New member with new old Bird April 27, 2017, 01:11:51 PM Hi All;I just stumbled upon this forum while looking for info on a 1983 T Bird that I purchased about a week ago. I had been shopping for a nice older car to replace my wife's 2006 Dodge Stratus (which I have considered junk since she purchased it in 2006). Was specifically looking for a nice, simple, older vehicle that I can understand when I came across the '83 T Bird. The car had been in storage for the past 30 years or so, with 18,000 actual documented miles. It looks like it could have rolled off the assembly line yesterday. It even smells new. Black with red pin stripes and a gray interior. 5.0L V8 engine. I plan to replace belts, hoses, and tires and probably give it a tuneup before putting it into service, although it seems to run great as is. And of course the refrigerant has all evaporated so it will need some AC work. So, a couple of questions for those more knowledgeable about these cars than me. What else should I consider checking or servicing after it has sat in storage all these years? And, I'm considering adding some cool looking wheels and tires (guess I'm still a kid at heart) but want something understated and classy looking that is in keeping with the era in which it was built. What are you all running on yours or what would you suggest? Thanks in advance for your input and for having a forum where I can come to educate myself on the Fox T-Birds.Kindest Regards,Tom Quote Selected
New member with new old Bird Reply #1 – April 27, 2017, 02:47:46 PM Coolcats.net will give you a ton of info on the car, even though it is dedicated to the tbirds twin, the mercury cougar, most all into carried right over.For wheels and tires, the 87-93 Mustang has a huge aftermarket and the tbird is built on the same chassis. Firewall forwards, these cars are virtually identicle, and the rest of the car is pretty similar. So just about any 79-93 Mustang wheel will fit.If you actually plan to drive the car, brakes and a 5 put upgrade might be a good idea. It will allow you to use up to 13" front discs vs the stock 10" rotors. The brakes are one of the most lacking parts of these cars.If you just plan to put around on Sundays and maybe hit a car show or two, throw some more or less era correct rims on it and have some fun with it.Welcome. Quote Selected
New member with new old Bird Reply #2 – April 27, 2017, 07:27:35 PM ALWAYS do a full brake tuneup on anything that old... Pads & lining are probably still OK but the rubber parts deteriorate from age as well as useage... Quote Selected
New member with new old Bird Reply #3 – April 27, 2017, 08:44:26 PM Welcome :burnout: pics are required................ Quote Selected
New member with new old Bird Reply #4 – April 28, 2017, 09:14:14 AM Dump the gas, change the fuel filter, have an oil change done, service the trans, service the rear differential, change the soft lines on the brakes (front calipers & the splitter to the rear brakes), change the engine coolant, radiator hoses (including the hoses to the heater core), and replace the air filter. I would also take a serious look at the tires even if they stored it on jack stands as they can be dry rotted. As you drive it there will be things that go wrong as they will not show their ugly head now but with use may possibly wear really fast.Enjoy the car and if it were mine I would do the SN95 disc brake conversion and go to five lug as previously mentioned. Brakes are 100% better and the wheel selection is 1000% better.Welcome to the forum and remember the search engine is your buddy. Quote Selected
New member with new old Bird Reply #5 – April 28, 2017, 12:43:13 PM Thanks for the input folks! I had planned on belts/hoses/tires but hadn't really thought about the brake system parts. Glad someone mentioned that. The brake upgrade is a good idea too. I have discovered that wheel selection is pretty limited with the four bolt pattern. I have a feeling I'm going to be hanging around here for a while. I'll try to post up some pics asap.Best regards,Tom Quote Selected
New member with new old Bird Reply #6 – April 30, 2017, 06:14:56 PM Yay for another 83 TBird.One of the more niggling hassles on that engine will be the EEC III engine management, vs the EEC IV of the later stuff. If everything works, it'll be fine, but not really upgrade-friendly, if more power is one of your goals. Quote Selected
New member with new old Bird Reply #7 – May 01, 2017, 07:39:21 AM I would recommend a cage and 460 ci conversion. J/K ! I like to modify cars, but even I would have a hard time messing with an 18k original car! Quote Selected
New member with new old Bird Reply #8 – May 04, 2017, 11:53:54 PM Quote from: lakenheath24;460558I would recommend a cage and 460 ci conversion. J/K ! I like to modify cars, but even I would have a hard time messing with an 18k original car!+1 and we need pictures! Quote Selected
New member with new old Bird Reply #9 – May 05, 2017, 12:32:56 PM I'll try to get some pictures posted asap. I haven't had a chance to do anything with the car yet. Drove it home and parked it in the garage. That's about it. I hope to get around to the maintenance issues that you all mentioned over the next couple of weeks. I'm also still trying to decide between some nice looking aftermarket wheels and refurbished factory aluminum wheels. It came with steel wheels and hub caps. I've also been spending some time here learning more about these old 'Birds. Thanks to everyone for their input.Kindest Regards,Tom Quote Selected
New member with new old Bird Reply #10 – May 06, 2017, 07:00:50 PM They are repopping the trx wheels (metric only sized tires, about 15.4" rims and super expensive) now on mustang sites in a 16" size. Would be a good way to look era correct and keep the 4 lug if wanted.I highly recommend at least a 15" rim. They seem to wear better and tires are much cheaper now. Im rocking 10 holes i picked up on craigslist for $50 about 10 years ago on one of my cars. Pricked up some turbines to throw on my 88xr7 for $75 with tires that hold air. Quote Selected
New member with new old Bird Reply #11 – May 16, 2017, 07:20:05 PM I also have an '83. I don't know if it would qualify as simple, due to the EEC-III system. I don't think the EEC-III was used for long, and it is difficult finding information on how it works, even in the shop manual. Some manuals from back then, like the Clymer, don't mention it at all. Only the V6 carbureted engine.My model is the Heritage and did not have a water temp. gauge. I put one in. Quote Selected
New member with new old Bird Reply #12 – May 16, 2017, 09:35:33 PM The last year for EEC-III was 1983 and for most models it was also the first year... The '83 Turbo Coupes used the far more sophisticated EEC-IV... With added refinements EEC-IV lasted through '94 & even '95 on many models.. Quote Selected
New member with new old Bird Reply #13 – May 24, 2017, 02:31:25 PM Where would be the best place to find a shop manual for the '83 that covers the EEC-III? I have learned, sometimes the hard way, that if you are going to drive older vehicles you need to become your own expert on them. I recently paid a mechanic (and old acquaintance) to tune up my '85 F150. I'm now going over all of his work and trying to figure out why it runs worse than it did before he worked on it. Tom Quote Selected
New member with new old Bird Reply #14 – May 24, 2017, 10:39:57 PM ere are no diagnostic tools for the eec3 system. Main reason it only lasted a year. Quote Selected
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