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Topic: Project "Barn Bird" (Read 22536 times) previous topic - next topic

Project "Barn Bird"

Reply #15 –
Quote from: thunderjet302;422510
Nice score!

It's going to stay a 2.3T correct?

Thanks, most definitely staying 2.3 turbo. The TC's are dwindling in numbers to quickly to ruin one.

Project "Barn Bird"

Reply #16 –
Quote from: Tbird-fanatic;422512
Thanks, most definitely staying 2.3 turbo. The TC's are dwindling in numbers to quickly to ruin one.

Well said!
But you will give it some go fast parts wont you? ;)

Will you give her a new paint and so on? She definetly needs one haha

Project "Barn Bird"

Reply #17 –
Well Ive got some go fast goodys already hhere!!!  And a fresh coat of paint is in the works. Looking to see what the best prices I can get right now!

Project "Barn Bird"

Reply #18 –
Nice Score, Fanatic.....  True "Diamond in the rough''......So far as your mice problem, I had a guy tell me he used moth balls to run mice out of a car he had that they were in?? Its worth a shot...Good luck with the project and keep the pics comeing..
87 Tbird LX w/Factory floor shifter:D   3G upgrade. Tinted Windows...85 Mustang GT steering wheel(non-cruise) 17'' Saleen SC style wheels,Front/Rear TC sway bars/poly bushings & Mustang GT steering rack...'05 Mustang V6 springs...93 Cobra MC & booster, MM adjustable C/C plates,  Work  In  Progress.......  ( On The Shelf---HO computer, 19lb injectors, HO cam, BBK headers, Explorer Intake, Cold Air Intake ,Phantom Gauges, Stinger stainless exhaust pipes )
 S O L D

Project "Barn Bird"

Reply #19 –
Thanks!! So far no live mice found just reminiscent of them being there. As Im finding abandoned nests Im cleaning the areas really well and hoping the smell slowly starts going away. Not many places left I hope that they may have made one.

Now for work accomplished today. I started to pull the interior out,  vacuuming and cleaning as I went. The torx bolts are in my way as I  didnt have any with me today, but I will next weekend. Pulled the blower  motor out and sure enough like usual there was another nest in there,  so I pulled it apart and its getting scrubbed up. Brought some of the  hard interior parts home for cleaning along with the headlights and  taillights. Now for some decisions I need to make. One is to leave the  taillights alone and just get them completely cleaned up and the other  is to do like I did on the last Tbird and tint them. Im leaning towards  tinting as the darkness of the blue they would blend in.



Headlights  are going to be restored, chrome on the inside looks good, along with  the outer markers. Seems like the inners never haze over at all. They  are fresh out of getting cleaned up so they are still moist!!



No  heres where I really need some advise, the adhesive that holds the  armrest material on has given out. The material is still in great shape,  so Im trying to figure out the best/most permanent way to reattach it.




After  the interior is clean and semi put back together, Im moving on to the  underside. Im planning on cleaning what little it needs, taking care of  any surface rust I may find and re-undercoating it. After that comes the  engine bay. Time and ambition will determine how deep into it I get,  Ive been playing with the idea of taking car of any unused hole while  the motors out, but havent decided yet.

Project "Barn Bird"

Reply #20 –
I had some of the arm rest material start to peel up on my Thunderbird on the bottom of the passenger side arm rest. I used some 3M trim adhesive double sided tape and it has held up fine over the years. If that doesn't work then I would try some gorilla glue or liquid nails. Use it sparingly though so it doesn't leak out.
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.

Project "Barn Bird"

Reply #21 –
I just so happened to be in the automotive section at walmart and was checking my emails!!! pick up some 3m trim tape, Ill give it a try and hope it holds.

Project "Barn Bird"

Reply #22 –
Good to see you ended up with this car.  Looking forward to seeing it take shape.

Project "Barn Bird"

Reply #23 –
Ya took almost a year since it was offered to me, but I finally got the right puzzle pieces to fall in place, mainly thanks to John(My10-80) and his son buying my red one for a project. This ones almost exactly the options I was looking for when I first decided to get a Tbird agian. The only thing I wish it had was the turning lights, but maybe ill stumble across the pieces to add that to this one also!!

Project "Barn Bird"

Reply #24 –
Fanatic, so far as the ""smell"  in your car you can try bakeing soda....get several boxes and  place them around in the car opened...the powder absorbes the odors....I used this trick on a F150 a few years back..It had a mildew smell, not a mice problem tough...
87 Tbird LX w/Factory floor shifter:D   3G upgrade. Tinted Windows...85 Mustang GT steering wheel(non-cruise) 17'' Saleen SC style wheels,Front/Rear TC sway bars/poly bushings & Mustang GT steering rack...'05 Mustang V6 springs...93 Cobra MC & booster, MM adjustable C/C plates,  Work  In  Progress.......  ( On The Shelf---HO computer, 19lb injectors, HO cam, BBK headers, Explorer Intake, Cold Air Intake ,Phantom Gauges, Stinger stainless exhaust pipes )
 S O L D

Project "Barn Bird"

Reply #25 –
Quote from: ISTLCRUZ;422654
Fanatic, so far as the ""smell"  in your car you can try bakeing soda....get several boxes and  place them around in the car opened...the powder absorbes the odors....I used this trick on a F150 a few years back..It had a mildew smell, not a mice problem tough...

Thats one of the next things on the list to do after I get the bulk of the interior out and cleaned. Every time I remove a panel with a cavity behind it I find remenents of mice. One by one Im getting this clean. As soon as I remember to bring  my torx sockets from my work box Im gonna be removing the sail panels, carpet, and back seat.Then will come the headliner, I already know Im gonna find something up there. The headliner needs to be recovered and I think Im gonna take a slightly custom approach to it!!! I wanna do a Thunderbird emblem in the headliner, a subtle yet cool touch.

Got the headlights and outer markers looking almost new last night, set them in place to snap a pic and forgot to!! Hooked a battery up so I could test some things and found out that the moonroof and windows work, along with the radio. Scrubbed down anything plastic in the interior, hopefully helps with the smell to!!

Project "Barn Bird"

Reply #26 –
Got the gauge pod mounted tonight, one of the only things I can do since the car is 20-30min away from me. Need to do a little heat moulding to get the fit more contoured, but its pretty close as it.  Sucks to cause I have the energy to do the work, just not the drive!!! LOL  Need to find a trim paint thats atleast close to the blue so the pod will blend in better. Its going to be getting the pyrometer gauge and boost gauge that are in the earlier pics. Eventually Ill be getting coolant temp and oil pressure gauges, then I just need to decide where to mount them. Got a couple ideas, but we'll see where I go when I get them.

Project "Barn Bird"

Reply #27 –
Decided to make the drive agian tonight after work to do more. Only interior left in the car is the dash and the rear deck cover. Found atleast 5 more abandoned mouse nests, 2 in the headliner, 1 behind the rear seat back and one on each side where the front seat retractors mount. No places really left to find any so I hope thats the last of them and the car will finally start smelling better. Washed all the metal down and dryed it. Got my fingers crossed. In the process of eliminating anything that would be a pain to attempt to clean the smell Ive lost a few pounds of sound deadener and insulation. Its gonna be a fun summer car, so I can do without them. Next trip out I need to decide if the carpets worth all the work to clean and deodorize, or just replace it. Also need to decide what to do about the headliner, the mice had chewed thru it in a few places but didnt hurt the actual integrity. The fabric is ruined though, so I have my wife on the search for fabric similar and in the same color.

Body work will start shortly here for what little it needs, still waiting on my quote from my buddy but something tells me Ill be mostly paying for materials. Im also gonna be getting ahold of a local glass replacement place to pull all the rear glass and replace the windshield (has damage thats separating the layers), so I can have a good paint job. I just dont have luck pulling it or I would do it myself. Now for some pics from the night.




Project "Barn Bird"

Reply #28 –
Stopped back out at the car to drop some parts I brought home to clean and pick up some others. Decided to finally snap a couple extra pics that I had been wanting to .

Cleaned and polished headlights and markers, just set in place for now



A pic of the inside as it sits with the flash actually cooperating

Project "Barn Bird"

Reply #29 –
Cleaning up nice