Hello guys, I am a new member of this site. I currently have a 86 Capri with a worked 302 and 76mm Precision Turbo with A/A inter cooler, blow thru set up. The car also have a full tubular front end, etc.
I just bought (or I may say rescued!) a 88 Thunderbird TC with no motor and I want to swap everything from the Capri in the TC, but I have some questions before I start this. Sorry to bombard yall with them, but I need to learn this before I start my mission :mullet:
1 - The rear control arms on the TC, are they longer than whats on a Mustang/ Capri ? Ive been told yes and no!
2 - Also will my K member bolt in? Ive been told yes but the K member needs to be cut and fab'd taller?
3 - I have a built C4 trans I want to put in it, so I assume I need a longer driveshaft, do they make a Alum driveshaft for the TCs?
That's about all I can think of now. Thanks guys and girls, looking forward to learning a thing or two from yall.:D
Welcome.
Start poking around the forums. You'll find answers to all your questions.
I did read alot before I posted this, but me being a newB on these cars I didn't know if the 86's 84's etc are the same as what I have. I was just hoping to get a confirmation on these questions instead of reading about a 84 etc. and than it being different. If this was a mustang/ Capri I would know. Ive been informed that the control arms are the same, than I read that there not, than Ill read something else and they say they are. Maybe theirs a specific cut off year that I am not aware of.
I also read these are a fox platform, well if that's the case I would think everything is the same. I was hoping to start my own thread with my own info so I can re look up in my thread instead of remembering a bunch of different threads, reference purposes.
Someone has to start somewheres. And this is my start.
Thanks
I guess this is just my lack of experiance with these cars, sorry I guess....
I should say also that Ive only worked on a few Mustangs in my life, I just got into the car scene as far as getting my hands dirty and being able to afford this hobby. So all I know is Mustangs, not T birds, but I will learn and continue to read up on this.
Ahhh I found the search button... lol
Welcome aboard. Glad to see someone showing interest in a TC! I'm no expert but AFAIK all T-birds have different control arms than Fox stangs and capri's. Check with CHE performance they made the control arms I use.
Oh and we want to see some pics of your car(s)!
X2 on the CHE control arms you will love them...
Will do man, Ill get some pics together for yall, the T bird is alittle hurting right now, I rescued her from a overgrown field. She was just sitting there waiting for a new owner to take care of her, and there I came!! lol
Thanks for the info, but I do have a possible stupid NewB question, but what does AFAIK stand for?
Thanks
YOU,....you sir are the main reason I HAD to find this car! lol
I did a search for 88 TC on google and a few of your pics came up and I went nuts!! I will be painting my car the silver but will be putting Pro Stars on them only because thats what I currently have now. I had a friend Pete back in LI where I grew up and he had the same car and I LOVED that bad boy. All the colors look good but I love the silver the most.
Now this car will have about 500 whp because thats what the Capri is now with the turbo, Im just wondering if those control arms will work well with that kinda HP, Ill call them and ask I suppose.
Thanks and your car is awesome!!
As requested, heres some pics of the Capri I have. This will be the motor I am putting in the TC as well as my whole tubular front end and the build trans, the rear I will have to see about. I still gotta get better pics of this car, the TC I still have to take some.
(http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq334/864IDCaprI2/f4a945b7.jpg)
(http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq334/864IDCaprI2/6efbf541.jpg)
(http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq334/864IDCaprI2/4236e65e.jpg)
(http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq334/864IDCaprI2/f4a945b7.jpg)
(http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq334/864IDCaprI2/Croped.jpg)
(http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq334/864IDCaprI2/New%20Capri/0928e2db.jpg)
Video, this video I took because of tuning, the glair killed me from seeing the wideband and what she was doing when I 1st stabbed the gas, I think at that time I was chasing a lean issue.
And heres a short clip when I was tuning her, turn the speakers up!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SMcJT4kSqo (http://"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SMcJT4kSqo")
AFAIK=As Far As I Know
Thats a pretty cool Capri...but I'm glad to see that powerplant going in a T-bird instead. Especially if you saved it from the elements.
Oh boy, I feel stupid!! :punchballs: Thanks man, I really should have figured that out, well todays my slow day I guess.
NICE 88 BTW man, Ill have to read all that later on. Good work. How does she hook?
How come you took out the fuel injection on the Capri and did a carb set up?
This car had a 4 banger in it at 1st. And I wanted to go carb.
Awesome Capri.
I've read on other forums that you can get an aluminum driveshaft from an Aerostar and have it shortened. I hope that helps, for what it's worth.
Careful - that is well into block splitting territory on the stock blocks...I personally wouldn't feel comfortable at WOT past 400rwhp over 5k rpm's without moving up to a A4/R302/BOSS/DART/World/Aluminum block. I'm paranoid like that :p
With the HO conversion and few mods I have it won't spin the 245/45/17's unless you get REALLY nasty with it. The control arms work great...only complaint is that they do make the ride worse and seem to make more noises (pops, etc).:burnout:
I didnt know my car had such an impact... now your making me want to make the wife drive the cougar so I can get it back to looking good ;)
this is the best its looked since I have had it.
Heck yeah that helps! Thanks man
Im not too worried about it :D When she goes a 302 R block will be going in and the boost will rise to 20lbs+
Well currently I have South Sides on my Capri, and there noisy, so Im seasoned to that already! lol
Yeah, well see that goes alil way back to when I was younger in high school, a couple my buddies had the 88, and I loved them. Extra curricular activities happend in one of them, really comfy they is!!Its nice when your friend loans you a cooler car than what you have, but that was because the mustangs back seat I had at the time didnt exist!! :shakeass: GREAT looking car man, mine will look like that eventually!
Nice capri, and nice powerplant..... hey its cool your keeping a turbo car a turbo!!!!!
Welcome to the forum and that's a Cool Capri !
Thank you. She should fly I hope!
Thanks man.
Does anyone know of a good place that have interior parts? I found some but Id like to know who you guys get parts from.
Thanks everyone for the welcomes. I should be starting this car soon and pictures will follow ;)
Welcome to the board.
Question,what's wrong with the capri and why do you want to tear into such a nice rare car?????
I love TC's as much if not more than the next guy(you can tell this by my ride) but i wouldn't want to ruin a nice a capri like that.
As for your questions
1: You will need the above che rear arms(the capri's can be used but they will bring the rear wheels almost 1" closer to the front of the rear fenderwell openings and they will handle 500hp with no issues(ask me i know lol).
2:Your k member will bolt in to the front holes of the frame but the rears will have to be elongated from what i understand.
3:I have heard of people using a c4 in these cars,not sure what they used for a driveshaft but an aluminum one will definetley be a custon piece as there is no direct fit one.
As for your TC, before you start construction take a look at the key fox body rot area's,torque boxes,fuel tank mounts,floors,rad support front frame rails,in fact have a look over daminc's project evolution thread to make sure your tc platform is ok.
Ahh very good questions!! And 1st thanks for the welcome.
Ok, why am I wanting to take the Capri back apart, I am asking myself that now! LOL... But my wife hasn't driving in 10 years (loooong story why!! Panic attacks is the main reason) well she wants to start driving and I dont want a car I have no clue how to work on and every part costs a zillion dollars to buy and fix. So with that said I thought well nows the time to get the TC Ive always wanted. These two are my most favorite cars. The Capri was a 4 banger from the beginning so I already "tore" it apart sort of speaking. So I figured Id take the more "comfy" "luxury" car and put my power plant in it, also because NO ONE has one of these with my type of drive-train around here (I love being different, hence why I got the Capri over the Mustang, same things really but not!) And because of the 79 style rear that's on it people still think its a Mustang. And my wife really likes the Capri, so I can give her what she wants and I can drive what Id like to, kinda worked perfect. We will be putting a stock 5.0 in the Capri were thinking, if not than a 4 popper again, put the AC Heat back in and make it her DD and have the TC for fun and track car with AC heat and all that. Geez sorry so long. Hopefully that explains it some. Plus the pics makes the Capri look MUCH better, I wished it really looked like that, but some body work and a fresh coat of paint and some TLC to the interior she will be really purdy!
1- Hmm, I must have messed up measuring because I measure from the middle of each bolt of the SSM lowers I have and compared it to the ones on the TC and they were both 18"s so I thought cool I can reuse my SSM lowers.
2- I hope that's not true!! lol.. I will measure that before hand just to make sure.
3- I was told I can get a Aerostar alum drive shaft and have it shortened and re welded back up and balanced, so I was hoping to do that. I know a guy who is an awesome welder and builds full tube race cars, so he will weld that back up.
This car will have a fuel cell in the trunk, so if the strap area is rusted I can just fix/ treat that and hopefully call it a day!
The floors are in great shape from what we've seen so far, so I think I dodged that one, again hopefully!!
Torque boxes, well oopps haven't checked that yet and didn't even think of that when I looked at it before I bought it!! OOPS I hope that's ok!
The Rad support looks freaking like brand new!! lol, seriously, its the best one Ive seen so far with Mustangs etc.
The thing that's freaking me and my buddy out is the front pass side frame rail, there's a hint of rust where the K Member bolts up, I thought haa no biggie, well my buddy John says they start rotten from the inside out and if I see rust now that means its rusted on the inside, so I guess I need to drop the K member 1st before going any further. Ive been told how to fix it but I just hope its not THAT bad. Like I said from the outside it didn't/ doesn't look BAD, to me at least.
Pheww, I think I covered everything you asked or talked about. I thank you very much for all your info on this. I have already checked that thread out that you mentioned, lots of work that guy has/ is doing. I just need to finish the last few posts to be caught up on his thread.
Thanks again man.
So you say "ask how I know"...ok how do you know!!! lol You got a TC also with that same power? Id love to see some pics and dont be afraid to drop a couple pics in my thread if you like, I dont mind. I use these threads as future reference kinda thing when/ if I forget something or I get an idea from someone!
Thanks
BTW, thats my longest post ever on the intrawebs!! lol And I won nothing...
Hi Mike, looks like you're gonna fit right in...
Hey Carm, since I gave him the referral, don't I qualify for a free week of something???
BTW
These cars don't generally have any rust problems unless they've lived up north...
Hey Tom, thats a cool sig!
I really love these cars and am falling for them even more now that I belong to these sites!! I cannot wait till shes on the road and the looks Ill get! Theres only one that goes to the local track, but I think its an 84, so I should be the only one locally with the 88 TC with this combo, I dare to be different :)
Im all worried now about that rail where the K member bolts up to!! rrgggg lol
Here ya go man,you asked lol.
I'm sure everybody here is sick of seeing my ride by now but.... this was my coolcats calendar submission in 2008.
It's a worked over stock blocked 5.0L with a vortech SQ-trim at 14psi.
Ohh hell yeah man!! Awesome.. I think we need to talk one day since you did this swap, where your SC is is exactly where my turbo goes, so thats some related questions I have. I still have a bunch of questions if your up to it!! lol Some of the questions I'm almost embarrassed to ask lol..
LOVE the rims... ohh shes shagy!
Ohh and that cell antenna thingybobbermajiggy makes the rear look good Ive always loved them for some reason, it gives it an important look!! lol, well that was back when you could have a HUGE phone in your car and you were a pimp if ya had that! lol, than some of them were dummy antennas that was suppose to "boost" your cell strength..
LOVE IT!!!
Tx man,send me a PM with any question ya have and i'll try and answer them as best i can.
The cell antenna is actually kind of a trade mark of mine(on both my birds), it did actually have one of those old in car cell systems attached to it at one point(circa 1986)but i sped it years ago as it was too difficult and time consuming to change it into this car.
It was pimp though and people always used to ask me if it still worked(it had a corded in car reciever just like your home phone would.
You did mis-measure. The Tbird RLCAs are longer than those in the Mustangs. Not by much, but they are.
The TBird RUCAs, on the other hand, are 1.125" longer.