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Topic: What a difference one year and a different nameplate make! (Read 1545 times) previous topic - next topic

What a difference one year and a different nameplate make!

Welp, as many of you know, I have had tons of fox body cars over the years. I mentioned that I recently bought a 1979 Fairmont Futura 2.3, and I gotta tell ya, I didn't like it. Besides having a painfully underpowered 2.3, it was just a loud, rough car. A ride in it is reminiscent of a roll down the road in a galvanized trash can. Lots of road noise, terrible acoustics, just all-around fatiguing to drive. I must say, that was the first fox-body I ever hated. That car was a money pit too. It seemed like I had to buy something for it every week. It got on my nerves for the last time, and I sold it.

Now, being the fox enthusiast that I am, I decided to try a different box-fox, a 1980 Thunderbird. WOW! What a difference. Nice smooth, quiet ride. Everybody makes fun of the 255 V8 and what a dog it is, but after suffering with the wheezy 2.3, it's like a Ferrari. I don't know if the tbird was just more expensive and they put more effort in, or if it was just the second year of the fox body and they beefed it up. Either way, dang. I about giggled when I got it out on the road. It made the 150 mile drive home in severe driving wind and rain with ease. Rear defrost would have been a nice touch, but the fairmont didn't have that either, heh.

It's funny, the futura and the T-Bird look kinda similar, but they couldn't act more different. I think it was a fair comparison; the fairmont had 92k miles, and the tbird has 71k. The tbird will be my daily driver for a while. Just in time too, I gotta get my XR-7 over to the storage site for the winter!

I'll put up a pic once I get it washed. It's covered in leaves from that wicked storm yesterday.
CoogarXR : 1985 Cougar XR-7

What a difference one year and a different nameplate make!

Reply #1 –
I feel the exact same way about the 86-87 change over, except I like everything about the 86 much more. in my opinion, the 86 feels tighter, better refined and a lot smaller. even though there are only minor change, they drive completely different.
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

What a difference one year and a different nameplate make!

Reply #2 –
Was your Futura an auto or manual? The Futura did have a lot of design similarities with the 77-79 Birds. Manual really seems brings those Limas to life, loved how zippy my 96 Ranger was around town, but on the highway... OH GOD NO!!! LOL
Current: 1986 Thunderbird, 105k 3.8/C5, 2 tone  Midnight Wine/Medium Taupe, wing windows, wire wheel covers.


Former: 1985 Cougar GS 115k Oxford White/Regatta Blue, 5.0, full console, 14" 8 hole aluminum T-Bird rims, Edelbrock valve covers.

What a difference one year and a different nameplate make!

Reply #3 –
Mine was an auto, and the experience was the opposite. A total dog from a stop, and scary to pull out into a blind intersection for fear of being t-boned before I can get out of the way, heh. I literally had to floor it to maintain speed up a hill (sometimes it would slow down still). But on flat ground or highways it was fine. 70mph on a nice flat highway was about the only enjoyable experience in that car, lol. I tried everything to wake that car up. Full tune up, new timing belt, cut off the catalytic converter, every other trick I could think of. I think having tons of blow-by didn't help either. When you'd get on it, it would smoke like a refinery. I just couldn't believe it was that tired at only 92k miles.

In another line of thinking, what a difference a turbo makes! I only bought the Futura thinking "how bad could it be, my 85 XR-7 is a 2.3 turbo (automatic) and I love it to death!". Heh, how bad could it be? Way bad. That turbo makes all the difference in the world.

I don't mean this as a -on-the-2.3 topic, I just can't get over how much more plush and nice the tbird seems to the fairmont.
CoogarXR : 1985 Cougar XR-7

What a difference one year and a different nameplate make!

Reply #4 –
you think 2.3's were bad? the 2.0 barely made 100 ft lbs!!!
Current: 1986 Thunderbird, 105k 3.8/C5, 2 tone  Midnight Wine/Medium Taupe, wing windows, wire wheel covers.


Former: 1985 Cougar GS 115k Oxford White/Regatta Blue, 5.0, full console, 14" 8 hole aluminum T-Bird rims, Edelbrock valve covers.

What a difference one year and a different nameplate make!

Reply #5 –
you think 2.3's were bad? the 2.0 barely made 100 ft lbs!!!
Current: 1986 Thunderbird, 105k 3.8/C5, 2 tone  Midnight Wine/Medium Taupe, wing windows, wire wheel covers.


Former: 1985 Cougar GS 115k Oxford White/Regatta Blue, 5.0, full console, 14" 8 hole aluminum T-Bird rims, Edelbrock valve covers.
 

What a difference one year and a different nameplate make!

Reply #6 –
coogarxr
i had the 80 tbird with 255 in it loved that cardrove like a dream. the guy i got it from had 4 barrel intake in the trunk i put it and holley 4 barrel carb on it made a big diffance in power but i dont remember the name of the intake or the size of the carb. sadly it got rear ended by a peterbuilt at a red light.
i payed 150 for it .

What a difference one year and a different nameplate make!

Reply #7 –
I've had 2 '80 Cougar XR-7's. Loved them for their quirky looks.

The Big Boxes had a longer wheelbase, were heavier, and had a higher level of trim and comfort than the bargain-basp00get F/Z cars. Of course they would "feel" better. ;)
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo - '85 Marquis LTS - '86 LTD Wagon

What a difference one year and a different nameplate make!

Reply #8 –
I had an '80 Thunderbird.  I really loved that car but it was possessed! I blew up the 255 and threw in an older 302 that hauled that little car around good with a 500cfm 2 barrel carb.  I enjoyed much of my teenage years with that car, wish I knew then what I know about Fox bodies today!  I liked the idiot lamps in section above the dash and the black trim on passengers side with the dash vents and the Thunderbird emblem.

What a difference one year and a different nameplate make!

Reply #9 –
While the previous owner took the radio out (and hacked up the bezel :hick:), I did find some stereo-related gems left behind. He left a nice set of kicker speakers in the dash, along with amp wiring to the trunk. This inspired me to dig out my stash of early-90s audio equipment and do a nice retro install on this beast. I got it about 75% done now. Head unit is in, board is cut and painted, 3 amps and a crossover are mounted, front and rear speakers are up and running. All that's left to do is dig out my trusty old MTX sub (hopefully the foam hasn't rotted, lol). I have to trace a pesky ground loop too. All that and an oil change is on the books for tomorrow. I think me and the ol' box-bird are gonna be a happy couple, lol.

Side note- this car actually has 6x9 rear speakers! Not 6x8s! This is the first ford product I have owned that used actual 6x9's!
CoogarXR : 1985 Cougar XR-7