My daily driver Thunderbird: the "Red Bird"

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My daily driver Thunderbird: the "Red Bird"

Reply #45 – August 24, 2010, 09:58:32 PM

1,...2,...3,...4,...5,...6,....

....nope... they're all there:D

My daily driver Thunderbird: the "Red Bird"

Reply #46 – August 24, 2010, 10:00:34 PM

Quote from: sarjxxx;333320

1,...2,...3,...4,...5,...6,....

....nope... they're all there:D

COU[SIZE="1"]7 & 8?[/SIZE]GH

My daily driver Thunderbird: the "Red Bird"

Reply #47 – August 24, 2010, 11:31:26 PM

what??? that would be too many!!!

WTF would I do with 8 cylinders????

My daily driver Thunderbird: the "Red Bird"

Reply #48 – August 24, 2010, 11:41:47 PM

Oh yeah, had fun the other day!

the hose that runs from the heater outlet back to the intake decided to blow up and steam clean my entire engine compartment. So....

I went to AZ to get a replacement. They didn't have it b/c its the "new" kind of coolant hose, that has solide pipe in it, and they don't have any of that. So, we found a piece of molded hose that was identical to the pipe piece. I took it and a foot of 3/4 hose home, cut and spliced and rigged up a new hose.

In the process, I had to unbolt the pipe from the side of the block, that was a RPITA. After accomplishing all that, I also changed the oil.

Fired it up, and the thing started misfiring, badly. Couldn't figure out what it was, it sounded like a spark plug wire arcing though. Waited till it was dark enough to see it, and still couldn't. Kept trying to figure it out, when finally, I just barely happened to catch a spark waaaaaay down back at the the tip of the #3 spark plug.

So, I went and changed all the wires, and fired it up again. Same thing. WTF?????

Looked back in the same spot, and it was still arcing. I got down as close as possible to get a better look, and realized it was actually the spark plug arcing!?!?!?! So, I pulled the plug. Well, turns out these plugs, on this 189,000 mile car, are the ORIGINAL MOTORCRAFT PLUGS. They are all WASTED. THAT explains why my gas mileage and power are so shiznitty. Course by that time AZ was closed and I had to beg them to let me make one last minute purchase at 9:20 something....

All in all I wound up spending 6 hours and $100 just to get my car running right again. Gaaah. But, after I got all plugs changed out that night, now she runs like a champ. Now I'm going to do a full maintenance/tune up overhaul and change out everything else that is probably still OE. Like the fuel filter, coil pack, etc... yaaaayyyyy......

Gonna run some seafoam through it too, I'm sure she could use it

My daily driver Thunderbird: the "Red Bird"

Reply #49 – August 27, 2010, 01:58:32 AM

I just rolled 87,000 on my 95. When I bought it 3 years ago it had 69,000 and I changed the plugs, wires, and cap. All Motorcraft stuff was used to replace it and it has run like a champ.

I'd like to replace the 95 (V6 is sloooooow) but I'm having trouble finding a V8 MN-12 with less miles than my 95 has:hick:

My daily driver Thunderbird: the "Red Bird"

Reply #50 – August 27, 2010, 04:50:46 PM

Mines really not that slow. Its no race car, but compared to some 4 bangers and that POS 3.0 Taurtoise I had way back when, I'm real happy with it.

I still get the occasional tire squeal

My daily driver Thunderbird: the "Red Bird"

Reply #51 – August 28, 2010, 12:54:42 PM

Steve, does your '96 have turquoise feet on the grille emblem?

My daily driver Thunderbird: the "Red Bird"

Reply #52 – August 28, 2010, 04:18:24 PM

Sure do

My daily driver Thunderbird: the "Red Bird"

Reply #53 – August 28, 2010, 05:39:59 PM

Ah, cup holders, the '96 didn't come with cup holders (from the factory)!

My daily driver Thunderbird: the "Red Bird"

Reply #54 – August 28, 2010, 09:57:44 PM

No, but 97's did

My daily driver Thunderbird: the "Red Bird"

Reply #55 – August 28, 2010, 10:58:35 PM

Quote from: sarjxxx;333958

No, but 97's did

See, I can still look at the Fox Cougars and tell you what year it is. Fox Thunderbirds, I haven't a clue. MN-12 Thunderbirds, I'm getting fairly good, considering they were well into the two-year cycle.

My daily driver Thunderbird: the "Red Bird"

Reply #56 – August 29, 2010, 09:07:13 AM

foxes are easy too bc of the taillights

My daily driver Thunderbird: the "Red Bird"

Reply #57 – August 29, 2010, 10:51:57 AM

Lately I've been considering selling my Cobras and going back to the 7-spoke XR7 wheels I have in the garage. They look good in the photo, but they are in pretty bad shape; the chrome is actually delaminating from the wheel. I would let them go for cheap for this reason. Let me know if you're interested.

My daily driver Thunderbird: the "Red Bird"

Reply #58 – September 20, 2010, 03:39:27 PM

Power window motor gear rebuild complete!!!!

Now both windows roll up and down with no problem!!:D:D:D:D

Oh, and for all you haters on the 3.8, I found out my car can do burnouts the other day. I'm gonna take it back out this saturday, and post a video of what it can do. You might be surprised.

And, as reluctant as I have been to put any money into this car, I found out the late model mustang heads/intake swap is real easy, and cheap, so I'm gonna do that. And throw some exhaust on it. Course, only after the cougar gets the same treatment.

My daily driver Thunderbird: the "Red Bird"

Reply #59 – September 20, 2010, 06:05:20 PM

Quote from: sarjxxx;333958

No, but 97's did

Yes they did, and you can swap them. There is a heater duct in the console that runs to the rear seat area. You will need to trim this duct and cover the trimmed area with some sort of duct tape. Other than that, it's an easy upgrade.

Shiny Side Up!
Bill