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Topic: worst summer EvAr!!one!11!! (Read 1735 times) previous topic - next topic

worst summer EvAr!!one!11!!

wrt my tbird at least. :disappoin

i built this car with alot of used/carry over parts from previous projects, so having a part wear out or break wasnt unexpected after i put the car on the road. but, this is gettin ridiculous.....

i decided to take my ranger(DD) apart for some upgrades, and put the tbird to use as my summer DD. i always claimed it could be when i wanted it to be, but having it as a sole means of transportation is wearing pretty  thin right now. things started ok, i drove the car 3-4 times a week last summer and it preformed flawlessly all year. but little things started to crop up this year, and with my ranger apart i have minimal time to address them.

stupid stuff first, the seatbelt thingy at the bottom of the shoulder harness broke so the belt doesnt stay in it anymore, this allows my shoulder belt and my 4point harness to get tangled about every third time i get in the car.
exhaust drags the ground. yup its too low, but its the parts i had at the time. ill rebuild it someday.
car is always dirty, and no time to wash it. my pads make alot of brake dust, disgusting.
headlight lenses are condensating on the inside

now, the bigger things that im not too shocked about; clutch started slipping. i bought this clutch in 01, has been in three vehicles, and i show it NO MERCY at all.
rear end bearings are noisy. i got the IRS used from a 99, i didnt rebuild it. opened it up and cleaned it out is all. win some, lose some.
turbo blew up. i built a junkyard hybrid for zero dollars to replace the IHI i am in the process of installin on the ranger. i didnt wanna spend alot of money rebuilding the CHRA cause i wasnt sure id like the turbo combination. lose again....
ive been driving around with a gutted T3 turbo, boostless, for about three weeks. i turned down a very generous offer from ChuckW to use his spare turbo as a temp solution because im truly scared of what might happen to his turbo if i bolted it to my demon possessed car.

none of these things really upset me outside the lack of time to fix them properly until the ranger is done, BUT now im pissed.
just got out of the car today after work and noticed a weird line thru the brake dust

see it????

how bout now?




i broke a shaging wheel. nope, didnt hit anything. probly the only thing that hasnt gone wrong yet(a wreck).
i dont have any wheels to replace these so im rocking the spare i got from the junkyard at the beginning of the summer. glad i found this thing, best looking spare ive ever owned

yup, its on the back....it doesnt clear the front brakes....even more FAIL. :mad:


[/end vent] :punchballs:
gumby - beauty may fade, but stupid is forever!

worst summer EvAr!!one!11!!

Reply #1
That sucks. I've never seen a wheel just crack like that. Good job you noticed it while the car was parked. 85MPH would be a helluva time to have it brought to your attention...
2015 Mustang GT Premium - 5.0, 6-speed, Guard Green - too much awesome for one car

1988 5.0 Thunderbird :birdsmily: SOLD SEPT 11 2010: TC front clip/hood ♣ Body & paint completed Oct 2007 ♣ 3.55 TC rear end and front brakes ♣ TC interior ♣ CHE rear control arms (adjustable lowers) ♣ 2001 Bullitt springs ♣ Energy suspension poly busings ♣ Kenne Brown subframe connectors ♣ CWE engine mounts ♣ Thundercat sequential turn signals ♣ Explorer overhead console (temp/compass display) ♣ 2.25" off-road dual exhaust ♣ T-5 transmission swap completed Jan 2009 ♣

worst summer EvAr!!one!11!!

Reply #2
id never seen it either. heard of it, but never saw one. you are correct, that would have been a very rude awakening.
i havent done any autoXing since late june due to various car issues as stated above, but it definitely wasnt cracked then. i washed the car and inspected the suspension/wheels/lugnuts before i went out that day.



to top things off, these wheels are discontinued from Konig. maximum motorsports is the only place you can get them, and only in one size. i gotta figure out if i can fit a 17x9 w/6" backspacing in the rear. i know it wont fit in the front...
gumby - beauty may fade, but stupid is forever!

worst summer EvAr!!one!11!!

Reply #3
Just hang in there man, sorry about the luck lately :(

worst summer EvAr!!one!11!!

Reply #4
Ouch! That blows.
2005 Subaru WRX STi|daily driver

worst summer EvAr!!one!11!!

Reply #5
That sucks,
But like I always say.... Things could always be worse.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
***** Project "EVOLUTION" 1987 Cougar LS  & 1985 Cougar Convertible *****
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5.0 HO 306 roller block, machined GT-40P heads, Wiseco dished forged pistons, Eagle forged floating I-beam connecting rods, Lunati pushrods, ARP bolts, Scorpion aluminum 1.6 rockers, Comp Cams Magnum 266HR, Explorer intake, 65mm TB, MAF Conversion, 19# injectors, Ford Racing stainless P-headers, 2-1/2" cat-less exhaust w/ Flowtech Afterburner lers , SC AOD with 2800 BDR torque converter, 3.73 T-Lok rear, CHE rear control arms, full 2-1/2" frame w/1" jacking rails & seat supports, Rear disk brakes, Turbine wheels, All original interior w/ floor shift upgrade .......
Pretty much every panel on my 87 is new, rebuilt, or re constructed. :D
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worst summer EvAr!!one!11!!

Reply #6
at least you have a boostless 2.3 pushing that back wheel. really sucks though. It gets really hard to not spin the tire on an old tired 5.0 with the mini spare and no posi.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com

worst summer EvAr!!one!11!!

Reply #7


Is it just me...or in the above pic...right below the crack..looks like a little divot where perhaps a hammer was struck against it? Think someone may have vandalized it? Whatever the cause..that sucks balls man. Glad you found it while the vehicle was at rest...hopefully the bad luck will turn around fast.
'98 Explorer 5.0
'20 Malibu (I know, Chevy, but, 35MPG. Let's go brandon, eh)

worst summer EvAr!!one!11!!

Reply #8
nah, that is some water that ran outta the crack after i washed the wheel.
gumby - beauty may fade, but stupid is forever!

worst summer EvAr!!one!11!!

Reply #9
Come by and grab a couple of my extra TriBars.  You can at least stick them on the front.
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo - '85 Marquis LTS - '86 LTD Wagon

worst summer EvAr!!one!11!!

Reply #10
offset is wrong for the front, but they would fit the rear ok. ill give you a call later.
gumby - beauty may fade, but stupid is forever!

worst summer EvAr!!one!11!!

Reply #11
Tri-bars are the win. DO IT.
It's Gumby's fault.

worst summer EvAr!!one!11!!

Reply #12
Those Konigs are notorious for cracking. Sucks. :(

shagy wheel though.

worst summer EvAr!!one!11!!

Reply #13
Quote from: JeremyB;287598
Those Konigs are notorious for cracking. Sucks. :(

shagy wheel though.


MM touts them as strong AND light; their wheel of choice. crazy, eh?

i got these a long time ago, and i really like them. clean, simple design, lightweight, and not a mustang wheel:hick:
i am slightly concerned about gettin two 17x9's from MM because if one of my remaining 17x8's does the same as this one, i will be forced to make a matching pair of 17x9s fit the front, or s the konigs all together and get sumthin completely different.
i guess ill have one spare.....how many times can i crack a wheel anyway???:toilet:
gumby - beauty may fade, but stupid is forever!

worst summer EvAr!!one!11!!

Reply #14
I would ditch them right then and there if I were you. Next time you may not be sitting in the driveway.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com