Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

Just this past Thursday bought an 88 TC, love the car to death already, and cant wait for winter so I can start digging into her some more. Got her all cleaned up last thursday and so far been driving her ever sence, cant drive at night anymore sense my head lamps went out as I turned off my brights. (still cant figure out the problem with all the fuses still good) She needs a little love but im hoping the love that I can give will start soon. Red in color, with the 2 tone leather seats. not done a lot to the car yet, and probably wont for a few more weeks. I got big plans for the body when she rolles out in the spring time with a Red Candy paint to complete her beautifulness. 5spd and still the original 2.3T motor, I'll try and post some pictures tomorrow, to let you all see, maybe you guys can give me some hints on how to fix my head light problem. (please do so)

HMMM never had that happen, could possibly be the switch since everything lighting wise runs thru the headlamp switch. Do the fogs work at all? I have a couple extra switches floating around here, Ill toss one in the package with the lugnut lock that somehow found its way out of the glove box!!! Ill help with some pics, the most recent ones I have of it!!! I do miss it though, you and your dad have the hook ups to finish things I didnt have the hook ups to do.

(http://i639.photobucket.com/albums/uu112/highraven1999/IMG_20130914_111154_759_zpsc522b161.jpg) (http://s639.photobucket.com/user/highraven1999/media/IMG_20130914_111154_759_zpsc522b161.jpg.html)
(http://i639.photobucket.com/albums/uu112/highraven1999/IMG_20130914_111140_001_zps9326b9e0.jpg) (http://s639.photobucket.com/user/highraven1999/media/IMG_20130914_111140_001_zps9326b9e0.jpg.html)

No the fog lamps dont turn on either. I saw a thread to try and replacing the bulbs and also the switches but I just was peaken threw tonight and didnt see anything wrong with the bulbs.

Just got a few more parts. Uncracked dash,  trunk lid with spoiler. Not sure where the spoiler came from but it looks cool. Ill try and remember to post pictures tonight. Soon to come, a set of refurbished snowflake rims. She's comen along.

One piece at a time and you'll get it built. I've been living that "one piece at a time" stuff for quite a while now.

here is the trunk lid and the pictures of the dash.

And the dash after i pulled it out of dads parts car. Hopen that it fits good. Took me 2 hours to pull it out, and 20 min to gut all the wiring out, but gots a fresh new black paint on it and dont worry I painted it the proper way.

You know what? I like how that looks with "Coupe" removed, that it just says Turbo on the back. I hope I don't get flamed, but I always thought the Coupe was redundant.

Looking good Ryan, definately not wasting anytime getting going on here are you!!

Quite the project....good luck.

Travis

Well white85gs I took the turbo letters off. I never did like the looks of having words all over the back end of my car. not even my 92 souper coupe that had awhile back. the only embloms that will be on the car when the body is all said and done is the bird emblom, and they arent ganna be chrome either. And tony, im not. Dad thinks im going to fast, but I dont see it. Im just excited to get this project rolling during the winter time.

Driven the car home tonight, and I decided for some reason to flip my fog lamps on. Driven around town for about 20 min then as im headed out of town i flip my brights on and everything works just fine. Turn my brights off and I have no head lights. started digging around tonight and seen that the connector was bad luckly the dash that i just cleaned up still had its original connector. So with dads help, I cut the old one off and clamped the wires back togeather. went to go see if it works again...NOPE the  head lights still wont turn on, so it looks like my car just became a day time car for the next few weeks.

Oh wait there is more to this story that dosnt make sense.


After checking to see if the headlights worked witch they dont, my radio now doesnt work. So the only thing that I can think of for that is 1 of 2 things. Either 1 my wire harnes is just so old that there is alot of shorts in it, or 2 who ever was playing with this wiring and tony im not saying it was you but whoever was playing with this wireing just decided to just do something that I like to call jiggy rig.

If anyone has any ideas as to what I can do to at least make my headlights work before I go and put in a new wire harness please please tell me. Cause right now im really getting tired of this wireing and when the time comes to put in the new wires with the new dash, im actually scared to see what I will find. Like why the hell is my radio hooked up to my head light switch. uuuugggggghhhhhhh.

Hows the actual headlamps switch look? With all those parts you guys got Im sure youve got one. Also check the wires at the turn signal/dimmer switch, if ya look in my barn bird thread you'll see what I found there as Im not gonna clutter your thread with my pics. Both the problem I have and the one you found are the reason I siad the relays setup is a good mod on these to run the lights. I do remember warning you though running the fogs might overheat the switch, hence why I brought up the relay mod originally to.
 
Id have to look at a wiring harness diagram agian, but I believe the constant power to the radio is the light green/yellow tracer that feeds all power to the curtiousy lamps. I dont remember for sure though, its been over a year since I rewired what was wired up in there. And I filled you in on that nightmare, if I touched it it should be correct. I may suck at bodywork, but I can wire anything up!!! LOL

Found a decent set of headlights in the pile of parts dad got a few days back. Took me a little time but I got them looking almost new again. I'm sure once I put on the foam pad to get the buffing part down they will look somewhat new again. I do wanna ask though does anybody have any ideas to get the haze out from behind the lenses?

Ordered the head light relay, so when that comes in I should have my light problem fixed, none of my other conectors are melted like tbird-fanatic mentioned but, im still hunting down little odds and ends to keep me busy before the bigger work begins. Oh and I also rewired the radio back to the factory harnes. Sorry tony I wasn't liking the mess of wires back there, radio still works and I had a clicking noise when I turn the head lights on and off and now thats gone.

More to come on the way, already got the new paint color for the car, dout it will be over the winter when she gets painted but my goal is to have the body work done by next summer, the interior will defintly be done before spring.

I didn't like it either, I was just working with what I had!!  I didn't have a line on some pigtails like you did!!

well the snow has started to fall todya in good old Illinois. well if the salt trucks come out then my project begins if the trucks stay out, then a few more weeks of driving. already got a garage lined up that will fix my rear quarters. headlight relay should be delivered tomorrow. I sure wish that I can find a complete sunroof assembally.

well the wheels must keep on turning, more to come in a few weeks.

Curious........... my10-80........ ringosc related??

Yep its father/son!!  Good guys to know!!

That's cool :D  Welcome guys :D

i'm assuming the switch your dad sent me payment for is for your car. I will get it shipped Saturday, I work Monday-Friday from 8-5, so the post office is closed before and after work.

Yes, that is my son.  He too has been bitten by the fox bug I think worse than with me.    We appreciate the welcome and yes, most all the parts I have been buying have been for his car.  A few will find their way to mine but not many.    We'll try to not be confusing in our postings.

Not a problem Doug.  I understand the work issue all too well.

Looks like a fun project. Goodluck building that thing up

thanks, hope it all goes as planed, ya their will be a few bumps down the line but it will all work out.

Relays all in for my headlights and foglight. got a bigger radiator put in just waiting on my dual fan shroud to come in the mail. I'll try and post some pics later today but ganna worn you, there was alot of dirt that came out of that old radiator, so not every picture maybe clean.

So did you get the headlight issue fixed then? Im actually surprised there was dirt in the cooling system period, as many times as Id drained it!! Between the headgasket, waterpump and multiple old hose failures!!!

No,  That didn't fix the headlights.  Waiting on a switch from Dougyfresh to arrive.  We can hear the relays click going from brights to dims but still no actual headlights.  The relay for the fog lights somehow isn't right either.  Got power going in but nothing coming out.  Got a new relay just in case it is bad.    Guess it possible we got some wires crossed.

Unless its my sleep deprived brain thinking wrong, if the relays are clicking that should mean that your getting power and ground to the control side of the relay. Which if what you guys got is a plug and play version of what I just did, theres no reason unless the bulbs are bad that they shouldnt work.

The bulbs look fine, but where just waiting for the headlight switch to get hear from mail. Hopefully that fixes the problem, if not then im going to see about the connector on the colum for the brights. I imagine it will still get a newset of bulbs in it anyways when I go to put on a shinier set of head light lenses.

Starting the restoration process on my car. quick question though. does anyone on hear know an easy way to put on rear quarters. my dad told me about a glue that they used on his mustang when he got hit but I think I can take them off easy enough, but not to sure about how to put them back on. Any advise would be great.

Do some research on the glue. Its good strong stuff and theres a lot of body shops using it most of the time now. The cuts will obviously need to be different so there is a surface to glue to. Not to mention the fact that the glue wont warp the metal from heat like welding will and less filler can/will be used.

Got me a new set of clear corner lights haven't pollishe'd them yet but I can't wait for the paint to get done so I can put them on.

Well today I made the Decision to switch cars. Sorry to  say that tony but im ganna rebuild the parts car.

We're gonna try and save both cars we hope.  The parts car is rust free with 87k on the clock. Just hate to get rid of something that good for s pile.  Still needs some tlc though.  It will still be an interesting project.    Previous owner had started to gut the car.  So now the interesting task of putting back all that was removed and or unplugged from the engine.    We will also need to find out what is wrong with the engine.  Well have to see how it goes.

So ive got all the wires plug in were there supposed to go, crack free dash is in. Getting some trim peices painted so it matches the dash. I'll try and get some pictures up by the end of tonight.

some pictures not sure what order there in though

Got everything done inside, even thought to my self to shampoo the carpet with the seats not being in. Well from what it looked like when I first got the car It's starting to look good.

Lookin good bro!.. I have always liked  the leather in the TCs. Keep the pics posted of your progress.

well starting to work on the motor, supposebly its just a bad head gasket. Im to the point now where I can take the head off just need to figure out what socket I need to get the bolts out sense there not a normal hex bolt. If you have ideas please do tell.

Post pics of the headbolts

picture is in the engine tech forum

12pt bolts bud

I cant remember off the top of my head for sure, but if Im thinking correctly its a 12 point 13mm socket. But I do remember they use 12 point sockets for sure. Another little tidbit about them bolts, they are not TTY so they are indefinately reusable. Its a good idea to measure and make sure they havent been overly torqued and damaged.

I've got the parts ordered that I need just need to find the time to pull off the head. And if I've read correctly the way to go on the exhaust is 3inch correct?

You can always get a dash cover.  not quite the same but they are available and not that expensive.  Look fairly decent.  My 88 has one in it. 

the ebay link http://www.ebay.com/itm/330752711844?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

That's the direction I'm going when I get to the point that it's a priority. RockAuto also carries them and you can order them in color.

I wish you were here. I have an uncracked blue dash in the garage.

If shipping would be so much I would have gotten it from you Vinnie!!! If you could swing getting it from him Ryan, if it's anything like the package tray and visors I got you wouldn't be disappointed!!

I've got a crack-free Raven dash I'm not using.

Hey and your only 2 hours from me, you have any pictures.

I can get some for ya.

Ok, here are some pics of the dash I have.

You may not want this one after all. Not quite sure what caused that small crease. :mad:

Still not a bad dash as compared to the one in it.

 that is way better then what I have in the car right now. I'll send ya a pm.

Still waiting on the upholstery shop to get my headliner and sun shade done, ugh cant wait to get the car back on the road.

Getting a clean, uncracked dash next weekend. ugh cant wait.

Well worken on the car tomorrow hopen to get the new dash mounted on its new fram and the old dash out. Hopefully it all goes to plan

Got a new sunroof put in the car. Time to start putting the interior back together, and im thinking before winter putting on a yellow paint job. Anyone got any objections to it?