Hello!,
Question for You, WHY do You want and are a fox lovers all You here, Your first car, or ??????????...
My little history first as well...
The first time I see a fox platform, is a cougar, and I hated this a lot, at this time I love the big cars and the newer rounded Cougar was not for Me, same for the first time I see the Tbird, what a in My mind! at this time...
the time passed and in 1990 My mother was purchased a 1984 Tbird with a 232 V6, I don't liked this choice, but was not My car, and at this time I was a V8 Guy.
After a few time mother let to Me driving his car, and I'm surprised of the comfort and the fast turning curves strong of this car, I liked a bit thi8s car, but no more...
In 2000 his '84 was a big frame issue and My mother was sic a bit, now I searched another Bird same, and I found a 85 bird at a farmer near Me in a decent condition for 400$, My mother In love with his 84 was purchased the car...
What a surprise when I checked seriously, the trunk bottom was dissapeared, the gaz tank was retained with a ready bolts, and name it! I found a lot of issues...
I putted his car in the basp00get garage, and started to completelu dissasemble, what a job!, But at each end of day of work on his "py" bird, I sitted on one seat over the car, and see this without a grill, and some missing parts depending what are where on the car, and I liked the car I see at this time..
I finished the car finally after a couple of months of work (working time to time) and painted, WOW! when I painted and reassembled, it was a the most beautyful car of My street!...
Finally My mother at 84 years old donated to Me his Bird spring 2005 after 3 years sitting in the grass over the home, BUT, I was made a three star body job on there and the body was not damaged, but a bit, some issue comes of the engine at this time, but I renewed the car winter 2005-2006, and the body is mint but need a paint urgently for the next summer...
I hated these birds, but after see one dismembered in My garage, and worked on, I liked this, and today nobody drive My car, and more, I pourchases another fox birds...
Thats My little history of My Bird love...
YOU!?...
i like the ride ;) and the looks :)
I always loved the Thunderbird's body style, even when I was younger. I wanted a turbo coupe in high school but my dad wouldn't let me buy one.
Anyway I ended up owning a 2.3L Fox mustang for several years, then I bought my Thunderbird, which is honestly superior to that Mustang in every way. Feels more solid, nicer interior, nicer seats, just an overall nicer car.
It's also not a car you see very often, and when you do they're generally 3.8L beaters.
the fox cougar is the first car i ever desired.... i love the (what i call) tear-drop side window leading to the straight up and down rear window.... i like all of them from 83-88, 4 eyed or not..... this was also the first car i ever saw with a digital dash that wasn't a corvette.... (it was an 87 aniv edition)... i was hooked instantly
I was looking for another Mustang and I couldn't find one for a decent price and to be quite honest, I didn't even know Tbirds existed for these years. My buddy who I convinced to buy his Mustang, convinced me to buy the Bird. Even though I wanted the Stang and he wanted the Bird. Anyhoos after realizing that it was pretty much just like a Stang only more room for my 6'-2 frame and a better interior. I bought it. And after I did the suspension upgrade with the Cobra wheels, I was hooked. Granted I still got more compliments when I drove my buddies Stang, but people were absolutely floored when I would pull into the local speed shop. That's when I realized I love the underdog.
I like the Bird because of 2 reasons:
1: It was my grandfather's and brother's car, so it is a family thing. Every time I see one of them, the Bird is the first thing to come up.
2: It's different, and that leaves alot of room for uniqueness. With any Mustang and other popular muscle car, everything has been done. And everyone and their sister has a Mustang. Alot of people comment on my car, asking what it is, saying it looks good. Compared to what I've seen on here, it's a dog.
Also, have you seen the trunk space?:grinno:
cause its not seen much around here... im the only one in town
sure theres a 86 running around... but no 87-88's
except for ONE COUGAR and that one is MIA here lately
'Cause it looks so good! and theres only 4 in town, I have two :D
(http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i11/turbosprunt/PP4160006.jpg)
it was dad's, and he got it in '98, i was 10 years old and didnt have much of an opinion back then. but as my automotive interest developed i grew to like it's looks, size, and comfortable ride and interior. and he said someday he might supercharge it or "put a stroker motor in it" and he explained to me what that meant. and since its in such good shape an theres no 87/88s around here, it sure as hell stands out in the parking lot. i cant go to ONE store/restaurant/whatever and NOT keep looking back at it as im walking to the entrance. its kinda funny when i think about it but i just love the way it looks so much.
i very much look forward to standing next to it on a showfield when its like 30 years old.
actually i was at a burger king the other day and i was by the window and an 87/88 went by! whats funny is at first glance i instantly thought of CougarCruisin. it was probably the same exact color! not the same wheels hes got and it had some rear quarter panel rust but it was really alright looking. nearly jumped out of the chair. thats the first fox cougar ive seen in like a month and the first 87/88 in like 2 years.
The first Thunderbird that caught my eye was a white '84 for sale (advertised as an '85, but I knew nothing about these cars back then, so I didn't know the difference) at a local car lot. This was around about 1990-1991. The lot wanted $3.5k for it. I wanted to trade my 1980 Formula Firebird in on it, but the dealership only offered me $500 for the trade-in, an insult considering the Firebird was near mint. I decided right then I would sell the Firebird and buy that T-Bird. I put the Firebird in the paper and sold it for $2k, so I went back to that lot. The Thunderbird was gone.
I bought a Bargain Hunter and went on a hunt, looking at any 83-86 T-Bird or Cougar I could find. Since it was so long ago, 87-88 models were completely out of my price range. I looked at several, including a mint light blue '86 Cougar I passed on because the "service" light was on (I didn't realize it was an oil change reminder light, neither did the seller) and finally settled on a light sage green '85 T-Bird with the carbed 3.8. This car was the most basic of basic 'Birds, its only options being metallic paint and a full size spare (no power windows, mirrors, locks, seats, A/C, cruise - even the clock was buttstuffogue) but it was enough to make me fall in love, and even with the V6 it would easily outrun my old 301-powered Firebird. I installed a stereo and a set of chrome 14" Cragar rims and drove it for several years - it had about 270k miles on it when I traded it on an off-lease '91 T-Bird (http://"http://www.foxthundercats.com/gallery/dadstbird.htm").
The '91 was the biggest POS I'd ever owned (outside of the Volvo I own now) - most regular members here have read my tales of woe with it, so I won't bore you with the details, except to tell you that it cost about $1400 to rebuild a 3.8 (including crank, one rod, and one piston) in 1994, and that my car was key in the ignition switch fire recall. I sold it to my father, who drove it trouble-free for two or three years before selling it back to me.
I then moved on to an '88 Cougar LS 5.0 (http://"http://www.foxthundercats.com/gallery/samscougar.htm") - my first, and to this date, only Cougar. I loved that car to death and had even started to do some upgrades, but bounced it off a tractor trailer one fateful April evening in 1999 and killed it.
Next up was the '87 Sport. (http://"http://www.foxthundercats.com/gallery/samstbird.htm") I loved this car as well, but Nova Scotia road salt gave it terminal cancer. I sold it for a grand
after starting the body work and giving up.
Then came the car I have now, an '88 base 5.0 T-Bird (http://"http://www.foxthundercats.com/gallery/sams88bird.htm"). After having the rusty Sport I decided my next one had to be mint, so I searched for a few years before finally resorting to posting a want-ad. I found the car in my back yard, so to speak - absolutely mint, 47k miles, 100% stock. I had custom 2.25" dual exhaust installed and put a stereo system in it, and did a few minor electrical and cosmetic things, up until this past summer, when I started tearing into it for more serious mods (details can be found by clicking on the link above).
I also briefly had an '87 Turbo Coupe (http://"http://www.foxthundercats.com/gallery/samstc.htm"). I bought it in January 06 and put it to rest in September (http://"http://www.foxthundercats.com/images/deadtc/deadtc1.jpg"). It was bought as a parts car - the front frame was rusted out - but was drivable. I retrieved many, many useful parts from it, though, most of which are either already on or soon will be on the '88 mentioned above.
*EDIT* The funny thing is, that Firebird the dealership didn't want in the early 90's could probably buy 5 or 6 '84 T-Birds now...
my first fox bird experience was car shoppin with my father. he was in graduate school and i was probly 12 or 13. the $50 beater he had been drivin was really gettin bad, and my moms car was, well, my moms car. they both worked and he was in school so we HAD to have two runnin vehicles. anywho, he and i are used car shoppin and we test drive a few cars out of the price range, jus for fun. and one 4banger mustang that was probly gonna end up being "the one." out on the back of the lot, my dad spots a med canyon red 87 bird. asks about it and is told not to worry about that car....
long story short(er), we wander back to it and the price on the windshield is super low! apparently leftover from a tent sale and didnt get cleaned off. dad pushes for a test drive, and falls in love with the car. the beats the sales guy down to get the car for the posted price on the window to boot!
i busted my ass to clean and wax that car every week so that when i got my license i would have earned the rights to drive it. the most base of all base cars. no power anything, i mean none. 3.8, auto, polycast 14" wheels, and a rear defrost. cleanest inside and out i have ever seen. light grey interior.
i went thru a lot of cars in the beginnin of havin my license. none compared in my mind to my dads bird. when i was shoppin last year for a fox chassis vehicle to throw all my collected parts at i knew it was gonna be a bird. i looked at others, a couple fox mustangs, 3 or 4 fairmonts, a sn95 car. tryin to convice my self that (less)weight would be the deciding factor. it all came back to memories of my dads car, and i knew i could make all the mustang parts fit. i hate mustangs anyhow. only good for donors....
so now i have my own 87 bird, and my dad is jealous of me this go 'round:cool:
My first experience with a cougar was in 88 when my aunt bought it new. I liked the looks and the back seat was comfortable (I was about 4 years old at the time) but I was in love with my dads 71 stang.
Well I have always thought they were awesome looking and it wasn't till recently that I really started liking em.
Well I was looking for a 5.0 to put in my truck and a guy at work said he had one. I offered him 300 cash sight unseen. Well when it finally got towed to my house. I instantly fell in love with it, I constantly found my self just sitting in the back yard looking at it.
Needless to say this is my first "car" (had a wagon and a truck) and is my "mustang". Oh and my first car with a trunk! lol
I don't think I could ever sell it or my ranger, but I put a high value on the things I own. I worked to hard to get them to treat them any different.
Thought I wish I had a four eye, felling in love the look on my 86 wagon. (Anyone wanna trade?) lol
John (blue84302) is the reason i'm a member of this board and the reason i own my cars.
Mostly because when it's good,it's very good,and when it breaks,it really pi$$es me off,and I just LOOOOOOOVE being pi$$ed off.LOL.
Like many of you, my story is quite interesting.
It was the spring of 1998 and I was mowing a friend's lawn while they were out of town on business. They had this black '86 Cougar GS sitting in the car port. It was totally bone stock, right down to the wire wheel covers and 3.8 V6.
Every time I mowed that grass, I couldn't keep my eyes off of that car. I would make a lap real fast down the lawn, then make a slow one back, just because I could see the car.
There was something about its lines; calling back to muscle cars, yet it still had a modern look. The "smoked" taillights and bulging fenders is what hooked me.
I nagged its owner once a week with relentless persistence. They ended up doing something very nice and selling it to me for $1.
I spent the next two years building the car; there wasn't a single part that I hadn't messed with. I ended up wrecking it in two separate collisions, and neither were my fault.
(http://members.tccoa.com/cougarcragar/driveway86comp.jpg)
Its replacement was an '88 XR7, on which I had also performed many modifications. I miss this car the most, to be honest. It was just way too cool.
(http://members.tccoa.com/cougarcragar/pittsburgh_sig.jpg)
I then bought the '96 to replace the XR7, and I now have the '86 XR7 as a project car.
Out of all the Fox and MN12 Cougars, I think the '88 XR7 is the best. It cultivates a look that oozes "cool." Give me a black one with body-color turbines and I'll keep it on the road until I die.
The only MN12 that I really love is the '91 XR7. The '89s and '90s have the same monochromatic paint scheme, but they have that stupid front end.
I have a strong feeling that I will go back to an '88 XR7.
(http://members.tccoa.com/cougarcragar/86turbo_street.jpg)
i actually had this conversation with my boss today. he told me the same things most people tell me, to ditch the cougar and get a mustang. that my car is MUCH heavier then a fox stang(which i know it does way more, but not like 1000 lbs more) and that each 100 lbs is a tenth in the quarter. and blah blah blah.
the truth is, i love the way my car looks, its agreesive, cool, and unique. sure its not as fast as a mustang, but i dont claim it to be. but i will say it looks so much nicer. i would go as far as to say about 1/16 to 1/8 of the kids at my school have some year or form of mustang, and thats alot of kids if u think about it.
but it doesnt take alot of modification to make these cars as fast as a mustang, (or at least a 5.0, i cant speak for the other engines) they have great "potential" it just takes a little work to unleash it. basically i like how unique it is, its fairly fast, very roomy, comfortable, and can usually be found for cheap...thats a hard car to find. i like them so much, im actually gonna try to look at buying a either a 88 sport, or and 88 xr-7, out the two, im probably ganna and up drive home my second fox, some mustang guys may say im a :dunce: , but screw them, i got a bigger backseat :p
I was 16 looking for a car when I saw the '88 XR-7 in the local paper for $900. I had $1000 to spend on a car and wanted a V-8. I was hoping for a classic 60s-70s car or an 80s SS Monte Carlo but all of them, well all the decent ones were out of my range by a long shot. I checked out the Cougar on Saturday September 8th 2001 and instantly fell in love with it. My only previous knowledge on the car was remembering the one my grandparents neighbor had that they bought new in '88. An LS tu-tone with wire hubcaps. I loved the look of that car though even at the age of 3-4, I remember it like it was yesterday.
The first thing I noticed were the wheels. I was shocked not to see wire hubcaps. I clearly had no idea what XR-7 meant for the '88 Cougar. The combination of the bright white paint, white turbine wheels, blue leather interior, etc. had me hooked. I wanted to buy the car on the spot but couldn't get a temp tag from motor vehicles on the weekend. I put a deposit on the car and started searching the net once I got home. I found CoolCats and read up on everything about the car.
Monday September 10 2001, I was in school and my parents went and picked the car up for me. I'll never forget how it felt when I came home and took it for a short blast around the block for the first time. The only things that didn't work were the a/c (who cares about that anyway) and the moonroof. A $5 switch at a junkyard solved that problem though.
It had 172,000 on it when I picked it up but to drive it you wouldn't know it. As things started to go up though, I started modifying it. First with Flowmasters once the original lers ped out and that has since snowballed into what the car is today.
Now I have too much time and money into it to get rid of it. Not only that but that car is a part of me. It is a love-hate relationship but is always fun despite any problems I've had along the way. This car has such a personality and character like no other car I've driven. I love it so much, I got another one, the '86 GS. As long as rust or some idiot out on the road doesn't take them away from me, I'll probably be buried with both.
I love my fox as I have the only Fila on the boards. All of my freinds ask me what it is, what year of mustang is that, and "oh shiznit, is that a big V6?" Anyone can own a mustang, a camaro or a ricebox but it takes a speical kind of guy/girl to drive a Tbird/Cougar.
haha what year of mustang is that. :grinno:
do you refer to it as "the fila" when people ask you what you drive? you should. "i drive a SHOE" "you drivin man?" "yeah im gonna take the shoe, hasnt been out in awhile"
cougarcragar--
, EVERY time i see that picture of your old black cat i am amazed. with those wheels and tires and from that angle it DEFINITELY calls back to the muscle cars. man that thing is sweet, what a friggin tragedy.
you should totally make your new 86 look like that. knowing myself i would be absolutely miserable if some yahoo wrecked my car and it looked like that. id have no choice but to re create it.
but whatever you do just make it how you like it!
I got my 88 Tbird as a first car, and here's that short story:
Back in 1997-1998, my family went down to Florida on vacation to see my mom's side of the family. One day, my mom and dad had gone to a car dealership and my mom saw a blue '94 Lincoln Mark VIII. 4.6L V8, all the comforts, 140mph speedo, etc. She wanted the car, and my dad couldnt agree more after seeing what was under the hood. So they ended up buying the car and we drove the car back to NC. After having the car for a few years, the warranty ran out and there were too many problems starting to pop up with the car, so my dad set out to find another big, confortable V8 RWD car to replace it. Dad saw the Tbird sittin for sale in a parking lot for $1500 and couldnt pass the deal. We bought it from the original owner, an old lady who had ordered the car from the factory. She had taken great care of the car, as what you see in my pics represent about what it looked like when we got it. I remember when I first saw the car, my first thoughts were "Hmmm thatd be an awesome first car for me. Eh, it's too nice of a car though." About a year later, my dad was driving me to school and asked me if I'd like the Tbird as my first car, so I instantly took him up on it. The car was rarely ever used before it became my daily driver this August.
I like my car because it's uncommon. It's not a car you see everyday. It's overlooked and not appreciated as much as it should be; an underdog. Thats the same way I am as a person. They say a car should "represent" the owner, and my car does just that.
1: it's not a Mustang.
2:it's the only 88 in the county
I get lot's of looks on the highway in my daily 85 mile commute. Wonder how many looks I'd get if I fixed it up?
I guess its my turn huh...
back in '98 I was in foster care dad was driving the 90 aerostar that we had and one day he came to see me and he was driving the 83 TC my eyes got HUGE and I ask "whos car is that????" he said well its mine! so we went for a ride and I have been in love with it ever since, I still beg him to give me the car. so now I have my 88TC its the nicest 88 that I've seen in kansas. I also get lots of looks and people ask if its got a 5.0 or the turbo V6 I just kinda smile and gently raise the hood ;)
Thanks, man. I really appreciate that.
It broke my heart to sell that car. It hurt even more when I saw it one month later with four flat tires, a broken window, and a bunch of laying on the hood.
One man's treasure is another man's trash, I suppose.
As of right now, I think the turbo cat will get a similar treatment, but with a two-tone scheme and some subtle touches.
1.Style: I’ve always liked the way they look, especially the 87, 88 Turbocoupes. I was floored when they came out. It was the coolest looking car I had ever seen at the time. Of course at $18000 I thought I’d never own one.
2.Racing Heritage: It dominated NASCAR and NHRA in the 80’s.
3.Ergonomics: I’m 6’4” and fit in this car just fine. I like the dash and the console and door panel design on the sport and the TC.
4.Parts Interchangeability: It’s what gives our cars the potential that they have given that no aftermarket really exists for them. They’re really easy cars to hot rod.
5.Exclusivity: It aint a Mustang. They are becoming a rarity on the street and when done up nicely they turn heads. Basically it's different, virtually no one fixes these cars up.
cragar--
also wanted to mention thats a neat story about how you came to own it! love the part about mowing the lawn real slow so you could look at it:cool:
well...i guess you just gotta cherish and enjoy what you have while you have it, it could be taken from you at any time.
i would go ape on someone if they nailed my cat for some stupid reason. i would lose all control. if its reasonable in the next few years im totally getting a beater. i mean, i drive this thing all the time, but when i sit and think about it, its crazy out there on the road, and i could be next in line for a nasty spill...
I bought the first '83 as kind of a DD for myself when I had the '82 5.0 Mustang. I passed it to the ex when we sold her 79 Mustang. I liked it, but it never really clicked. I was still kind of a Mustang/Capri guy (79-82's). I was just beginning to find out all the differences with the Mustangs.
Then when my 80 Capri RS Turbo got totalled, I picked up the silver car (in my sig) as my new driver in '96. It kind of just went downhill from there....
I am VERY picky about these cars, and the 83-84's get my vote hands down. There is something about the 85-86's that just don't quite sit with me, and the 87-88's, well....not my bag baby.
I love the lines of the cars, esp when sitting "right". I could sit and look at the car for hours. I can see the potential in just about every 83-84 I see....and that's dangerous.....
They are pretty easy to modify, but still not completely "off the shelf", which appeals to me. Not everyone can really build a nice one.
I like the rarity on the road. I see very few 4-eyes, and most are ragged (saw a prime example of this just Friday). The comment I always get is "You don't see those any more".
I wish there were more restoration parts available as that's the real weak spot in keeping one of these around. Mechanicals are easy, but keeping them looking nice is going to take some work.
I'm also one of the odd-balls who like the 80-82's. Not for what they were, but what they can be. The lines are funky, but cool. I can't wait to get my 80 XR-7 on the road....it will be rough around the edges, but there won't be one like it anywhere around.....
If I had room, I'd be ding 80-84's....
i like my ford bcuz the ladies tell me "thanks" for nothing and when i get pulled over its for my car looking so good when i was speeding lol. i was thinking of making a shirt that says those 2 quotes. there a little dumb but my friends thought they were hillarious
I was instantly hooked on the body lines. From the grille and the long hood to the curved side windows and the straight rear window to the slanted rear, it's very unique. i have not seen another quite like mine in Kansas City yet!
Same here; I plan on getting a beater DD within the next year or two, cause I dont know what I would do if my precious Tbird got in an accident.
When I went out to buy my first car with my own money I wanted an 87-93 5.0 LX mustang. My parents flat out said "NO", which was a bright idea considering I was 17. I found this really nice 88 Thunderbird for sale (the one in my sig) and I was really interested because it had a 5.0 (didn't know it was a lo po at the time). I bought it because it drove good, and could lay a patch if I stomped on it:grinno: . I love the way it looks and I don't think I could ever get rid of it. It just looks so much better than a Fox Mustang. Plus it's the only one around my neighborhood. I never see another Fox Bird around except at the T-bird club shows. Plus my Bird just looks sweet :cool:
Cause its my car.
Dido, that is why I have my Ranger, if that gets in an accident there are so "many" parts out there it is not funny.
That and it also just look unique too.
A DD is the way to go, if my sprint gets wrecked I can pull the drivetrain and body kit and toss the 'wrapper' in the trash and pick up a na sprint for $300 and swap it in a weekend.
Scott
i wish i could say i love my car for all the reasons u guys have, but my t/c is nothing but a parts car now. About 6 years ago after my dad wreaked his 87 f-250 460 (we fixed it of corse), he relized he needed a comforatble, gas effiecent car. Soo we go looking and find a 1988 black t/c. It had some damage on the passengerside rear quater, but it wasn't horible, so we took it for a drive, went to the bank, came back and payed in cash, and drove it home. It was his ride to work for awhile, never modded it was always stock. Was jsut a fun car to drive casue once we got on the highway, he'd throw it in 5th and just mash it and man it would FLY. I feel in love with it from day one, and wanted it along with the mustang in my sig. After the divorce he drove it to maryland, and drove it for a year before the sending unit went, and he bought a pos 96 dakota v6. Car sat till he bought another t/c this time it was a white 87 auto. They both sat for awhile till he used the white car (junk trans, and a rod knock) to peice the black one together. It had sat for so long alot of the body was replaced, and it was being preped for the road till he found a fist sized hole in the framerail. So now its a donor car to the 87 silver t/c he jsut bought and is now driveing, he stole the 5 speed from it and now has an awsome almost stock t/c (flowmaster super 40). I wish the car hadn't have rotted cause it was gonna be my DD while i built my stang, and i planed on doning some serious mods to it. But now im just down to the mustang which i love more, and i will die with that car. One day i will own another 88 T/C for now im just gonna part out mine.
In the early '80s FoMoCo introduced a new, if shortlived marque, Dubbed Merkur. Built by Ford in europe and imported for sale at Mercury dealerships. The XR4ti caught my eye quickly, I thought at first glance it was the Sierra Cosworth that was storming England at the time. I found out differently but I liked the concept: Small, light and with the 2.3L turbo fairly powerful and quick. Only problem? I don't like small cars.
A couple years later the T-bird Turbocoupe was released and I had to have one. After convincing a dealer to get one in the colors I wanted, I waited three weeks for delivery. (they got one with the options and colors I wanted from an Indiana dealer) When I finally drove it off the lot I was in heaven, and took that trip every time I started her up. Three months later she was killed by an idiot eating a hamburger, writing directions and tqalking on his car phone all at the same time.
I went rounds with some other cars for a couple years but I wanted another turbocoupe. So I went looking but kept finding the wrong color combos and automatics. Ickey-poo.
During that period I kept seeing Cougars, some were even manual and black on red like I wanted. I just wasn't thrilled about the cut of the rear end. However, the more I looked at them, the more I liked it, so I bit. And I liked it more every day. The T-bird was sporty but the Cougar had an air of class about it.
Six months later the 87shiznit the showrooms and I liked them even better. Still classy but with a more aggressive look to them. I wanted one. I kept putting it off and kept enjoying my '86, but every time I drove by the Ford dealer I got that wispy look in my eye. Then it was '89 and "Oh look! They redesigned it. Ickey-poo."
The '87-88 XR-7 cats have it all decent performance, good handling and and great looks. When I drove by that Buy-here-pay-here and saw the '88 sitting there with the GST kit on it, there was no turning back. I may have them bury me in this one. :D
Not to nit pic...but the TC's debuted in mid-'83 ...the XR4Ti hit the US dealerships in '85 ;). :D
What you were probably seeing in the UK was the XR4i which came out in '83, the Euro predecessor to the XR4Ti with the 2.8V6. The Cossie Sierra didn't hit until '86 :hick:
I know you commented on the XR's being smal cars. Really they're not all that small. Inside they are surprisingly big too. I guess compared to a Fox Tbirrd/Cougar they are "small"...
Anyway, I digress..... :p
I wish I knew why I loved my cars...
I sat inside an '88 XR4Ti at my local yard. I liked it! There was plenty of leg room and the seats were pretty cool.
Hey! I'm old and my memory ain't what it used to be. It was something along those lines. I remember seeing an XR4ti in VA beach before I got out of the Navy, though. And that was Sep '83.
You're not any older than me...if you are older than me. ;)
But again....an XR4Ti was NOT possible in 1983(or 84)...they did not exist yet. They didn't even start making Sierras in Europe/UK until '83 (well LATE '82), but the XR4i (the car that looks like the XR4Ti) didn't hit until mid-year '83.
So either you were in the Navy longer than you thought, or it wasn't an XR4Ti :grinno:
Oh, BTW...those leather Cobra seats are available again.....
After graduating from High School in may of 2005, I received many congratulatory cards in envelopes containing large sums (to me anyway) of money. All told, I ended up with about $500. To me, this was the most cash I had ever had in my life. (Didn't get a job until right out of High School)
As the summer of 05' progressed, it became increasing clear that I needed to buy a car, in order to drive around the city interviewing for jobs. Plus, being 18 now, I didn't need the embarrassment of not owning a car. So the search began.
On weekends and some weekdays, me and my dad drove around the hot, dusty city of Tucson, AZ looking for rides for sale. Nothing. Every single week left me disappointed. I couldn't even find one of those dime-a-dozen 80's camaros lying around! (I swear before looking for a car, and after finding one, I ALWAYS can find a cheap 80's Camaro for sale SOMEWHERE around town).
Late July came and I thought I was going to get lucky. There was a 1972 Dodge Dart Swinger in California on Ebay for a very cheap price. So cheap, I could afford it, and it was a cool car. I placed my bid and was the high bidder. Come a couple minutes before the end of the auction, the bidding shoots up and the car ends up selling for well over 1000 dollars. I was heartbroken.
Finally in Early August I thought I found my car. Truck actually. I won a 1995 Blazer located just outside of town on ebay. Me and my dad drove out to Benson, AZ where it was located to get the truck. Guess what? The lady who sold it had no title. Needless to say, I kept my money, and was once again disappointed.
About a week later, I'm at home minding my own business when I see something bright and blue pull into the driveway. I peer out my window and see this:
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e363/DMC24guy/bluetbird.jpg)
87 Thunderbird Base model. Very low optioned, with Crank windows and all. To top it off, it had front end damage too. But...there was something about the car. I knew it's history in Nascar as being the fastest car ever with Bill Elliott at the helm. I also knew I liked the look. It was unique, albeit a bit rough.
After doing some research, I learned about the Turbo Coupe, Sport, and LX. I knew the moment I saw it, I had to have a turbo. And in Late January of 06, I got this nice little car for a mere $520.
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e363/DMC24guy/newboardpic2.jpg)
I made the mistake of selling it in Late June because of A/C problems and because of what I thought was a lack of power. And now I own the car that can be seen in my signature.
I love these cars because of the power, the rarity (especially around these parts), and because they just look cool. A throwback to the Muscle car era. If only they came stock with 351's. Can you imagine?