I got up early,drove to my favorite big salvage yard (they have about 15 or 20 Birds and Cougars),and they are all gone....not just the Fords,everything.They are moving across the road,and crushed it all.They are re-opening in a couple of weeks.I had a mild freak-out then came home in a state of shock.I have grown to accept (in my mind) that they would always be there.I'm kind of ......emotional. I'll keep in touch with them and see when they open back up,and,if they are going to stock up on replacement Fox bodies.I have to wipe the tears.....I mean sweat,from my eyes.i can hardly type.
How complete were those cars or were they nearly shells by this point? From what I see, they must have been quite complete still...
LOT'S of parts left.....Most were at least 75% complete.Oh well,nothing that can be done now except hope they get more. I'll post info as I learn it.A new batch would sure make me take a few days off work.
Rumor has it, s prices are going to tank again, and so I wouldn't be surprised if the yards are starting to cash in what they can to get by through the rest of this year and Winter.
I agree.I hope the metal prices do go way down so yard will be motivated to hold the cars.
vinnie
i know how you feel .. the same thing happened here in jersey about 2 years ago... went to the junk yard this place was huge!!
cars of all years tons and tons of stuff.. foxes galore . then i dont go for awhile and bam its only 1/4 of the size and nothing hardly left.
the owners getting old and is going sell the land to make a lowes.
they used to have t-birds from the 60's ah it was a sad day. sometimes i would just go to look around at the cars and wonder why some one wouldnt fix some of them...
Same thing happened a few years back to me. A local yard had 2.5 full rows of fox birds/cougars, a whole row of Mark VIIIs, 3 rows of LTD/Marquis, and near 2 acres of mustangs. Now, they have maybe 4 mustangs, an ONE fox bird. All of the former rows are neons, tauruses, intrepids, etc.
I guess that's how you know when you're getting old. I'm sure the same thing happened to our forefathers and their favorite cars.
But most of the cars my dad liked have repro parts being made.We are so screwed.
I'm seeing less and less of ours, still pretty many mn12.
They even make new parts for those ugly cars.That's crazy.I am going to hit a different yard up north next week when I got to see my grandmother.Hopefully I can score something cool.
I gotta check my spot, last summer there was still about 10-12 fox cougars-tbirds there always fresh meat not picked too bad. I would love to be able to ditch my 3.27 rear and get a 373 TC rear from there for $50... So far I picked 4 from there in the last 12 years
Boy I'm glad my car is almost finished, and have the replacement parts for the vert already.
I'm not giving up.I WILL find another tribe of these cars somewhere.
Try New Mexico
Still some here. The quality just suffers.
I was the same here a couple years ago. A very nice yard with alot of fox bodies, it got sold to a company that's more into s and they prety much crushed it all. They do still get cars in but it's not like it was. Although we have a new pick a part that has been loading up the yard and there has been some foxes. So there's still hope!
Every time I see one at the yard now they are so beat to hell that little if anything is salvageable from them.....
Most of the yards around here are more s yards then junkyards. Alot of the cars are gone in 2 weeks or so, and most don't even sort them out. Lots of them stack them 3-4 cars high, but still allow you to pull parts. Not very safe if you ask me.
Late last night I was idly mulling over how hard it would be to make electronic models of some of our parts, the kind that a CNC machine could process. Of course, those wouldn't be very useful unless someone here had access to one or had a contact who did and was interested in the business.
When ideas for new part come around,many want the parts,but few can afford them,or aren't willing to spend the extra cash,but,we are running out of options.
My dad has a CNC mill that he has built himself that he is working on getting ready to do aluminium. It is still fairly small and ment for model airplane parts, but I'll bet in a couple of months it could work. If you ever wanted to fab something you already have drawn up out of wood, I'm sure that he would do it.
its almost like we all need to pull together and make our own aftermarket company to supply our needs
That would be great.All we need is a WHOLE LOT of money.The rest will fall in to place.
Someone needs to open a fox body parts yard up here in the northwest, Cuz i swear~All the birds and cougs seem to make there way up here.
Then they just end up getting crushed within a month...
Welcome to Eric 2003.
Considering this is a heavily-populated GM area, it didn't shock me to see most of the Fords crushed back then. But one by one, the Cats and Birds disappeared to the point where my local parts supply vaporized almost overnight. I get more from eBay now. Had I known, I could have stocked up on some things but you know how hindsight is.
That was a portend for things to come...when parts dry up in my area, it's going to follow suit elsewhere.
Sorry to hear, Vinnie...
Heavy Gm here too. A LOT of members here on the forum have parts from that place,as the Sport does.I will be finding more foxes soon.I have no room to fail....the Sport is counting on it.
its not just about your sport vinnie... we need parts too
That is true. We kind of depend on one another here. That's what we get for having these cars. Anyone can build a Stang. Step up to the plate and build one of our cars. I think a '55 T-Bird would be easier.
It happens to me all the time. Remember back when I was looking for a RWD Continental dash pad? Well two Continentals showed up in the Pull-A-Part recently and one had a really nice dash pad. I don't need it now, but it's always my luck. Also, there were like three Lincoln Mark VII's I wanted to go back to and suddenly they are all gone. I really could have used the fuel sending unit from one of those but maybe I will just go look in a Tbird or Cougar that just surfaced on the lot. It's been so hot lately that I have been just grabbing what I need for the moment and getting out of there.
I also stumbled across some 87-88 TC noses but wouldn't you know they were bashed in on one place or another. I don't care about entertaining the TC nose now as Hyperstang just sold me a perfect new 87-88 chrome grille which is gonna be real nice. I am not even going to put it on until the day the exterior finishing is complete.
Yeah I am greatful for our little group supporting one another. But hey it's worth all this just to be different and not be among the dime a dozen Mustang crowd. Don't get me wrong I love Mustangs but the Birds, Cats and Marks are just more special for me.
Think it's bad now, wait 10 years when these cars have even more collectibility!
Collectible...possibly. But I can't imagine trying to find parts in 10 years.It scares me to think about it.
You have to find the local mom and pop yards to find good parts in this area. Too many bell ends trash cars in the pick a part yards. I was at 2 yesterday. Yard 1 had a 5.0 87 Cougar LS with a sunroof (some toolbag destroyed the flawless sunroof cover) and a 88 T-bird sport that someone used a rock on to dent every panel and bust up the header panel. Yard 2 has a 86 Tbird Turbo Coupe Auto. The turbo is gone but the raven seats are flawless, right along with the gauge cluster.
In my area its very hard to find parts for the fox body cars in general. Most get crushed before anybody can get there hands on it. The last fox body tbird i found was in a local pick a part. Very clean 5.0 sport. Very little rust. But it was picked clean or smashed.And yes in 10 yrs or less parts will dry up. And i am glad there are guys like everyone here to get all the parts we can to keep em going. And if i come across any fox tbirds or cougars and i can pick em up cheap then i would strip and salvage any parts i could.
the only cars I came across here were a totally rusted out and stripped 88 XR7 and an 86 TC on the reservation, with a tree growing out of the engine compartment. :hick:
I'm in the same boat Eric's in - parts dried up here a good decade ago. Cars rust so fast here that junkyards don't bother keeping anything older than 10 years unless there were a billion of 'em sold (Neons, Cavaliers, Tauruses, Luminas, etc). There are probably fewer than a half dozen 87-88 T-Birds still running in this province. Maybe the same amount of 87-88 Cougars. Probably similar amounts of four eyes. It's just not worth it for a junkyard to keep one around anymore.
On the brighter side, imagine how hard these things would be to keep running if they didn't share so much with Mustangs...
No rust to speak of here......thank goodness.I've sent Jerry parts that are over 22 years old,and still look REALLY nice.
I stopped by a yard I've gotten a thing, or two, before and last time I was there, they were full. I went last week & they only had two, or three Fox T-birds & one whole Cougar along with 6 or 7 MN-12 'birds & Cougars.
yep, My car is now 25% from california, 25% from Oklahoma, and 25% from NY/ PA. The rest is all new
That's funny.....but true.
Vinnie, you think its hard finding parts for a fox cougar try finding some for a 77-79 cougar :( almost impossible
I know,I had a '79 XR-7 with glass moon roof. Beautiful car.I sold it to a guy who promised to take care of it.....he made a demolition car from it. Oh man,I was more than mad.I still have the manual crank for the moon roof and the original owner's manual stashed away somewhere in the attic.