Ok, this is the 84 Cougar I've been considering buying:
http://tucson.craigslist.org/car/433554792.html
The owner says that he Pulled the distributor and was under the impression that by doing so, he had messed up the computer to the point where it couldn't reset the timing....
I'm assuming this would be a rather complicated fix to undertake....
Other than that though, it just needs a battery.
Should I???? More importantly, how involved would it be to reset the timing?
(http://images.craigslist.org/010100010211010405200709288395be823dbdf26ef200998c.jpg)
easy fix lol... let him think he messed something up and buy it.
How easy of a fix are we talking Should I have it towed, or would it be something I could do in this guy's back yard? To set in a new distributor, how would I know when the #1 Piston is at TDC on a compression stroke?
him screwing up the timing has no effect on the computer. I would have it towed. Not sure about the TDC, but the timing would just get it to the point were its set so it starts and get a timing light and set it. Real simple at that point. I can do it on a chevy, but not yet on a ford. More knowledgeable people will chime in.
Looks to be worth that 300 all day long, jump on it!
The price is what's really tempting me. It needs work, but with the money I would have to spend on it, I could easily fix whatever problems it has. Plus, the guy even said the price would be negotiable if I could tow it away...which I can. He's basically giving it away.
i would be like well, since you messed up the timing, and cant prove it runs, im a little skeptical how about 225 and its gone today. or 200
Yep, I would try to bargain it down as low as possible. Telling him that the motor is junk...
ok guys,, this is bad Karma in the making, hes already cooked a turkey,,,,,,,,,,oooppsssssss I mean a TBIRD. Now your only asking for a cat to be cooked as well.:flame:
dont lie. Dont volunteer info but dont encourage bad Karma either.
Since it is written inside the Craigslist ad that the price is "negotiable", especially if the car can be towed away, I was figuring $250 would be my offer. I would tell him "$250 and It'll be gone today". That sounds about right?
(If only I had a good Washing Machine to part with....)
BTW, is the engine and all the components underneath the hood basically the same as my old 87 V6 T-Bird? Melting TFI module and all?
I think in 84 the TFI was still on the Dizzy.
Memories of random engine cut-outs while driving around town are coming back to me....
Hell, if the distributor is off, I might as well take the opportunity to Remote Mount the TFI.
Well, the guy wrote me back this morning and told me the car only has 115k miles on it. His reasoning for taking out the distributor was as follows:
..."It was inspected as the source of not starting. All tests pointed to the coil
though, so there is a new coil in it and now the battery causes it to not start. "
Low mileage $300 car....I may have to get this one.
I guess we can expect long threads full of basic questions once again.
Be honest with yourself. You question this forum for small issues with your car that are meaningless to the rest of us that most can do with their eyes closed. Yes stabbing a distributor is very easy, but your past car work history says no you are not capable of doing it.
The reasoning for the questions is simple. I've only owned a car since...August of 2005. Everything is rather new to me, including what some here consider basic maintenance. Yes, If I have a question about something, I'm not afraid to ask it here. Most of the time I'll get good answers.
After owning now 4 Thunderbirds, I do feel confident enough about diagnosing a lot of problems on my own. I know what to look for when certain things happen. TFI, PIP, the various sensors, etc. Will I have questions about stuff I've never dealt with before?...sure. Will they appear asinine to some....probably. But, I'll keep asking them because I know someone will more than likely have the answer.
As for setting the timing. I believe I'm plenty capable of doing it.
I rebuilt the motor on my Oldsmobile after 3 months of ownership. Come up with another excuse.
Where are the pictures of the damage on the other car?!!!
Come up with another excuse? I don't have to. That's my reasoning. I wasn't really into cars per say UNTIL I got my first car, which was the Blue 87 Thunderbird back in Aug. 05. It's been a learning experience ever since. If It seems like I don't have a clue sometimes, it's probably because I don't. And when I don't have a clue, I'll ask a question. If It seems like I have too many questions on simple subjects, I'm sorry. You're not obligated to answer them.
As for the pictures of the damage. I never took any. I never wanted to see the car again.
Buy the car and make it run.
Ignore the nay-sayers. You ain't too dumb to do it. Just get your hands dirty and the mechanic in you will find a way.
Just turn the engine over by hand before you finalize the deal and make sure it ain't locked.
Oh believe me, I don't feel ANY obligation to answer any of YOUR questions.
It just seems to me that you often bite off more than you can chew and it bites you right back more often than not.
Is the car a good buy? That's up to you. It's a little rough around the edges for my taste....probably more going on underneath that the seller is unwilling to mention (body rot, etc.,)
Everyone of us started in the "asking a lot of questions" stage and the forums are good for that.
First of all the price is $300 negotiable. Which means <$300. I wouldn't seriously consider this car unless you had $800-1000 to put into it. You never know what else you'll find. Otherwise you'll just be out $300 with a car you can't get running.
likely not located in UofA. University of Arizona??
That car is prob mint underneath.
Get that car,, if its low miles then you prob hit a gold mine. My 3.8 has a ton of miles. Just get it running and timing done.
as for the car / wrenching smarts, just volunteer to help someone out thats doing complicated stuff like rebuilds ect. Thats where you can pick up on some knowledge.
Ill bet the car has a bad stator down in the dizzy and thats why its out. They arent too bad to change once you get the roll pin out of the dizzy gear,, and the dizzy gear off. Ive often wanted to figure out a way to modify this feature as each of us will inherit this problem atleast twice in a 10 year period with aftermarket parts.
The guy claims it had a bad "coil" and therefore was replaced. As for the money issue. That's not a problem. I do have something of a beater car to get to work and back, so I can just park the Cougar and slowly work on it.
Yes, it is the University of Arizona, here in Tucson.
Well, I got to inspect the car right now. It's not half bad looking. It has those ugly Road wheels in the front, but a nice set of Turbines in the back.
However, I couldn't get it to start. It would crank over and over, but never start. I checked for Spark at the Distributor, and it was present. Pulled the Air Cleaner off to make sure nothing was wrong up there and it too was fine. I pushed the little valve stem on the Throttle Body and a small trickle of gas came out, no squirt or anything like that. I also noticed that the Gas Gauge was reading at below empty the entire time. Even when I had the ignition in the run position.
The distributor was never actually pulled, just the cap and rotor. The coil was replaced.
So, what are the odds the car is just out of gas? Or Fuel pump is bad? I was figuring it should have fired up seeing as a small trickle of gas came out of the Throttle Body valve stem. Unless the pressure was great enough....
Put some gas in it.
When it comes to Fox chassis Cougar/Thunderbirds,
never rely on the fuel gauge for an accurate reading. I've owned three of these cars so far, and the fuel gauge has worked in exactly zero of them.
Take a gas can with you next time and dump two gallons into the tank. You may consider taking a fuel pressure gauge too. You should be able to thread it onto the schrader valve on the fuel line in the engine bay (if it has one).
How long has it been sitting? The gas may be bunk.
When he pulled the distributor cap, did he pull any of the wires off? I suppose it's possible he stuck them back on in the wrong order.
Well, for once in my life, I've decided not to settle. I'm not getting the car. Doing so would once again be selling myself short. What I really want is V8 power, and if It means waiting several more months before someone appears, so be it. I'd rather buy something I'll be happy with, rather than just getting something because it's cheap.
why that cougar is a 3.8? O i thought it was a 5.0.
Just buy a mark!
Trust me, if I had the funds to do so I would. But, you know how that goes. I think I'm going to buy myself a lock box and take out a large sum of money from each paycheck I get until I can afford a v8. It may take a while, but I don't want to make the same mistakes again and again and settle.
Dude it will be WORTH IT. Good move. If the beater's any good on gas you'll save up $$ quicker too! :D Probably will find the 5.0 a lot easier to work on than the 2.3. I gotta hand it to the guys here willing to deal with em. They got a lot more patience than I. I don't think I'd last a day with one! You mention your lack of experience (same boat here) and I'll bet you'll have a better time with the 8.
I used to own one remember? That brown 87?
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e363/DMC24guy/000_2322.jpg)
Probably the biggest mistake I've made to this day was selling that car. I ended up giving some guy $700 PLUS that car for the Black Turbo I used to own. Huge mistake. The only thing wrong was it needed a new Distributor. But being impatient as I am, and not willing to deal with the constant dying-out of the engine everyday on the way to work, I got rid of it. It was probably the easiest car I've worked on.
This is a good move. Never settle for less than you want (and can afford).
Awww dude dont start posting pics of that thing Im gonna start cryin......I LOOOOVED that thing. Forgot it was a 5.0. Jeez has it been that long or do I truly have the memory of a squirrel? Well oops okay thats a very easy question.....
I dunno for some reason those wheels and that color....I almost WANT a bird that exact way. It just goes great.
Well I've done some pretty impulsive and impatient things too. I think I've gotten better since maybe when I first started driving about 3 years ago but Im still a stoopid college student what can ya expect? lol But its tough when that stuff happens and you don't feel like dealing with it. But if you can....hold out for a *nice* 5.0 one. Gotta be some decent stuff out that way cars last forever in the west!!!!