I just sold my T-Bird today. :hick: Some kid called and came over to look at the bird, (had it advertised for $2000) Took him for a ride, and he offered me a trade for his Honda Prelude,:nkhk: :grinno: :shakehead after I stopped laughing he offered $1750 for it. :cheers: I took it. Now Im on the look out for another bird or Cougar. Found a nice '94 XR-7 with the 4.6L in it that I might go look at.:cool:
So you sold a Tbird so you can buy another one? I'm not seeing the logic...please explain
Because I want something different and something that doesn't need a paint job. The motor needs a new bottom end, and I didn't feel like rebuilding it. The entire interior needs to be stripped out and re-died, and I also noticed a mint TC that has been sitting in the guys driveway for years with no plates that I might try and scoop up.
Ah ok, that makes more sense then. Go for the TC! :D
Thats my problem, I want more but dont get rid of what I have we now have 10 here
Ron,kinda glad to hear you sold the bird,did need alot of rust repair.
However,don't buy an mn12 bird or coug their even worse for rust and heavier.
Look around for a TC or sport,i'll keep my eye out for ya but don't buy something to haistily,we'll find ya somethin nice.
It's never a mistake to sell a car you're not happy with, especially if you plan on replacing it with something that'll make you happy. I agree with Dom: Don't buy an MN12. Those things must be made with Honda steel, 'cuz they seem to rust like one. Remember, too, that the 4.6 won't be nearly as easy (or cheap) to mod as a TC or 5.0 Fox...
K ron already got a lead on an 88TC just waiting for the guy to pm me back info on it.
Also got a lead on this in brantford for 2000obo,looks super clean and the guy says it's been rust proffed every year as well as 100% garage kept,does have 235k but says it runs mint.
If the body and frame are in mint shape the km's really don't matter cause an HO swap would be in order anyways.
Dont buy an mn12. They aren't put together near as well as the Foxes and can turn into a money pit really quick.
I used to have a 98 4.6 T-Bird. My fox birds are far better cars.
Are the fox bodies really made better, and the MN12's made that badly? I had a 94' Cougar with all the options, including the ground effects and a 4.6. It was a smooth car. Allot more power than the stock fox bodies. It was like going from a pinto to a BMW as far as ride handling and comfort. My ex wife got it, and I wish I had bought it from her when she sold it.
SWEET thanks Chris, got a number for that Cougar? I WANT IT.
As for the MN12's I gotta argue with you guys, I loved my '91 5.0L Cougar, yes it was a rust bucket but it did handle and ride WAY better then any fox I have had, plus it had more interior room. (A BIG bonus when you have a baby seat to worry about)
There was all kinds of power too being that it was an HO. it was alot heavier though.
Man I reall like that cougar, Please get me a number Chris. Thanks man.
I have to chime in here and agree with yellow86cougar. In my personal experience the mn12 build quality/dependabily has been every bit as good as or exceeding that of my fox, and this is taking into acount their 10 year age difference. Roxanne ('87) experienced plenty of component failures/faulty items requiring repair or replacement during her first 10 years...especially near the end of that time, whereas Xena ('97) has not yet experienced one single breakdown, not counting a dead old battery when they have worn out in due time. Oh, o.k., there was that ONE time I learned of the recall for the intake manifold issue, when mine broke and dumped its coolant everywhere, but Ford took care of that! Just a couple of weeks ago was my first real "major" maintainance cost for Xena, when she got new shocks & struts, and had to have the upper ball joints replaced. Not a bad record at all for a 10 year old car, I think.
Man, I can't ever seem to write short posts!
The Build quality of the mn12 is as good as a fox but the design of it is not.
What i mean by that is,the rockers acumulate all the water and road debris therefore rotting out not only the rockers but the ajoining floor and A pillar by the door hinges, I own a 91SC and it has all these problems.
These rot spots are comon on the mn12 and get very bad if not looked after,also the front ends in the mn12s are much more expensive and more of a pain in the but to fix.
You cannot replace ball joints alone in an mn12,it's the whole control arm upper and lower(i know i've replaced 3 out of the 4)and their not cheap at just over 100cdn a piece my cost(retail is about 160-200).
Also mn12s are harder to work on due to their engine bay configuration(ever try to do motor mounts on an mn12 vs a fox) fox is much easier.
Now don't get me wrong i do like my SC,it rides nice(after replacing the worn out ride control shocks)has all the options and does look the part, however a nice rot free fox(i know hard to find but i have one muhahahaha)is the way to go and i think that's what ron's after and would be happiest with.
Ron got more pics for ya and here is some more info on her,looks to be a nice XR7,can't see the one rust spot the guy speaks of though.
It's a 5.0L Non HO,body is really good one rust spot,original paint, rebuilt AOD and Torque Converter, new fuel pump KYB shocks, New heater core and evaporator....and the list goes on. Rust proofed every year, garage kept.
It was owned by the Wife of an Air Canada Pilot.
I will have pic as soon as I get home.
More pics
I might just be poisoned from my experience owning an MN12. Maybe mine was a Friday car, and yes, it did have the V6, but some of the more major mechanical problems I had with my '91 T-Bird were:
- Both front upper ball joint/control arms went bad at about 40k miles, cost $300 EACH back then for new ones
- Both front stabilizer end links went bad causing very annoying rattle at about 45k miles - $60/apiece for new ones
- Head gasket failure at about 50k miles, left me stranded on very cold December evening on my way to work Christmas party, cost approximately $500 including tow but not labour (I did the work myself)
- Ignition switch fire at about 55k miles, left me stranded 700 miles from home (this was before the recall - in fact my car played a key role in the recall), insurance paid for repair but I paid for night in hotel room, $150 not counting the day's work I lost
- #4 rod bearing failure at 60k miles, required new crank. I rebuilt the whole engine at this point, cost for new crank, rod, rings and gasket set was $1400 (I did the labour myself)
- Alternator failed on very cold, rainy early spring day leaving my pregnant sister, who had borrowed the car to visit her doctor, stranded
- Strut rod bushings failed, both almost at once and quite suddenly, like within a day of each other, causing some pretty funky handling
Non-mechanical:
- Clearcoat peeled on every horizontal surface when car was three years old
- Rocker panels and both door bottoms rotted completely off by time car was 6 years old
- power seat stopped working at three years old
- headlight switch failed, causing me to drive about 15 miles in the dark to get home (luckily there was a full moon and I was on a familiar road)
After that car I swore I'd never own another Ford 3.8 or MN12 again (even though Id like to build a twin turbo SPI four-eye some day). I even turned my nose up at a very cheap '90 XR7 5-speed about two years ago as memories of that nightmare of a car I had kept flooding in...
Thanks alot for the info Chris, I will be going to look at it sometime this week, (hopefully tomorrow)
I will let you guys know. I found a REALLY nice '98 3.8L T-bird that I am considering too though,
(http://images.trader.ca/autotrader/12/6/4199233.jpg.fpx?large)
Selling as is. Car is in near new condition. MUST SELL NOW! All reasonable offers will be considered. 3.8L V6,auto,pw,pl,climate control,remote start,security,new tires,new starter. 140,000 km. $1,500
(dominator is right, with what I am after though, and the problems with MN12's as my coug had the same body rot problems)
hey that thing should have the 8.8" Rear in it right?
RJ, if i were you i'd be on that white XR7 like fly on shiznit.. that thing is nice!
???
Unless they puppiesed off all the extras north of the border..the last MN-12 Tbird was in '97.
There are 7 different 95-97 4.6 Birds with less then 100K miles for less then $2000 in my county. They can't give MN12's away around here.
Getting interior,underneith,engine and frame rail pics for ya tonight ron.
Stay away from that 3.8L bird ron,no more 3.8L's
haha Thanks Chris. And yeah that was a typo Chuck, I meant '93. dont know how the hell I typed 98 :confused:
I already decided that I am buying that XR7, thanks to those pics, just waiting on the kid to come over tonight with the rest of the cashfor the bird. Then I am going to head up there and get it.
Well,ron it does look nice but lets see the interior and underneith pics before ya go and blow 2000grand lol.
Said he's gonna send em tonight after work.
I gotta go to niagra falls new york after work to pic up a set of
T- bird toys so i won't be back until around 8-9pm muhahahaha.
True. Hell where is this rust spot he says it has? Knowing my luck, it has a rotted through frame rail or something. So um.... What are your tbird toys?
Seems the 93 up cars don't tend to rust as much as the earlier ones.
Well ron here's the money pics you've waited for,if you don't snap this clean example of an xr7 up you deserve a punch in the:punchballs: lol.
More pics,dam this thing is clean for the mileage.
Go get her and drive her home ron:cougarsmily: .
oh you will do it yourself after you buy something else. that thing is clean
Nah my rides even cleaner with lower mileage muhahahaha.
sorry was saying he would. LOL
That Coug is awesome! Buy it NOW!!
I am just as soon as this kid gives me the money for mine. He was suppose to come today with it, but apparently his bank froze his account due to triing to withdraw that amount through transfers and such. He came and got his downpayment back today (minus $50 for my troubles) and said he will be back as soon as he straightens out the problem with his bank. We'll see. I will call the guy with that coug tomorrow and go check it out.
That sucks,sounds like the kid changed his mind and made up an excuse to get his down back,not sure if you'll ever see him again.
Can you come up with the coin on your own???
Definetly give the guy a call though,his name is atillah.
I dont know, I was thinking the same thing, but the kid did seem sincere. I didn't really want to sell the bird anyways so, if I have to I will take out an extension on my loan, One way or another I will get that Cougar.
Please tell me he doesn't have your car and the down?
Man do I look that dumb?!?!? He didn't even get to drive it on the test drive. He wont get NOTHING till ALL the coin is in my hands.
I just ran the idea of getting an extension on the loan for the Coug past my finance advisory, (AKA the wife) she said she will think about it and let me know after work. (more then likley that means NO) but we'll see. LOL :hick:
Yep she said no, but I advertised it on Kijiji for $2500, and I have a guy calling me back from ST thomas tomorrow to set up a time to look at it. If he offers $2000 it's gone and that Cougar will be in the driveway. I got my fingers crossed.
...Unless the guy in ST Thomas sees that Cougar first :hick:
Wow that is a nice Cougar...the interior is almost identical to mine. That'll be a perfect replacement.
It's not a HO :hick: mine is.... :p
Did you call the guy ron????
He's asking me what's up.
I hate when women say no(probably why i'm divorced,lol)but i just do it anyways.
Gotta die someday and today's a good day to die.
But when women say yes,this is what happens(check out my thread)!!!
LOL I hear ya Chris, trust me I am really thinking about getting the loan extension anyways. I called the guy this afternoon, nice guy. Gave me all the details about it, and we shot the shiznit for a bit. I'm going to call him tomorrow and set up a time to go up sat or sunday and take a closer peak at it and get some better pics of it. Will let you know how it goes.