Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 01:01:15 AM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 01:01:15 AM
Well i might as well start a build thread on here too. I bought an '88 Thunderbird for $250 to use as a parts car but I decided it was too nice to let it go to waste. It was a complete, running 5.0 car without a single dent or ding but in desperate need of paint. I originally planned to swap an HO motor in with a single 70mm t4 turbo and a little suspension work and run low 11's on pump gas. Somewhere along the lines I completely lost my mind. I was going to run an AOD but somehow I ended up with a Powerglide. I sold the 5.0 HO I picked up and bought a 5.3 out of a Silverado that will end up a 347 with around 10.5:1 compression. Instead of one turbo I bought two Master Power 70's with .68 housings. I'm not too concerned with dyno numbers but 300 to the tires on pump through a Glide will be alright. I don't care what it makes as long as it's in the 11's at 120 mph. It will be going in for the cage and all that around the end of May. Front suspension is all Team Z. Rear suspension will also be Team Z when I get around to it. Pics will be up soon.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 01:10:20 AM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 01:10:20 AM
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 01:14:23 AM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 01:14:23 AM
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 01:18:37 AM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 01:18:37 AM
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 01:22:06 AM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 01:22:06 AM
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 01:24:32 AM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 01:24:32 AM
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 01:27:34 AM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 01:27:34 AM
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 01:31:22 AM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 01:31:22 AM
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 01:33:57 AM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 01:33:57 AM
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 01:38:06 AM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 01:38:06 AM
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 01:40:23 AM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 01:40:23 AM
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: BadTriumph on March 01, 2011, 03:47:29 AM
Post by: BadTriumph on March 01, 2011, 03:47:29 AM
Looks like a cool project. Just keep the hood closed when you're showing it off. :pbb:
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: flylear45 on March 01, 2011, 06:01:15 AM
Post by: flylear45 on March 01, 2011, 06:01:15 AM
Neat. Twin MP 70's! 300 at the wheels will be a walk in the park.
I assume you are going blow-through? Is that an airbag in the right rear spring? How was it to install, fit like it should?
When are you hoping to have it on the road?
EDIT:
BTW, you may find that having a tight radius J-bend or two on hand at fab time will come in handy! I know I did on mine.
I assume you are going blow-through? Is that an airbag in the right rear spring? How was it to install, fit like it should?
When are you hoping to have it on the road?
EDIT:
BTW, you may find that having a tight radius J-bend or two on hand at fab time will come in handy! I know I did on mine.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 08:46:41 AM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 08:46:41 AM
Lol I was joking about goals for the car. If it only makes 300 I've got serious problems. I'm shooting for mid 9's on pump gas and 8's on race gas. I considered going blow-through because it would be much simpler but I'm going efi and using MS3X to control it. Yes, that is an air bag. It fit fine and was very simple to install. The first thing I did on the car was the rear suspension and I had a very mild mannered build in mine. After the car gets back from the chassis shop I'm going to pull all of the rear suspension back out and go with a fancier setup. I'm hoping I can get Dave at Team Z to make some custom length control arms for me. I'll be ditching the air bag and going to an anti-roll bar. I'm also going to run coilovers in the rear. As far as getting it on the road, I really have no idea. If I would have went through with my original plan it would already be done but this will take considerably longer. I'll definitely be getting some tighter bends when turbo time comes around. The bends I already have were throwaways that I got for next to nothing and couldn't pass up. They're just random bends ranging from 45° to 90° but they're in perfect shape. I'm not entirely sure why they got pitched.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: 347Thunder on March 01, 2011, 10:26:34 AM
Post by: 347Thunder on March 01, 2011, 10:26:34 AM
ugh, these pictures bring back nightmares for me, have faith there's light at the end of the tunnel.LOL
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 11:14:29 AM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 11:14:29 AM
Lol the only thing that freaks me out is the wiring. I guess it's not that hard, it's just really time consuming.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: 347Thunder on March 01, 2011, 02:37:25 PM
Post by: 347Thunder on March 01, 2011, 02:37:25 PM
tell me about it I have 9 auto meter gauges that is a lot of wiring
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: bigbada1 on March 01, 2011, 03:15:59 PM
Post by: bigbada1 on March 01, 2011, 03:15:59 PM
Man I have been wanting to do an LSX in my 88TC so bad but just cant seem to pull the trigger.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 03:41:19 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 03:41:19 PM
Quote from: 347Thunder;354311
tell me about it I have 9 auto meter gauges that is a lot of wiring
Yeah that's definitely not going to be fun. I'm hoping it won't be too difficult to get the Megasquirt hooked up. Rewiring the entire car is going to take forever.
Quote from: bigbada1;354313
Man I have been wanting to do an LSX in my 88TC so bad but just cant seem to pull the trigger.
I've been wanting an LS in a fox chassis for years and finally bit the bullet. Physically mounting the engine is extremely simple, it's the efi that's the hard part.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 04:06:27 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 04:06:27 PM
Well the coilovers came in today but Strange sent me shocks instead of struts so I need to switch those out. Oh well, I'll make some more progress eventually. I did have a few useful things come in though.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 04:15:43 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 04:15:43 PM
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 04:26:00 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 04:26:00 PM
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: bigbada1 on March 01, 2011, 05:16:02 PM
Post by: bigbada1 on March 01, 2011, 05:16:02 PM
Are you going stand alone for the all the electronics or are you grafting in the truck harness? I will be following this thread.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: bigbada1 on March 01, 2011, 05:16:55 PM
Post by: bigbada1 on March 01, 2011, 05:16:55 PM
Are you going to use those headers or are you going with the Kooks LS in a Fox headers?
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: bigbada1 on March 01, 2011, 05:18:34 PM
Post by: bigbada1 on March 01, 2011, 05:18:34 PM
What trans are you going to be using? Sorry for all the questions I'm just excited to see someone doing this in a Bird.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 05:37:43 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 05:37:43 PM
Quote from: bigbada1;354324
Are you going stand alone for the all the electronics or are you grafting in the truck harness? I will be following this thread.
Yes, it will be controlled with Megasquirt 3 Extra. I'll be building the harness with parts from diyautotune.com.
Quote from: bigbada1;354325
Are you going to use those headers or are you going with the Kooks LS in a Fox headers?
I'm going turbo so I'll be using these truck manifolds facing forward. I'm going to cut the three bolt s off and convert them to v-bands. These manifolds have been 160mph in the quarter in a 3200 pound turbo car so they can make decent power.
Quote from: bigbada1;354326
What trans are you going to be using? Sorry for all the questions I'm just excited to see someone doing this in a Bird.
I'm going to be running a Powerglide.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: 347Thunder on March 01, 2011, 06:10:49 PM
Post by: 347Thunder on March 01, 2011, 06:10:49 PM
why do you only have 2 valve springs???? LOL
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 06:33:56 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 06:33:56 PM
Lol I thought that was all I needed?
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: cougarcragar on March 01, 2011, 08:02:48 PM
Post by: cougarcragar on March 01, 2011, 08:02:48 PM
Great photos! Thanks for sharing, and it looks like a cool project.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: Bruce M on March 01, 2011, 08:09:38 PM
Post by: Bruce M on March 01, 2011, 08:09:38 PM
The manifolds look ok but how about prolonged use. A lot of turbo manifolds or headers glow on hard pulls. I would thank they would start cracking.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: flylear45 on March 01, 2011, 08:12:37 PM
Post by: flylear45 on March 01, 2011, 08:12:37 PM
i wondered if you were joking or not. You are gonna move a lot of air. Wiring has had me working hard for a while on my build, but mine is a MUCH more street oriented build. MS1 and EDIS. All I'd see is your taillights if I lined up with this animal. LOL Thanks for posting it up here. I see you are also a TM junkie!
Do you know BlownShovel? He's my neighbor.
Do you know BlownShovel? He's my neighbor.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 08:22:26 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 08:22:26 PM
Quote from: cougarcragar;354336
Great photos! Thanks for sharing, and it looks like a cool project.
Thanks, I was hoping people here wouldn't be too upset about the swap, I know how some people are with crossbreeding.
Quote from: Bruce M;354338
The manifolds look ok but how about prolonged use. A lot of turbo manifolds or headers glow on hard pulls. I would thank they would start cracking.
They should hold up fine. They're a weird kind of cast iron with a lot more steel than usual and they weld really nice. Lots of guys are using these on turbo setups without failure so I hope I'll be ok.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 08:36:59 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 08:36:59 PM
Quote from: flylear45;354339
i wondered if you were joking or not. You are gonna move a lot of air. Wiring has had me working hard for a while on my build, but mine is a MUCH more street oriented build. MS1 and EDIS. All I'd see is your taillights if I lined up with this animal. LOL Thanks for posting it up here. I see you are also a TM junkie!
Do you know BlownShovel? He's my neighbor.
Yeah, mine is fairly radical but I still plan to drive it on the street every chance I get. That's the great thing about turbo cars, they can be ridiculously fast and still be fairly docile on the street. Have you already started wiring for the Megasquirt? I'm actually fairly anxious to start on the Megasquirt, it should be pretty interesting. I love TM, there's a lot of really knowledgeable guys on there that love to help. Have you seen tirefryins10's Fairmont build? That's the car that inspired me to take this path. I'll be using an almost identical setup to him, just a few less cubes and a little more compression. He went ~8.6 @ 159mph with the same turbos and 3200 pounds. I don't personally know Blown Shovel but I do love his car. Do you have a build thread? There's not enough build threads out there of these cars.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: Bruce M on March 01, 2011, 08:44:49 PM
Post by: Bruce M on March 01, 2011, 08:44:49 PM
Quote from: jridenour31;354342
Yeah, mine is fairly radical but I still plan to drive it on the street every chance I get. That's the great thing about turbo cars, they can be ridiculously fast and still be fairly docile on the street. Have you already started wiring for the Megasquirt? I'm actually fairly anxious to start on the Megasquirt, it should be pretty interesting. I love TM, there's a lot of really knowledgeable guys on there that love to help. Have you seen tirefryins10's Fairmont build? That's the car that inspired me to take this path. I'll be using an almost identical setup to him, just a few less cubes and a little more compression. He went ~8.6 @ 159mph with the same turbos and 3200 pounds. I don't personally know Blown Shovel but I do love his car. Do you have a build thread? There's not enough build threads out there of these cars.
OH YEAH. His build will be famous here. It should be a sticky.
http://www.foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showthread.php?24179-1988-TC-single-Holset-turbo-5.0-4R70W
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: Bruce M on March 01, 2011, 08:46:17 PM
Post by: Bruce M on March 01, 2011, 08:46:17 PM
Quote from: jridenour31;354342
Yeah, mine is fairly radical but I still plan to drive it on the street every chance I get. That's the great thing about turbo cars, they can be ridiculously fast and still be fairly docile on the street. Have you already started wiring for the Megasquirt? I'm actually fairly anxious to start on the Megasquirt, it should be pretty interesting. I love TM, there's a lot of really knowledgeable guys on there that love to help. Have you seen tirefryins10's Fairmont build? That's the car that inspired me to take this path. I'll be using an almost identical setup to him, just a few less cubes and a little more compression. He went ~8.6 @ 159mph with the same turbos and 3200 pounds. I don't personally know Blown Shovel but I do love his car. Do you have a build thread? There's not enough build threads out there of these cars.
Check out user rides and the engine swap threads.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 08:52:36 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 08:52:36 PM
Here's a pic of the car that got me hooked on turbos. No, I did not build this setup. The turbo kit itself was fairly nice but other stuff was rigged like the overflow and radiator house. It put a bone stock 88 GT solidly into the 11's and really surprised people with it being so quiet. I eventually lost interest in fixing somebody else's less than stellar build and sold it. A couple years later I picked up an 87 Tbird and fell in love. I bought the 88 and here I am.
Here's the car I never should have sold. It was a stock motored 94 GT with a bottle that ran mid 12's.
Ok I'm done hijacking my own thread now lol, back to the build.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 09:09:14 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 09:09:14 PM
Quote from: Bruce M;354345
OH YEAH. His build will be famous here. It should be a sticky.
http://www.foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showthread.php?24179-1988-TC-single-Holset-turbo-5.0-4R70W
Just checked it out. I read some of it before but hadn't checked back in for awhile. I'll have to finish when I have more time, it's long lol. His car is much nicer than mine.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: flylear45 on March 01, 2011, 10:45:28 PM
Post by: flylear45 on March 01, 2011, 10:45:28 PM
It's long because I am old and am much slower getting things done. lol I am now trying to go through the process of creating the car I want from an idea.
My car won't hold a candle to yours, but they are built for different goals.
THAT is what is important to understand. Build a car to meet your goals. It ends up being a custom made system from front to back.
My car won't hold a candle to yours, but they are built for different goals.
THAT is what is important to understand. Build a car to meet your goals. It ends up being a custom made system from front to back.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 11:14:43 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 01, 2011, 11:14:43 PM
I hear you on that. You might as well just do it right the first time because it will be cheaper in the long run. Just build what you want and will enjoy. There's no reason to rush because that never ends well. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing yours finished. It will be quite awhile until mine's up and running. I never even gave these cars a second thought until I bought my first one. Now I can't get enough. You've gotta love something you don't see everyday.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: flylear45 on March 02, 2011, 07:46:06 AM
Post by: flylear45 on March 02, 2011, 07:46:06 AM
Quote from: jridenour31;354363
I hear you on that. You might as well just do it right the first time because it will be cheaper in the long run. Just build what you want and will enjoy. There's no reason to rush because that never ends well. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing yours finished. It will be quite awhile until mine's up and running. I never even gave these cars a second thought until I bought my first one. Now I can't get enough. You've gotta love something you don't see everyday.
Yeah, same here. I bought my first two Tbirds to part out. I ended up driving the first one because it was so nice. Then I was hooked. They are a neat mix of comfort and sporty feel that is hard to match. I'm a real fan now.
It's been a couple of years getting mine done because life has been getting in the way, but it'll be on the road this Summer.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: 50tbrd88 on March 02, 2011, 03:12:57 PM
Post by: 50tbrd88 on March 02, 2011, 03:12:57 PM
I just stumbled across this thread...very cool project. It looks like you have thought it all out very well and I'm sure you will have no problems meeting your goals.
I would leave the faded out paint. Talk about a sleeper!!
I would leave the faded out paint. Talk about a sleeper!!
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 02, 2011, 04:35:20 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 02, 2011, 04:35:20 PM
Quote from: 50tbrd88;354383
I just stumbled across this thread...very cool project. It looks like you have thought it all out very well and I'm sure you will have no problems meeting your goals.
I would leave the faded out paint. Talk about a sleeper!!
I'll definitely be sticking with the paint for awhile. Eventually I plan to paint it black. I'm not sure if it was black or blue to begin with. I'll also be sticking with a stock height hood. I love sleepers lol.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 04, 2011, 11:32:10 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 04, 2011, 11:32:10 PM
My struts came in today. Strange messed up and sent me shocks so I emailed Dave at Team Z and he apologized and said he'd send me a set that he had in the shop. He had a new tracking number for the struts within just a couple hours of receiving my first email. I highly recommend Team Z. Dave has always personally helped me out everytime I have a question or a problem, not to mention his products are top-notch.
As long as there aren't any disasters tomorrow the car will be on the ground for the first time in several months. I need to swap out the seals I got for the rotors, I forgot the Thunderbird seals were different than the Mustang. Other than that it's ready. I'm excited to finally see it on the ground again.
As long as there aren't any disasters tomorrow the car will be on the ground for the first time in several months. I need to swap out the seals I got for the rotors, I forgot the Thunderbird seals were different than the Mustang. Other than that it's ready. I'm excited to finally see it on the ground again.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: flylear45 on March 05, 2011, 10:06:08 AM
Post by: flylear45 on March 05, 2011, 10:06:08 AM
Sweet! Sounds like a nice front suspension. I still need to buy new rotors for mine.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 05, 2011, 06:25:26 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 05, 2011, 06:25:26 PM
It better be nice for as much money as I've thrown at it lol. I'm just glad it's coming along.
Well the car's not back on the ground yet. I apparently lost the washers that seat on the outer wheel bearings so I had to quit early. I didn't feel like making another trip to town to pick up what I needed. I am 100% sure the car will be back on the ground by next weekend.
On another note, I weighed my stock hood without the latch or hinges and was shocked to see that it weighed 46 pounds. The fiberglass hood I'm getting only weighs 13 pounds so that will be a nice improvement, plus the weight savings from trashing the latch and hinges.
Well the car's not back on the ground yet. I apparently lost the washers that seat on the outer wheel bearings so I had to quit early. I didn't feel like making another trip to town to pick up what I needed. I am 100% sure the car will be back on the ground by next weekend.
On another note, I weighed my stock hood without the latch or hinges and was shocked to see that it weighed 46 pounds. The fiberglass hood I'm getting only weighs 13 pounds so that will be a nice improvement, plus the weight savings from trashing the latch and hinges.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: Thunder Chicken on March 05, 2011, 06:51:11 PM
Post by: Thunder Chicken on March 05, 2011, 06:51:11 PM
Loving it. My next Fox will either be powered by an LSx or a 32-valve modular. I'm thinking the LSx would be easier (and more rewarding, $$ per HP)...
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: Bruce M on March 05, 2011, 07:10:47 PM
Post by: Bruce M on March 05, 2011, 07:10:47 PM
I want the new 32 valve 5.0.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 05, 2011, 07:43:21 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 05, 2011, 07:43:21 PM
Quote from: Thunder Chicken;354603
Loving it. My next Fox will either be powered by an LSx or a 32-valve modular. I'm thinking the LSx would be easier (and more rewarding, $$ per HP)...
I think the LSx is definitely the easier way to go. It's considerably more compact and a simpler design and both of those are very important to me.
Quote from: Bruce M;354604
I want the new 32 valve 5.0.
They're definitely cool, I'm just not a fan of the mod motors. If I didn't go LSx I definitely would have went with an 8.2 Dart block.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: Thunder Chicken on March 05, 2011, 09:30:22 PM
Post by: Thunder Chicken on March 05, 2011, 09:30:22 PM
I like the new 5.0 too, but you could buy a few dozen LSx's or 32-valve mod motors for what it would cost you to get one new 5.0 running in your Fox...
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: flylear45 on March 05, 2011, 10:33:57 PM
Post by: flylear45 on March 05, 2011, 10:33:57 PM
The new K-member is certainly a minimal weight design. Should off load lots of front-end lb's with what you are doing.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 05, 2011, 11:06:16 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 05, 2011, 11:06:16 PM
Quote from: Thunder Chicken;354608
I like the new 5.0 too, but you could buy a few dozen LSx's or 32-valve mod motors for what it would cost you to get one new 5.0 running in your Fox...
So true. I wish I was rich so I could do all the projects that I want. All the Chevy guys talking about how I'm swapping because of how superior the LSx is are making me want to put a Windsor in my fourth gen Camaro. Muahaha.
Quote from: flylear45;354617
The new K-member is certainly a minimal weight design. Should off load lots of front-end lb's with what you are doing.
The weight difference in the front suspension is amazing. It's also going to be much easier to work on and route my downpipes. I think even with two turbos hanging off the front of the engine I'll still have a considerably lighter front-end than a stock Tbird.
I still need to get a set of C/C plates, I'm using the stock Tbird mounts for the moment. I just needed something to get it back on the ground. Does anyone know what's involved in getting Mustang plates to work? I have no issues with doing a little fabricating, I just haven't found any specific issues other than they aren't a direct bolt-on.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: The Shredder on March 07, 2011, 12:12:13 PM
Post by: The Shredder on March 07, 2011, 12:12:13 PM
Chuck W has some knowledge of the Mustang Camber / Caster plates. Maximum Motorsports makes some specific to the t-bird - unless you already have the Mustang ones...
http://www.maximummotorsports.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_77&products_id=258
http://www.maximummotorsports.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_77&products_id=258
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 08, 2011, 09:29:45 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 08, 2011, 09:29:45 PM
Gumby and Chuck W provided all the info I needed about the c/c plates and rear control arms. I'm going to be using fox Mustang plates from Team Z. I'll be welding the factory holes shut and drilling new holes for the new plates. This way I'll definitely have enough adjustment to get the car aligned while being slammed and use the company I want. The rear suspension is going to be coming back out and replaced with a slightly beefier setup. Team Z will be making a set of Tbird specific control arms with relocated uppers with rod ends for me. I'll also be ditching the air bag and running their arb. Hopefully in the next few months I'll have the chassis 100% finished.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 10, 2011, 09:49:46 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 10, 2011, 09:49:46 PM
Well, it's finally back on the ground. It's too dark in the garage to take pictures tonight but I'll be sure to get some up tomorrow. I'll also start modifying my motor mounts tomorrow and get some pics up of that.
Just out of curiosity, what is everybody's height from the floor to the front bottom corner of the door? I'm just trying to get an idea about how low I'm going to be able to get this thing. I'm at 13.5" right now with absolutely nothing in my car.
Just out of curiosity, what is everybody's height from the floor to the front bottom corner of the door? I'm just trying to get an idea about how low I'm going to be able to get this thing. I'm at 13.5" right now with absolutely nothing in my car.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: flylear45 on March 11, 2011, 01:40:44 AM
Post by: flylear45 on March 11, 2011, 01:40:44 AM
The problem in my experience is the distance the nose hangs out over the front wheels. It can be an issue on inclined ramps to enter driveways and such if you go too low. This is daily driver stuff, of course.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 11, 2011, 10:58:20 AM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 11, 2011, 10:58:20 AM
Yeah, it can be a pain from time to time. My 94 was SLAMMED and I had to go over speedbumps very slowly at an angle. I'll have to be a little more careful with the Tbird though because, like you said, the nose is long.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 11, 2011, 11:12:01 AM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 11, 2011, 11:12:01 AM
I'll take some more pictures once I roll it outside.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 11, 2011, 02:02:23 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 11, 2011, 02:02:23 PM
I got a little work done on the motor mounts. I can't finish them until I get the block home and can see how much needs to be cut off.
They're solid 4.6 mounts from UPR. I had to cut part of the gusset out, bend one side to put it at a 90° angle, and weld it back together. I still need to do a little work but they're about done.
They're solid 4.6 mounts from UPR. I had to cut part of the gusset out, bend one side to put it at a 90° angle, and weld it back together. I still need to do a little work but they're about done.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: flylear45 on March 11, 2011, 02:24:23 PM
Post by: flylear45 on March 11, 2011, 02:24:23 PM
:cool:
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: The Shredder on March 11, 2011, 04:35:15 PM
Post by: The Shredder on March 11, 2011, 04:35:15 PM
Staying 4 lug, huh? Your coil-over suspension looks great! I'm excited to see in in the daytime. Keep up the great work!
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 11, 2011, 05:29:22 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 11, 2011, 05:29:22 PM
Yeah, it's going to stay four lug for now. Eventually I may go five lug with Billet Specialties wheels. I didn't get a chance to roll it out. It's been a pretty busy day working on other stuff. Next time I get a chance to work on it I'll roll it out and get the engine bay ready for paint. I also need to clean up the garage then. It's to the point where it's almost impossible to find my tools. Hopefully I'll have the engine here in the next couple weeks to finish the mounts and drop it in. I STILL haven't gotten my turbo yet so I'm not in a major rush to get the motor.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 17, 2011, 04:01:06 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 17, 2011, 04:01:06 PM
Well I was planning on just getting the engine bay ready for paint today but that didn't happen. I ended up getting it ready AND painted it. It looks pretty good I think. I still need a little more paint to finish it up.
I ended up cancelling my order with Ponydown. They were taking way too long and had terrible communication. I'm probably going to end up getting an S475 and just run a big single. Those turbos have been mid 5's in the eighth in 3200 pound cars so it will still be just as fast.
I ended up cancelling my order with Ponydown. They were taking way too long and had terrible communication. I'm probably going to end up getting an S475 and just run a big single. Those turbos have been mid 5's in the eighth in 3200 pound cars so it will still be just as fast.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: The Shredder on March 17, 2011, 05:00:08 PM
Post by: The Shredder on March 17, 2011, 05:00:08 PM
Your engine bay does look nice! Did you rattle can it or spray gun?
I'm curious about your Ponydown experience. I plan to order a Ponydown single kit. What was the expected wait time?
I'm curious about your Ponydown experience. I plan to order a Ponydown single kit. What was the expected wait time?
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: gumby on March 17, 2011, 05:02:58 PM
Post by: gumby on March 17, 2011, 05:02:58 PM
Quote from: jridenour31;355084
Just out of curiosity, what is everybody's height from the floor to the front bottom corner of the door? I'm just trying to get an idea about how low I'm going to be able to get this thing. I'm at 13.5" right now with absolutely nothing in my car.
How low do you want it? :evilgrin:
My car is 10.125" from the floor to the bottom front corner of the door.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 17, 2011, 05:22:59 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 17, 2011, 05:22:59 PM
Quote from: The Shredder;355639
Your engine bay does look nice! Did you rattle can it or spray gun?
I'm curious about your Ponydown experience. I plan to order a Ponydown single kit. What was the expected wait time?
I just used a rattlecan. I'll do it the right way when I paint the whole car.
The wait time with Ponydown was my main issue. I ordered my turbo a month ago and still haven't gotten any word about it. I've tried to get some information from them but they just never answer.
Quote from: gumby;355640
How low do you want it? :evilgrin:
My car is 10.125" from the floor to the bottom front corner of the door.
Really freaking low lol. I want it to have a very small rake to it, almost level, with a 28 inch tire tucked pretty far in the back.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: tbirdsps on March 17, 2011, 06:41:20 PM
Post by: tbirdsps on March 17, 2011, 06:41:20 PM
I love build threads. If Ford did it this way we wouldn't have build threads.....
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 17, 2011, 06:49:23 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 17, 2011, 06:49:23 PM
Quote from: tbirdsps;355647
I love build threads. If Ford did it this way we wouldn't have build threads.....
Lol I wish they would have, it would have saved me the trouble.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: flylear45 on March 17, 2011, 08:19:36 PM
Post by: flylear45 on March 17, 2011, 08:19:36 PM
Sorry to hear Ponydown let you down. I have had good luck with B&G. I sent them an EDIS wheel when they were playing with Megasquirt, and they sent it back a year later when I asked for it. I have also ordered some parts from them and got them in a timely fashion. Brian is a good guy in my experience. They are busy, so I can't vouch for communication.
Looking good on the progress!
Looking good on the progress!
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 17, 2011, 08:53:39 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 17, 2011, 08:53:39 PM
Quote from: gumby;355640
How low do you want it? :evilgrin:
My car is 10.125" from the floor to the bottom front corner of the door.
Do you have any pics of how the car sits at this height? I'm just trying to get an idea of where I'm going to be when the car is at full weight.
Quote from: flylear45;355658
Sorry to hear Ponydown let you down. I have had good luck with B&G. I sent them an EDIS wheel when they were playing with Megasquirt, and they sent it back a year later when I asked for it. I have also ordered some parts from them and got them in a timely fashion. Brian is a good guy in my experience. They are busy, so I can't vouch for communication.
Looking good on the progress!
I'm not really upset about it. They make good turbo kits from everything I've seen and heard. I was under the impression that they had the Master Power turbos in stock but that's not the case. They have them drop shipped directly from Brazil so they really don't have control of when you get them. I was just going to wait it out because it's not that big of a deal, I would have gotten it eventually. The thing that pushed me over the edge and caused me to cancel my order was the s. I ordered two t4 s from them exactly one month ago. Eight days ago he finally emailed me that the s went out. I never got a tracking number and still don't have the s. Forced Inductions has the t6 s475's with 1.32 housings in stock, so I'll most likely just order one of those as soon as Ponydown refunds my money.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: gumby on March 17, 2011, 09:09:36 PM
Post by: gumby on March 17, 2011, 09:09:36 PM
Does your K-member have raised pick up points, or multiple sets of holes for the LCA mounting height? If not, the factory geometry will limit how low you can get the car.
(http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c73/gmby23/87%20turbocoupe/96272c59.jpg)
(http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c73/gmby23/87%20turbocoupe/96272c59.jpg)
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 17, 2011, 10:01:15 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 17, 2011, 10:01:15 PM
My k-member has stock 94-95 mounting points. If you're talking about the rear lca mounting points, then yes. I'm using these brackets:
Are your tires 26 inches? It's hard to judge the height difference with different tire sizes but I think I'd be happy with it a little higher than yours, probably an inch higher at the most.
Are your tires 26 inches? It's hard to judge the height difference with different tire sizes but I think I'd be happy with it a little higher than yours, probably an inch higher at the most.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: gumby on March 17, 2011, 10:09:13 PM
Post by: gumby on March 17, 2011, 10:09:13 PM
yup, 26"
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 17, 2011, 11:38:42 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 17, 2011, 11:38:42 PM
Cool, I'll also be running 26's in the front. It should drop a little farther in the front once I get the Mustang c/c plates installed. The struts aren't extending all the way through the Tbird strut mounts at the moment, so I think I've got at least an extra half inch there. It should also drop a considerable amount once all the weight is back in the car. The back sits up like a truck right now but that's with stock springs and no weight. I'll be able to get it as low as I want with coilovers.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 28, 2011, 01:18:55 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 28, 2011, 01:18:55 PM
Well, I finally have a turbo. I gave up on Ponydown and ordered one from VSRacing. It's a Borg Warner / Bullseye Performance S475 with a 1.32 housing. I also got five 2.5" 180's for the hotside.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 28, 2011, 01:25:15 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 28, 2011, 01:25:15 PM
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 28, 2011, 01:28:30 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 28, 2011, 01:28:30 PM
This thing is a monster. It's a T6 with a 96mm turbine and 75mm compressor.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: flylear45 on March 28, 2011, 01:46:03 PM
Post by: flylear45 on March 28, 2011, 01:46:03 PM
Schweet!
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: The Shredder on March 28, 2011, 02:12:28 PM
Post by: The Shredder on March 28, 2011, 02:12:28 PM
Holy snikeys! That thing is going to make some power!!!! I guess with the twin scroll it should spool up faster? What is your hotside gonna look like?
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: Romeo2k on March 28, 2011, 02:47:20 PM
Post by: Romeo2k on March 28, 2011, 02:47:20 PM
!!!
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on March 28, 2011, 03:03:36 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on March 28, 2011, 03:03:36 PM
Quote from: The Shredder;356589
Holy snikeys! That thing is going to make some power!!!! I guess with the twin scroll it should spool up faster? What is your hotside gonna look like?
It will when I eventually get a quick spool valve. Hotside will just be 2.5" and turbo will be on driver side. I'm not sure what I'm doing with the downpipe yet.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on April 02, 2011, 08:49:46 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on April 02, 2011, 08:49:46 PM
I made a little progress today. Everything came in to build my hotside so I did a little work on that. I was going to mount the turbo with the inlet facing forward but that really wasn't possible on the driver's side so I just turned it. Excuse the py welds, I don't know how to weld and flux just makes it worse.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on April 02, 2011, 10:05:57 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on April 02, 2011, 10:05:57 PM
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: thewestie on April 02, 2011, 10:09:17 PM
Post by: thewestie on April 02, 2011, 10:09:17 PM
I was wondering what that hole in the fender wall was for.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on April 02, 2011, 10:40:44 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on April 02, 2011, 10:40:44 PM
That turbo is massive. I still need to cut a little more out of the inner fender but it's close. I have several more pics but I'm having trouble uploading them for some reason. We welded up a pretty trick brace for the turbo today. As soon as I drop the motor in I'll fab the hotside.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on April 02, 2011, 11:09:25 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on April 02, 2011, 11:09:25 PM
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on April 02, 2011, 11:12:06 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on April 02, 2011, 11:12:06 PM
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on April 02, 2011, 11:16:39 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on April 02, 2011, 11:16:39 PM
Be nice on the welds lol. I don't know what I'm doing and using flux isn't helping the situation.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: flylear45 on April 03, 2011, 06:50:27 AM
Post by: flylear45 on April 03, 2011, 06:50:27 AM
Won't be hatin' on that! Looks good! I like the brace. Actually for flux welding it looks awfully good to me. Plenty strong enough. This is gonna be a cool build.
Are you making your own collector at the turbo or buying one? I assume you are running each bank into a separate side of the turbine? Looks like you'll be punching a hole through the frame for the oil drain.
Are you making your own collector at the turbo or buying one? I assume you are running each bank into a separate side of the turbine? Looks like you'll be punching a hole through the frame for the oil drain.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: thewestie on April 03, 2011, 10:26:38 AM
Post by: thewestie on April 03, 2011, 10:26:38 AM
Looks good to me,good penetration and with a flux and two different gauge steel it looks fine
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on April 03, 2011, 10:53:20 AM
Post by: jridenour31 on April 03, 2011, 10:53:20 AM
Quote from: flylear45;357059
Won't be hatin' on that! Looks good! I like the brace. Actually for flux welding it looks awfully good to me. Plenty strong enough. This is gonna be a cool build.
Are you making your own collector at the turbo or buying one? I assume you are running each bank into a separate side of the turbine? Looks like you'll be punching a hole through the frame for the oil drain.
Yeah I'll be making my own merge. I'll probably be starting on it this afternoon. I'm actually not running the banks to separate sides of the turbine because eventually I'm going to be running a quick spool valve and that needs an open . Yep, oil drain will go through the frame.
Quote from: thewestie;357066
Looks good to me,good penetration and with a flux and two different gauge steel it looks fine
Thanks guys, I'm taking my time with this and trying to do it right.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on April 03, 2011, 08:13:15 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on April 03, 2011, 08:13:15 PM
Decided to start on the merge. I'm using 2.5" aluminized tubing and an extended T6 from Race Parts Solutions. I took a lot of pictures as I was doing this.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on April 03, 2011, 08:18:39 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on April 03, 2011, 08:18:39 PM
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on April 03, 2011, 08:28:51 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on April 03, 2011, 08:28:51 PM
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on April 03, 2011, 08:34:39 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on April 03, 2011, 08:34:39 PM
I'm really happy with how this turned out considering I'm not a great welder and I've never done anything like this before. The hard part of the turbo setup is done now other than cleaning up the inside of the merge.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on April 07, 2011, 10:22:19 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on April 07, 2011, 10:22:19 PM
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on April 07, 2011, 10:29:36 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on April 07, 2011, 10:29:36 PM
As far as I know, this is the first LS swapped Tbird. This intake definitely not clear with a stock hood. I'll either switch to a car intake or go blowthrough with a cowl hood. Tomorrow I'll work on the hotside.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: EFFalcon on April 07, 2011, 11:30:56 PM
Post by: EFFalcon on April 07, 2011, 11:30:56 PM
woah, this is gunna be nuts :D
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: flylear45 on April 08, 2011, 01:20:29 AM
Post by: flylear45 on April 08, 2011, 01:20:29 AM
Looking good. I like the merge. It's one of the hardest parts.
Keep it up, looks great!
So, what's in the bags on the back wall? I play Mizuno MP70's, a Titlieist driver, and Calloway metal woods. Hogan wedges.
Keep it up, looks great!
So, what's in the bags on the back wall? I play Mizuno MP70's, a Titlieist driver, and Calloway metal woods. Hogan wedges.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on April 08, 2011, 01:42:12 AM
Post by: jridenour31 on April 08, 2011, 01:42:12 AM
Quote from: EFFalcon;357463
woah, this is gunna be nuts :D
Lol, that's the plan.
Quote from: flylear45;357470
Looking good. I like the merge. It's one of the hardest parts.
Keep it up, looks great!
So, what's in the bags on the back wall? I play Mizuno MP70's, a Titlieist driver, and Calloway metal woods. Hogan wedges.
Thanks, the merge definitely went better than I thought it would.
The black bag just has cheap graphite irons and Mizuno driver. The blue Nike bag has Cleveland irons and Callaway driver/woods.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on April 08, 2011, 06:12:35 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on April 08, 2011, 06:12:35 PM
I got a little more done today. I would have finished the other side too but we needed to clean the garage, it was a disaster.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: flylear45 on May 04, 2011, 05:26:48 AM
Post by: flylear45 on May 04, 2011, 05:26:48 AM
How's it going? Somehow I missed this last set of pics.:dunno:
Looks good so far!
Looks good so far!
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on May 07, 2011, 01:28:19 AM
Post by: jridenour31 on May 07, 2011, 01:28:19 AM
Eh, no real progress lately. I'm ditching the manifolds, one of them was warped pretty bad. I haven't decided exactly what I'm going to do, probably going to make a simple set of shorties facing forward. I've been working a lot lately and haven't had much time. Hopefully I'll be making some more progress shortly. I'm all over the place as far as fueling goes. I was planning on going with the Megasquirt but the simplicity and clean look of a blowthrough setup is appealing too. Also, more and more people are running the Holley Dominator and it looks great. Oh well, I've got plenty of time to figure it out.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: flylear45 on May 07, 2011, 08:12:49 AM
Post by: flylear45 on May 07, 2011, 08:12:49 AM
Understandable. My neighbor Walt knows a lot about the blowthrough stuff, and has done a NA LS conversion on his older pickup. BlownShovel on TTF.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: bigbada1 on May 07, 2011, 01:01:06 PM
Post by: bigbada1 on May 07, 2011, 01:01:06 PM
I know that you are clear over by st Louis but I have a brother in-law that owns MC racing here in MC and his shop specializes in hi po engines and tunes and I believe he is in the middle of a turbo fox lsx swap right now if any thing he could probably give you some good suggestions.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: bigbada1 on May 07, 2011, 01:01:46 PM
Post by: bigbada1 on May 07, 2011, 01:01:46 PM
dam auto correct he is in Kansas city
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on May 29, 2011, 11:32:38 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on May 29, 2011, 11:32:38 PM
Alright, I finally got some time/motivation to work on the car again. Space is going to be at a premium with this setup with all the turbo related so I decided to do a little work to the front frame rails. They were rusty and just generally looked like anyway so I cut them out and replaced them with round tube. So far I've only finished the passenger side, the driver's side still has the stock rail.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on May 29, 2011, 11:42:12 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on May 29, 2011, 11:42:12 PM
I also ditched the solid 4.6 mounts that everyone said worked perfectly because they were considerably too short. I decided to make my own out of 3/16" steel. They're not 100% complete but the hard part is done. Both just need holes drilled, studs installed, finish welded, and one needs to be narrowed. These mounts are 3 3/4" from the.l bosses on the block to the pad on the k-member.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on May 29, 2011, 11:49:32 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on May 29, 2011, 11:49:32 PM
Quote from: bigbada1;359510
I know that you are clear over by st Louis but I have a brother in-law that owns MC racing here in MC and his shop specializes in hi po engines and tunes and I believe he is in the middle of a turbo fox lsx swap right now if any thing he could probably give you some good suggestions.
Got any pics? They give me more ideas than anything else.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: 67jones71 on July 15, 2011, 09:34:28 PM
Post by: 67jones71 on July 15, 2011, 09:34:28 PM
which hood are you going with?
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: DVP on July 16, 2011, 07:27:39 PM
Post by: DVP on July 16, 2011, 07:27:39 PM
LSx has been one of the swaps I have thought about for the Cougar. Im glad you are doing it first, being second is usually cheaper lol. Looks like you are only an hour from me. Wouldnt want a TC header panel and bumper cover for that thing would you?
I want to see this thing in person when its done for sure.
I want to see this thing in person when its done for sure.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on July 22, 2011, 03:37:18 AM
Post by: jridenour31 on July 22, 2011, 03:37:18 AM
Quote from: 67jones71;363517
which hood are you going with?
If I stay efi and am able to clear a stock height hood that's what I'll go with. If I need a cowl I'll use an extended pin-on. Either way I'll definitely be getting it from VFN.
Quote from: DVP;363543
LSx has been one of the swaps I have thought about for the Cougar. Im glad you are doing it first, being second is usually cheaper lol. Looks like you are only an hour from me. Wouldnt want a TC header panel and bumper cover for that thing would you?
I want to see this thing in person when its done for sure.
I probably will want them eventually, for the moment though I'm broke just from throwing parts at the drivetrain. As far as the first to do it, I'm definitely the first to have one in a Cougar or Thunderbird but I'm sure I won't be the first with a running car lol. Between being broke and not wanting to get burned out I don't work on it too much.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on September 01, 2011, 11:53:19 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on September 01, 2011, 11:53:19 PM
Well, I broke my knee cap awhile back and hadn't touched the car for quite awhile. I've finally been cleared by the doctor so I decided to do a little more work. I ordered 16' of 2"x3" .083" wall from Allstar and started hacking up the floors.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on September 02, 2011, 12:05:07 AM
Post by: jridenour31 on September 02, 2011, 12:05:07 AM
...
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on September 02, 2011, 12:11:38 AM
Post by: jridenour31 on September 02, 2011, 12:11:38 AM
Haaaedfn
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on September 02, 2011, 12:15:24 AM
Post by: jridenour31 on September 02, 2011, 12:15:24 AM
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: Bruce M on September 02, 2011, 05:24:44 AM
Post by: Bruce M on September 02, 2011, 05:24:44 AM
Nice work. Are you going to weld tabs on you lower control arms for the sway bar.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on September 02, 2011, 10:44:50 AM
Post by: jridenour31 on September 02, 2011, 10:44:50 AM
No, I was originally going to cut slots in the plates so I could put the sway bar in the factory location but I've decided to just use Team Z control arms and anti-roll bar.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: thunderjet302 on September 02, 2011, 12:10:13 PM
Post by: thunderjet302 on September 02, 2011, 12:10:13 PM
That should be pretty strong.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: 86T-bird on September 02, 2011, 04:46:22 PM
Post by: 86T-bird on September 02, 2011, 04:46:22 PM
Nice though the floor connectors! No doubt the best way to go.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on September 02, 2011, 06:07:35 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on September 02, 2011, 06:07:35 PM
Yeah, they're a little more work but I think they're the best option in the long run.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: gumby on September 02, 2011, 06:19:57 PM
Post by: gumby on September 02, 2011, 06:19:57 PM
Nice, another thru-floor guy! :roxor:
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: flylear45 on September 03, 2011, 08:14:46 AM
Post by: flylear45 on September 03, 2011, 08:14:46 AM
Wow, nice job on the subs so far. You should be ready for the power when you get done.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: jridenour31 on September 04, 2011, 04:00:58 PM
Post by: jridenour31 on September 04, 2011, 04:00:58 PM
Lol thanks guys. I have to say, they're a little bit more of a pain than I was expecting. Getting some of the angles perfect and making the cuts is taking quite a bit of time.
Title: 88 tbird getting molested
Post by: flylear45 on May 14, 2012, 09:07:13 AM
Post by: flylear45 on May 14, 2012, 09:07:13 AM
:poke: Thought I'd poke you to see if you had made any progress on the build?
The LSX idea is really tempting!
The LSX idea is really tempting!