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Topic: My 85 TBird (Read 65035 times) previous topic - next topic

My 85 TBird

Reply #135 –
That is some terrible welding on the MAC unit for sure!  I'm starting to think their signature "box" is just a cover up for the py welding and lack of quality control.  I think I would rather have yours on my car any day of the week.  What diameter exhaust are you going with and what lers are you going to run?

Darren

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

My 85 TBird

Reply #136 –
It's 2 1/2" 304 stainless pipe. Considered going 3" but from what I have read the cobra guys seem to push some pretty big power #'s thru the bolt on 2 1/2" kits.

Have SLP power flow lers (pic on post #81). They are straight thru design and am hoping that they are not to loud. More concerned about in the cabin noise than out the tailpipe.  Going to band clamp them in for easy remove and replace if I don't like them.

My 85 TBird

Reply #137 –
Any updates on this project?

My 85 TBird

Reply #138 –
Quote
87thunderbirdBlackJack

Any updates on this project?


Nothing to update on the bird. Seems I can never focus on one project at a time. Have been getting things ready for the SHO wagon swap, revamped one shop hoist and since it turned out well going to do the other. Also working on a different wrecker chassis to replace the 85 F350, frame is about rusted out in a few places, cracking in others.

The hoist revamp will make it so I can get the drivetrain out of the bird without having to use the fork lift. Also makes it much easier to get to the lift points of everything else. Post 131 shows what the hoist did look like.



 

My 85 TBird

Reply #139 –
So its been 2-1/2 years since an update on this.  Did you start another thread or did it die on a vine at some point?  I hope not as this was shaping up to be one hell of a car.

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

My 85 TBird

Reply #140 –
Quote
Aerocoupe
So its been 2-1/2 years since an update on this. Did you start another thread or did it die on a vine at some point? I hope not as this was shaping up to be one hell of a car.

2 1/2 years...man time flies. It’s still in the works, been waiting for some major progress to update but here is how it sits today. Been working to get the sheet metal fit, I have a few left fenders to choose from and of course the one that needs the most work fits.


Also have been working on finishing up the exhaust. Which also means some rear bumper work. When I did the car the first time 23 years ago I ran supertrap lers out the rear bumper cover. I have a different cover but I think I’m going to go with the tips through again.

My 85 TBird

Reply #141 –
More photos

My 85 TBird

Reply #142 –
Great build. Nice to see a Terminator in a Thunderbird. Looks like home in there.
1988 Thunderbird Sport. Work in Progress
5.8L swap w/fitech efi, 4R70W swap w/quick 4 controller, 2003 GT rear diff, 5 Lug swap

Bought this car back as an old project car.

:burnout:

My 85 TBird

Reply #143 –
Quote
86caprirs
Great build. Nice to see a Terminator in a Thunderbird. Looks like home in there.

Thanks.

Little bit of progress. Finally finished up the exhaust and almost have the bumper covers ready for primer.

 Front cover in the blast cabinet. Used 80 grit on a 6” DA to strip as much as possible and sand blasted the hard to sand areas, the sand in cabinet is pretty worn out so wasn’t too aggressive.



There were already 4.5” holes in the rear cover from running super trap lers thru it back in the day. I used some s pieces of bumper cover so that I could add a lip to give the holes a finished off look. I used a 4” outside diameter pipe to keep the pieces in place while plastic welding around the outside. Then welded around the inside and ground the outside down and v grooved and rewelded.



Finished off with 3M 05887



Tips are 3.5” dual wall.



Also reworked the bumper end mods so they fit the quarter and fenders a bit better.

My 85 TBird

Reply #144 –
The Coyote fit in there without notching the towers?

My 85 TBird

Reply #145 –
Quote
Gydyup
The Coyote fit in there without notching the towers?


It's a DOHC 4.6 but yes it fits, there should be no issues with the strut towers for the coyote either. I moved the tops of my strut towers inward about an inch so I could relocate the camber caster plates inward for the 13" FLCA's to get the 275's tucked under the fenders. I did have to cut out the sway bar mounts and relocate them to under the rails.

My 85 TBird

Reply #147 –
Did you fab up and weld the UCA tabs onto the 9 inch?  Ive got the housing I took out of my Mustang when I shortened it some more. Its 50 3/8  to , would like to put it in the bird, and mini tub it. I am not sure about geometry and location for the UCA mounts though, any help on that would be awesome!

Nice work though, mine is going to be a drag car, but I am taking a lot in from your build.  Thanks.

My 85 TBird

Reply #148 –
Well that's fancy.

Not worried about the exhaust staining the paint?
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.

My 85 TBird

Reply #149 –
Quote
Drewstang
How thin is the material on the bumpers where it meets the fenders and quarters? I've always wanted to shave them like you did.

The bumpers are about 1/8” in most places. I cut the ends out, repositioned them, and welded them back in. Then finished them off with plastic repair products. The yellow urethane plastic is fairly easy to work with. I wish I would have went further with what I cut out and started tapering them in sooner. While the bumpers fit flush to the fenders/quarters, they bulge out just a little bit. I could have addressed this when reworking them, but was concerned about durability



Airless plastic welder works well with this type of plastic.



Quote
Gydyup
Did you fab up and weld the UCA tabs onto the 9 inch? Ive got the housing I took out of my Mustang when I shortened it some more. Its 50 3/8  to , would like to put it in the bird, and mini tub it. I am not sure about geometry and location for the UCA mounts though, any help on that would be awesome!

No, I supplied a 9” housing to a guy in West DesMoines, I think it was Rpm Automotive. He had a jig he made using a 8.8 axle. He narrowed it to a fox mustang width and attached the upper and lower control arm mounts. He also set it up to accept the Crown Vic rear disc brakes and set up the center section.

Quote
thunderjet302
Well that's fancy.

Not worried about the exhaust staining the paint?

Not sure fancy was what I was going for. Lol.

As far as heat I’m not sure. The Super Trap lers never discolored the paint, and went with the dual wall tips to help with this issue. I can move the tips out some if it seems like the gases or soot are going to be an issue. I run these tips on my white wagon pretty flush and just touching the rear cover, I get some black soot but nothing that doesn’t wash off.