Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

General => General Fox T-Bird/Cougar Discussion => Topic started by: Red Spar on March 31, 2008, 07:36:59 PM

Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: Red Spar on March 31, 2008, 07:36:59 PM
I need blueprints or even semi-accurate orthographic line drawings for my project I am working on here http://www.foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showthread.php?t=18795

I am having a few problems with the photos I am using because of slight depth of field distortion.

Anything ya got would be great if it is even out there.  Nothing on Google.

Thanks.
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: BEARMAX on March 31, 2008, 08:20:46 PM
http://www.foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showthread.php?t=4898
sorry i beat ya to the whole back to the future thing but i think the pic link is dead ...any way i think erics site only has the cougar line art but im shure you can modifie the rear of the car to look like a bird
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: Red Spar on March 31, 2008, 09:07:49 PM
Thanks Bearmax.  I went to the Cool Cats site  - the line drawings weren't bad but none of them have a plan (top) view which I need the most.
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: HAVI on March 31, 2008, 11:04:34 PM
are ya talkin' a simple pic like this, or a detailed pic like the truck?
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: BEARMAX on March 31, 2008, 11:07:02 PM
wow dude just seen the other thread that looks realy good
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: Red Spar on March 31, 2008, 11:11:34 PM
Thanks... Detailed like the truck but I don't need the internal mechanicals, just the body. Key points I need are accurate front, side and top views.
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: HAVI on March 31, 2008, 11:13:44 PM
I would like to find pics of the 87/88 birds in the detailed format myself.  So far, no luck.
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: Hillbilly Deluxe on April 01, 2008, 12:17:04 AM
I don't know if there was a chassis book for the Tbird or not. It is the book body shops use to align the frame and body after a wreck. Very simliar to the drawing of the truck. Might want to check with some of the local body shops and see what they have that they may let you copy.
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: jcassity on April 01, 2008, 12:20:33 AM
there are body shop manuals,, ill check mine tomorrow and see if there is any drawing like that.

Never heard of orthographic before, guess ill learn something new.
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: blu84302 on April 01, 2008, 12:20:41 AM
so. if i stood on top of a building... and took a pic of my car below... would that work?
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: Red Spar on April 01, 2008, 12:35:04 AM
Quote from: blu84302;211915
so. if i stood on top of a building... and took a pic of my car below... would that work?


If you look in my other thread, that is pretty much what I did. I took a pic off a bridge with my car below.  It wasn't really high enough though as I had a bit of depth of field distortion.  Even a little tiny bit of distortion can throw your model off.

Real blueprints or something similar would be best.
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: HAVI on April 01, 2008, 07:37:34 PM
Mitchell Data is one, and I think All-Data is another, but I don't have either one.
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: Red Spar on April 03, 2008, 04:23:51 PM
Well I am on hold for the moment on this until I can get a better plan (top down) view.  My plan photo has too much distortion to use.  I really, really need a blueprint!
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: Red Spar on April 03, 2008, 09:31:26 PM
Well I decided to be bold and emailed Ford requesting blueprints.  Let's see if I get lucky or just laughed at or ignored.. ;)
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: Red Spar on April 05, 2008, 04:36:46 PM
Well I got an email back from Ford.... The response I got is not too surprising but here it is:

Dear Vance,

Thank you for contacting the Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center regarding the blue prints of the Ford Thunderbird models from 1983-1986.

Information of this nature is proprietary to Ford Motor Company and therefore is unavailable to the public.

If you have any other inquiries, please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to address them for you.

Sincerely,
Rex Bryan
Customer Relationship Center
Ford Motor Company


Man I don't see what the big deal is when I just asked for a simple line drawing plan views of the body of a 25 yr old car.  Man what has this world came to...
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: HAVI on April 05, 2008, 09:02:06 PM
it translates into "we're not gonna spend our time looking for this information."  Mitchell Data is a company, I'd ask them.  It may cost money, but it's a decent chance.
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: t3skidoo on April 06, 2008, 12:27:48 AM
Did you see the thread about how Ford is suing a Mustang site over their calendar?  Ford's response sounds like they're not interested in sharing. 

Maybe someone should point out to Rex that car companies are paying for the privilege of having their products represented in video games, and that they might consider a different tact, especially since Ford's bottom line isn't looking so good these days.

BTW Red Spar, excellent work.
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: MasterBlaster on April 06, 2008, 04:50:26 PM
Quote
Well I decided to be bold and emailed Ford requesting blueprints.

Quote
I just asked for a simple line drawing plan views

So which was it... plan views that anybody could get if the camera is far enough away (try hacking into the Hubble telescope), or blueprints which would seem to include WAY more detailed stuf, like exact dimensions, sheet metal thickness, alloy types, bolt strengths, etc... the kind of stuff some aftermarket "manufacturer" would want to make a bunch of bogus "NOS Ford, the Real Stuff, Honest!" parts.
As they said... [COLOR="Red"]Information of this nature is proprietary [/COLOR]
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: Romeo2k on April 06, 2008, 06:44:16 PM
Doubt any of these will help you... But figured i would post anyway:
(http://www.fedrelandsvennen.no/amcar/brochures/ford/bilder/84t_10.jpg)
Theres some more stuff here:
http://www.fedrelandsvennen.no/amcar/brochures/ford/84tbird.html
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: Ether947 on April 06, 2008, 06:44:20 PM
Found this...
http://www.the-blueprints.com/index.php?blueprints/cars/ford/20644/view/

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i78/ether947/misc/ford-thunderbird-1984.gif)
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: Ether947 on April 06, 2008, 06:57:02 PM
Appears to be an 87-88 Thunderbird TC here (http://"http://www.smcars.net/forums/ford/index2.html"), but you have to be a member to view.
http://www.smcars.net/forums/ford/index2.html

Registering now...

EDIT: Meh, just some dude's hand drawing of the 87-88
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i78/ether947/misc/1987FordThunderbirdTurbo.jpg)

Found another profile of the four eyes on the site from Road & Track.
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i78/ether947/misc/1983thunderbirdturbo.jpg)
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: Hillbilly Deluxe on April 06, 2008, 07:13:17 PM
Quote from: Ether947;212858
Appears to be an 87-88 Thunderbird TC here (http://"http://www.smcars.net/forums/ford/index2.html"), but you have to be a member to view.
http://www.smcars.net/forums/ford/index2.html

Registering now...

Don't get my hopes up like that.
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: Red Spar on April 06, 2008, 07:38:17 PM
Thanks for all the help digging around the net for me guys!  You guys rock! Unfortunately, I have already found all those pics (The R&T side view is good!) and I have been a member of the SMCARS.net forum for awhile....That hand drawn 'Bird ain't gunna cut it... ;)

Quote
So which was it... plan views that anybody could get if the camera is far enough away (try hacking into the Hubble telescope), or blueprints which would seem to include WAY more detailed stuf, like exact dimensions, sheet metal thickness, alloy types, bolt strengths, etc... the kind of stuff some aftermarket "manufacturer" would want to make a bunch of bogus "NOS Ford, the Real Stuff, Honest!" parts.


I have been throwing around the word 'blueprint' around here pretty liberally, when I emailed Ford I asked for 4 views line drawings of the Thunderbird...But apparently line drawings are super secret info so no dice for me!

Well I am just going to have to find a really, really tall bridge with a road below so I can get a top down shot that is high enough so I can get a photo with the minimum of distortion.
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: HAVI on April 06, 2008, 10:14:23 PM
http://cgi.ebay.com/1989-MITCHELL-Vehicle-Dimension-Manual-Cars-Trucks_W0QQitemZ110239834600QQihZ001QQcategoryZ378QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

This is what I was referring to.  Unfortunately this is 1989 and not 1988.
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: Red Spar on April 06, 2008, 10:54:08 PM
Hmmm... very interesting... I'll look into this more.  Thanks!    :headbang:
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: Red Spar on April 14, 2008, 10:03:06 AM
Well I have scoured every tube on the interweb for 2 weeks ...nada, zip, zero for Bird blueprints. UGH..

-so-

I found a very tall bridge with a road below and got a great top down orthographic photo.  I was little queezy hanging way over the edge with a camera to get the shot but hey, the  you do for art.

Here's the pic showing how high it was:

(http://www.redspar.com/bird/high_bridge.jpg)


Final product:

(http://www.redspar.com/bird/topshot.png)

I still have some slight optical distortion, ~ 1 inch discrepancy in length with my side photo, but at least it is much better, enough to give my project the green light again.
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: Ether947 on April 14, 2008, 11:23:45 AM
Holy shiznite you are pretty high up! Nice job on the picture.
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: Romeo2k on April 14, 2008, 05:09:13 PM
Great Job. :hick:
Title: Does anyone have blueprints of 83-86 Tbirds?
Post by: Haystack on April 14, 2008, 11:44:09 PM
I could get a picture of one hanging directly over an 87 bird in a bucket truck...