Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums  

I might get flamed for this, but I think our cars make very good winter drivers, as well as daily drivers

everyone in a while you find someone who is realistic. I've gotten either very lucky, or cars just aren't worth anything here

I just bought my 86 5.0 for $500.
my 87 5.0 was $400.(tv cable came off. no od)
last 87 5.0 bird was $400.("didn't run". swapped fuseable links, was in very good condition.
87 bird 5.0 before that was $400 (bad engine and trans unfortunately).
87 3.8 v-6 cougar $300. new trans, bad body.
87 3.8 v-6 cougar. $550. Good body and car  died to a bad waterpump.
86 5.0 cougar. $400. needed a starter solinoid.
86 5.0 cougar. $110 police impound. million miles, bad body.

if you put a bit of work into a "non-running" car, you can get pretty good deals.

So you're getting another Panther to drive in the winter? Why a rot free Box? If you're going to winter drive it might as well get a cheap 98 and up Vic. Who cares if that rusts to hell.....

I'm in the midst of a big struggle lol. One, I hate the thought of being forced to let something waste away. Two, I want something unique to be seen in and to experience every day. I really love box panthers, and I get a lot of compliments. And I've still got it stuck in my head that I can successfully rustproof one, if I only start with something that is perfect save for maybe a couple of surface-rusted body mount bolts or something like that. The blue one really isn't *that* bad, there are just a couple of coin-currency-sized places in the trunk that were always there, and recently I jammed a screwdriver into them and they blew through. Same with a really small spot that was visible on the driver's front door corner. There is a 1/4" hole that exists 1 inch inboard from the corner of the passenger rear lower quarter. I had thoroughly removed all loose flake on the inside when I bought the car, I sprayed WD-40 and other products on the inside and outside of this a few times as it got dirty. It's still dirty and grey-black both in and out, and this hole hasn't gotten any bigger in 5 years. That has to prove something.

The trouble is that I'm an engineer and I won't take "insurmountable problem" as an answer. I wish I could move out of the salt belt....

I might get flamed for this, but I think our cars make very good winter drivers, as well as daily drivers

everyone in a while you find someone who is realistic. I've gotten either very lucky, or cars just aren't worth anything here

I just bought my 86 5.0 for $500.
my 87 5.0 was $400.(tv cable came off. no od)
last 87 5.0 bird was $400.("didn't run". swapped fuseable links, was in very good condition.
87 bird 5.0 before that was $400 (bad engine and trans unfortunately).
87 3.8 v-6 cougar $300. new trans, bad body.
87 3.8 v-6 cougar. $550. Good body and car  died to a bad waterpump.
86 5.0 cougar. $400. needed a starter solinoid.
86 5.0 cougar. $110 police impound. million miles, bad body.

if you put a bit of work into a "non-running" car, you can get pretty good deals.

Agreed. Except the V6 cars I've had have done better in the snow than the V8 cars I've had.

They do make good daily drivers but in some places of the country (here) salt will claim the cars long before a mechanical issue will.

Yeah... I haven't driven any Cougars in snow for 10 years and don't plan to any more anyway.