the LF tire hold air was replaced on the front with one of my standard steel wheels with a tire today. I took the extra D-grade wheel cover the eBay buyer sent me and put it on the rim to see how it looks on the car.I got the map light rear view mirror wired and installed.I also put extra blue LED's in the intrument cluster and soldered one in the HVAC backlighting bulb socket. Looks good!Notice the freshly painted Thunderbird Blue needles on the gauges now. Also, the transplanted Ford Truck fuel gauge is working flawlessly behind the Tbird fuel gauge face. I gave up on trying to find used Ford door lock actuators that work and I did not feel like paying for new ones. I found aftermarket door lock actuators that will work fine at a resonable price. Along with that I found an Audiovox remote keyless entry system at a real good price. Enjoy the pics for now! Quote Selected
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