Where did the epidemic start?

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Where did the epidemic start?

August 01, 2009, 04:57:14 PM

Mine started in 1998, after I suffered (enjoyed, actually) a very beat-up '86 Stang coupe. I was tiring of the tiny backseat, and even tinier trunk, hell, one night some friends and I went camping, well, my future ex-wife at the time and another couple went out to the lake to get drunk and score....whoops, wrong story..

So I was tired of the tiny Stang's lack of legroom and f*ck-all else, so I spotted a clean Tbird with chrome wheels at a local car lot. I popped in one day as I was heading to work, and drove it. It felt like a rocket (albeit with a 3.

compared to the Stang, with much better steering and handling etc...that I immediately fell in love with it.

My only regrets were A: not keeping the Stang (it was nearly paid-for) and B: popping the hg's on the Bird 2 months after I bought it.

I didn't drive it very long, but it gave me an uncurable addiction to FoxBirds...:hick:

Here's the only pic I have of it...RIP

So anyway...how did y'all acquire the Tbird or Cougar that gave YOU the sickness?

Where did the epidemic start?

Reply #1 – August 01, 2009, 05:29:27 PM

My first two cars were Firebirds, a '78 Trans Am (which I loved) and an '80 Formula (to which I was fairly indifferent). I was growing bored with the Firebirds and started checking the local used car lots. I came across what was advertised as an '86 Thunderbird at one of them and immediately fell in love with it. I test drove it and was quite impressed that the V6 would run rings around my Formula's 301. They were asking $3k, and would only give me $1000 for my Firebird, so I walked. I decided to sell it private and buy a T-Bird private. It went in the paper and after a few weeks it sold. That white '86 (which turned out to be an '84) was long sold, so I then started my search. The first one I looked at was a light sage green '85. I looked at several after that, both Cougars and T-Birds (all four-eyes - 87-88's were still too new), but kept coming back to that '85. I ended up buying it, and my love for it grew the whole time I owned it. It grew even more after I unwisely traded it in on my ill-fated MN12. It was enough to make me decide to always have one.

Where did the epidemic start?

Reply #2 – August 01, 2009, 05:38:33 PM

My grandfather is kinda to blame he first bought a 67 with a 289?(i believe), he then sold the 67 for a mustang 2 with a 4 cyl. When he was done with the mustang 2 he traded it in for the 87. I was born in 85 around the time i was 5 i asked my grandmother when i could have it.

Where did the epidemic start?

Reply #3 – August 01, 2009, 05:41:39 PM

My dad has owned a 1988 Thunderbird since 94, I'm born in 92.
Been growing up with it.
And 2 years ago I bought my own 88 Thunderbird 5.0 :)

Where did the epidemic start?

Reply #4 – August 01, 2009, 05:43:39 PM

My parents bought mine 7+ years ago from their cousin....... i loved that car, but the parents neglected it..... 9fist mark in dash,.. original shocks/suspension.... the only thing new on my coug is the rims, paint, tv, water pump,... and the $2 hose in the fuel tank...and spark plugs/ cap/ rotor....
I enjoy every minute of that worn out fox.... one day it will be B.F.A......

Where did the epidemic start?

Reply #5 – August 01, 2009, 05:48:51 PM

i was 13 and helped my dad pick out a "new" car when our $1 plymouth duster died. we test drove a few things; a mustang, an escort, looked at an aerostar....and found a 87 tbird parked out back.
this car still had a price on the windshield from the last months tent sale and was slated to go to auction. dad muscled the dealer into a test drive, and sale at a price lower than on the window.
from age 14-16 i spent alot of time cleaning that car, earning my right to borrow it after i got my license. from age 16-19 the tbird was nicer than any of the buckets i owned, and i regularly borrowed dads car for special occasions.

took me a while to get my own, and i dont see me not having one ever again.

Where did the epidemic start?

Reply #6 – August 01, 2009, 06:28:57 PM

My problem is that I am a car-guy. I suppose it couldn't be helped, as my parents are car-people too. My father and I started playing with cars when I was 13-ish, restoring a very nice 1961 Impala. Over the years we have worked on many a car including the 1961 Corvette I borrowed from him to take to my senior prom, and a 1966 Chevelle convertible we built as my first car.

The '66 received an LS-6 454 crate engine into which we swapped a roller cam. I ran it at the local track a few times, running a 12.30 most of the time, though one night I did manage two runs at 12.01! Never could get that magic 11.99 though.

We were pretty much a GM family, and even now I am in the process of building a pro-touring style 1972 442 convertible. Several years ago I purchased a very cherry MN12 Thunderbird, and thus began my foray into blue-oval products. The bird was nice, but a little incident with a member of the deer family eventually lead me to sell it. Later I acquired an asc/McLaren and a 1986 Mercury Grand Marquis Colony Park wagon. I sold the asc recently, but the wagon is still my hauler. In fact, I just picked up a replacement rear window for it, the original having died Thursday evening when the upper latches let go despite the window being in the raised position.

And so we come to the newest member of my automotive family, my 1988 Turbo Coupe. I've always liked them, dating back to the '87 or '88 I once got to drive. That car belonged to my at-the-time-girlfriend's mom. Even then I was quite impressed by it, and so when it came time to buy something "cool" but not too crazy, I decided it had to be a Thunderbird Turbo.

Well, I guess I strung that out as far as I could! In any case, that's my story!

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

Where did the epidemic start?

Reply #7 – August 01, 2009, 07:35:04 PM

Well I've always been a car guy and could always name every car I saw on the road (Since I was a kid and I can even do it at night). My first car was a 79 Mustang Ghia that ended up with a 351W, to be honest I had completely intended on having Mustangs for the rest of my life. Over time they began to get boring and the 79 was not that great of a car so I got a 91 SHO, this too began a new passion and I went between Mustangs and SHO's a few times but I had met a friend who's dad LOVED Fords and had this VERY DUSTY (Those who have seen the photos know....) 85 Mercury Cougar XR7. I had inquired about its story a few times and had even asked if he'd sell it but he always said no. We at some point started hanging out after a long time of not doing so and he told me $150 and I get the 85 XR7 and a 86 5.0 Cougar. I jumped on it and the rest is history...

Maybe someday I'll get working on it!

Where did the epidemic start?

Reply #8 – August 01, 2009, 07:56:36 PM

I found my 88 Sport in the back of a repo lot nearby. I had a 1981 Mustang Hatchback with t-tops that leaked. After securing financing for it (this was back in 1991 and with the the help of my mom as a co-signer), I had my Bird.

Where did the epidemic start?

Reply #9 – August 01, 2009, 10:22:20 PM

My wife wanted to buy a Mustang, but in 1987 she saw a TV commercial for a Cougar and decided she wanted one of them. I got her to wait until the fall because I had read somewhere that the 88's would have duals (exhaust) on the V8s. In October we started visiting Ford and Mercury dealers, we drove a Turbo Coupe but I wanted a V8. So it came down to price shopping between a T-Bird Sport and an XR-7. We knew we would have to order the car because the only interior color the cars on the lots had was that red. As it turns out, the local Mercury dealer gave us the best price and on 10-19-1987 we ordered a black XR-7 with a smoke cloth interior. The car was built on 11-20-1987 and we took delivery on 12-14-1987. The odometer read 5. A couple of weeks ago I watched the odometer turn to 123456 but I didn't have the camera with me. It needs to be repainted and I have most of the parts to convert the exhaust to true duals. My 16 year old son is eyeing the car but now he's talking about a truck (whew!). I have to take some pictures of this car.

Where did the epidemic start?

Reply #10 – August 02, 2009, 12:13:30 AM

My 88 T'Bird (RIP) was my first car. I got it in 2004 I was 15 and I paid $150 for it. I worked my ass off and got it fixed up and road worthy for when I got my license. None of the other kids in the neighborhood could figure out why I was out in the driveway working on that multi-colored heap instead of doing something else lol. Then of course they found out it had a 5.0 after the brake stand in the driveway:evilgrin:

After that I had 11 more cars and out of all of them my favorites were the three foxes I had, 88 5.0 'Bird, 87 3.8 'Bird and my baby the 86 5.0 Cougar. Of course I cant forget my 86 f150 4x4 which I miss dearly.

Where did the epidemic start?

Reply #11 – August 02, 2009, 08:26:50 AM

My first car was an 84 XR-7. My dad bought it (used) for himself. When I turned 15, he gave it to me, rusty and with a bad turbo.

It ran like ass. I didn't know anything about cars, and my dad said if it needed any work, I'd need to get a job to fix it. So I got a job, a haynes manual and went to work on it. I had a year before I was old enough to drive it anyway.

I replaced the fuel pressure regulator, 2 bad injectors and the bad turbo. Wow, what a difference! It ran great. Then as a father-son project, we painted it. He had the seats recovered as a gift too. I really liked that car... But it was all the rage when I was in school to have a v8. So I found an 87 xr-7 at a local car lot. I traded in my 84, and got the 87.

I spent my whole high school life driving the out of that 87. Two engines, three AODs, and 3 rear ends of racing, and hard pizza-delivery miles.

One day I drove past that car lot and my old 84 was sitting there in the back, all dusty. I stopped to ask what was up. They said the motor went bad, and I could have the car for $300. I said I would be back in a week. I came back a week later and it was gone. A mechanic up the street bought it. As I was driving home, I spotted it at a shop, up on a rack. I thought "well, at least it will be back on the road".

The next day, the shop burned down, with my old car inside.

RIP 1984 XR-7. You started it all for me, and I miss you.

CoogarXR

Where did the epidemic start?

Reply #12 – August 02, 2009, 10:49:33 AM

I'm a Ford truck guy, always have been always will be. But driving a truck everyday 100 miles for work isn't economical....well at least not these days. At some point I needed something better on gas, I got a Dodge Shadow 5sp. 2dr that was good for the job, until I wrapped it around a telephone pole. In a pinch I needed a car, and a friend had his enduro car handy, so I gave him $200, drove it home, added a window, exhaust, tires, and away I went....for another 50,000 miles. During those miles, I realized how fun these cars are, and the potential to make them better. I then got another car from FLSTCI71 and am slowly working on it today. I've been looking off and on for an older Capri bubbleback for an I6 project, and last week I was going to buy an '85 Cougar 5.0 until the seller backed out after a week's worth of agreements. So I could safely say the bug is still getting bigger. I got the first Tbird about a year before I joined here.

Where did the epidemic start?

Reply #13 – August 02, 2009, 12:17:48 PM

well i came from parents who wasnt into cars all that much. my dad really didnt care what make he drove. my mom is a cheby person . so how i became a ford nut came from two uncles thank god. my first car was aan 1986 olds derby calasis (mispelled), then when i got my girlfriend pregnent in high school (now my wife of soon to be 12 years in sept.) ii got my first ford 1980 t-bird gave to us by her moms boyfriend miss the box . my dad hated that car so much he said he would give me he's truck and buy my wife a car if i sold the bird and being 18 i jumped on it . skipin ahead to 2003 i got my second ford and the only brand i will buy now:D skipin again to march 2008 i was lookin to replace my taurus witch i just gave to my neice . i was fixing a furnace for my dads rental and the renter was selling a 88 t-bird sport pic is in my avatar. got it for $700. well on dec. 27 2008 it meet deer i cried loved that car. it will always be my fav. then on jan 9 2009 i went to illinios bout an 45 mins below chicago and got my t/c for $600 and now i want anouther fox bird to make a dd so i can restore the t/c

Where did the epidemic start?

Reply #14 – August 03, 2009, 11:48:40 PM

my first bird wan an 85 elan that i got from a friend for $100. i had just sold my pro streeted 73 mustang and needed another toy. i kept the engine/trans from the stang and swapped it into the bird ( 460/c-6). i always loved the 83-86 birds and after getting it together and driving it i was hooked. rode and drove better than any fox stang i owned. i regret selling it every day. i've owned 4 birds now, 85 elan,86 tc,86 5.0, and the 86 elan i just bought. i'm not selling this one! here's a pic of my first one........