General => User Rides => Topic started by: TBirdNutt on March 24, 2006, 06:14:47 PM
Title: My 88 Sport...I miss her!!
Post by: TBirdNutt on March 24, 2006, 06:14:47 PM
I've owned a few of these over the years...and I had my own website & registry that Eric and Carmen (and a few others) may even remember! Old Site (http://"http://www.geocities.com/thundercoupe/thunder1") Current Content (kinda!) (http://"http://www.geocities.com/thundercoupe") It was/is a cheesy Geocities site, but I loved these cars, and just wanted to share the knowledge and passion with others back in the day! The site has been dead for a few years, but the passion lives on! I'm slowly starting to look for another project car...but good ones are getting hard to find...and I'm picky...I don't want anything other than another Sport!
Here are a few pics of my last 88 Sport. I sold this one in 2002...I wish I still had her!!
I bought this one in 1995 with a Rebuilt/Restored Title due to a solid right-front-corner impact, and 52k miles on the clock. I paid $1300 for her, which included all the parts to put her back together...including the TC hood. I had a buddy straighten out the front end and paint it once I get it pieced together. I only had to pay for the paint, which was Sunrise Red.
Here are the first pics after getting her home. (http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f294/TBirdnutt/June_1995c.jpg) (http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f294/TBirdnutt/June_1995b.jpg) (http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f294/TBirdnutt/June_1995d.jpg)
Here's the ID label... (http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f294/TBirdnutt/IDLABEL.jpg) First "MOD"...TC Wheels... (Thanks to Tony Tabacchi!) (http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f294/TBirdnutt/LRcorner.jpg)
Next "MOD"...painted hood scoops... BTW...you can see the "Sunrise" part of the red paint in this shot. Nice hue...got lots of attention before the HOK colors came out! (http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f294/TBirdnutt/hood1.jpg)
Here are the last pics I took of her in October, 2001... Between 2000 and 2002 I swapped in (and out) a 331 stroker motor, T5, and TC rear complete with disc brakes, along with a TON of other goodies. I had a GREAT time driving this thing around...but the cost of supporting my kids, moving and losing a job all caught up with me at the same time. That's the ONLY reason I sold this car!! She was my favorite of all that I've owned... (http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f294/TBirdnutt/88sport_1.jpg) (http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f294/TBirdnutt/88sport_2.jpg) (http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f294/TBirdnutt/88sport_3.jpg)
Title: My 88 Sport...I miss her!!
Post by: Thunder Chicken on March 24, 2006, 07:56:01 PM
Ahh yes, a blast from the past, and a name I remember well (actually, two names - Tony Tabacchi is another - does he still have that big-block four-eye'd TC?)
Funny, I was just the other day thinking about what happened to some of the "pioneers" of websites dedicated to these cars (you know, the ones that had websites back in the mid 90's): J.D. Robb (helped me a great deal when I started Sam's Fox Thundercats), Scott Felthousen (Original MCMB), Alex Ferlise (Original Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forum), Matt Naylor (Aerobird FAQ), Steve Bowen (Bowen's Birds) and many others. Have these people become bored with and sold off their cars, or have they become bored with their websites, or did they just disappear from the face of the earth?
Sometimes I think an online reunion of sorts, perhaps in some sort of chat room, would be fun...
I wonder how many abandoned Geoshiznitties websites dedicated to these cars that there are out there...
Title: My 88 Sport...I miss her!!
Post by: TBirdNutt on March 24, 2006, 08:38:00 PM
Quote from: Thunder Chicken
Ahh yes, a blast from the past, and a name I remember well (actually, two names - Tony Tabacchi is another - does he still have that big-block four-eye'd TC?)
I'm not sure... I haven't talked to Tony for YEARS! It seems like he yanked the motor out and put it in his truck back around 1999-2000...not sure what happened with the Bird though. I'll have to look him up again...
Quote from: Thunder Chicken
Funny, I was just the other day thinking about what happened to some of the "pioneers" of websites dedicated to these cars (you know, the ones that had websites back in the mid 90's): J.D. Robb (helped me a great deal when I started Sam's Fox Thundercats), Scott Felthousen (Original MCMB), Alex Ferlise (Original Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forum), Matt Naylor (Aerobird FAQ), Steve Bowen (Bowen's Birds) and many others. Have these people become bored with and sold off their cars, or have they become bored with their websites, or did they just disappear from the face of the earth?
Sometimes I think an online reunion of sorts, perhaps in some sort of chat room, would be fun...
I wonder how many abandoned Geoshiznitties websites dedicated to these cars that there are out there...
Wow...those names are a blast from the past! I'd love to be part of a reunion thread! I had to sell off my TBirds, but never a day goes by that I don't think of em and wish I still had one!! For me, life just got too busy to keep the site alive and going. I had to keep my head above water and that meant time was focused on the very basics for awhile. I sold the Sport, and picked up my Intrepid since it has a nice big back seat that is actually usable by my kids. The mileage is better, and the power (stock for stock) is even a bit better, but it doesn't come close to a slightly modded TBird...in looks, performance, ride or FUN!
I'll be hanging around a more here...
Title: My 88 Sport...I miss her!!
Post by: Haystack on March 25, 2006, 08:32:31 AM
man, I really want those tc wheels now. Looks really good. Hate to see cars go like that. If you are interested, I know of a few fox bodies, There seem to be alot more cougars then tbirds around these parts.
Title: My 88 Sport...I miss her!!
Post by: TBirdNutt on March 27, 2006, 12:18:31 PM
Cool! I gotta admit though...it's an '88 Sport TBird or nothing for this guy! lol! :)
Title: My 88 Sport...I miss her!!
Post by: Haystack on March 27, 2006, 05:00:57 PM
there is a 87 lx tbird in the auto trader for $1800. Havent found any sports for cheap yet. Even $1800 is kinda high. I got all three of mine for less the $1000.
Title: My 88 Sport...I miss her!!
Post by: TBirdNutt on March 27, 2006, 09:37:36 PM
I've found a few...not local...but I just haven't found the right one yet. Hopefully soon!
Title: My 88 Sport...I miss her!!
Post by: Haystack on March 28, 2006, 09:45:37 AM
good luck with that. lemme know how it goes. the one in the auto trader looks like its in good shape, however, it does have a bra, so it is prolly hiding something.
Title: My 88 Sport...I miss her!!
Post by: TBirdNutt on March 28, 2006, 06:30:13 PM
I may end up finding a decent TC and just doing another H.O. or stroker swap...we'll see what the wallet dictates to me this spring/summer. :)
Title: My 88 Sport...I miss her!!
Post by: Haystack on March 29, 2006, 08:40:11 AM
I have never found a tc for sale, not even a wrecked one. It sucks, but I think the peak for finding these cars was about 2 years ago.
Title: My 88 Sport...I miss her!!
Post by: TBirdNutt on March 29, 2006, 11:36:18 AM
I see them all the time. There are always several of them on eBay...
Title: My 88 Sport...I miss her!!
Post by: Beau on March 29, 2006, 09:09:20 PM
That was a nice looking car, too bad you had to sell it. I really like that grille, body color on the inside of it, yet chrome on the front side, nice, never seen that before. TC wheels just looked "right" on that car, or maybe I'm biased, lol. Good luck on finding another Tbird.
Title: My 88 Sport...I miss her!!
Post by: TBirdNutt on March 30, 2006, 12:17:26 PM
Thanks for the props! Yeah, the grill was an accident actually. The face of the grill was all masked, and the guy that painted the car sprayed it from the back-side of the grill. I was pissed at first, but then I looked at it after we took the masking off the front, and I decided I liked it! So, he went to work and roughed up the plasti-chrome on the inside edges and repainted it so it wouldn't peel after a few washes!
I had several sets of aftermarket wheels on that thing, but the snowflakes just seemed to look better overall, especially with the "sleeper" look I was aiming for, so I kept them and sold my others.