Re: My 85 TBird Reply #270 – January 12, 2026, 08:10:19 AM I have to ask. So I’m pretty sure there was a dash change in 85. Did you switch out the dash to an 83/84 style at some point and I just missed that? Quote Selected
Re: My 85 TBird Reply #271 – January 12, 2026, 09:38:45 AM Quote from: Aerocoupe – on January 12, 2026, 08:10:19 AMI have to ask. So I’m pretty sure there was a dash change in 85. Did you switch out the dash to an 83/84 style at some point and I just missed that?Yeah, I guess I over-looked that too. The dash was changed in '85. Quote Selected
Re: My 85 TBird Reply #272 – January 12, 2026, 11:39:33 AM Quote from: Aerocoupe – on January 12, 2026, 08:10:19 AMI have to ask. So I’m pretty sure there was a dash change in 85. Did you switch out the dash to an 83/84 style at some point and I just missed that?I wondered if anyone was ever going to notice this car has the wrong dash. I did put a different dash in, but it’s the same style as the one I took out. It’s possible a previous owner changed it, but I have owned the car since 94/95. My best guess is that it’s a really early 85 and ford did what they did best back then, threw whatever parts the still had laying around at it. The 10th vin digit is “F”. Quote Selected
Re: My 85 TBird Reply #273 – January 12, 2026, 12:01:50 PM I suppose that's a possibility. You know "Job 1" and all. Lol.Does it have the early or late TBird emblems on the c-pillars and grille? Quote Selected 1 Likes
Re: My 85 TBird Reply #274 – January 12, 2026, 12:15:47 PM Quote I suppose that's a possibility. You know "Job 1" and all. Lol.Does it have the early or late TBird emblems on the c-pillars and grille? That’s a question I don’t know the answer to. Those are long gone, I de-badged the car when I repainted in 95. It must have been the cool thing to do at the time. Quote Selected
Re: My 85 TBird Reply #275 – January 12, 2026, 12:38:42 PM I did the same thing. Only badge left is on the passenger side of the dash. I even have a 85 grill so it could be painted the same color as the car and the badge holes were filled on it as well. Quote Selected 1 Likes
Re: My 85 TBird Reply #276 – January 13, 2026, 12:48:35 AM Couldn’t find the panel I was looking for so modified the one I had. Thin sheet of aluminum, glued on with headliner adhesive and some satin black trim paint. A few $’s worth of seals arrived today. So far only installed the upper door seals, they snapped in fairly well. Quote Selected 2 Likes
Re: My 85 TBird Reply #277 – January 13, 2026, 01:19:54 AM What are you going to do for the window channel runs? Quote Selected
Re: My 85 TBird Reply #278 – January 13, 2026, 01:56:37 AM Quote from: Aerocoupe – on January 13, 2026, 01:19:54 AMWhat are you going to do for the window channel runs?This is a vent window car, so I found some good used 93ish 2 door Tempo window runs. I’ve read that they work, haven’t tried them yet. Still need to find a run that goes into the vent window part, thinking maybe a ford pickup one might work. I do have one NOS ford window run I might use on the driver door, keep hoping I’ll stumble across another one. I also ordered dew wipes from Steele, they are for a Lincoln Mark VII, hopefully they work out. Those are 4-6 weeks out. Quote Selected
Re: My 85 TBird Reply #279 – January 13, 2026, 06:46:39 AM What's the P/N on those upper door seals? My Tbird has needed those for about 20 years. Quote Selected
Re: My 85 TBird Reply #280 – January 13, 2026, 09:25:48 AM Quote from: bodyman – on January 13, 2026, 01:56:37 AMThis is a vent window car, so I found some good used 93ish 2 door Tempo window runs. I’ve read that they work, haven’t tried them yet. Still need to find a run that goes into the vent window part, thinking maybe a ford pickup one might work. I do have one NOS ford window run I might use on the driver door, keep hoping I’ll stumble across another one. I also ordered dew wipes from Steele, they are for a Lincoln Mark VII, hopefully they work out. Those are 4-6 weeks out. I used the channel run from a Ford Ranger for my vent window convertible and that worked great. But I don't know if that works for a coupe door. It looks pretty close. Truck weatherstripping is plentiful and cheap so there's no harm in experimenting. The dew wipes should work great from a Mark VII.I also commend you for getting new seals where possible. That's an overlooked part of restoration which most people ignore. Plus the cost is a huge factor...it's great to buy new but I've paid less for entire cars than the cost of new rubber seals LOL.Chuck, Steele has those under p/n 70-2720-73. With sticker shock.https://www.steelerubber.com/door-weatherstrip-70-2720-73 Quote Selected Last Edit: January 13, 2026, 09:29:21 AM by EricCoolCats 1 Likes
Re: My 85 TBird Reply #281 – January 13, 2026, 10:38:55 AM QuoteI used the channel run from a Ford Ranger for my vent window convertible and that worked great. But I don't know if that works for a coupe door. It looks pretty close. Truck weatherstripping is plentiful and cheap so there's no harm in experimenting. The dew wipes should work great from a Mark VII.I also commend you for getting new seals where possible. That's an overlooked part of restoration which most people ignore. Plus the cost is a huge factor...it's great to buy new but I've paid less for entire cars than the cost of new rubber seals LOL.Chuck, Steele has those under p/n 70-2720-73. With sticker shock.https://www.steelerubber.com/door-weatherstrip-70-2720-73Yeah, you’re not kidding about the sticker shock. It was a close my eyes and hit send moment. Thanks for the tip on the ranger vent runs, the guys that had the tempo parts car probably have a ranger or two out there also. What year ranger should I be looking for? Quote Selected
Re: My 85 TBird Reply #282 – January 13, 2026, 11:10:21 AM Should be a 1983-92 Ranger or 1984-90 Bronco II with the vent window option.I believe this is what I purchased last time:https://www.summitracing.com/parts/fcd-f1007/make/ford/model/ranger/year/1992 Quote Selected 2 Likes
Re: My 85 TBird Reply #283 – January 17, 2026, 11:05:14 PM Was able to get the doors put on, and my dew wipes showed up early, so they are also installed. I would really like to get the windshield put in before getting the fenders on, so next week going to have to see if the guy who said he could get me one is actually going to get it in. I found out my shift boot problem is actually a shifter location problem. I did moved the engine/transmission forward just a little for some firewall clearance, but it seemed like the shifter was still centered up in the trans tunnel hole good enough. Moving the drive train isn’t an option, so going to have to move the opening in the shifter trim plate to make it work. So far so good. Quote Selected 2 Likes
Re: My 85 TBird Reply #284 – January 18, 2026, 10:09:15 AM That's one way to do it! You going to cover it in vinyl or leather? Quote Selected
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