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Topic: 83-86 front nose on a 88 (Read 3402 times) previous topic - next topic

83-86 front nose on a 88

Does anyone know if a 83-86 4 eye front end will fit on a 88?

83-86 front nose on a 88

Reply #1 –
the kid i bought my 87 cougar from wanted to put a 4 eye front end on the car.. we took a lot of measurements and everything seemed to be the same.. i bought the car before he got around to doing it, but i believe it will work.. the hoods are the same, i know that much.. so i can't see anything else being all that different
ShadowMSC.com < < Still Under Construction

R.I.P. 'Zump' 8/29/86 - 11/11/11
3- 87 TC's / 1 really mean 83 Capri RS / 94 Sonoma SAS Project on 37x12.50 TSL Radials / 88 S10 that's LITERALLY cut to pieces / 84 F150 SAS, 351M, 39.5 TSL's / 85 Toyota regular cab, 22R 5spd, 3/4" drop, my little junkyard save/daily driver

83-86 front nose on a 88

Reply #2 –
Work fine. Headlight wiring is different.

I've seen at least 4 in person. Even the fenders work. I had a 87 cougar front on my 87 bird. Just unplugged the light sockets from the lights and swapped in the other end.

The 83-86 front ends are vastly supuriour the 87-88's because you can put any 4 by 6 headlight in. No light output problems every again and you can buy new headlights at walmart.

Your fender, bumper and door trim may not line up using different year parts.
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

83-86 front nose on a 88

Reply #3 –
I'd love to put a 4 eye front on my Sport.
As Haystack mentioned, it'll will bolt up, but cosmetically there are minor differences.
'98 Explorer 5.0
'20 Malibu (I know, Chevy, but, 35MPG. Let's go brandon, eh)

83-86 front nose on a 88

Reply #5 –
Really? I thought the '87/'88 Thunderbird front end is as good as it gets. Beautiful......just beautiful.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

83-86 front nose on a 88

Reply #7 –
i used to think the same thing.. but the more i see people putting TC header panels on their cars, the more i like 4 eyed birds.. i love the look of the 87-88 header with the grill, but i'm sorry to say, the TC header will ruin an entire car for me, no matter how nice the rest of the car is
ShadowMSC.com < < Still Under Construction

R.I.P. 'Zump' 8/29/86 - 11/11/11
3- 87 TC's / 1 really mean 83 Capri RS / 94 Sonoma SAS Project on 37x12.50 TSL Radials / 88 S10 that's LITERALLY cut to pieces / 84 F150 SAS, 351M, 39.5 TSL's / 85 Toyota regular cab, 22R 5spd, 3/4" drop, my little junkyard save/daily driver

83-86 front nose on a 88

Reply #8 –
Quote from: vinnietbird;368454
Really? I thought the '87/'88 Thunderbird front end is as good as it gets. Beautiful......just beautiful.

 



(I do like the 4 eye's though...don't get me wrong)
'88 'bird, 10.9:1 306 w/TFS top end, forged rods/pistons, T-5 swap & bunch of other stuff, 1-family owned, had it since ‘98, 5.0tbrd88 on Instagram and YouTube

83-86 front nose on a 88

Reply #9 –
4X6 all the way. Half the reason I dislike the 87-88's is the headlights. When I first drove my crown vic at nigh, it was night and day.

Stock lights even polished I would consider to be border line dangerous. And I don't want to polish and disassemble my lights every year.
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

83-86 front nose on a 88

Reply #10 –
I guess its just personal preference. I love the 83-86 body style. To new they seem a bit small and sportier. I would have got one but they are so hard to find in good shape. I got such a good deal on my 88 I just couldn't pass it up. I wish I could swap the tail lights from a 83-86 but I know they won't fit.

83-86 front nose on a 88

Reply #11 –
Quote from: Haystack;368518
4X6 all the way. Half the reason I dislike the 87-88's is the headlights. When I first drove my crown vic at nigh, it was night and day.

Stock lights even polished I would consider to be border line dangerous. And I don't want to polish and disassemble my lights every year.

 
Who needs to see at night?  lol.
'88 'bird, 10.9:1 306 w/TFS top end, forged rods/pistons, T-5 swap & bunch of other stuff, 1-family owned, had it since ‘98, 5.0tbrd88 on Instagram and YouTube

83-86 front nose on a 88

Reply #12 –
Quote from: Haystack;368518
4X6 all the way. Half the reason I dislike the 87-88's is the headlights. When I first drove my crown vic at nigh, it was night and day.

Stock lights even polished I would consider to be border line dangerous. And I don't want to polish and disassemble my lights every year.


I can see fine when I drive mine at night. I think is has more to do with the condition of the reflectors than anything else. Mine are still fully chromed.
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.

83-86 front nose on a 88

Reply #13 –
Could be. I'm done messing with plastic lights though. I drove almost 35k a couple years ago in my 87 bird.

I had a 50 mile each way commute through the winter from 8am-4pm. And then drove the 50 miles home, cleaned up and showered and then drove 25 miles to deliver 100 miles worth of pizza a day, from 5:30pm to 2am. 6 days a week. There were several times I put 350+ miles a day in the car. I would have killed to have better lights.
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

83-86 front nose on a 88

Reply #14 –
Look at Fordguy545's Bird in the "Track" section. It looks awesome with it's 88 body and a 4-eyed nose.


86' T/C 4.6L DOHC
16' Chebby Cruze 1.4L Turbo
17’ Peterbilt 389 600hp 1850ftlb Trq 18spd

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