Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

General => User Rides => Topic started by: ottoparts on January 03, 2009, 03:21:02 PM

Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: ottoparts on January 03, 2009, 03:21:02 PM
So here is my some what recently acquired $200 dollars of fun. It's an 1988 with a 3.8 V6 with a bad automatic tranny (no fluid in it). I plan on gutting the car and racing it. I have a 289/C4 set up out of my 65 Mustang I plan on putting into it. Here are the first set of pic's.
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: ottoparts on January 03, 2009, 03:22:13 PM
Second set of pic's...
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: ottoparts on January 03, 2009, 03:25:30 PM
Engine pic's. With air cleaners for when driving down the road and the stacks are for when I am racing.
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: shame302 on January 03, 2009, 03:25:34 PM
sweet sounds like it will be fun!
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: cougarcragar on January 03, 2009, 03:26:26 PM
Interesting to see that it has cornering lamps. Cool.
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: 5.0 tbird on January 03, 2009, 04:08:43 PM
Yep, looks like fun to me. So what all is done to the motor besides the tunnel ram?
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: ottoparts on January 03, 2009, 04:23:58 PM
Ported/polished heads, Isky cam, bored .060 over, Forged pistons, moly rings, roller rockers, balanced rotating assembly. Currently has a Mallory dual point distributor, but plan on up grading to an MSD unit. The Mallory looked more period correct in my 65 Mustang. Re worked Holly 450's and shorty headers.
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: ottoparts on January 11, 2009, 07:22:03 PM
Not much of an update, but started gutting the car. My next step will to be building and adding the sub-frame connectors.
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: dominator on January 11, 2009, 08:41:14 PM
900 cfm for a 289???????????
Wow you must have one heck of alotta cam,large port work done to those heads and 13.1 compression if your running that much cfm on such a small cube engine.
Shouldn't need more than two 300cfm 2 barrels for a 289.
Nice looking engine though.
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: V8Demon on January 11, 2009, 08:51:46 PM
Bet Jerry wishes his was that clean when he started!
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: ottoparts on January 11, 2009, 09:35:09 PM
Dominator, yup 900 CFM is correct. I called the Holly and gave them all of my spec's. They said I should be running anywhere between 900 to 1200 CFM.
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: ottoparts on January 18, 2009, 09:30:50 PM
Took out the dash today (I do plan on putting it back in). Soon I'll be taking out the heater box assembly. I removed all the heater duct work from behind the dashboard.

What have people been doing/using to fix our dash tops? Mine has a bunch of cracks in it.
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: SLEEPER T-BIRD 87 on January 18, 2009, 10:54:21 PM
An aftermarket wiring harness would save you a bunch of weight also.
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: CustomT on January 19, 2009, 06:39:51 AM
Look at all those wires.......:confused: :dunno: 

Me and wires just don't get aloooooong:punchballs:
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: TurboCoupe50 on January 19, 2009, 08:07:57 AM
Quote from: CustomT;252472
Look at all those wires.......:confused: :dunno: 


Piece O cake...
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: V8Demon on January 19, 2009, 09:04:52 AM
Quote from: TurboCoupe50;252485
Piece O cake...


Yup, just rip everything out :hick:
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: ottoparts on January 19, 2009, 09:05:16 AM
The wiring doesn't scare me (too bad) :pbb:  Right now I'm leaving it mostly intact so I can start the engine for potential buyers.
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: daddybair7 on January 19, 2009, 02:15:49 PM
hey you went to sonic not fair lol looks like you got more time than i do great work
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: pegasus on January 19, 2009, 02:21:33 PM
go with a painless kit
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: TurboCoupe50 on January 19, 2009, 03:10:31 PM
Quote from: pegasus;252509
go with a painless kit


Painless???

When I looked at their prices my wallet hurt, every piece of wiring in mine is FoMoCo...
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: ottoparts on January 19, 2009, 03:31:57 PM
The sonic cup is holding all the screws from the interior.

I'm fairly decent enough with wire diagrams that I wont need to deal with any after market kits. But there will be allot of wires comming out of this car.
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: cougarman on January 19, 2009, 03:49:52 PM
Quote from: ottoparts;252436
Took out the dash today


Been there, done that. :D
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: SLEEPER T-BIRD 87 on January 19, 2009, 07:30:31 PM
Quote from: pegasus;252509
go with a painless kit


E-Z wire cheaper and just as nice of a kit
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: daminc on January 19, 2009, 08:24:27 PM
Quote from: V8Demon;251276
Bet Jerry wishes his was that clean when he started!


I honestly don't remember how bad it was anymore.
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: ottoparts on January 22, 2009, 08:37:33 PM
Holy smokes batman!!!  I removed the heater box today, what a pain in the :shakeass: !!!  I feel sorry for those that have had to do a heater core or blower motor replacement. I also like how Ford hid two studs behind the air dryer.
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: daddybair7 on January 22, 2009, 09:02:32 PM
in other words if you got to replace the heater core just get all 3 items new and forget it :shakeass: :punchballs:
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: DVP on January 23, 2009, 12:55:42 AM
This is what I should have done with my Sport.....

Looks like it  is going to be a nice project
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: rancheronut on January 23, 2009, 01:08:14 AM
Quote from: ottoparts;253082
Holy smokes batman!!!  I removed the heater box today, what a pain in the :shakeass: !!!  I feel sorry for those that have had to do a heater core or blower motor replacement. I also like how Ford hid two studs behind the air dryer.


been there. done that.: there fun to do.:

 put a complete 87 stang dash in my 86 stang.

put complete 79 t-bird dash in a 77 ranchero.

 put complete 83 stang GT dash in 1980 fairmont wagon.

i'm installl complete 1978 t-bird dash in my 1973 ranchero.

 (http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/599646/fullsize/1974-ranchero.-001.jpg)
(http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/601046/fullsize/1974-ranchero..-002.jpg)
(http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/601227/fullsize/1974-ranchero...-002.jpg)

now you know why i call my center shop a tharapy room!!
Title: $200 Dollar Fun
Post by: ottoparts on February 02, 2009, 08:59:05 PM
Motor and tranny are gone, Found out why the tranny went bad (more on that later) and bought some steel to build my sub-frame connectors.