Hey guys I'm new, 22, living in Ga. I've gone to NTI, WGTC, and I plan on going back to WGTC for welding. i got my 87 sport coupe from my gramps 4 years ago and I've kicked its ass and it's taken every bit of it. I was a chevy fan, still am actually, but this car has actually surprised me. I have enjoyed every bit of it except when something breaks but I've always fixed it unless I was hard up for money. Been making a good bit of money from when I worked at Toyota of Lagrange so I've been slowly fixing the things that needed it. I've almost gotten to the point where I'm willing to sell it just to move on and drive something different but I sure would miss it. I've come to the conclusion that although it's not got the balls of a TC it still handles just as well. I've frightened plenty of people with how well it handles. Also, it may be an SO but with it's handling it can stay with newer F-Bodies, and even outran the F-bodies that have the huge ego's (aka v6ers.) I've enjoyed it, and feel blessed I didn't end up with anything less.
So how about you guys? I know some of you throughly enjoy everything about them. I'm proud to be an aerobird driver, but you guys are fanatics! lol
any other guys out there had them as your first car and just never could get rid of them?
:D :burnout: :birdsmily: :cougarsmily:
I was proud of this one\/
before:
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb170/1WLDBRD/DSC00617.jpg)
After I was done with it:
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb170/1WLDBRD/DSC03488a.jpg)
I started with a plain jane 3.8L AOD car, and built a fun, quick, 5.0L HO, 5 speed bird out of it... I still miss that thing...
Here is my cardomain for the main part of the story:
My Cardomain (http://"http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2464895")
is that a turbo coupe vent in the fender?!?!?!? thats DIFFERENT i've never seen that before. WOW lol thats nice... is it on both fenders or is that for like an intake mod through that side of the car?!?!?
I guess I like mine alright.
lol i'd guess you do, what all have you done to that white one? whats under that HUGE cowl and is it just me but those headlights look different...
I wouldn't trade mine.I love the car.My wife has tried to get me to buy a new car and let this one go,but it's more than a car to me,I have a LOT of time and "me" in it.It's kind of like family now.Even my wife is starting to understand.......which kinda scares me.
SBC, headlights are tinted
That is a sheet metal replica that I made and welded into the fender, And yeah I believe I was the one and only to do it to a thunderbird... It was just on the one side for the intake... Thanks for the complements. I've got pics of some of the steps if you want to see them...
I'm in the same boat with vinnie
I've had my cougar for 17 years now, and will do whatever it takes to put her back together again.
There's a lifetime of memories in there and I can't just let them go without a fight. Me and my wife had our first date with her and now after all this time it's like part of the family.
my wife also told me to s her and get another one to fix up. but it just wouldn't be the same. If she does ever die, I'm gonna need a big backhoe to dig the hole in my backyard for her.
I know one day she'll be back on the road again. I'm hoping this summer for a bit after the body gets put back on. She'll be primed and ugly but I haven't drove her since 02.
And before anybody says something. I was referring to my car not my wife
bird was my first driveable car...
And shes turning into one hell of a demon
VV
I'm 17 and on my 2nd TC... an '87 and now an '86. I don't think I can survive without owning one at any given time.
I'm interested in how you got it plumbed, i noticed theres a hole cut that i believe is for the turbo coupe (correct me if im wrong), you put a cone filter inside there? i've thought about using the hole for the turning lamps with a cone filter inside that hole plumbed to the TB.
I've thought about selling my car millions of times, still havnt. i even thought about selling it without the 302, buying a miata, and then get the 5.0l miata conversion kit and put the 302, T5(6), 8.8 IRS rear combination in it. but i doubt it. i'll prolly keep the t-bird no matter what.
I enjoy them, but lately the only time I enjoy one is during the unlikely time my room mate and I are in the house at the same time and we go for a cruise in his tbird.
My Tbird is my first car and I'm very proud of it. I always keep it as clean as I can considering it's also my daily driver (working as a part time waiter and going to college), and have done a couple of small mods to it. I dont see this car ever leaving my sight. Check out my cardomain and youtube video (both linked in my sig) if you'd like more info :) .
If you sell it you will regret it these cars are going on 20 years old
I was also a chevy guy I grew up w/a chevy father, its was the fox-bird that changed me I bought my first 87 sport in 96and drove it for 5 years till I race it (bad move on my part) that car was in to nice of condition the motor had 245,xxx on it till I started racing it and ran like a champ I junked it cause there was no sheet metal left to weld. My present bird is my 4th one I don’t plan on selling it at all I have to much personal sweet in it. I almost changed every nut and bolt in it at least that’s how I feel, I even a replaced the interior.
this SO 302 w/over245 on it ran with and passed the 350 monte’s and Malibu’s the problem like I said was I was to little out there I was getting pushed around to much had no weight to push back
(http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii266/BillyInnes/copyofscan0006.jpg)
(http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii266/BillyInnes/scan0004.jpg)
i've thought a bout making my car a hobby car too. The only problem with that is if i were to race in hobby stock (i think they call them bombers in other parts of the country?) i'd prolly go with a malibu. i've never really seen a ford that has ever been built right and they always had problems. but i know that always goes back to the person that built them to. but really thats just those thoughts "you know this car would be a REALLY NICE hobby stock car" thoughts and my car is just too nice after 21 years to do something like that to it. maybe if i found a truely nasty one.
but how'd it run other than all the gettin knocked around? what was your average finish etc etc etc (pm me if you want)
I've had my car for almost 5 years now, put more money into it than I care to think about, and I'll never get rid of it.
Only thing I hate is that it's really starting to show its age these days. Usual 20 year old car blues, I guess.
Guess my form of racing is a bit easier on sheet metal, owned it since '97 and raced since '00, ain't scratched it yet...
well depends on what class your in, im guessing you were in street stock? those cars take such a huge beating. plus it also depends on how bad of a wreck you have and how you and the other drivers race eachother. i was helping a guy last year during the summer and his car rarely ever got banged up except for rubs and when he nosed it into the wall, those guys drove clean... depends on the competition. in late model those cars USUALLY only get dirty (the cars)
I can't stand TBirds/Cougars....
Obviously :rolleyes:
In no way am I saying turn your car into a stock car
Up here in the north NewYork Jersey PA Conn we call it Enduro racing I thing it’s the same as you bomber pretty much no yellow flag racing car handled well speacally taking a lot of weight out of it everything but the front windshield drivers seat and steering wheel. It accelerated like a son-of-a-gun and suspension stiffened up just the unabody couldn’t hold up to the full chassis cars I presently have a 76 monty w/350
The Malibu’s are about 200-300lbs lighter so a lot of guys like them but some complain the ass is to light now your starting to see a lot of box/caprices out there due to there availability and the lack of 70s A&G bodies but some complain there to light up front they plow/push going into the turn but they all adjust.
As for the 4 cyl and 6 cly Enduros specially 6 you se a lot of bird and cougars mostly mn12s
LOL oh year the good thing is there nothing cosmetic as long as it’s safe and operational.
The problem is the eye saw that I have to keep covered on the side of my house
oo they still have the no yellow flag deal up north? down here in GA no track could get insurance on that event so they put yellow flags in it (bummer if you ask me.) i know enduro, some tracks around here are putting them in (havn't seen the fwd cars yet, not even a stock one with the factory windshield seats etc) but thats street stock down here. hobby stock, or bombers i think (bombers is new to me too so bombers, depending on the track is either hobby stock or street stock) hobby, which i would be racing is a full rail chassis car with full roll cage. i'm sure you guys got those up there. the hobby cars around here lately have been moving towards limited late model style chassis with a older body hung on them and late model are the IMSA or Hooters Pro Cup style fiberglass deals. my dad raced in the 80's till the mid/early 90's. did dirt hobby, for 3 seasons, went to asphalt with a class called b cadet which was where you had to use stock front clips and stock rear clips with a connecting chassis in the middle.. basically you could have a 76 maro front end with a 57 Chevy rear end etc etc etc. then when they got rid of that class (more expensive than hobby, about as expensive as limited late model when they were the same as late model with a smaller carb and different cam) and he went hobby again. ended up with a Darrel Waltrip chassis he tried to run in limited with a bum motor and a car that weighed 1000lbs too much... he got in the way of the leaders, they tried to make it 4 wide on a 3/8 mile track and he went airborne, he said he saw the flagman eye to eye.
well enough about stock car racing :evilgrin:
On long island we only have one track left and that’s riverhead raceway its claim to fame is Steve Park and the Sopranos. The rest closed to go drag you go to cross a bridge and go to jersey. There a lot of talks of opening up another one here but ill believe it when I see it
Unfortunately we don’t have all those nice classes you guys have in the south every thing else requires money and some series competition (ex. blunderbust class a 100 cars will show up and only 28 will qualify for the main event)
As for the FWD endures there ok some of the 4 cyl fly around the track there like little go-carts but they tend to flip easy and injury is a lot more pr0ne.
What makes me laugh about the 4 cyl is the latter the model year the more technology the quicker common sense. With that being said during inspection I notice local law enforcement there running vins and questioning. Some of these guys are running cars 3-4 years old. Takes you back to the old days of stockcar racing when these guys where running stolen cars in the early 60s
My 87 has been in family since it was purchased, it was my grandparents, when my grandmother died i bought it off the estate. It may not be in running condition but ill be ed if im going to sell it or let it rot out and die. My current is a 99 cougar dd just as fun but no rwd :(.
yeh my gramps baught it LIKE-new in like 89 or 90 i forget with LOW LOW miles, they put steel wheels on it and took the alloys and put them on another ford prolly a mustang. i grew up around the car all my life, although i dont remember what he had before the car (born in 85 so i was like what, 4,5,6 or so when he baught it.) but i'll be ed if i sell it.. i've kicked that bucket around but i still havnt even gone anywhere close to advertising it to be sold. i got a soft spot in my heart for it, thats why im restoring it right now. im ganna do the body work and prep when i can save enough for a paintjob. im ganna have it painted black like it was originally. (still is black, just different finishes all over.)
My parents co-signed for the loan on my first car which also meant that they had a large part in what I could buy so my first one was a 1982 Escort.
So technically my XR-7 was my second car purchase, but to me it will always be my first car since it was exactly what I wanted at the time and no one could put any stipulations on my purchase.
As to your question of whether I enjoy it?
I doubt it will ever see another name on its title in my lifetime. :D
Brent
:cougarsmily: