Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

Nice!!!! I like the wheels with the goodyars!!!

Looks like you're off to a nice start, make sure to post lots of pics.

What motor is it, 302 or 3.8?

Looks like it'll be a while before you're worried about it but the brakes won't be that many $$$ to get back in shape if you go stock. I was surprised at how cheap new master cylinder, calipers, rear wheel cylinders, hoses and hardware kit for my '86 turned out to be. The big expense was brake fluid, to make sure all that "goo" was flushed from the system.

The floor looks solid!  Always a bonus!  Keep us updated!

What you want for the american racing rims? im taking the 10 holes off my mustang to put on the thunderbird this weekend and i need something to put back on the mustang just to roll it around, nothing fancy. plus i kinda like them lol they just need a good polish and cleaning.

BTW, the Thunderbird looks great! Looks like a nice solid project and your off to a great start! Keep it up man, keep the pics coming too! lol

.... The car will run but I can't drive it with no brakes.

The American Racing rims are in great shape. I did leave them at my parents house about 100 miles away. I had to prep the Tbird with tires that held air so it could be towed to my house. The original TRX wheels and tires were stored and I had to put new valve stems in them to hold air. It will take me some time to get the American Racing rims from my parents house so I am not quite situated to sell them yet.

Dude  nice car=]  and the factory wheels  look like the ones off a factory 83-84 turbo coupe(extremely hard to find)  Keep us up to date  and i'd put more pics up of my 85 if i could figure out how

Yeah that looks pretty much like the sight I seen taking my dash apart. Just curious if you have a lot of cracks in the dash... Mine came apart in two pieces left and right and it was not supposed to!

The driver's side floor board is not rusted... That is just rust dust from brushing away so much surface rust! The floorboards are unbelievably in like-new condition.

Yeah that looks pretty much like the sight I seen taking my dash apart. Just curious if you have a lot of cracks in the dash... Mine came apart in two pieces left and right and it was not supposed to!

Was yours cracked in this area?

Ouch, Something else to look for in the junkyards!

I pulled the dash from my '84 XR-7 before I sped it.

Looking good.    Be glad you have solid floors!  That's what stalled my project.

I'll be interested to see how your conversion to a 83 stalk mounted horn work out. I would think it should be easy but with Ford you never know.

I think ??? I have a decent PS taillight lens..lens only... if you need one.

NICE.  The int is night and day now.  lookin good so far, i can tell i need to start watchin your car now to see where it goes.

Plus I have no idea at this point if I will need to pull the dash to replace the heater core or evaporator.

And if by chance you find a 83-84 Tbird or Cougar with woodgrain dash panel trim in decent condition I'd be interested in those trim parts.

You shouldn't have to pull the dash out but it's still a tight fit.

Didn't you have your dash out?

Oh yeah I have it out now, just waiting to eventually put the new carpet in because the dash is so delicate I don't want to risk cracking it anywhere near where the center stack and console meet.

I have heard that you can soften the dash by treating it with GOJO hand cleaner. I think I heard it on an episode of My Classic Car when Dennis was interviewing the owner of Just Dashes.

Nonetheless, I will be trying this trick on my old cracked dash soon, and I'll let you know how it goes.

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

You shouldn't have to pull the dash out but it's still a tight fit.

Didn't you have your dash out?

Oh I was referring to the entire hard plastic dash shell (see previous posts with pics) and not the top pad. The top pad is toast. It has a giant split and literally the consistancy of burnt toast. I plan to just fill the giant spilt with a can of insulating foam and recover the original pad in vinyl because I do not like those hard plastic dash caps (which I do have one handed to me from my parents who planned to use it but never installed it). I have seen classic restorations where they just covered the pads in vinyl or leather and they look great.

Ah... well, I will still report on my experiments with the GoJo. My parts car has a perfect black dash that I hope to swap without breaking it.

Shiny Side Up!

Bill

I always hear great things about GoJo since I sell a lot of it at work. I had a customer who's wife won't clean stains out of carpet with anything but GoJo.

you'll basically be cutting the defroster vent off to fit the thing in your bird. along with the large steel tube for the air vents.

The darker carpet would show less dirt but the lighter color looks great too!

I like the sn95 dash in your car but the steering wheel looked out of place then, looks much better with the stock dash!

Its coming along great! Keep it up!

It looks so much more wholesome than my red velvet.

Now THAT is funny...:rollin:

Hey, when you did the rotary panel conversion, did you reuse your old cable, or the one out of the donor car?

I cut the multi-looped Tbird cable end off and run it through the hole in the slider on the hot-cold gear-slide mechanism. I left the original cable grommet-clip in place but set it to the inside of the Taurus grommet-clip opening. The Tbird grommet-clip base where it meets the cable sleeve fits inside the Taurus cable clip opening. It protrudes to the outside of the Taurus grommet-clip base. I secured it on the outside with a simple small hose clamp. It works perfectly but the Tbird hot-cold flap does not have the travel range that the Taurus does so cold is 9 o'clock and hot is 3 o'clock.

Indeed, Thank you for the info.
I think i'll be doing this soon.

Couldn't tell ya. In the writeup, it lists the 92-96 Stang as a donor, but I cannot verify this.

Looking good!

I agree, the SN95 dash was a cool retro look but would have turned it into a long term project to make it work. Probably would have needed to weld in a custom frame to make your attachments.

When all else fails go back to original and I also agree the 83-84 style is very clean looking. Hard to beat that look.

The wheelcovers you picked should look fine. I liked the 83-86 standard ones too and sometime I just feel the factory got things right.

Keep up the good work and keep us posted.

I my have a taillight lens if you need one.

Looks like your tailights are diff styles also~
One looks like an '83 and one looks like an '84.

No big deal, just mentioning.

Oh, ok.
Just sayin' Cuz my '84 had the same worn emblem (like your drivers side), And one day i came across an '83 in the yard that was in terrible shape, But, The birds on the tails were nice and silver/chrome still...
Come to find out they were Metal, And the ones on my '84 are plastic.

And is the paint on your gauges anything out of the ordinary? I need to paint mine but i'm looking for something light reactive.

Hey, that does sound cool. Let me know how finding new lock actuators goes... My D.S. actuator is toast.

I sure hope they work well. Last time I took my door panel off I was thinking that I would need to reinforce/rebuild the backing as it seemed a little weak to be pulling it on and off repeatedly(2 or 3 times now)

Oh man, that is just too cool! I would love to just look back at the car and "Click" have the doors lock and the lights flash. That would be awesome! Congratulations on the install.

I think I would have to rewire my trunk release as it only works with the key on, did you have that problem?

Also, how did you tap all the wires? Wire taps?

Ooh, blue! Heh, You weren't joking about it not dispersing the light well, but it's still pretty cool.

I just ordered the lock actuators and the alarm, so we'll see if I ever get them installed!

I would like to see a picture of those clear corners though.


You are just tearin' through this car! Don't you have a job to do or something!:D

Watchdevil - Yeah, I thought you were talking about the corner lamps:hick:

I do have the clear signals on mine, just one of them is cracked.

Well, next time I have the cluster out maybe I'll change the lights too!
Did you just solder LEDs into the old circuit?

With a couple wiring diagrams you can install a factory keyless module fairly easily... I have one from a '98 Taurus in my TC, but they are all the same from about '00 to '04(maybe later)... It does everything but operate the lights(too lazy to connect)... The Taurus and a few other models went to the new module in '98, you do not want the earlier ones as remotes are hard to find at a reasonable price...

A very seemingly dangerous thing happened today. The catalytic converter overheated while I was driving the car for a short run today. The floorboard was hot as an iron and there was smoke coming from the converter underneath after I parked it. Looks like I have serious issues to attend to!

Sounds like it was running very rich. I have seen more than one car set its carpet on fire because of this.

Glad yours is still with us!

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

Yeah it's a good thing that there is no carpet installed. That's the first time since I have been runninng the car this has happened. Something is going on causing it to run way too rich.

I have to face facts. The engine will have to be overhauled or replaced. I have so much work to do on this car that if it was not for the fact that it was given to me I would not even worry about restoring it. But hey it will be worth the time and investment in restoration to enjoy the end result. I really did not set out to find a car to restore, much less a second car in the first place but I could not resist keeping a Thunderbird from going to a junkyard since my parents no longer wanted it.

Are you getting a Check Engine light? If not, I would suspect the O2 sensor. If you are getting one, the most likely culprit is the Air Temperature Sensor. In either case, you should verify the problem with a good scanner. The converter is most likely shot at this point as the substrate will have melted. Find out ASAP and get it fixed as there is still a lot of stuff that a glowing converter can set ablaze!

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

CEL was not wired to the cluster until after 1986. I know, I have two 86's. In fact, I don't think it happened until 88 or later, because I actually have an 87 cluster in one of my 86's.  You'll have to pull codes to find out if there's one that would cause a CEL. The output is there, in the EEC and wired to the DCL, just not wired into the cluster. Normally, the CEL is the same wire that goes to the DCL from STO (Self Test Output) which is Pin 4 on the DCL. If you want, you can connect a test light between pin 4 of the DCL and the + post on the battery while it's idling, and that will show if it has latched codes. It will need to be up to operating temperature, though, otherwise, any diagnostic codes will be moot.
 
An overheating cat doesn't typically mean a rebuild is needed.  If, however, it's smoking blue/white, or excess water vapor is coming out of the tail pipe, then you may be correct.  However, it may need little more than some "freshening" with some new front end and top gaskets, including head gaskets.  That 5.0 is a TOUGH engine.  They'll take a lot more abuse than the 3.8's will.  And somehow, I can't imagine your parents abusing the car, and then giving it to you.

Man you've put alot of work into that Bird! I like how you're making it your own with your own touches. How strict are they on emissons are they there? Here they are only required to look to see if the converter is there. If that's the case just hollow it out and put it back on. Great job with it, keep it up!!

I have the repaired door panels back on.

Here is a shot of the dash from the passenger side.

I am so ready to do the carpet and headliner.

I am thinking of going with a dark gray or charcoal carpet and getting extra yardage to do the lower doors, armrests and rear package shelf. This car is not ever going to be a "correct" restoration because I like things personalized much more.

I have to think about replacing those window wipes real soon!

Another idea if you havent thought about it yet is Topez/Tempo window channel. Since you have vent windows it wont be a problem.

http://www.foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showthread.php?t=8969

I have thought about them. I remember reading somewhere about them, but can you still get them new? Because all the used Tempo ones I have seen are trashed just like the Tbird ones.

Good to see some progress. Those headlights look killer! I want a pair!

Those lights are cool. I've never seen lights like those. Do outer edges actually glow like that when the markers are on or is it the camera?

Nice find looks to be in good shape overall !!

Awesome!
I've been eyeing those lights on ebay forever, Was unsure about the quality and halo factor~But i'll definitely be getting these at some point. :D

If I had a four eyed cat or bird I'd be gettin a set. I really like the look!!

You know I actually have an 86 nose here for sale that I could use but I think I'll pass. LOL!! I really like the shape of the 87-88 nose. To me it actually has a "bird look", with how it comes to a point. But of course I like most all T-Birds.

There are literally a dozen of those Lincolns at the big salvage yard I go to.Crown Vics and about 20 or so Fox Birds and Cougars.

The halo effect I wired into the parking and side marker lamp circuit! Here is the link for you all from eBay!

These are quality units and they do come with the headlamp bulbs. Don't forget to order two pairs!

Can you tell me what type of light pattern do the lamps on low beams have? Do they look like sealed beam lamps, or european version?
(http://www.joeshmo.net//comparison.PNG)

I just realized your new avatar and your name on here go well together. LOL!!

That would look pretty cool. I wonder how much cutting you would have to do to make it fit? Plus on the lincolon it looks like the doorpanels are built up to meet the overhang. Would you have to do the same to yours?

I didn't know they where basically the same in size. I guess when I think of a lincoln I think big. It's defenately a cool project, keep us updated as you progress.

The 1982-86 Continental and 1984-92 Mark VII were based on longer wheelbase RWD Fox body platforms. During the years those Fox Lincolns were made, the Lincoln Town Car was the biggest Lincoln produced on the Panther platform that also supplies the Crown Victoria and Grand Marquis.

Hahaha! You're to much!!!

It's too bad you're not closer. I have a perfect 85-88 dash here. I'd be afraid to ship it, it would be expencive plus there's always a chance of damage in transit.

depending on the color your looking for.....  I have a NOS hood bird with the green inserts if your interested.

that is identical to the one I have and was refering to.

Tell you what, that Tempo wheel sure looks better than those darn A-Frames. Also, I think swapping header panels would get a little old after awhile...:D

That's actually a really neat concept, And looks pretty darn good when you eliminate the the actual Cougar aspects (emblems mainly) and make it the T-Birds own.

I've always wondered how this would look and work out, And it works out great!
Just not a huge fan of the cougar grilles.

I like the Bird on the header panel.It looks like it belongs there.I don't think it would pass on an '87/'88 though.But on the 4 eye,nice.

Yea, I was really skeptical on how it would look with the ornament... But it looks great in this setup!
The Lines and squareness of it flow well with the rest of the header and front end.

...Your making me think about swapping my header. lol.

Sweet!  I like the look. To me it looks more classic/retro.  I'm thinking add some wire wheels and 1" whitewalls, a new coat of black paint and you have the 55-57 look!:D

Does the bezel line up perfectly in the area shown with the arrow?  I seem to recall test fitting Cougar bezels in a TBird and the fender had a slightly different contour in that area??

Great job on the dash pad too. Don't worry about the wood underneath. I've seen 60's Ford consoles made exactly the same way!

It's too bad your dash shell is so brittle. It will probably a looong time until they are repro'd (if ever) so if anyone a decent one, grab 'em!

I agree on your opinion of some of the Ford dash designs. I think they had it right in 83 and should have continued the theme (along with steering wheels, why the steering wheel "A" design?????)

Too bad you're so far away.  I have a good dash from my old '84 Cougar XR-7.

Now wipe a good bit of Vaseline on the dash, let it soak in for a day or so, then buff it out. Do this three or four times before you attempt to install it and you will have much less of chance at cracking it while trying to get it installed. The Vaseline does a great job at softening up the vinyl.

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

Now if I can find some good exterior side window dew wipes.

Those last 2 pictures where the dash flows into the door make me hate new cars' interior. I wish both sides of the dash in either of my cars mated to the doors like that.

I have an old pair of 94-95 door panels and also a center console I'd let go CHEAP if you are interested in frankensteining them into the bird.

Awesome work.I need to see the installed gauges.I would love to get into these kind of mods,but I need to get myself a second car first.I like that dash in these cars.Are there any Stang logos on the dash?If so,how do you plan to remove/hide them?

For the passenger side,you could fill the Stang emblems and recover the panel in an appropriate vynel material to match the rest of the dash.Just a thought.I love this kind of stuff.

Big Pimpin' Yo!. :rollin:

So you have the dash installed in there nice and sturdy? and it didnt take any major modification? Wow~Would not have expected that.
Are the vents gonna be operational?

Glad u like the work.

The passenger side airbag is the only thing on the dash that is a Mustang identifier with the script "Mustang" on the cover. I don't have an airbag cover anyway. I will have to fabricate something that will work in it's place to cover that hole.

I just installed the orginal Tbird granny cluster into the Mustang opening. It only has speedo and fuel. Like I mentioned earlier, I need to frabricate some black vinyl to mask the mismatch gap of the cluster to the Mustang gauge bezel.

I am also looking into seeing which way to go with the console. I can either use the original Tbird console or go with a Mustang one, but if I go with a Mustang one, I will need to figure out what to do about all the switches that the Tbird uses in the console area.

Impressive work, I agree with Vinn, I like to see this stuff put into our cars and done well to look like it came that way. 

very nice.

Mike

you could mount them inside the console so there is a clean look yet the complete functionality of the thunderbird features.

Big Pimpin' Yo!. :rollin:

So you have the dash installed in there nice and sturdy? and it didnt take any major modification? Wow~Would not have expected that.
Are the vents gonna be operational?

I was wondering, is it possable to use the Mustang's instrument cluster? I'm sure you would have to figure out the wiring to make it work but wouldn't that be easier?

I would love to use the Mustang cluster and it may be a project I will persue later. The major issue is that my 84 Tbird uses a speedo cable when the Mustang cluster uses a speed sensor. There are also a lot of wiring and compatibility issues because the Tbird only has a speedo and a gas gauge and a couple of idiot lights. There is also no guarantee the fuel gauges between the two clusters are even compatable...  I am mostly confident making wiring connections that work. My biggest concern would be how to insert a speed sensor and where does it get it's power source or signal from. I figure one side of the speed sensor connector goes directly to the electric speedo, but i need to understand how the other connection is fed.

This is pretty much a trial and error thing for me to learn from, so as long as I can get used parts cheap I never feel bad for trying and failing.

Looks like the 96 Stang Fuel Gauge/Sender is 14-18 Ohms empty, and 155-165 Ohms full. Looks like it would be a little inaccurate at E, but otherwise close if you used a digi cluster sender(8-12 E/155-160 F), referencing http://www.foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showpost.php?p=221798&postcount=3 . Your car is fuel injected right?

The speed sensor sits in the tailshaft of the trans were the speedo cable would be usually, and depending on your trans, you should be able to find one and wire it up rather easily. Since the gauge cluster is just information readout, it shouldn't cause any problems. You may need to do some soldering for the idiot lights, or maybe just repin the connector. Shouldn't be too hard to find a base stang cluster with just gas and speed. At most it would have idiot temp and oil "gauges" that only read via an on/off sender, like the idiot lights do.

Hope that helps!

..., this is starting to sound like fun!

Oops! I just saw where you're going to try and use a mustang cluster.

Got my passenger side airbag delete trim, dash clock and shifter bezel today. The Mustang console is on the way soon as well.

I need help with the 1994-97 Mustang dashtop clock. I don't have a pigtail with a connector and wires. I found a list of what each wire color does but not the positions in the connector. There are no Mustang's in Pull-A-Part. I am thinking I will try to go to U-Pull-It in Rock Hill, SC and see if they have any Mustangs I can get a pigtail from.

My overworked mind is now thinking if I should go with a 87-88 front end header panel which will be more in character with the style of the Mustang dash... I know it seems crazy I jump from one idea to another. I start out thinking I want the Bird to be one way and it ends up totally different.

I've been giving heavy thought to going the cougar header route on my 'Bird this summer, I've always thought about how it might look and just wasn't sure~But now actually seeing it i think I'm gonna go for it.
I just hope you don't feel like I'm stealing your idea or anything...

Actually,I may have tyhat pigtail.I'll check after work.If so,I'll ship it to you.I won't be using it.

So...Your gonna fit that monster into the Stang dash instead of the stang cluster?

I'll find that pigtail later today or tomorrow.We had a bunch of snow dropped on us,and it's (the pigtail) in the garage out behind the house.

I haven't visited here in a while.  I just read every entry in this entire thread from the beginning back in May of last year to the most recent post.

You, sir, are pretty darn cool.  I can't wait to see the next thing you come up with!  Amazing ingenuity and creativity thus far.  Plus, you type in complete sentences!  ;-)

Awesome.  Just awesome.

Try some kind of dark smoked plastic over the LED's.

Would it be possible to connect a 3.5mm auxiliary sound input to the factory head unit rather than using an FM transmitter?  I'm just asking because I have never been impressed with the sound quality of FM transmitters.  The best ones come with cables that actually go in-line between the factory antenna cable and the back of the head unit and they wire up to 12V somewhere behind the dash. But even those aren't as good as a straight input, IMO. 

Just wondering what you were considering in that respect is all.

that looks awesome man!

I am no longer feeling the Cougar nose... I think it will be going away soon.

Whew!

 Four-Eyes forever! Actually, I prefer the Mark VII grille to the T-Bird one at first glance, but have never really looked into it.

Also, I love your ability to not ever get matching parts :D (Tan, and Grey, and Blue...)

Just giving you a hard time, great work man!

How easy is it to read the instrument cluster while sitting in the driver's seat?  The stock Mustang cluster is set at more of an angle.  Your cluster looks as if it is almost vertical.

I installed one of those late model tape decks (from a 99 contour) when my factory radio kicked it.  It plugged right into the factory harness and works great.  I did have to do a little modifying to the bracket to make it work but you wont have that problem.

Man, that Mustang dash looks great in there!!!! Good Job!!

I have the seat, window and mirror switches you need for your panel, let me kow if you still need them. Looking awesome, I knew the console was going to a good home.

There are no other vehicles that use a different lever that will accommodate my need. If it starts to bother me too much then I will likely succumb to a floor shifter conversion and relocate the window and seat switches from the shifter plate location.
.

It needs a smaller bird on the delete panel you made....or no bird at all.It's a little distracting,and,the Bird looks too old for that dash.It's all about what you like in the long run,and I mean no disrespect at all.I have done a lot of mods in my Sport that may not have been that appealing to everyone.The panel is awesome.Great work with the covering.Nice dash install as well.I'd love to have one of those,but don't have the guts to try it.LOL.

That looks really cool.
Maybe a TC Steering wheel would blend better with the dash shape/s though?

I think that looks awesome! I have an extra 3 spoke GT wheel laying around if you decide you need one, It isn;t the leather wrapped one just vinyl.

I've not been able to get on as much, my computer's been down with a virus the past couple weeks. The air bag delete looks great! I like the Bird emblem it looks like it belongs there. I can't wait to see what else you come up with.

looking good man !

Thanks to the one with the Bird that looks awesome! Love the color choice! "Grabber" colors as I call them are kewl!

The color will definately GRAB YOU !!

Defenately! I think I mentioned before I liked your car when it was on ebay, and I saved some of the pics from the ad to my computer. That thing is sweet!

I'm with you on color, I really like the combo on my car. It's the factory colors but I think the black and grey looks great. I have a chance to buy an 04 Mustang Mach One, compition orange with only 15k miles on it. A friend of mine is selling it and would really like for me to have it since he knows I'll take great care of it and he knows how bad I'd love to have it. But the timing is all wrong. I'm still laid off, and Sharrie's going to be needing a newer dd, as well as planning on getting married this summer, so another toy just isn't going to work right now. I'm thinking of trying to see if he'll hang onto it for a few more years until our Fusion is paid off then I'd be able to get it. So we'll see.

That's a nice combo on those as well. I hope you where happy with the red once it was done.

Defenately! I think I mentioned before I liked your car when it was on ebay, and I saved some of the pics from the ad to my computer. That thing is sweet!

I agree, it looked good! Did it have the 305 or the 350? I had a couple of friends that had the iroc z's, one was the 305 the other the 350. The 350 really hauled! I worked for a large dealership back in the day and we had gotten a firebird/ta GTA with the 350, I was taking it between dealerships and stepped on it a little to hard and got it sideways real quick! Man that thing would run! The wheels you had on your camaro look like the ones on the GTA. I always liked those cars but I've always been a ford man. I have owned a couple non ford cars but I've always gone back.

Nice thread! New to the site and really enjoy what your doing.

Those taillights did look good. That's how I did my headlight covers with the Bird emblem. I've always liked the sequential taillights myself. I have a kit on my bird too.

Thanks! I come up with some good ideas once in a while. lol!!! I still can't drive with them on at night. They still block to much light. It does look cool at night with them lit up, plus I have red neon under it for the evening shows. I think with the lights and stereo I have I think I might have to start checking into the 3g alt. I see everyone switching to. Although I haven't had any trouble with the original style yet. I also bought an auto pull down for the trunk off a lincoln that I want to figure out how to make work for it. I just think it would be a cool option.

Those taillights did look good. That's how I did my headlight covers with the Bird emblem. I've always liked the sequential taillights myself. I have a kit on my bird too.

Yeah, I had that same dilemma (The header conversion) but the fact that I would have to rewire the lights, and the other fact that I have more important things to take care of(Running gear),I decided to wait on the cosmetics.

Seriously considering this look...

This is a quick chop with some crudeness but you get the idea...

i considered doing a SVO esque glass headlight conversion on my 87. the major hang up for me was building a decent looking set of bezels to complete the look. i dont have the patience to work with fiberglass, and have too many other things higher on my priority list at the moment.

i have read that the buckets from an early ranger will work for the conversion of the composite lensed SVOs back to glass headlights. might be sumthin to look into for this as well.

You will probably have to search pretty far and wide to find a sealed beam that will fill up the cavernous hole left by the old composite. 
I looked into doing something similar with the large hella lights that have replaceable bulbs in them.

Also, Hardbody Pathfinders have HUGE glass headlights. But mouing them might be a difficult venture.
-Z

I don't know.....even on the SVO Stangs,it looked like they installed the wrong head lights.I think the flush mount look better,but,it has to be the way YOU want it.

Just for that comment Vinnie.... :flip::rollin:

J/K!!!

Other than the bada$$ pink teddy bear wheels....NO.

The wheels DO say "This car kicks so much A$$".LOL.

Hi, ive been reading about your car and i like it alot :D
I got a quick question for you though, Would you have any idea if the MN-12 tbird dash is about the same size as the mustang?

I like that better than the cougar nose

My local yard has an 84 elan that has 85 taillights
 
 They charge around $15 each side I am going back Friday I can grab them if you want

Grab them if they are in decent shape... No cracks or bad scratches that cannot be polished out.

Thanks!

...... and varied trim bezels and finishes.

Looks like the Full Size 81 Crown Vic shared some parts too.

Nice clean looking dash.

While the design looks somewhat similar to early 80's Tbird/Cougar dashes, the dashes were totally unique designs that accommodated the much wider cabin. The only parts that were shared were standardized parts which you would find in numerous Ford models such as switches, s, radios, sometimes vents, steering wheels, steering column, door hardware, shifters, levers, pedals... just to name a few things.

When I was referring to the shared Fox dashboards between the Fairmont/Zephyr, Mustang/Capri and Granada/Cougar sedans,  the base dash assembly with the shell and top pad were identical for all these cars except for the different arrays and shapes of the gauges and trim plate finishes.  All these cars HVAC systems and controls as well.

Yes, I understood what you were saying.  I was just surprised to see so many of the parts shared between the Fox cars and the full size cars.

I was probably surprised since I never paid too much attention to the full size cars.... until now! :D

Ya know what I like? I look at a 67 mustang at a show...saaaame opera lights in the interior back sail panels as my cougar has. Exact same pieces. And then all of the power seat switches and what not that clearly are late 60s and 70s pieces blacked out.

Haha good observation with the '58-'60 "square bird"!!! I love those....

Whatchdevil.

I love what you did with the SN-95 dash. I agree with Vinnie. The delete plate needs a smaller tbird badge. I did some searching and Ford has new tbird emblems from the newer tbirds from 2002 that are just as wide but alot skinner.

Keep up the good work and keep us posted. I am thinking this would look good in mt 88 tbird.

Haha good observation with the '58-'60 "square bird"!!! I love those....

That looks significantly better than the old gauges you had in there.  And the small touches to the needles really are a nice effect.  I think it would be cool if you could get the inner and outer parking lamps to alternate flashing when the turn signal was activated. 

It's nice to see you making so much progress, especially considering you're doing it all on your own!

I had an issue with a Lincoln reading wrong like that (fuel reading) and ended up having to swap the sending unit .There are buttstuffog and digital senders.

Dropping the tank is nothing....two bolts,a floor jack and a small piece of wood between the jack and tank.easy stuff.easier than swapping dashes.

Cool,
You going to sell the 4eye lights?

Looking good , I agree with the other guys the stang steering wheel works better with that dash :D

Wow, I am actually kind of surprised that you switched to those tail lights. I would have thought the originals, or even the 87-88's would be better than those, mainly due to the large backup lamps. So...When do we get to see it running?!  :D

Wow, I am actually kind of surprised that you switched to those tail lights. I would have thought the originals, or even the 87-88's would be better than those, mainly due to the large backup lamps. So...When do we get to see it running?!  :D

My dad has a 2005 T-bird and the white-face gauges with the chrome trim definitely set off the car. The blue needles are illuminated at night. The numbers light up yellow-white, standard incandescent color. They might look better if they lit up the same blue as the needles, but I'm not sure.

I dont like the white piping personaly

Heheh, I think it's hilarious how you are turning the inside of your T-bird into a mustang, and I'm turning the chassis/drive train of mine into a mustang!

I call spark! Also possibly your injectors(CFI) are clogged, more likely spark though. Could you list any parts you have thrown at it?

I think I may try to get this 89-91 steering wheel and see how it fits. I always liked the design and I think it fits the character of the Mustang dash more. It has the correct Bird emblem style plus I always liked the spoke shapes and arrangements. I had this wheel in my 1989. Hopefully this wheel will not be uncomfortably close to my chest. This will be a keeper if I like it, and if it fits on the column like I hope it will.

Hey, that is a pretty sharp looking steering wheel!

I would try some seafoam in the tank. I've never used it, but I hear it works wonders. Timing could easily cause your problems if you aren't absolutely positive you put the distributor back in the same spot. When I got my new distributor, I had to back off the vacuum advance alot to get the car to rev off idle, because it would just bog/stumble and die. Do you have vacuum advance?

it, I only have one converter, so I've never had to deal with a clogged one, why do you think it's a problem?

It will not fit on your column sadly . 

I tried one on my Mark VII  (the VII and the bird take the same Grant adapter number)

I have a really nice genuine leather grant wheel on my bird now I actually used the same style on my mark VII

Lemme get this straight... Are you saying the 1989-92 Tbird wheel will not install on the 84 steering column? The way I read this is that you tried a 89-92 Tbird wheel on your Mark VII steering column.

That is exactly what I am saying :D
The  steering column is the same from 84- up on all the foxs
The 79 to 83 used a splined shaft then they switched to a shaft with 2 flats .
 My wheel in my Mark VII was in really poor shape so I tried and found out that the 89 up bird wheel will not fit on the fox shaft unfortunately

Ok, well, then cut the  things out since you'll have to replace them anyways. Do all four(?) of them smoke and overheat?

Side note: Mine smokes sometimes, but it's because the transmission leaks fluid onto the exterior of it when driving, do any of your converters have a trail of black goo on them?

Is that an airbag wheel?

He has an airbag dash, why not an airbag wheel?! :D

P.S. Looks Great!!!! Can't wait to see the finished product!

Don't ask me why but I still have an emotional attachment to the 1983 four spoke wheel I had in it. :rollin:

Good thing is I can always change my mind. It's like changing underware!

Hehe. You change your mind more than most women! :D Just kidding............sorta... ;)

Don't ask me why but I still have an emotional attachment to the 1983 four spoke wheel I had in it. :rollin:

One of the better looking wheels IMHO...:hick:

I have one from a '92 Taurus, if it will work. Yours for the shipping.:D

One of the better looking wheels IMHO...:hick:

Still here as well waiting for new pics of these awesome mods!

Very nice work. I really admire what you're doing.I can't wait til Wednesday to be able to spend some quality time with the Sport.

Nice!  The only thing that seems 'off' to me, and immediately caught my eye in that first picture, is the dash vent being silver.  For some reason, when I see it, I want it to blend in with the dash instead of standing out like it does.  Maybe it takes away from the aesthetic appeal of the instrument bezel or something.  Just my :2c:

That is amazingly gorgeous. I never would have thought a Mustang dash could ever look THAT good. It almost looks like it "fits" in the lineage of my dad's '05 T-Bird.

"Consistency in details"....that's right.I try to practice that as well.

I am good until it comes to the issue of the steering wheel... LOL! I don't have many choices though because the wheel needs to be shallow for the right reach. I tried the 89-93 wheel and it just sits to close not to mention with it "telescoped out" the sight lines around the wheel are not correct, that is the top of the wheel sits too high when positioned parallell with the steering column. If I tilt it down the angle of that wheel feels wrong like it is too low. The wheel was made for the lower slung MN12 models where the column is more level than angled like the Fox cars.

I need a horn button now... I did away with the press in stalk mounted horn switch. I'd hate to use a Crown Vic all vinyl horn pad. I don't wanna mount an out of place horn button either. I'll work it out like I always do...

That's beautiful work so far !!! I do wonder....how well does the cup holder work at that angle/Either way,I love it.

how did you get the taurus switch to work? plug n play? Plus what years did you get it off of? or would work? This would be a good mod to clean up that area. I know if im making a left hand turn and letting off the clutch i can turn the signal off with my knee.

I think the wheel you have, wrapped in leather, should work very well. As for the horn button, I would think that, with a bit of work, you could make the center cap on that wheel into a horn button.

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

Man I took your advice and made it work! On that vinyl Crown Vic hornpad I had laying around I took the vinyl cover off and glued the Tbird trim right onto the plastic horn pad base. I had to trim away some of the vinyl inside of the rectagular opening inside of the steering wheel center so it would sit flush and what do you know??? It works!

Sweet!  Now where are the pictures??? :D

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

I know why do I go to so much trouble when there are a number of wheels I could choose from that I do not have to modify at all to make it fully functional???

You do it because you want to build the car in a certain way, yet have it look factory. Believe me, I know haw difficult this can be! Here are a few pictures of a car my father and I built with that same goal in mind. It took us 4 years, but I think it turned out very well!

(http://www.fquick.com/images/vehicles/full/7273096.jpg)

(http://www.fquick.com/images/vehicles/full/7274053.jpg)

(http://www.fquick.com/images/vehicles/full/7274056.jpg)

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

Have you considered white gauge faces like the '05? With the right typeface they might look good, but you might have to have custom ones made that don't look "ricer".
 
The typeface on the '05 gauges looks like Eras Bold or Eras Heavy. I'm not sure they're the best choice, but they don't look rice, at least.

Looking great!!

On the air bag delete panel on the passenger side,I was wondering if it was a painted plastic to match the driver side,would it look a little more symmetrical....matching so-to-speak?

My best option is to buy the expensive factory style airbag delete cover...

How much do they cost?  It might be worth it to just save the cash and get one instead of wasting time to modify one that you are going to end up getting rid of anyway.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Passenger-Airbag-Delete-94-04-Ford-Mustang-air-bag-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem335e47b942QQitemZ220625090882QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Passenger-Airbag-Delete-94-04-Ford-Mustang-air-bag-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem335e47b942QQitemZ220625090882QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

USUALLY,UPR will go a little lower than their advertised price.

That is the one I bought already and covered. I did not like the grainy finish.

have you considered a few coats of resin to fill in the grain? would take a bit of sanding and patience for a nice smooth finish, but i think the end result would compliment the cluster and center stack trim much better than vinyl.

Sand it smooth,use a little body filler or JB Weld to fill the holes,and then paint to match.I saw some silver plastic paint made for dash panels at Autozone today when I was grabbing some primer/sealer for my console control panel.

Personally I think that they are going to look great with the rest of your interior

Saw this and thought of you
http://www.florida50.com/1994-2004-specialty-products.htm
(http://www.florida50.com/user/gimage/dscn4752_280_165.jpg)
A custom formed panel to replace factory air bag units. *
Fits in the opening where the original air bag unit mounts.
Mounting of the panel has 2 options, Velcro or Screws. 
Black ABS textured plastic.
Complete with hardware and instructions

* Custom-ed Formed - not flat ( the panels shape patterns the factory curves of the original Air Bag unit

Listed at $65...

I picked up a factory 1995 GT air bag cover at the JY today 'cuz i thought you might be able to use it, It is split down the middle due to airbag deployment~But shouldn't be to hard to fix and looks fine.

No worries if your not interested.

Watchdevil, I think I'm going to locate an SN95 dash sometime this fall and swap in, so I'll be PMing you for a few small tips.

BTW door panels look great, kudos.

Haystack, when I do my 'stang dash swap, I'll probably get a cluster from that place you linked...so TIA ;)

I've also got an explode overhead console just like yours...only...won't do me any good, since I have a hole in my roof. :hick:

Anybody want it...?:D

Just curious, why didn't you go with an aftermarket unit as opposed to one from what looks like an Explorer?

Man I wish you lived closer! I'd like to be able to switch over to leather in my Fusion. The seats look good!

Man I wish you lived closer! I'd like to be able to switch over to leather in my Fusion. The seats look good!

So...Where are the pictures?! Come on, I posted pictures today!

Geez man, North Carolina, it'll be at least a year before I'm over that way! I'd be happy to help though.

You're moving to NC eventually? Kewl...

Ha ha no pictures today... I need to snap a few but these things I did were so insignificant I really didn't think it would merit them... So next chance I get I'll take some pics...

What would be even funnier is if I took video of the Bird stalling out and trying to restart... This is pathetic. When I started this restomod project I would have never guessed that I would be swapping out a dash and spending so much time and effort on interior stuff. I should have been well progressed by now getting to the practical mechanical restoration. I feel like a bunch of Ford designers that have just built a rolling styling prototype that cannot move on it's own...

So...Just how much do all those converters cost?

high-flows can be had for anywhere from $20-80 a piece they're not too bad.

I would just go ahead and get headers and an x-pipe with built in hf cats if you're gonna keep them... If your gonna go all out with this car mechanically as far as you have on the interior, then that would be the way to go anyway:D

Time and money is holding me back right now. I think I am going to start with the simpler stuff like brakes, shocks, struts, bushings, etc. and work my way to the engine, transmission and exhaust. Exterior refinishing will be last. It will not get painted until it runs like a charm. When I pay off my Mom's car next year I will have more $$$ to play with. My Mustang is half paid for. It's going to be heaven when I pay these cars off.

I have North Carolina state inspection so it's tougher here.

Nice. I like it. What is that rear package shelf? I have to try to remember how to re-set my compass mirror.It's been so long I forgot.Got any info on that?

Save your money for the essential work.

I wouldn't even bother with the suspension until it's drivable. Brakes, well, if they work, don't touch them yet. Running first, refinement later!

Get that car over to an exhaust shop and get the cats replaced!!!!

Good luck.

How many wires are used on a non thermometer mirror?

I already have an auto dim mirror in my car from a 90 town car , I too skipped the reverse light wire .
I like the idea of a compass but not the idea of running new wires, next trip to pullapart I'll be on the look out :D

holy . I read the whole thread.

holy . I read the whole thread.

Btw, just my opinion, I really think the mn-12 steering wheel looked sooooooo much better with that dash. Not trying to knock your custom one, I know you love it, and there's nothing wrong with it, I just think the other one really fit the current interior.:2c:

Ohh, and the bird on the dash, AWESOME!!! I loved it.

what the heck happened to this thread? did you give up? are you gone? i'm so confused