Exhaust fitments- Thunderbird vs Mustang

Topic: Exhaust fitments- Thunderbird vs Mustang (Read 4244 times) previous topic - next topic

Exhaust fitments- Thunderbird vs Mustang

April 02, 2015, 03:39:02 PM

Seems everywhere you go for parts, you need to make a decision on buying a Mustang listed part for the Thunderbird. Rarely can you do a search for parts for our Thunderbird without Mustang being the decision made by the search. Kind of feels like that us Thunderbird owners are the illegitimate child that no one is suppose to know about when it comes in compare to the Mustang.
Oh well, this raises my question about exhaust fit and of course it is specific to the Mustang but is needed for the Thunderbird. I am replacing the exhaust on the '85 Tbird to an 'X' pipe like the one below. Listed at the typical places, but religiously they don't mention the fit to a Thunderbird. What if any issues might I have with installation into the TBird with no cats and probably pushing the tips out before the rear tires or dumping just before the rear axle. I have a double hump support, but think there would be remounting of the pipe supports compared to the mustang. I have already move fuel filter and line to outside frame rails.

Exhaust fitments- Thunderbird vs Mustang

Reply #1 – April 02, 2015, 03:58:13 PM

You'll need Mustang specific headers, as the Tbird headers are a "standard" type. The Mustang headers use a ball . Unless you just want some nice shiny headers that will turn bluish in a couple of days of use, Mustang HO headers are good for stock and lightly modded HO engines...

Starting at the front, you've got two choices...shorties or long tubes...the X or H pipe will depend on that choice, mostly.

Then of course, there's the choice of X or H...I've got a BBK catless X pipe for my Stanger

Now here's where it gets a little custom. The mid pipes for a Mustang (Fox) are a bit too short for a Tbird, so you'll need a shop to cut and extend your tubes. The tails are also a bit different, as well. Someone else will have to chime in on that part though..it's beyond me.

As mentioned, I've got BBK headers and X pipe, and Flowmaster American Thunder cat back and tails for a GT, as my notch will have a GT rear bumper cover.

Exhaust fitments- Thunderbird vs Mustang

Reply #2 – April 03, 2015, 06:10:01 AM

These are the headers I have installed. Want the X style exhaust like shown above. '88 motor in a '85 TBird which really makes no big difference and is carbed without any smog.

I have the same lers as these with a 4 in diameter. Though this is under a Mustang and not the TBird.
I want them tucked up a little more too. Aren't the floor panels and framing basically the same on the fox bodies. Though the TBird is a little longer from what I have read. I will most likely go with something like the left photo but pushing the direction of exhaust out to the side instead of bouncing off the roadway.

Exhaust fitments- Thunderbird vs Mustang

Reply #3 – April 15, 2015, 11:20:28 AM

If you are starting from scratch then realize a column shifted car will have interference issues with the headers, however if you are floor shifted or a standard then this is a moot point. Typically with a column shift I have heard that guys are running unequal length like you have posted and with some mods they work fine. From there a Mustang type X-pipe or H-pipe will bolt up to the headers and the hangers that slide into the trans cross member line right up. For the cat back you will need to add a little between the inlet of the lers and the outlet of the X or H pipe. From what I could tell there is about 8" of difference between a Fox Mustang and a Fox Bird/Cougar in the length of the tail pipes with the Mustang tail pipes being too short. You can order the GT style tail pipes and they will pretty much hide between the gas tank and the sheet metal and have the tips that are turned down. If you do the LX style stainless steel tail pipes you will need to lengthen them a bit and there are several ways to do that one of which is to simply add slightly larger tips. I used a 3" MAC cat back and we added additional length, ground the mig welds, filled gaps, ground again, filled gaps, and finished ground the welds. I then had the entire exhaust system coated but my exhaust is all custom so it was made from steel and needed to be coated.

With all of that said get the X-pipe, order a cat back and take the car to a reputable exhaust shop and they will be able to fix you up.

Darren

Exhaust fitments- Thunderbird vs Mustang

Reply #4 – April 17, 2015, 02:37:31 PM

Gotta quick question here.
Will a stock h pipe from a 5.0 fox Mustang fit a 87 auto 5.0 tbird?
Not looking for performance, I have a lead on a cheap tbird which will need cats for a smog. It just so happens that I saved my h pipe from my Mustang which has good cats and I'm hoping they will work.

Exhaust fitments- Thunderbird vs Mustang

Reply #5 – April 17, 2015, 05:17:53 PM

Quote from: Ramos617;447233

Gotta quick question here.
Will a stock h pipe from a 5.0 fox Mustang fit a 87 auto 5.0 tbird?
Not looking for performance, I have a lead on a cheap tbird which will need cats for a smog. It just so happens that I saved my h pipe from my Mustang which has good cats and I'm hoping they will work.

As long as you use Mustang style shorty headers it should bolt right up.

Exhaust fitments- Thunderbird vs Mustang

Reply #6 – April 18, 2015, 08:21:14 PM

Quote from: Aerocoupe;447120

If you are starting from scratch then realize a column shifted car will have interference issues with the headers, however if you are floor shifted or a standard then this is a moot point.

Darren

Not necessary so, the x-pipe in this pict would not fit my Bird because it interfered with the factory AOD floor shifter, problem was where it kcks out from X... Also it was approx a inch shorter, wasn't going to bolt up to my intermediate pipes unless they were lengthened...

I was trying to repl the Hooker H-pipe in center, it interferes slightly with shifter cable mount but works fine with some tpuppies of cable mount...

The LSC cat pipe originally used had no fitment issues at all...

Exhaust fitments- Thunderbird vs Mustang

Reply #7 – April 19, 2015, 12:15:36 PM

And read the last sentence of my post...gather up your parts and take it to a reputable exhaust shop as a good one can work around all of the items mentioned above. If you don't have a good exhaust shop then hopefully you have some skills like TurboCoupe50.

Darren

Exhaust fitments- Thunderbird vs Mustang

Reply #8 – April 20, 2015, 08:33:48 AM

What kind of lers are those on the left pic?

Quote from: BradMph;446728

These are the headers I have installed. Want the X style exhaust like shown above. '88 motor in a '85 TBird which really makes no big difference and is carbed without any smog.

I have the same lers as these with a 4 in diameter. Though this is under a Mustang and not the TBird.
I want them tucked up a little more too. Aren't the floor panels and framing basically the same on the fox bodies. Though the TBird is a little longer from what I have read. I will most likely go with something like the left photo but pushing the direction of exhaust out to the side instead of bouncing off the roadway.

Exhaust fitments- Thunderbird vs Mustang

Reply #9 – April 20, 2015, 10:57:34 AM

They look like Spin Tech's Pro Bullets but there are a few out there that make them like this.

Darren

Exhaust fitments- Thunderbird vs Mustang

Reply #10 – April 20, 2015, 11:05:53 AM

I was thinking they were Pypes Pype Bombs?

Exhaust fitments- Thunderbird vs Mustang

Reply #11 – April 20, 2015, 05:25:23 PM

I know mine is a different year than yours, but I have FRPP GT40P shorty headers, then a BBK o/r h pipe (79-93 mustang) from American muscle, then I have an SLP loudmouth cat back from Brothers Performance, also for a fox stang, and all I did was got two 2.5" diameter exhaust extensions from advance auto and threw them on, then the slp tips. It works for me. Didn't have issues with clearance or anything . Hope this helps.
Cheers
Adrian