Well some of you know I have stuffed away an '80 XR-7. It's in a garage so it's out of the weather, and I plan on restoring/modding it when I got some more room and time.
It's been creeping up on me that it might be time to get rid of it. It's not a matter of not being interested in the car, it's a matter of do I really need to be spending the money a month to store it, especially right now when things are still tight after the divorce and other bills. It's costing me $50/month to keep it in a friend's garage. She's a single mom, an old friend and I know the money helps.
If I could find cheaper covered storage I would move it, but I'm not just going to let it sit outside as it will rot away by the time I can get to it (the windshield seal is leaking anyway...so if it sits out it will rot the interior)
I've thought about stripping it down (esp of the "soft" parts (interior, etc) and a couple body panels and ditching the rest. Then on down the line I could score another one and have some useable spare parts.
Just kind of thinking out loud at the moment. I really want to work on it, but it's a case of needing room to dismantle it and letting it sit while I work on it, which most likely won't happen for a couple years the way things are going.
Man Chuck, sometimes you just have to let a car go. I kick myself everyday for my 86 RX7 and 83 TC but I know I'm better off without them. Someday I'll get another 83, right now there's just more important things.
i still miss my 80 capri, but sometimes.. well.. a big boy must pick his toy.
Some of the reasons I sold my '74 and my '86 are quoted above and they weren't costing me $50/month. The reality is you probably only have time to focus on one main project.
We only have so much time to work on so many project cars. I decided to keep it to one main project car, the others I have only require maintenance.
If you care about the car, the hard part will be finding someone who will also care. I lucked out with the '86. I'm not too sure how the '74 is doing. The guy tells me he's working on it but I sense something else.
Sell that car and i'll kick you in the nutz.
I have way too many projects and I know i'll never get them all done but I dont care, a finished project is boring anyway, i'd rather be working on them. I have lots of friends who are willing to store a car for me for free though so that helps a lot. Do what you gotta do, but you've been warned :p
Chuck if I had the room I'd store it for you. I know there is a big distance but I would. Any how I really think that sucks to be in that spot. I'm paying $10/mo to store a 85 XR7 that I'm still working on getting the title for. That is outside without any cover. I guess you have to do what is best for you.
For what you ar paying for storage, you coud buy a decent project in a couple of years from now.... Kick it to the curb...
If I had to pay to store darkthunder it would be gone. I love that car to pieces but like some others said, it's really tough keeping up multiple projects. Especially if one has monthly payments. But if you can afford it, keep it. :)
Unfortunately, it's time to let go......
Well, once I get a chance to get it to the house it will be going away after I strip it. I'll have to resist the urge to tune it up, fix the trans line or PS leak and fix the window seal though :p
I was facing the same dilema with my 87 after buying the 86. I realized that if I try and spread my resources between 2 projects I'd never finish either one. It was a tough decision given all the work I've put into the 87 but I'm completely aborting that project and concentrating everything on the 86... I'll be letting my daughter "borrow" the 87 when she gets her license next year (...which will probably be worse than actually selling the car). And then my son will be sharing it in another 2 years.
Anyway, I vote for selling it and focusing your time and effort on your main project.
You mean I'm only supposed to have only ONE project? :hick:
How will I feed my Attention Deficit Project Disorder?
:rollin: :rollin:
how much :D
lol What? its worth a try!
Well then keep it if selling it would just make your illness worse:giggle: . We can't have you being sick other wise we lose the sarcastic master of the board;)
Well I do have plenty of projects, but that's just the way I like it.
I might hatch another plan yet though. I need to take a look at a couple things this evening before I decide for certain.
How many projects do you have on the go? i've got 7-8 automotive projects goin right now.
OK, well I made a little trip over to look at the car a little closer and get a couple pics.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/80xr-7_05_s.jpg)
Here's a pic of the rust around the window. The window needs to be resealed, so I figure removal, rust repair and reinstallation should cover that.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/Xr7_8_06_2.jpg)
The front. The hood has the nice dent and underneath has some rust. Repairable, or just replaceable.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/Xr7_8_06_3.jpg)
Aside from the hood and the window, the rest of the car pretty much looks like this with a couple small rust spots here and there
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/Xr7_8_06_4.jpg)
Interior shots. Headliner and carpet are shot. The rest is ok. Front seats are marginal, but are Recaros and salvagable for certain.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/Xr7_8_06_6.jpg)
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/Xr7_8_06_10.jpg)
Driver door skin rusted at bottom (looks good from the outside). I actually have another door for one side of the car. Can find another if needed.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/Xr7_8_06_7.jpg)
Powerplant...*yawn*
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/Xr7_8_06_8.jpg)
It runs ok, needs tank drained though. Old gas. The trans is puking fluid from somewhere I think (FIOD). Not critical.
Underneath is pretty solid.
Now "why?" you ask? Well here's what is in my head. One of the 4-eyes needs to go away. The two at the bottom of the pile are this car and the '80 Zephyr Z-7. As bad as some spots look on this car, the Z-7 really isn't much better now and especially so after the hail storm. It's also a sunroof car...and you guessed it...rust...worse than the stuff around the window on the XR-7. Both cars would clean up about the same at this point. The interiors, when cleaned would be about the same. The Z-7 carpet is trashed but hiding under floor mats right now and the headliner is pooped from the leaks around the sunroof. I'll have to spend a little cash on carpet for the XR-7.
Anyway, the forming plan is this. First, get the XR-7 back to the house and get the windshield out and the rust fixed. If not fixable, then off it goes. In that time I can also sort the gas issue out and try and see what's leaking in the trans. If those things all sort out well (I can deal with the 5.0 for a short time if need be, but rest assured it will not stay in the car ;) ) Then what I will do is probably swap all the suspension stuff from the Z-7 onto this car (5-lug, PBR brakes, springs, etc) as well as the exhaust. I need the K-member and block(200 I6) from the Z-7 for the X-Flow conversion for the '83 Tbird. Then I will get rid of the Z-7, and have the XR-7 prepped for driver duties.
I wanted the Z-7 last year, but it's appeal is failing...which must be partly due to the Mustang-esque interior...I just HATE it.
Also, the XR-7 is just plain funky, esp with the "bittersweet" interior.
This is what's hatching in my head now. It may not be the XR-7 that dies, but the Z-7 instead, or at least get's sold off as a roller to someone.
I only see one page. (http://www.griffshp.com/belchja/forums/idunno.gif)
BTW, that York compressor is gigantic!
I take it you mean the AC compressor? It still works. Was kicking on the last time I ran the car, but needed a recharge.
Plan looks good to me (but i'm biased :p) If you need anything from the red interior let me know as i'll just be tossing mine once its out, I know its quite a way to ship but parts are hard to find. I almost had a bumper grille for you too but I showed up a day late and found the 80 cougar biried up to the quarter pbuttstuffs in a ravine under 3 70's cadillacs and a mazda :mad: I may be able to salvage the rear bumper cover for myself but the rest is toast.
And be glad you have the dismal 302 in yours, I have the pathetic 255's in both of mine :yuck:
Well this interior isn't red...it's "bittersweet"...which has an orange tint to it. I had dug up a red dash pad...and it clashed pretty bad.
Ahhh, either way if you do keep it and need anything lmk
Scott, can you check dimension for me (since I don't have the car sitting here). Can you measure from the vertical part of the floorpan just in front of the rear seat base forward to oh, say the front of the door opening? I know it's kind of random, but I'm looking to see if some 83-84 carpet I have would work in the interim.
Well, the more I ponder this, the more I think the XR-7 will stay around and the Z-7 will go away.
I just like this ugly beast so much more. As long as the stuff around the windshield isn't terminal, the rest will be fine.
That's a Cougar XR-7 with factory Recaros and a totally retro color combo. Ya gotta keep it if you can afford it.
Well it is starting to win out. After I get the 84TC home this weekend I'm going to get the '80 to the house and get into the windshield and the leaky trans and drain the tank. I think the sandblaster will make quick work of the rust issue. I don't want the 5.0/auto combo, but if I can stop the hemorrage for now I'll drive it with that until I get the engine that was going into the Z-7 ready.
The plan is to get down to 4 cars and perhaps only have to store one elsewhere (mainly to keep it undercover), but will save me $50/month on the storage.
If the rust isn't worse than what you see, this one really deserves to benefit from your handiwork, Chuck. This is the box-Cat that will blow 'em all away. Hell, I'd even keep the stock interior/exterior colors! :)
Well the interior color would stay. Not certain about the white on the exterior though.
Yeah, either go gunmetal gray outside or redo the two-tone with something more 70s.
A gunmetal grey was actually on my list of ideas as a replacement for the white. ;)
flat black with red pinstriping.
Hopefully the rust issues can be resolved. I like the car especially the interior.
Hey im heading out to the shop later tonight and i'll measure that for ya.
I vote orange and lime green if you're gonna keep it:giggle:
I think combining the XR7 and the Zephyr would be the way to go, unless that window rust is in fact that bad. I actually really like your box cat. The one snowflake looks good on that car. Hmm might have to be finding me one. Dont worry about way to many projects, I have a grandfather that keeps me with projects, he refuses to sell his cars, and just parks them. Once I get the 58 Bird, thats when it'll get interesting.
Well I took a few moments to head over to mess with the car. I mainly wanted to see if it would still start and run.
After charging the battery a bit and dumping a little fuel down it's throat it came to life. It will be that much easier for me now to get it to the house and up the drive to get into it a bit more.
That might happen next weekend.
I'd paint it a red/orange two tone (or maybe even black/orange two-tone) to match the interior. It would look totally retro on a car that's, well, retro :hick:
Well I went over this morning and brought the XR-7 back to the house.... It took a little bit to get it moving (low on trans fluid), but it made its way on and off the tow dolly and up the drive.
A couple more pics of the side I couldn't see while in storage.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/Xr7_8_26_3.JPG)
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/Xr7_8_26_4.JPG)
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/Xr7_8_26_5.JPG)
The pass door was the worse off of the two, but that is also the one I have the spare for in the shed, so while it won't match...it will be solid. And I forgot about the small dent behind the rear tire. Sand-blaster to the rescue ;)
I did a check on the carpet and I will need to buy new stuff instead of using my extra set of 83-88 carpet. It's too short for the '80.
(Mods...you might want to shift this thread to the User Rides forum now since I've been loading it up with pics..if you would please)
The rust dosen't look that bad. I've seen rust much worse repaired. So are you going to repaint it to the factory colors? I think it would look great as an exterior/ interior factory resto with suspension/power mods. I've always been a fan of the sleeper look.
Well, that entire lower portion of the pass door skin is loose, so that will just be replaced. I think I can fix the rust on the driver door. The rest of the rust aside from the hood and the dent are just surface spots that at the very least can be treated and slowed until a full resto can be done. The interior is going to be a stock retso with the addition of a couple gauges and a slight mod of the console for a manual trans. I may change the insert(cloth) colors on the seats since it will be hard to find replacements, but I will try to see if the vinyl stuff can be saved and reused.
It will be in a state of flux for a while as I get it on the road and slowly fix/repair/update the interior and exterior and hunt down a few pieces/parts.
It will wind up rolling on the waffle-stars for the time being since I have them and the tires are new.
Well I gave the car a SimpleGreen bath Sat afternoon to scrub off some of the crud. Had some serious junk in the paint that needed to be scubbed out. Ick.
I also let it run for a bit more. I think after a tune-up and a oil change/cooling flush it will run ok. The AC actually works, well works well enough but needs a slight top-off. The compressor kicked on and stayed on and the line was cool. I'd rather find an R-12 drop in for the time being though than do a complete conversion. Maybe next weekend I can get it in the air and figure out the trans leak.
Such a thing does not exist.
But, if you want to drop by my house...I'll fix your system at cost. ;)
My a/c doesnt work at all in the 82, compressor was unplugged so who knows.
And you just gotta know the right people to top off your r12 ;)
I didn't think there was. I could just do a R134 conversion, but it seems a shame to open the system :p NOt sure how much I'd have to get into to convert it on such an old car.
Have you heard anything about the DuraCool stuff? I know one or two guys who swear by it. I know it still requires a "conversion", but is more efficient than R134.
If I were you, I'd stick with R12. It'll cost more to refill, but the servicing portion will cost the same. If you want to go with a blend (which I don't recommend), go with FR-12.
I'd stay away from Duracool; it is illegal to retrofit R-12 vehicles to hydrocarbon refrigerants.
i live i few miles from mex and you canhave your car filled with r12 for i think it is 40 bucks
or you can buy a case of it for 30 bucks i once again i think but its been a while and prices may have gone up
I made a couple calls today on windshields. It will cost me $100 to have them reinstall it for me and about $180 for a totally new one. So I guess we'll see if I can get it out of there w/o screwing it up :hick:
Still can't find the trans fluid leak. Had the car in the air and running last night and cleaned some things off and saw no leaks, or obvious ones at least. I'm probably just going to degrease everything, fill the trans up and keep an eye on it. If it's a small leak I can deal with that until I get the engine/trans swapped.
Picked these up today.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/wheels_1.JPG)
Was just planning on using the waffle-stars for the time being..but wasn't happy with that option. I wasn't really looking for another set of these (had some on the 83 Tbird, but for the price I couldn't pass them up. I paid $200 for the wheels/tires. Two of the tires are shot, but that is a spare tire that was included (with lugs and locks). The wheels aren't perfect, but the price was right.
I'll stick the waffle-stars on the 84TC until I get the black '03 Cobras for it.
What were those wheels originally on?
I kinda like 'em...
The all polished ones like these are 94-95 Cobra. 96-97 Cobras got a similar wheel with the recesses done in charcoal.
nice snag on those wheels. good deal!
i think the car deserves sumthin a lil more retro/80's but those will work for DD status...
Well, I'm not too sure about any "retro" wheels. I was looking at the SN-95 Torque Thrust KO's as kind of "retro", but I'm not too keen on them really. Some mesh-type wouldn't be bad either...but again most of those are older and smaller. I was eyeing a set of the '98 17"split 5-spoke wheels as kind of an angular alternative...but this was too good of a deal to let pass, and I think they'll look pretty decent on the car.
well, the stuff im thinkin would probly hafta be new aftermarket.
17" mesh
17" real torque thrust II's, not the mustang ones
etc.
the 98 split 5's would be nice, i agree there. maybe the 99+ 5spoke GT wheel...
A set of mesh wheels with the mesh done in "Bittersweet" would be pretty ...um...sweet....:hick:
The next wheels I buy though will be for the 84TC.
do you have a piece of ground as in a side yard or extra driveway that you can buy a carport tent cut the legs down a little so it sits closer to the car, a car cover, tarp on ground and the car on stands.
in put out of the weather. a little ghetto garage! just a thought
Dude, give it to me. It would be a nice match to the built hipo 289 or 4.6 dohc we have laying around...
how bout these:headbang:
(http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/8/web/368000-368999/368947_443_full.jpg)
holy ! i jus found out who makes those(wheel vintiques series 94) and how much they cost:slap:
eh, not sure about those regardless of what they cost...
Well did some parts gathering today. I attacked the 84 XR-7 to pillage some of the stuff from it.
Grabbed the SVO rear axle (3.45 Trac-Loc), my TBird upper arms I made a while back (need blasted and painted), the 94-95 spindles, and the C-kit front springs and the Cobra rears. I also forgot I had a set of KYBs on the back of it as well. Next trip will probably be the front control arms with poly bushings and the m/c booster assy as well as my CC plates.
I already have the SVO rear calipers, so if I can get some rotors I'll run the SVO rear disks on this thing.
I hate having to think about what tools I'm going to need and not having my air tools there. It's a PITA. :beatyoass:
I still haven't messed with the windshield yet. I need to get that taken care of before too long. :dunce:
Well it's official...the work has begun.
I started taking the suspension apart on it last night. I got the rear in the air and pulled the axle and control arms. I'm going to pull the "cat-back" of the exhaust since I was going to use what's on the silver car now (going to put something new on that anyway).
I decided I'm going to take a little time to do some preventative blasting under there on the frame rails, etc since there's a little more rust (heavy surface stuff) than I'd like to leave. A little time with the blaster, a little rust encapsulator and some paint and we're all set for now. I also took care of blasting and repainting my upper arms. It will have to run on some 87-88TC lowers for the time being, but they're better than originals :p.
I was able to get a GOOD deal on some SVO rear rotors, so once I pick up pads it will be good to go.
I pulled the rest of the stuff from the front of the 84XR-7 last weekend (control arms, booster/master cylinder, my CC plates, sway bar), so aside from the front calipers (still looking) I have everything for the front I need.
Now I need to start dragging this old stuff back to the 84 so it can roll again.
Also, someone mentioned the auto dipstick o-ring as being the source of the leak. When I get the front in the air I'll go ahead and replace that to rule that out as well.
Guess I better get some SFCs together too :p
psssh
Cool, post some progress pics
OK, well I busted out the sand blaster Sat and got started. I ran out of Rust Encapsulator, so I'm on hold for a couple days, but anyway.
Here's what I'm starting with
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80%20XR7%20White/Rearrust_1.JPG)
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80%20XR7%20White/Rearrust_2.JPG)
Here's a shot of the outside of the one I was able to get done
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80%20XR7%20White/cleanedframe.JPG)
Here's one just showing how they slathered on the rustproofing....nice
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80%20XR7%20White/Undercoatooze.JPG)
And a final pic of the upper arms I have to install. Made these about 6 years ago or so while at KB's. Had to blast them and repaint....kinda gross before.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80%20XR7%20White/UpperArms.JPG)
I also scored the front calipers I was watching, so that's good. I still need rotors, but that's not a big deal...easy enough to find. So the brake set-up is going to be 12" Vette on the front and 11.5" SVO disks on the rear.
Thats what the underside of my 80 looked like when I forst got it about 6-7 years ago, now it looks like this.....
(http://www.kidskorner.net/images/s-words/swisscheesenew.jpg)
also on mine the rust got started under the rustproofing and rotted the floor out... only thing left was the rustproofing... didnt even see it till it was too late.
Yeah, most wind up looking like that around here too. It's kind of a PITA to get under the car and blast, and it's not going to be perfect, but it's going to postpone any real serious work that's needed. This is all just really heavy surface stuff though, nothing structural yet.
-i know what you mean on storage/space chuck. ive got more now than i'll ever do in my life, and my yard looks like a small salvage yard, and i have just decided in the last couple of weeks to try to sell off a couple of cars i have in order to lessen the burden. i have plenty of yard but only so much is covered. i try to put a tarp or cover over them at least to keep some of it out. prolly pretty soon you'll see these two in the forums or evil bay just to get them out of the yard
(http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f211/shorangerbird/disneypics190.jpg)
(http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f211/shorangerbird/Picture005.jpg)
ive had them for 5-6 years, and made good head way on the 88 5.0 until the tornado struck. then it was trying to repair the house and garage for over a year, and just never came back to it. oh well, my loss hopefully will be somebodys gain. these are just to good a cars to let go to the s yard....:sorry:
*peers* What is the silver one?
-its a '83 tc, less eng. & trans. guy brought in to the dealership where i worked about 4 years ago. bottom end gone. we diag and gave him est for repairs, he took the eng. was gonna have some shop build it and bring it back, never saw him again. when they cleaned the lot every 6 months of vehicles not picked up, they let employees take 1st dibs, so i got this one. they converted the rear axle to 87-88 tc rear axle. car is solid, but has dent in lr 1/4. int. is perfect. with a detachable face radio. just needs a engine and tranny to run.
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b224/ghaberek/Smilies/willy_nilly.gif)
Ok, well I had soem time yesterday and today, so the rear suspension is back under the car. I still need brake pads and to sort the lines/hoses to finish the brakes, but everything else is installed.
95 Cobras on an 80 Cougar anyone?
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/wheelsrear_1.jpg)
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/wheelsrear_2.jpg)
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/wheelsrear_3.jpg)
These are also on an SVO/Lincoln axle....so the whole rear track has been widened. Thes current tires are 275/40's, but they are shot and will be replaced with 255/45's. I have plenty of room in the wells though.
It's sitting a little low because I have in the trunk and the front is still at "stock" height.
I also found I still had an extra 24mm rear sway bar in the shed, so that went on as well.
I think the wheels will be a good choice on this car. :grinno:
Thats gonna look awesome, you have center caps right?
I've been working on the old 80 lately...
Yeah, I have center caps and locks. Just not messing with them until it's ready to roll. I still need to get rear pads and a caliper "hardware" kit to replace the caliper guide pin bushings. I bet I even have some braided lines tucked away somewhere ;).
I started taking the front apart. The driver side is all out save for one of the bolts is stuck in the sleeve...grrr. I may have to get up under there and cut it out, but first I'm going to try the bang on it method and see if it finally breaks free.
Looks good. Those 95 Cobra's look great on the car.
-is that a xr4ti or a scorpio in the pic behind it chuck?
whats up with it?
It's a Scorpio.
Nothing fancy yet. It's my other "daily". I need to work on the rear suspension when the '80 is down off the blocks.
Small list of mods includes modified 17" tribars, 12" Vette front brakes, coil-over convsersion on the front and a couple other small things. It suffered some hail damage and has a coupe cosmetic issues, so in the future, all the mods will be transfered to a nicer shell.
-cool, a true "rare" car, more so than the xr4ti. ive seen one around only recently. first one ive seen in a couple a years......
Well I got my Vette calipers last night for the front. I mocked them up on my SN-95 spindles and checked a few rotor offset measurements. There is about a 15mm difference between the Cobras and the Vette stuff..with the Vette stuff being taller. The 12" Vette rotors are thinner than the Cobras, so I can't go that route anyway as the Cobra rotors won't fit into the Vette calipers.
It looks like I'm going to need to use the 12" rear rotors for the fronts on this. They are about 6mm shorter and coupled with a minor machining of the caliper mounting bracket face I should be able to squeeze these on there. The front and rear rotors on the early C4 Vettes are the same diameter and thickness, so that's no issue. I'm going to pick up a rotor soon to mock it up and then if all goes as intended I'll get the other.
Gotta love it....an 80 Cougar XR-7 with 5-lug 17" wheels and 4 wheel disk brakes..... :hick:
Well all the 26 year old parts are finally off the front of the car. The stuck bolt finally yielded to my will. Now for a little clean-up, blasting and painting and then the "good" parts start going on :D
You wana do mine next?
Whats the weather like in indiana this time of year? I could use a roadtrip :D
Fall-like ;) Ave highs in the 50-60*F range...
Ok, well I got some more work done today. Yesterday I blasted and cleaned the front end like I did the back and got it all painted so I could get into assembly today.
The list if parts today included front control arms with poly bushings and SN-95 ball joints, C-kit springs, my CC plates (protos for the old KB ones), 00 GT struts, and swapped in a less py steering rack w/ poly bushings installed.
Since my web host doesn't know how to maintain a server (looking for new hosting...) I can't upload the couple pics I took, but here is one with the car on the ground and front wheels installed.
The next major undertaking is the brakes. I need to get it all plumbed in, get pads, front rotors etc. I'm debating swapping in a 83+ steering column to be able to use my "good" steering wheel. I have a nice pre 83 wheel, but it's just not the same as the XR-7 sport wheel I have (like my TC one). It won't be much to swap the column since I have to replace the pedal assy etc. I may wait though as when I convert the car to manual, I'll need to get all the linkage off the column, so I may just swap then.
very nice work chuck
so, whos the wolf? :D
those wheels look better than i had imagined. especially with the polished wheel/chrome trim combo.
lookin good :cool:
This thing is going to have some meat on the ground. They totally change the way the car looks. It's going to be ugly for a while...especially once I start rounding up replacement body panels...but it will at least handle and stop good :)
It uses different sway bar chassis mounts than the 83-88 cars. I need to recheck what's in the 83 and check the endlink length again. Maybe I can used what I have and just get different endlinks...which I need anyway.
I'll have to pull the Recaros out when I start to drive it as they need refinished, but I have some decent seats to use.
I also pulled the dipstick tube out to replace the o-ring to stop the leak. Apparently the fluid fill level is above the o-ring ....oops....made a mess.
Of course the dog wouldn't stay out of the shot (I chased him off 3 times..). He's my OLD (14+) mutt(shepherd/collie/chow/wolf). His time is running out sorry to say.
FYI.. I put the sway bar and chassis mounts from an 88 XR-7 on mine. Fits perfect. I used the original end links for now but will replace them eventually .
I've got the front sway bar off an 86tc, think it'll bolt in?? maybe i'll give it a good eyen-up after work tomorrow.
Looking at the sway bar and rechecking end links, I can use the later bracketry and end-links. The 33mm 5.0 bar won't fit in the existing brackets (at least with the poly bushings I have). I just need a new set of end-links and it will work.
Nice work Chuck, I used to own a 81 XR7. I liked the angles, except for the rear view (massive taillights).
Mike
Chuck,
That car is hideous. I love it! Hope you plan to ditch the red vinyl top, those are what made those cars so darn ugly. ;)
Of course I love the wheels, I've yet to find anything that I didn't like them on. Here's my '80 SVO Mustang on a set of them. So why are you trying to run Corvette rotors? They have the 5x4.75" bolt pattern of other GM cars. Why not just run 13" SN95 Cobra brakes? They're pretty easy to find.
I'm glad to see you're one of those "get it in gear and do something" types. I can't stand people that let their projects lie dormant. But my '57 Plymouth has been doing that lately! And FYI - I think your Cougar was even rustier than my old wagon, lol. Here's a pic of that heap, it is running a 289 Ford.
Just FYI - my local Pep Boys has a big selection of end links and polyurethane bushings right on the shelves - all in 1/8" increments to make sure you get the right length. Just measure from your control arm mounting point to a point where your sway bar is mounted level and use that length. Good luck man! Keep up the good work.
I'm not worried about finding endlinks. I just don't have any left from the days at Kenny Brown...so I just need to buy new.
I'm just kind of dumping out errata for the couple folks that might be working on one of these. The vinyl top may just stay in the end...just for that reason...it's ugly. :hick:
Why the Vette stuff? Because I can and folks think their Cobra calipers are gold plated. I used the same calipers on the front of my Scorpio and I happened to get rears as well...so they will be adapted to the rear of that car when I get to it. Bolt pattern is not an issue either....a die grinder to the holes fixes that. I paid $90 for 4 calipers and brackets....
As far as the rust goes...you live in TX...I live in IN...do the math ;)
A couple more quick pics I was able to upload before the hamfist locks the server again...
Quick shot of the cleaned front suspension.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/frontnew.jpg)
Side shot of the wheels installed.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/wheelside.jpg)
Tomorrow if weather and time permits I'll start on getting the old dead booster out as well as the pedal assy. (going to go ahead and get the manual one in there at least for now).
Well I took the time to pull the windshield today, and if the weather holds I'll be blasting tomorrow. Looks like it is all just surface stuff save for one small area that I'll have to weld a tiny patch into (1" square max).
I did pull the booster (http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/Old%20booster.JPG)the other day... it leaks and is pretty nasty. The replacement is ready to install as is the manual pedal assy.
No pics of the window area as my host is still got the server all screwed up and I can't upload anything.
Well here's a few pics of the windshield area after I got the glass out.
The first pics are right after the glass was pulled and no clean-up had been done, so they look a little more nasty than they really are.
The driver side top. You can see right at the corner where the couple of small holes are. An easy fix.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/wsrepair_1.JPG)
The pass side...groady...but solid
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/wsrepair_2.JPG)
Quick overall shot
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/wsrepair_3.JPG)
And finally after hitting it with the sandblaster..
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/wsrepair_4.JPG)
I'm pretty sure the reason the rust is as bad as it was is that it looks like the windshield has either been replaced or attempted to be resealed in the past....and they did a piss-poor job of it. There was adhesive ALL the way in the channel around the window and most of it wasn't sticking to the car....so water was collecting underneath it.
Someone had directed me to this RUST ENCAPSULATOR (http://www.nomorerust.com/)...and I think I'm going to give the silver stuff a go for this particular area as it is supposedly air tight. I've used the "others" and have had decent luck, but I'll try this. One more round with the blaster in a couple spots...a little patch panel and some grinding and cleaning then I'll seal it all up and have the windshield reinstalled.
turbochuck.com be having hosting issues
Not any more ..at least for the time being....:beatyoass:
I can't see the pics from post #98 either..
Not sure if it's my connection...I'm having problems with it anyway..
i cant see em either.
Bizzare....
I know some folks have problems some times....they are up though as are the rest....
i see em in 96, but not 98. dern.
I dunno guys...they are in the same location as the others...
http://www.photobucket.com ;)
Screw photobucket....
I screw Photobucket and they do me well. Never do they balk at all my images.
Was working earlier....my sig and other files are on the same server....dunno...
Your server is fine. The source code for this page says that the pics are here: http://www.turbochuck.com/images/80%20XR-7/Bodywork. I can browse your image directory and even the folder 80 XR-7 but there is no bodywork folder in there.
It was doing that to me last night. I dunno. I'll mess with it later.
they're working fine today
that's a lot of rust. :D
There are some shenanigans on the server, because I loaded them all last night and could see the root at home, but can't see it (or those pics) here at work. All the rest are fine.
Are they working now?
Meh, nope.
I will say you've made some serious progress on the quick with that thing. I tore my front susp. down about a week ago and it will probably remain untouched until I a.) Get brave enough to pull the front CA's off, b.) Start collecting parts.
Grrr....
I can see them here on the laptop...but not on the PC......
OK..I think I've figured out the problem....it's a bug in FireFox w/ cpanel (my hosts management software...the pics should be there now after I uploaded them in IE)...check pg 10
There they are! That looks bad...but nothing you can't fix, Chuck!
Really the only bad spot are those small holes. The rest is solid. Whoever installed that windshield should be kicked in the jimmy.
Well I had a little time to fiddle with the car a bit more over the weekend. Not much, but a little.
Got the steering column back up in place after swapping the pedal assy finally. Ran into an issue with the other "old" steering wheel I have. It looks like it's too deep to work well. The stock wheel is kind of flat, but this other one (a 79-80 Capri wheel) has more dish and must be off a non-tilt car. I'm pondering whether the steering column "head" can be swapped so I can use one of my later wheels. I'm planning on swapping to a later column when I swap to the manual trans, but that's not planned yet. I have the old one from the 84 XR-7.
I pulled the headliner (all droopy) and in the process found more mouse poop.... I cleaned the old material and foam off and put it in the house for recovering.
Pulled the driver seat. One of the inserts in the floor of the car for the front bolts is spinning so I can't loosen that bolt, so I'll have to cut that out. The seat rails in the 80-82 are not like the 83-88. they have the narrow spacing like the Mustangs. The Recaros aren't going back in right away. I have some others to use in the interim (SEAT (http://www.turbochuck.com/images/86%20XR4/seat_1.jpg)).
I found another rust hole :( It looks to be from the hole in the windshield frame. Looks like water had been getting in there above the driver window. Should be able to fix that easy though and it won't be seen.
Well progress has been slowed by ALOT of things (weather, money, time), but I happened to stop over at the place where I have the 84TC stored and grabbed the 84 XR-7 steering column and brought it home.
I got into it and as long as the '80 is the same, I can swap the shaft itself between the two columns so I can use the later steering wheel and not have any issues. I'll take a couple pics when I can get the other apart. I took the '84 column apart which really doesn't take too much.
Also, I finally ordered one of the 12" Vette rotors to get the front brakes mocked up.
The car is still sitting w/o a windshield in it as the weather got too cold on me to finish the repair work on the windshield, but the tarp is keeping things dry.
Also, I was able to get the "old" exhaust off the silver car(getting a 3") and get it installed as well. I have a couple holes to touch up, but that shouldn't be that big of a deal...just need to get the car back up in the air.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/extip.jpg)
It's just a single 2-1/2" running through a Dynomax Race Magnum Welded ler (non-stainless UltraFlo), but it will suffice and is better than the 2" Midas special that was on it. I'm planning on building a new dual tip for the '83....so I wasn't too hurt by losing my "signature" dual tip for this car :hick:.
Anyway, progress will depend on the weather mainly, so we'll see.
atleast you can get to yours, Took me 10 mins to get the tire chains out of the back seat of the t-bird. I was going to fire up the stang but its buried even worse..
(http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i11/turbosprunt/tbirdrear1.jpg?t=1167365238)
Scott
Yeah, we've had no snow here at all this year (just fine with me), but it's been chosing to rain on the weekends.....
yeah man, its gettin freaky... late december and Im still running around in a hoodie up here in Ft. Wayne
Its insane. but im not complaining.
That cat is gonna look amazing when you have it all situated the way you want.
OK, well I took advantage of the nice weather today to tackle the steering column project.
I was able to pull the upper steering column and switch assy out as a unit...so that was no biggie. But I ran into one issue that is a result of the differences between the column and non-column shift cars.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/column%20diff.jpg)
That rectangular hole in the bottom column is a cut-out for the shifter selector. Also, you can see off to the left of that the ciruclar cutout that the ignition switch slider goes into. Well another difference is that rect hole forced the relocation of that cutout further down on the column....so the 84 ignition switch selector rod was too short to work.
No worries... What I wound up doing was pulling the key tumbler and the ignition switch from both columns. Then at the base of the tumbler hole is a c-clip that holds the gear that moves the selector rod. So...I pull all that apart and swap the selector rod from the 80 column to the 84 column and put it all back together and now the pieces mate together like they should.
I got it all back together and put on the new wheel on.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/new%20wheel.jpg)
It was alot of work just to use a certain steering wheel, but no biggie really. The original column surround is pretty brittle so I just dug up some other '83 pieces I had and swapped those on for the time being.
I also took the time to order some new carpet since the original stuff is GROSS and I need to pull it all out anyway.
Well, kind of a long-winded update, but I guess it was at least an update. The car is going to be kind of a mish-mash for a while as I find parts and get things pieced together, but oh well.
Well today I took a little more time and welded up the couple holes (missed welds) on the exhaust and fired it up again. Ran alot better than before.
I'm slowly getting the brake stuff together, so hopefully I can get that wrapped up soon.
Holy ! Where the heck have I been??? That car is looking pretty sweet with those Cobra wheels. :D
That dog looks like he's got something against that rack tho. :screwy:
:grinno:
(http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/5052/wheelsfrt1st4.jpg) (http://"http://imageshack.us")
Are those the wheels off of your 83? If so, what are you going to run on that one?
Those are an extra set of wheels I picked up. The '83 still has the same ones. I couldn't pass up the deal on these.
The dog probably had no idea where he was :p He was pretty old (had to put him down last month)... He kept walking into the pic every time I tried to take it, so I just said hell with it.
Here's a shot of the rear I like (taken before I put the exhaust on)
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/Rearshot.jpg)
, that thing looks very mean sitting on those wheels. I'd say if you have the room in the wells leave the 275's in the rear. Nothing like a nice meaty set of rubber in the rear. I never put the KB SFC's on the 87, if you want I'll send them to ya if you pay shipping, if they fit that is.
Thanks.
The 83-88 SFCs won't work. I'll just HAVE to make my own. You know how I hate doing things like that :hick:
I have plenty of room in the rear for the 275's....we'll just see when I go to buy tires. 275's are a little wide for the 8" wheels though.
widen the rims. If the money allows. that would look awsome dished in the back. Too bad money makes the world go 'round not bullshiznit cause id be rich
Yes, yes, we wouldn't want you to have to FABRICATE something from SCRATCH, that's be aweful. Didn't realize the tires were only 8 inches wide, thought they were 9.
Well, despite the arctic tundra conditions here the past week or so, I decided I'd had enough and messed with the car a little bit this evening after I got home from work.
I finally drilled the spindle ears to accept the larger C4 caliper bracket hardware (14mm vs 12mm).
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/caliper.JPG)
I thought I had some extra pads sitting around, but I guess not, so the caliper is just sitting there in the pic. It took shaving a touch off the caliper bracket mounting ears and a small spacer behind the rotor to get things lined up, but everything is centered and hub-centric.
Also, after I spent all that time a while back futzing with the steering column to keeop the column shifter on it and be able to use the steering wheel I wanted.....I've decided to stick a manual trans behind the 302 for the time being...:punchballs:
I think I would have to stab myself in the eyes if I had to drive around in an automatic for too much longer....
Anyway....I had to do something...just to spite the weather.
Corvette brakes? Man you ARE nuts! Looking good! Now why don't you come help me with the head changeover? My snow melted :P
Looking good :D
Ah you've got that too. I was going to start the Bird and let it idle today so I could roll it down the drive way to move the trans/rear gears (I do that once a week for about 15 minutes) but it was too cold. I was waiting for the EL today after school and I was at the platform for about a minute and my ears went numb. Thank god I had a stocking cap with me:hick: . It's been under 20* all week and this weekend we're supposed to have 9* highs in Chicago. Fun. All you people down south better appriciate the fact that 40* is a cold day for you:beatyoass: .
braver than i.
my garage its frozen and i havent gone out there in two weeks. if it would jus get above freezing, i can stand to work out there...
Well my garage is heated....but I can't always work in there.
Yeah, it got pretty cold as the sun was going down...but hell I have work to do! :p
Sheesh, I have been doing work on my truck the past week. and it has been in the negatives each time. oh and double negs with windchill.
Nice work by the way... love the fab work!
Got to do what you got to do. i've been getting my car back up for the last month and a half of freezing ass cold weather.when i started it the wekk before newyears i was wearing short sleeves
i would keep it,, a tarp is cheap if you can find an outdoor location to put it. wrap it up comletely even the underside and then put a tarp over it.
Well you obviously didn't read the entire thread :hick:. I have decided to keep it and am working on it. ;)
Speaking of that, I have found the flywheel I was looking for (for just the cost of shipping :hick:), so that's helpful. Once the weather starts to behave again I'll get it up in the air and get things swapped for the manual trans.
at first i thought that thing was ugly, now im starting to like that thing it looks bad ass
No, you're right...it
IS ugly :D
its weird how GOOD that thing looks in that rear shot. its mainly the taillights i think. for some reason only once ive seen that pic that i now notice how close they are to the late model mustangs! seriously that rear shot for some reason makes me REALLY like that car.
same with the shot with those new wheels on it (whatever theyre from). changes the whole picture entirely. that body is in good shape, looks nice from the pics anyway!
youll get some attention in that thing for sure. especially with the sound of the 302. people wont be expecting that. especially some ricer after you blow him off the road.
Well the 302 is short-lived for this car.. ;) It runs, but it's nothing life-changing.
The body is not as nice as the pics show, but it's liveable. Still looking for some parts....which are hard to find.
The wheels are 94-95 Cobra, like the ones on my '83.
when i first saw the first pics of this car, i was thinking "why would he even breathe on that thing?" but after i saw what you did with the undercarrage, the rest of the car doesnt do it justice. its like a really nice box spring with a nasty matress. im not too much of a fan of the looks of the car, but i think when you get to the bodywork, with a good shine, i think it'll look real good. being so boxy it does look mean!
(i still think you should get rid of the nasty roofrug.)
not sure much ugly as strange, not something you see every day, as a matter of fact i saw my FIRST box bird the other day, it was just sitting in a huge parking lot looked like it had been there a long time, i was surprised to see it, whats your motor plans, 351w, or maybe a little more radical such as a stroker 410w?
If ya think about who you be talkin to here... 351 is a no-no.
Its probably gonna have a 2.3 hell.. you never know..
Looks great Chuck.
The car is a direct representation of Chucks personality. Pretty ugly on the outside, but cool on the inside when you learn what it’s made of.
haven't been part of this forum for a long time, so im getting to know all you guys on here, and your all a pretty awesome bunch, so i don't know him well, but that thing would be nice with a 2.3, i like the 2.3 t, but I like my v8's more.
Thats too easy for Chuck.
Chuck is the total opposite of the "build a tried and true" car. He comes up with ideas, as radical and off the wall as they are, and does what he can to achieve those ideas.
well i only asked cause thats my dream motor, 410w stroker, afr 1200 heads, custom grind cam, full roller set up, demon 750 and much much more someday.
HEY! I resemble that remark :flip:
Honestly, I don't really know at this point what the powerplant will be. The 302 runs at the moment, and once I ditch the auto it will be liveable for a while so I can mess with other stuff.
sho... in a box =]
lol sounds funny, but just wouldn't be fun i don't think
urs looks better, god i wish i lived near tx i woulda bought that thing
Ok, compare apples to oranges.
Yes I think the 83-84's are pure shag when done right (as I have 2), but I also realize not everyone like the Box cars.... makes no nevermind to me.
Which is why im gonna mug you and steal your silver one. The box still looks good from behind, but mine is better too! Now im comparing apples, and bananas lol
Chuck, I was just razzin ya. My tires are ridiculous anyways and I'm considering putting my Cobras on this bird. I like the box Foxes too, got many a friend with hot rodded Fairmonts; hell my brother has a Fairmont wagon.
So keep on keepin on, I need to get up UNDER this car and start fixing some stuff there. Like the dead struts and shocks, leaky p/s pump, etc..
I love the boxed birds. just not crazy about the color scheme (on yours, though it makes it unique), I love the big larger than life boats of yesteryear. We have boats now, but arn't as grace full.
Chuck, theres a boxy bird up in the JY here in the Fort Wayne/ New Haven area... i looked at it.. its pretty decent lookin man
doors look solid.
Can you check it out and get a closer look? A pic or two perhaps? Maybe check on pricing on driver door and hood?
Let me know.
Thanks
sure can man, ill try to make it out there on tuesday... ill take the cam with meh too.
I saw it and looked through it.. and went oh .. this looks nice.
anything else in perticular while im up there?
Nothing else in particular at the moment. I'm working more on getting the mechanicals sorted, but I need to snag the needed body parts when I can. Maybe look at the dash pad and see if it's uncracked.
Thanks
Just got back from Mills, he said 225$ for hood and door u pull
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/Tcj429/clayton009.jpg)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/Tcj429/clayton010.jpg)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/Tcj429/clayton011.jpg)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/Tcj429/clayton012.jpg)
Looks good man. solid as a rock... the whole car is.
thats a shame that car is in a junk yard i wonder why, someone prob blew the motor and junked it stupid morons
yellow writing on hood "Runs and drives"
WHAT wish i had a place to put it shiznit id buy it, but if i bought it id make it a super sleeper. God i want it now! Someone on here needs to go save it!!!
*points at chuck* theres a 87-8 cat up there too. along with a 4dr fairmont.
wish i had a way to get it and the cash it take that thing in a heart beat, and keep all the parts away from chuck haha
Hey Clayton-
Looks to be in good shape. If it was a Cougar I might think about just the whole car. The prices are a little steep, but the door looks to be in good shape as is the hood. I'm going to mull it over a little.
Thanks for checking it out for me.
i'v only ever seen one 80 cougar done, but thats just it, no one sees them anymore( that should be on the road) and thats why you should keep it, they are cool & rare,,sell another car & find a cheaper place to put that one in
Well it's been a little while since I turned wrenches on the '80, but I got into it abit today. A few days ago I had started installing some of the new "tune-up" parts, but today I got into it a little deeper.
This is the beast in the bay at the moment.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/80xrengine.JPG)
I snapped this pic mid-progress.
My first task of the day was the thermostat...and I'm going to rant here. Whatever IDIOT designed these things and put the lower bolt for the stat housing BEHIND the front cover/water pump needs to be kicked in the junk. I'd forgotten how much of a PITA those were to get to. Nothing worked. Either I could get a wrench in there, but no room to move it, or if there was room to move, it wasn't on the head. I'd noticed a previous owner had slotted that bolt (ie for a screwdriver) but that wasn't going to get it loose. So after some thinking what I wound up doing was chopping down a short 1/4-drive socket so I could get it in there and get it loose, and then I used the screwdriver to finish it up. I almost went digging for an allen head bolt but said screw it since I had the modded socket and I cleaned and anti-siezed the bolts it should be fine next time.
Next on the list was the smog hoses. I figure since there wasn't a pulley on the pump anymore...there was no need for all the that's in the way of spark plugs on the pass side. I left the pump in place for the moment because I didn't feel like chopping down a piece of tubing to replace it as the alt spacer.
Eagle-eyed viewers will notice the 3G alt. I think it's a 90-95A unit. Stock was a 60A, so this will be fine. It has a dual pulley on it because the only v-belt one I had that would fit it was from a 2.3T alternator. It dropped right in place of the old one. I need to do the wiring, but that is cake on these. I just need some more heat shrink tubing.
The other thing that got replaced was the radiator. I opened the drain on the old one when I was getting ready to do the stat, and nothing came out. Good sign there :p I had another in the shed, so I swapped that in. I thought I was screwed on the trans cooler lines for a few because the threads in the rad were different bewteen the two, but I found a pair in my tool box to take care of that. A manual trans is going in in the near future, but I didn't want to disable the car (any more than it already is :hick:) until then.
Anyway, I need some plug wires (two fell apart when I was replacing plugs) and oil and coolant.
I'm sure some are agast that I am actually going to have a car with a 302 in it. Well right now the priorities are to get it running and mobile and back together and ready for duty. It probably won't be driving much, but unfortunately it is going to have to suffer winter duty for at least one winter as I'm not driving the Scorpio in the snow/salt. I think underneath is pretty good and I'll treat the other rust spots to hold them off until I can devote more time to it.
Not originally what I planned, but priorities change. I'm still not ready to get rid of it though. The 302 will go away eventually.:evilgrin:
Next project after the engine stuff is getting the brakes working, then after that the windshield/rust.
I would of never noticed the 3G. It looks like it's been there the whole time.
Are those camber plates?
On a side note, I just seen a Crown Vic with those Cobra Wheels. It looked pretty slick.
Yeah..I'm not spending too much time cleaning things for under the hood at the moment. That 3G does blend in nicely :D
Those are some old KB Tbird CC plates. They are great for street cars. The extra positive caster (fixed) really improves the front grip. They were based on the originals I had made up for my car about a year or so prior.
I noticed the alt ;)
I figured you might ;)
Another thing I've thought about doing once it's up and running and some of the cobwebs are knocked out is to convert it to EFI. Well CFI. I figure the 5.0 CFI TB I have, the DuraSpark dist, an inline fuel pump, a couple sensors and a low-end MegaSquirt unit will get the job done, and done cheaply.
Will a DS dizzy work with CFI. I always thought you needed a TFI style.
I didn't read the TB part, I thought it just said CFI. I feel like a retard now.
Well today was the day to bring cars back to life. I got the '83 running again earlier and I just fired this back up here a short while ago.
I finally picked up some plug wires and got them installed. I also wired the 3G alternator as well. Add come coolant to the radiator and turn the key.
After the carb filled back up....vvrrooommm. It came back to life and idled w/o fuss. I checked the alternator and it was putting out 14.5V at idle and stayed the same with lights and heater fan on....so that's working ;).
It will now move under it's own power again....it just won't stop yet. Front brake plumbing (the 12" Vette stuff) is next.
Sa-weeet :D
busy day today!
I guess you could say that :p
I need to get that windshield back in before I wind up breaking it :punchballs:
The front brakes will be cheap to do though. I need one rotor, which I can get for under $30, and the pads are less than $20 at the Zone. I have adapter fittings and hardline, and I just need one braided line since I already have one.
Well now that you have extra room :D
Yes, yes I do.
What that means is that I will be able to store the '83 elsewhere this winter for a couple months and perhaps get started on the SHO swap in this ;)
OK, well things have been hectic and busy and all around screwed up these days, so things are taking a bit to get done. This weekend I finally finished up the prep work to get the widnshield back in the car. I blasted, converetd, sealed, primed and painted the area that was rusted previously due to the py install of the windshield at some point in the past.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/wsrepair_7.JPG)
You can't really tell in the pic, but the white I used does not match what's there, but I'm not concerned at this point about the "pretty" as I can clean around the window later. I'm hoping to get someone over to reinstall the windshield this next week. I need to get the that sealed back up so I can get that ed tarp off there and also get to work inside the car as well.
Loooking good
Hey Chuck,
I was wondering if you could post a pic of the side of the car? I think those are the same rims I'm getting for my cougar.
Sam
Look back through the thread....
They are 94-95 Cobra wheels....like what's on my silver car.
OK, because they kinda look like these:
(http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=180151712661&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=008)
Ick, no!
Oh..sorry, you're buying those aren't you? :p
The ones on my car are 17"
Well, I'm upgrading my brakes to 95' stang brakes, and those I got for $50 w/tires.
So....They'll have to work until I can get some 97 or 01 GT rims.
If all goes well, the windshield will be back in this afternoon.
OK, all went well and the windshield is back in. Cost me $50 less than quoted too.
I was so happy I snapped a couple new pics.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/8_07_1.jpg)
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/8_07_2.jpg)
It's still dirty as hell and no where near driveable, but at least the interior is sealed again...finally.
It looks so shagy. I cant wait for you to finish it.
Sweet:D Give it to me so I can put a 2.3T in it;)
Yeah it looks pretty good
I love 2.3t's but that isn't what my Gut says. It says one nasty 5.0, 4.6 or even maybe a nasty 3.8sc. But 5.0 seems the way to go. So what do you really have planned Chuck? You could paint it up like a muscle car. It has that sorta look to it. MAybe even a Starsky and Hutch type piant job. LOL not.
Well it has a 302 in it at the moment, but that's not staying. It's on reprieve because it runs and I can get by with it for a short while. The "plan" is an SHO V6. You should know by now that 5.0's don't stay long around these parts. The engine is lower on the list as I need to deal with other systems first.
It will probably stay in it's current livery as I think the colors and the 1/2-vinyl top set it apart from pretty much everything else that would be on the road.
Well, I managed to get the front end up in the air yesterday to start getting into the trans swap. The biggest c is probably going to be getting the Y-pipe loose from the manifolds.
A quick check of the trans lengths shows that the SROD is just about the same length as the FIOD, so that means no new driveshaft, just a new front yoke...which I have.
We had some rain over the weekend, and the good news is that the windshield seal is working. The mediocre news is that the door weatherseals are leaking slightly. They are 27 years old and very compressed, so I can see that. Nothing major, but would be getting seats and carpet wet if they were installed.
Now let's just see if the schedule cooperates.
Can't wait to see that beast done man! With the work you do, we all know its gonna be insane!
Whats your plans for the SHO? Full intake, custom headers I'm guessing. Possibly a supercharger or a turbo?
Yup.
What a pain in my arse. The two driver studs came out of the manifold and I had to cut off one of the nuts on the pass side.:punchballs:
It's out though, so now onto getting the trans out. Hopefully I'll have time this weekend to get into that.
Ah the joys of old cars that have spent time in the rust belt:hick:
The auto is out and sitting on the ground. Not too messy.
Did a quick measurement now that I could get to it and the trans going in is the same length as the one coming out, so no driveshaft shenanigans will be required.
Next is to pull the flexplate and get the rest of the shift linkage out from under there and start putting the manual pieces in.
I think the only thing I'm really missing is a clutch quadrant and shift boot.
chuck. what trans are you going to use? i know a man out of a 3.0 aerostar bolts right up and you can use the stock sho clutch.
Right now the SHO is not going in the car. The 302 is staying while I get brakes and other stuff sorted out. I'm removing the FIOD (AOD) and installing an SROD 4spd manual.
The SHO will be using a T-5 attached to a 5.0 bell and mated to the block with my adapter plate. It will take a custom flywheel (zero-balance 5.0 w/ SHO crank pattern) but I will have FULL access to 5.0 clutches. It will also make the whole cable assy easier to do...I'll just be able to use Mustang stuff.
Hmmm....are you a millwrite or something? So much fab work. i am almost sure I spelled that wrong.
Nope, just don't like doing the same thing as everyone else ;)
An engineer with fab abilities...not sure what's scarier than an engineer with a welder.....
How about an engineer with c4?
Both can make a pretty big boom....just one in usually intentional....:hick:
[thread shiznittin]
a welder with AutoCAD is nowhere near as scary as an engineer with a welding machine.
most welders couldnt draw a straight line a specified length w/AutoCAD.
[SIZE="1"]i am a fabricator by trade, i can say these things :D [/SIZE]
[/thread shiznittin]
Is there any reason your using the SHO motor? Also, what liter? The 3.0 or 3.2? OR IF you dared, the 3.4L v8. :evilgrin: I've owned a few of them and they are fun car. Just too bad it was in a taurus body.If you need any engine help, i will do my best to help if you ask me.
Because...
It will probably be a 3.0 to start, or whatever I get my hands on. I have a couple engines/blocks, but I may just use them for mock-up and grab a runner when the time comes.
I'd like one of the V8's, but those are a whole other beast. Would be sweet though..and lighter.
I don't remember if this was brought up or not, but after you get this all in and working, are you going to mod the motor any?
The 302? No.
The SHO? Most likely.
Apparently, the 3.4 is stronger and stuff then the 3.0/3.2. This is only from what i read. Plus it'll be cool when you pop the hood and only have 207 cubes of V8 to show. :)
The motor mounts will be the hardest part. The intake is easy, you just get spacers and flip it 90 degree's. ECU could be the stock computer, but if your going for a wild setup. I'd add a TwEECer to the mix for tuning. Being the Fox's large engine bay, you will have MANY options as far as power adders go. The V6 REALLY wakes up when you force some air down her throat :evilgrin:
I think I can handle motor mounts ;)
The 3.4's have cam issues...which can be fixed, but still.
The stock ECU will be used to get the ting moving...MegaSquirt will follow when the mods do.
3.0 and 3.2 has more after market that I've found then the 3.4 v8.
What ever you do to it, it's gonna scream!! Big bore butterflys, ported intake, cams, supercharger/turbo. I cant wait to see this thing done!
You have to know where to look, there's plenty of aftermarket for the 3.4.
I spy, with my little eye, something that rhymes with crutch....
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/Clutch.JPG)
Got the flexplate out and the flywheel and clutch installed. Had to do it twice because when I was tightening down the pressure plate the first time I remembered I was working on a ed 302 and not a 2.3 and then remembered that the engine plates were different between the auto and manual cars....:punchballs:
Also I have lines on a couple sources for body parts, but neither has panned out fully yet.
at least you remembered now. i wouldnt have known.
Well I picked up a cheap Steeda clutch quadrant, so the only piece missing from the puzzle is a shift boot and and a couple quarts of Redline MTL for the SROD.
I should be able to have the trans in place this evening.
Nice going Chuck!
I vote for a 3.0/3.2 V6 SHO. It really is a great motor, just stuck in a $#itty car with an even $#ittier trans. Rev'd like crazy!
What are you looking for? Once in awhile a Box Fox Bird or Cat shows up in the yards by me. However most of the sheet metal is, uh, snowbeltized:hick:
Well the trans is in place.
I may need another starter, I think I recall the manual ones being different from the auto ones. I'll just do a cross on a couple applications and see.
Time to cut a hole in the floor now for the shifter :hick:
No should be the same. Only the truck 5 speed used a different starter.
usually manual starters have a longer snout and the mounting surface area is ****just slightly**** larger than an auto starter.
typically a standard starter wont fit into the hole on an auto flex plate.
I took the standard starter nose off my starter and hunted around different yards till i found a flex plate the standard shift starter nose would go in. They seem to be very rare in my neck of the woods.
on the starter, just replace the bendix.,, cheaper.,,unless you got a bad ring gear to.
Well the I went ahead and removed the column shift hardware and cut the floor for the shifter.
The clutch cable is in and waiting for the quadrant to show up.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/shifter_1.jpg)
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/shifter_2.jpg)
I need to take care of the neutral safety switch bypass and connect the back-up light switch, but that is no biggie.
I also yanked the cruise control out from under the hood (since I'm not using it on this car.
The next project is to get the Y-pipe sorted and back in the car and fill the trans and button everything up.
awesome work!!
Is there any difference(besides being older) between that dash and the 83-85 dashes? It looks very similar.
Brian
its way boxier.
It's all pretty different. There is no "padded" portion, like the lower is on the later ones and the dash pad itself is "tiered". I have an 83-84TC cluster in there at the moment, but that is also different than the 80-82 one. This car also has a full center console, I just have it removed for the moment.
I spy CRX seats.
Yes you do. Both sets of my Recaros need recovered and I have these, so I'm going to use them for the time being. They are LIGHT! I was surprised at how little they weigh.
I'll have to fab up adapter brackets, but that's a no-brainer.
I'll also need to chop down that shifter a bit. I could shift from the back seat with that thing. :hick:
The interior is RED:D
I like it. You should restore the interior and exterior to stock. It would look so kick ass.
No, the interior is "Bittersweet" ..... ;)
chuck how do you always find those cobra wheels? I look and look at junkyards, no one has them!
Well aside from the clutch quadrant and the oil for the trans the swap is done.
I buttoned up the last of it today. Got the starter back in (same starter...), took care of the couple wiring connections and reconnected the driveshaft to the rear (again, the length worked out perfectly).
I was going to get more involved with the Y-pipe and cut out cats or whatever, but looking at it, someone has already gutted all 3 cats...so I just said F-it and just reinstalled it as is.
daboss...I just find the wheels from private sellers. The ones on the silver car I bought from a guy I worked with at KB years ago, and I picked up the set for the '80 last year from a guy on turboford for cheap. I wasn't looking for them for the '80, but the price was right, and they wound up looking pretty good on the car.
ah I guess ill have to look harder, they look sweet on marks
Well the quadrant showed up today..
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/quadrant.JPG)
Hopefully I'll get some time in the next couple days to get it installed.
It's a Steeda blem I got off ebay for $20. I already have their adjustable cable, so it will be an easy match.
I can get the Redline MTL from a local racer supply shop, so perhaps by this weekend this thing will be moving under it's own power again.
Well it is now OFFICIALLY a manual trans car. I got the quadrant in, the cable hooked up and the fluid in the trans. It moves on its own power again.
It now also officially has a bad fuel pump. As it was idling I noticed a drip from the front of the engine and looking closer it was coming from the fuel pump. It looks like the diaphragm has a hole in it as gas was spurting out the vent port. The car was laboring to idle a bit, so I'm guessing the pressure is down a bit. At least that will be cheap.
Without reading this whole thread, how long has it been since it moved with its own power?
Well it was still mobile with the auto, but not very well. It has yet to go down the road yet though.
It still has NO brakes yet, but it is easier to maneuver it around as a manual.
Do you have any plans on new paint or just gonna leave it for a while?
I still need to find some replacement body panels before I worry about paint. Nothing I find pans out.
you must be itching to drive it by now
I may be able to help you with that when I get home to Michigan. We will see. A friend of a friend you know....
Well it was a busy weekend but I was able to take a couple hours to work on getting the driver seat mounted in the car.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/Driver%20seat.jpg)
The adapter bracket was a pain in the butt as the seat mounting bolts were not in any semblance of order.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/Seat%20Adapter_1.jpg)
The pass one looks to be even more difficult as I think one of the mounting locations on the seat is angled(?!?).
The fit is pretty good and it feels about 1" higher than what is in the '83, but it is also a bit taller inside than the 83 and the stock seat brackets are kind of tall. I didn't add anything more than 1/4" of height to the brackets with the adapters. I'll clean them up and paint them when I put the carpet in the car.
The Recaros will bolt directly to these rails, so when I get them recovered, it won't take anything to install them.
Still waiting on the fuel pump to show up.
Nice work, Chuck.
For what it's worth, that white '81 Thunderbird is still at my local yard.
Well I still need a driver door, hood and trunk (the trunk has to be XR-7 though).
Where do you keep finding those sweet seats? :)
Looking good.
Man I need a car to work on........
The seats are out of some Honda I think. Not sure. I got them cheap (VERY cheap) and they are light.
I want the Recaros in the car, but the funds aren't there at the moment to invest in recovering them, so these will have to do.
My '88 Honda CRX Si had those seats, very comfy. They can be found in '88-'91 CRX's.
Brent
:cougarsmily:
Yeah my Rex had those seats too... I've been keeping my eye's open for a good set but I can find 5 sets of TC buckets to a good set of CRX seats.
Well I replaced the leaky fuel pump today. It "should" have been a straight-forward job, but in all their wisdom, the engineers decided to attach one bolt for an accessory bracket support brace over one of the fuel pump bolts. Took about twice as long as it should have.
The car is much happier now though. If only it had working brakes :p
cut a hole in the floorboard and "fred flintstone" it. :P
Nah. I think I'll wait until I get the 4-wheel disks installed ;)
I can still work on the other seat bracket, cleaning up the interior and get the carpet in it.
I'm going to hold off for just a bit on the full-length in-floor SFCs. I have some other things I need to get done on other projects before I cut the floor out of this thing. :welder: (Like get the head back on the silver car)
The seat looks great. Need to get those brakes working. I know how it is so many things to do so little time to do it. Need to strip the interior of my 84 and start on the body work.
OK, more work the past couple of days.
I modded the shifter to make it a little shorter and easier to reach
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/shifter%20mod.JPG)
Here's a couple pics of the seat adapter brackets I made
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/brackets%20installed_1.JPG)
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/brackets%20installed_2.JPG)
I also got motivated and installed the new carpet and went ahead and dropped in the seats. The carpet is an ACC piece. Not too bad. The cuts at the front by the kick panels are a little off.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/interior%2010_07_3.JPG)
The console is just sitting in place at the moment as I need to sort the shifter boot situation out and mod the front of it to make a clean install.
I need to hunt down the proper color headliner material and I can get that back in as well and put all the pieces back in place.
Man those seats do wonders for that interior...
Well, the Recaros will be much better, but they are in dire need of a refresh.
Looking good, looking good.
True. If I ever have a grand laying around, and I just can't figure out what to spend it on, I might get me a set. :)
I paid $200 for the set in the '83 ;) (VW pieces)
Do you know of any that are direct bolt-on (or with minimum mods) to our seat tracks? Basically a pair that don't require... making your own brackets. :)
Nope. Perhaps if you can stumble onto a set of 79-82 Ford Recaros, but other than that it's buy or make your own adapters.
wow. fresh carpet did wonders for the insides!
Are you gonna try to find the original material? I'd be curious to see who/where you find that stuff.
Not sure yet. Finding the proper "Bittersweet" color is going to be hard enough, much less finding the OEM material. I'm sure VERY few seats were even done in that fabric. I'll need to redo the rear seat anyway also, so I may have to improvise.
I actually have 2 sets of Recaros of the same vintage, the original set and a netted halo set (the tan ones). I may swap the netted headrests onto them as well.
It took about 2 months to find OEM material to do my front seats last winter. Some guy in Washington State turned out to have some. I doubt Chuck will be able to get OEM material for his seats. If 20 year old OEM material is hard to find try finding 27 year old OEM stuff:hick: . Hell try finding another 80 XR7.......
Not a whole lot of progress this weekend, but my shift boot showed up on Fri and I took some time Sat to install it and mod the console plate.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/interior%2010_07_04.JPG)
The hole is too big in the plate (the existing opening for the little coin tray was kind of wide), so I'll probably take a piece of the black ABS I have to make a finish plate.
The starter dies today too...:toilet: The solenoid is fine (big CLICK when trying to start it), so I'll just find another starter and replace the cable while I'm at it.
Speaking of, anyone have a good used 5.0 starter?
my friend on FvC does! Its on evilbay, be he will take it off if someone wants it, Its a mini unit he wants 50 for it
http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p131/nyclsc/For%20sale/?action=view¤t=P1010025.jpg
his name is Nyclsc
chuck i may have one you can have just pay for shiping ill look later also what about puting up a coverd tent to store it under dont get rid of it there geting harder to come by
Don't need (or want) a mini-starter for this thing.
Well I was gona say as well I picked up a ford mini starter laying on the ground at pick n pull today. (Gumby came over :) )
I put it back down because I already have one.
Figured id show you incase you wanted it
I just don't want to mess with the rewiring on this.
Besides, I have a mini sitting here ;)
Haha Chuck Your hilarious.
Fine fvckers.
:hick:
I just have to extend the solenoid "exciter" wire, correct?
I guess in the interim, the starter cable can just now attach to the other (battery) side of the solenoid? (Until I get a dummy terminal)
no it needs both solenoids functioning.
Why?
EDIT.
OK...I did some digging. Swap the big wire from the switched side of the solenoid to the battery side. Then take a 14g wire with the appropriate ends and run that from the switched side of the solenoid to the small terminal on the starter.
Got it.
I duno.. I've never seen one wired up as you speak though.. in stock configuration they have both solenoids functioning.
Ok, well no picture updates at the moment. Nothing really new to see.
I wound up getting another starter (I wanted to save the mini for something else) and as a bonus it was smaller than the monster that was on there. It was easier to install and I replaced the cable as well. Hooked it all up, turned the key and *CLICK*. Grrrrr.... So I check a couple things, and while the solenoid is clicking, it's not working. No battery voltage is passing through when it energizes. So, it need to pick up a solenoid.
I started plumbing the new hardlines for the brakes last weekend, and hopefully I'll have time this weekend to do more around welding and the rain we're supposed to get. The rotors for the front are on the way, and I'll grab front pads when I get the new solenoid.
OK well finally an update.
I replaced the bad solenoid last weekend and so that is taken care of again. It was I also got all of the hardlines run for the brakes.
Today I spent a few hours getting all the brakes installed. I found a compression fitting on the rear brake line under the rear seat, so I removed that and flared the line and replaced the couple feet out to the rear bracket.
I first got the rear brakes mounted.
These are SVO/Lincoln.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/rearbrakes.JPG)
Yes I know the rotor is rusty. It will be fine.
On the front I rebuilt the Vette PBR calipers and got them all mounted up.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/front%20brakes.JPG)
These are 12" pieces.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/frontall.JPG)
The only thing left to do is to install the one missing caliper pin on the rear (had to buy one) and bleed the system and it should be good to go.....or I guess stop as it were.
I have welding to do tomorrow, so I'm not sure if I'll get time to do that or not.
I should still have rear portion of the parking brake cables in the garage, so I should be able to make those functional again as well.
Looking good :D
Wanna come over and do a 5 lug swap for me? I'll give you a cookie ;)
Well I got half the brakes bled this evening.
I got the fronts done and was working on the back. I wasn't getting any fluid out of the calipers though, but I was hearing fluid in the line, like maybe it was working air through it.
Then the pedal got stiff, so I pushed hard a couple times and then it gave, and then I began to hear the fluid sound, only louder. After about 5-6 times of pushing the pedal I stop because it sounds like the noise is coming from the pass floor board. Well I know the line runs inside the car and sure enough, the line had rusted through and split. Figures, the only line I did not just replace.
Luckily it didn't make too big of a mess and stayed off the carpet, but I'll need to pull that out and make a new one. Fun.
That is exactly how I did it, swap the starter wire to be always hot and run a wire from the terminal on the starter to the old switched side of the solenoid.
I DROVE IT! I DROVE IT!! :hick:
I took the car out for it's first drive under its own power since I've had it.
I finally got the brakes taken care of. I replaced that corroded rear line last night/today. It comes through the firewall behind the HVAC box...so that was fun to fish through. I buttoned it all back up but STILL had no fluid coming out the back. Further investigation showed that the rear axle flex line was clogged. "Luckily" I had an old custom braided stainless set-up I had on one of the old cars, so I installed that and got the brakes bled.
The pedal feels ok. I have the 1" bore MC on there right now, and I may need the 1-1/8" one. I'll drive it a bit and see. The brakes work fine, just a touch spongy.
I drove it down to the corner to finally get some good gas into it. The carb is still a little buggy, but I'm hoping running some fresh gas through it will help.
I need to get the front sway bar back on it and button up a little of the interior too. I seem to be missing a rearview mirror...and I have no "button" on the windshield, so I need to hunt those down.
I'm sure it looks like a beast going down the road, but dammit... I like it. :D
Chuck , :cheers: hope you can enjoy your ride the rest ot the weekend.
good news! I'm shooting for Monday to have mine out on it's own power!
NEW PICS!
Please......
Are you going to paint the PBR calipers?
Right now, no.
Have you seen the rest of the car? :p
Well I put about 10 miles on it this evening running over to get some take-out. It's certainly not subtle :p
It was running better as it cycled more fresh gas through it, but it's still kind of surges a bit at cruise. I hate carbs.
The power steering pump was noisy again, so I may need to replace it if it doesn't quiet down.
I may have a front caliper that is sticking, so I may pull it off tomorrow and check it out. The car stops fine though, and doesn't seem to pull at all under braking. I question the caliper because it is "loose"(like the pistons haven't pushed out to put the pads in contact with the rotor) while the other is not.
Other than those couple things and a headlight out, everything seems ok and the car will get driven more and be a rolling project.
I caught the reflection of it a couple times in the windows of a couple buildings as I drove past... made me smile :D
i love when that happens ;)
glad to hear shes alive!
I've had so many close calls due to watching the side profile of my car in the store-front glass reflections.
You have to be really nuts about your car to do that.
Well the caliper wasn't sticking, it works just fine.
I did have to mess with the other one though. The pin that holds the caliper and pads on was fitting REALLY tight against the pads, and I'm sure it wasn't allowing them to float. I took the grinder to the pad ears to solve that.
While messing around I also noticed the driver inner tie rod is a tiny bit loose. Nothing catastrophic. I replaced the bum headlamps too.
I didn't get a chance to drive it today, so the jury is still out on the PS pump.
Kill It! Before It Eats Us All!
you have to watch the turn out of the row to get the full effect though.... i dont care how many old ladies i have to hit im watchin my car in the windows!
Well I drove it to work today. No drama aside from the fact that the headlights wanted to turn themselves off and on.
Not sure if it's a bum switch or a loose connection somewhere.
Maybe it's just the Cougar expressing it's joy of once again being on the road. It was waving hello to everyone you passed. ;)
Congrats on getting it mobile again!
Brent
:cougarsmily:
Psh, I not only stare at the reflection, I take pictures.
That's great Chuck. I can't wait to get my '88 back on the road.
HAHA and I figured I was the only idiot that did that. There's one small strip mall near me that I go to quite a bit that is quite long, EVERY friggin time I find myself doing that, checking ahead of me for about a nanosecond....about every 5 seconds :hick:. Somethin about it....just looks awesome. Especially when youre facing it, and make a turn, seeing my car turn in the glass is just the BEST.
And to stay on topic LOL Chuck I'll bet that thing looks gorgeous "in glass".
Well I got another mirror from Michael and went to install it over the weekend on the window mount from the other mirror.....only to find out that they are different between the two types. Grrrrrr....
The set-screw type has parallel sides, while the other tension type has angled sides. Soooo off that mount had to come.
The parts store had the window pieces, so I bought one and another mirror adhesive kit. Now I just have to wait until it warms up a bit before I can remount it.
The weather has been py for almost a week now, so it's been sitting in the driveway
I would have just sent you that mirror for free if you needed it. Its just sitting here.
I had it covered, thanks.
Np. Let me know if i can help out with with what ever. I got random parts every where
OK, well it has been months since the last post on this, but with the weather finally breaking and other cars are up and down for repairs, etc...this thing is going to start to see a bit more road time.
I took a couple hours on Sat to drop a new battery in it (the old one was OLD and not holding a charge any more) and to reset the alignment after I swapped an inner tie rod.
It did piss me off though. As I was under it aligning it, I saw something dripping, which turned out to be water/coolant. At first I thought it might be a hose, but no...it's a freeze plug. Try my patience and see what happens..... For now I'm going to drop some Stop-Leak into it and see if that stops it. I'm not inclined to pull things apart to replace a freeze plug right now on an engine that I really don't care about and one that when it comes out of the car will wind up attached to a chain and thrown over the side of a boat. I just don't have time to mess with it right now.
Well I put about 30 miles or so on it at driving it around Sat (has about 120 on it since I put it back on the road). Did fine until the end when it decided it didn't want idle. I'm guessing I need to pull the carb off and rebuild/clean it if I want to keep driving it around. I hate carbs....
The coolant leak is still there, and I'm just going to let it stay for the time being and just keep on top of it. I "may" pull things up to replace the freeze plug when I get time, but other things need to be done first. I wish I had time to just work on the engine swap, but right now...don't have any.
It's really not doing too badly aside from being very underpowered, you can tell it's a 28 yr old Fox chassis though.
Next time I get it out I'll snap a couple new pics of it (i.e. someplace besides my driveway).
28 years?Wow,where does the time go?My Bird is 20.Seems like forever ago when I remember these cars as "new".I'm glad I still feel young.....for now.Keep us posted on the progress.
Well the carb decided it wanted to play nice today as I drove the '80 over to stick in the storage garage for a couple days while I drive the '83. Since it was behaving, I took a couple pics of the beast.
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/4_08_1_s.jpg)
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/4_08_2_s.jpg)
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/4_08_3_s.jpg)
:mullet:
Nah man she looks pretty good really. And shell be even better when you're done!
Good to see the carriage top is in good shape.
chuck loves the 302's...
Well it is very dried out. I'm debating on adding it back when the car gets painted, or painting the "top" on.
Kind of have other things to worry about before that point anyway....like locating good replacement parts that I need.
Well, the new owner of this car will be picking it up today.
I needed to let it go to be able to concentrate on a few things that are more important.
I know the guy, and he has been almost giddy about it since he found out I was selling it. He can't even wait until the weekend to pick it up.
It is sad to see it go because I love driving it and how unique it is. I may revisit a Box Fox in the future, but right now I need to narrow my focus a bit.
I know I'll be seeing it around and I'm sure I'll be answering questions about what parts are used, etc.
I know his plans are just to sort out the couple engine issues and get it cleaned up, so it's going to a good home.
I'll take a few final pics this afternoon...
The circle of life............................
Well if he feels the need to sign up and keep the project going tat would be cool.
what size tires are on the rear of your 83 turbo coupe?
I'll miss seeing it in your sig.
Wish I could have got her from you. I love a good box with wheels.
:(
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/farewell_1.jpg)
(http://www.turbochuck.com/webimages/projects/80 XR7 White/farewell_2.jpg)
:(
Hey guys, Cougar purchaser here. I am planning on leaving the 302 in (yay carbs!), doing some top end work, and basically picking up where Chuck left off.
Hey Fuzz!
I heard Jay gave you a taste of how well that beast handles on-ramps ;)
welcome! good to see the 80 is in good hands.
Welcome,
Glad to see the project continues.
It seems very stable in a higher speed decreasing radius turn. I didn't even hear any tire squeal-yet.
Chuck, I feel for ya! When I made the move to KS from WI in 2004, I had to let go of my 80 Thunderbird. That was my first car, and I had fixed it up pretty well. It wasn't perfect, but looked quite nice. I had just gotten the mild build 302 (bored 0.020) with Holley Projection fuel injection in and was gradually working on a CAI and whatnot. Unfortuantely, there was no way for me to take it with to KS. Luckily, I sold it to a friend who basically is "storing" it for me. (I needed the cash at the time for my move since I was enemployed.) He's told me that he's basically keeping it for me and that at any time I want it back, I can re-buy it for what I sold it to him ($3500).
My friend does take it oout once in a while, and he recently cleaned it up nice and took a couple photos. I do miss it!
Greg
WOW I missed this too!! Dang chuck sorry to see it had to go!! Any news on how shes doing??
Just for nostalgia sake...and to note the fact that pics are finally back in the thread...here's a bump.
I love this thread!!