Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

Alright there is a thunderbird turbo coupe in a local boneyard. I ran the vin from the yard simply to get the year, I wnated stuff off an 87 just ot be sure.

The vin came back that the car was built with a 1.6l engine and in taiwan. I thought oh whatever its an 87 theres a mistake. Well after sitting at me desk the other day I saw the vin number written down. I called ford and they confirmed in thier records the car was built allegedly in taiwan with the 1.6l. Now I know a kid who lives in the same town as the yard, I asked him to go over there and see if there was a registration left in the car(not to sound stalkerish but i really wanna know)

He called me today with the name and i yellow pages the gentleman He told me he bought it from the original owner, an elderly man with a 1.6l engine in it. The man made no mention that it was ever swapped. While on the phone he told me he blew up the 1.6 and swapped in a 2.3 with manual out of a boneyard, then drove it till he racked it up.

What do you guys have to say? Is this some wicked rare turbo coupe I should go buy? What fords even have a 1.6? Does ford even manufacture in taiwan? Isn't that like sleeping with the enemy(in automobile land)? Could this just be a recording error and somehow the records were recorded wrong?What would explain the 1.6 in the car when Brian bought it?

Somethings fishy.

Ideas? Thoughts, Insights?

Vin: 1FAB6244JH222556

I know its crazy, thats why I'm asking.

That sounds crazy. Taiwan is just off China and claims independance BTW. China says it's their's but has withheld invading since the US claims to protect it.

Post the VIN.

1FA=Ford USA
B=seat belts
62 = 1987-88 Cougar XR7 2-door (guessing same for TC)
?4? Should be the motor but these are the choices
    Engine code. F=5.0 V8; 3 or 4= 3.8 V6; A or T or W= 2.3 turbo 4.
4=Internal Ford check digit. This simply assured that the VIN was properly recorded at the factory. Can be a letter or number.
J =1988.
H = Lorain
?2?
    Should be 1 - Ford begins with 1
22556-Assembly line production sequence

Sothe vin doesnt make sence. I used the de-coder on CoolCats

There's a digit missing, first of all.
The end 6 digits can begin with a 2 if VIN production goes over 100,000.


There is no effin' way in hell that ever happened.
Explain the 'I called Ford' part. Ford...where? To whom did you speak? What department?

The missing digit would be a "P"

Based on the body code and engine code it's not a Turbo Coupe. It's an '88 LX.

1= USA
FA = Ford Car (if it was a Cougar this would be ME, for Mercury)
B = Manual belts
P62 = T-Bird LX (P60 = Base 'Bird, M60 = Cougar, P61 = Sport Bird, P62 = LX Bird, M62 = XR7 Cougar, 64 = Turbo Coupe)
4 = 3.8 EFI V6 (F = 5.0, T = 2.3t)
4 = Check Digit
J = 1988 (H = 1987)
H = Lorain, OH assembly plant
222556 = Sequential build number

http://www.foxthundercats.com/vin.htm

Either that VIN is wrong or this car a chop shop VIN switch.

I wasnt trying to cause a fight or anything, I'm just asking. I talked to a man in Ford Research (the ones who can find buildsheets and such) for cars. It was the 800 number, somewhere in the USA. He looked it up and after having some trouble told me it came with a 1.6l There wasn't a lot of information in the file, I asked for a copy of it and in 4-6 weeks I should have it. It was strange, so I thought I would ask you guys. I'm still new here and don't know all that much. He was confused by the information on his computer, he seemed to have a vaque idea what our cars were.He didn't have a whole lot of nice things to say about them and that was pretty frustrating, I love my thunderbirds!

He probably drives a Chevy anyway. LOL

If I had a nickel for every time someone thought they had a "rare" Fox Cougar or T-Bird, I'd have retired by now.

In no way was there ever an implication that you were at fault. When people say, "I called Ford," that can mean a LOT of different things. The proper thing to do would be to call the Ford Customer Service number, which it sounds like you did.

However...more often than not, the person on the other end of the phone isn't going to know his ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to these cars.

Case in point: the standard 17-digit VIN system has been in place on all U.S. made cars since 1981 (taken from the Gospel according to Paul LOL). If that person doesn't know this, or doesn't even question it, then how can they really be of help when you give them a 16-digit VIN? That should have been a red flag on his end...instead the guy just placated you. Hence the 'vague idea' comment you made also. It's already obvious that the car was built in Lorain, OH so that also cannot jive with the info he supposedly dug up for you.

Now where exactly did this VIN number come from, on the car in question? Was it the door tag, or the dash tag, or one of the tags on the inside of the fender, or the tag on the inside of the trunk jamb? Or was it from the metal card inside the owners manual package in the glove box?

See, on 1987-up cars there are PLENTY of places to verify the VIN on an original car. Getting the VIN from just one spot can lead to faulty information if it's read incorrectly. And believe me, it's really easy to misread. YOU weren't there to read it. All you have is second-hand information at this point. And that's worth just about the paper upon which you jotted down that info.

Somone is feeding you a line of $hiot and no amount of justification is going to sweeten up that taste.

I heard for years that there were well over 100 convertibles made in 1986, that there were all special parts made for it, that there was this and that about it...you know something? I didn't get ANY clear information until I tracked down someone that actually worked on the cars. He dug up real, solid information that was verified. Just about all the things I "heard" turned out to be absolutely false.

The best rumor I heard was that there was "some guy" that lived "somewhere in Iowa or thereabouts" that tried to buy all of the convertibles and had them "stored away in a barn" and that he wanted to "get them all". Where did I get this info from? Another convertible owner...I knew instantly he was BSing me, but I let him ramble on. He said his son was "good on that there Internet" and dug up a "whole bunch of information about the Cougar convertibles". This was in 1999. Yeah...back then, just as now, there is no other source for the convertibles except for my site. I even prodded the guy a little, asked him if his son went to COOL CATS, and he said his son didn't know about it. So obviously this guy was trying to make a mountain out of a molehill, didn't even know anything about the car he owned, but because his son had a computer, that apparently made him the expert on all things Cougar convertible. It was a load of  designed to confuse and impress. Be wary.

in the 1980s and maybe still there was or still is  a ford plant. I do know ford manufactured cars there ... but i do agree probably a chopshop vin change..

 the only 1.6 liter motors ford ever made or partnered for are:

1959–1968 Kent (Original) 1.0–1.3L (used in Anglia, Cortina Mk.1)
1962–1975 Lotus Twin Cam 1.6 L (used in Lotus Elan, Cortina, Europa, Ford Escort, and Caterham Super Seven)
1967–1980 Crossflow 1.1 L, 1.3 L, 1.6 L (used in Cortina Mk.2, Capri Mk.1, Escort Mk.1 & Mk.2, Ford Fiesta Mk.1 (1.6 versions), Reliant Anadol (1.3 and 1.6 versions)
1969–198? BDA 1.6 L (used in Escort RS1600, and Caterham Super Seven)
1980–2002 CVH — 1.3 L/1.4 L/1.6 L/1.8 L/1.9/2.0 L Escort, Orion, Fiesta Mk.2, Sierra (Europe, Sierra from '89 onwards, 1.9L for USA only)
1983–1995 CHT — (Brazil) was 1.6
1992–2004 Zeta/Zetec/Zetec-E (Used in Escort Mk.5 / Orion, Fiesta Mk.4, Ford Fiesta Mk.3/3.5, Mondeo Mk.1, Focus) (Ford Aspire/Kia)
2000– Duratorq — Diesel (Europe: Used in Mondeo Mk.3, Focus, Transit, Transit Connect, London Taxi TX1 (from 2002 onwards))



the Esshag V4 and Consul 4 were 1.6 i believe as well, SO as it stands it is either an Alzheimers moment on the engine swap or a chop shop job.. No Tbird ever came with a 1.6 liter motor. Somebody is blowing smoke up someones backside... But it does warrant some further investigation.. maybe your bird was "produced" or "REASSEMBLED" in taiwan.... that maybe... let me know what the documents say on it.... If you want me to I can run the vin by the Ford Parts guy down here in Franklin... He has worked for ford since the late 70's

Right...a Fox Tbird built with a 1.6L I4.

Pull the other one...

Very possibly, but anyone who thinks it was built in China hasn't a clue... Everyone is in agreement the first digit being 1 indicates US production(2 is CA)...

I would check the VIN number on the body parts... The fenders, hood and trunk lid all have the cars original... If these are missing or sed off, I'd go with the re-VIN... Due to the unique systems(ABS, ride control), a '87-'88 Turbo Coupe would be almost impossible to clone, or at least far more work than anyone would undertake...

Tom

What about when 17 digits was mandated in 1981?  ;)

There, I fixed it Paul. Sorry, it was late last night when I posted...

No worries :)

Next time i'm there (whch should be soon, i need a few things) ill check the vin and write it down. I just thought I would ask, I thought it was bizarre.

Looks like you forgot to mention the '71-'73 Pintos, they used the 1.6L Kent as well...

oops guess i missed one.. .still stand by that this is ac hop shop redo... thanks trubocoupe50

oops guess i missed one.. .still stand by that this is a chop shop redo... thanks trubocoupe50