Have you ever noticed... January 20, 2007, 12:55:10 AM ...just how many Turbo Coupes are being parted on ebay at any given time? :disappoin I just ran across four auctions from a guy...selling the corner lights, door lock bezels, and power antenna from a 20,000 mile TC. I hate to think about what could have happened to the rest of the car :( Quote Selected
Have you ever noticed... Reply #1 – January 20, 2007, 09:09:39 AM Most people dont see the value in the cars. I was on mustangforums.com, and a guy junked a 46K turbo coupe that was MINT because he just wanted the engine.I dont care what kind of car it is, try to sell the thing first. Quote Selected
Have you ever noticed... Reply #2 – January 20, 2007, 09:35:57 AM I notice it every day as I'm looking for parts to build my Sport.BUT,without people parting cars out,what would we do for parts?The circle of life. Quote Selected
Have you ever noticed... Reply #3 – January 20, 2007, 11:45:12 AM I think with the amount of parts I purchased on ebay I could practically build a 2nd TC. I cant seem to help myself, when I need something I always buy 2. Quote Selected
Have you ever noticed... Reply #4 – January 20, 2007, 11:52:09 AM I purchased a base '86 Bird at the Junkyard three months ago, the car is absolutely like new, never rusted, never repainted, the car was junked just for a blown head gasket, it's criminal:beatyoass: But I grabbed the car, $600.00 it's not cheap for a JY car, no titles, ect, but the car is extremely mint, I'll try to take some pics when I go to the JY in a couple of weeks...This spring I'll tow the car to My home:hick: Quote Selected
Have you ever noticed... Reply #5 – January 20, 2007, 12:40:39 PM I'd honestly rather see somebody stick a V8 in a turbo coupe than part it out on ebay...unless it's wrecked, of course. Quote Selected
Have you ever noticed... Reply #6 – January 20, 2007, 12:56:48 PM I don't like to see a good car parted out any more than the next guy, but also part of the problem is that no one will buy the complete car from the person for a "resonable" price. So to the seller it comes down to economics (or perceived economics). They feel they can get more money as parts than if sold complete (not accounting for the hassle of their time stripping it). People bitch about it, but those who bitch loudest are also the ones who won't step up to the plate (for whatever reason) and "save" the car. Quote Selected
Have you ever noticed... Reply #7 – January 20, 2007, 01:03:45 PM The dude I had gotten my hood and rear from decided that while him and his buddies were drunk one night that they'd smash up their otherwise good TC with the driveshaft since they had pulled the motor and tranny. That pissed me off. I had called him back to see if I could come back to pick some more parts off it, and he was like oh we smashed it up. Quote Selected
Have you ever noticed... Reply #8 – January 20, 2007, 01:10:37 PM I've been watching the 88TC on ebay lately (car's in Indiana), and just because it needs a cat. converter, he's calling it a parts car.http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1988-Ford-Thunderbird-Turbo-Coupe-Parts-Car_W0QQitemZ270079629632QQihZ017QQcategoryZ6240QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Around my neck of the woods, any car/truck that you don't see the frame from above, is considered a rebuilder. He's got it at $500 right now. Here it would be worth $1500. Quote Selected
Have you ever noticed... Reply #9 – January 20, 2007, 01:50:05 PM I saw that car. I think that guy is actually saying that the torque converter went out, since the car's an auto.As far as parts go...hell, the only things I see that consistently sell are front lights/header panels/bumper covers, taillights, computers, VAM's, intercoolers, and maybe emblems. Everything else ishiznit or miss because it's not desirable. Given that I find it hard to believe people can REALLY make more off parts than selling a whole running car (I mean, these aren't SVO's we're talking about) Quote Selected
Have you ever noticed... Reply #10 – January 20, 2007, 06:09:33 PM further down on the link he answers that very question. He says it's a cat. conv. Quote Selected
Have you ever noticed... Reply #11 – January 20, 2007, 08:43:43 PM If nobody parted these cars nobody would have any parts, simple as that. What looks like a mint car to somebody in the northeast looks like a rustbucket to somebody in Arizona. If you want a rust-free door to replace your rotten one, it's gonna have to come from a car with rust free doors. These cars are special to us, but to the other 99.99% of the population they're 80's beaters. TC, Sport, 5.0, 3.8, to most people they are just old Thunderbirds (and Cougars). Sad, but true. Maybe in 10 years people will start collecting & restoring 'em, but right now they're just 80's beaters. Remember, 2'nd gen F-bodies, Fox Mustangs, and even 60's Mustangs and first gen F-bodies were categorized as beaters at one point, and a whole helluva lot of them were cut up, crushed and/or parted. It's a fact of vehicle aging, except that it's slightly worse now because high s metal prices make it worthwhile to s cars instead of hanging on to them.That Indiana TC, btw, looks like a parts car to me. In addition to the cat. converter (several hundred dollars), the bottom of at least one door is rusted out, the quarter panel is rotten behind and over the wheel, and the undercarriage is very rusty. With that much rust underneath I'd be very surprised if the strut towers weren't rotted out. The car's been sitting nearly a decade (since the late 90's), which means it would likely need new brakes (rotors, pads, calipers, cables, brake lines & hoses), gas tank & possibly pump, exhaust, all new engine & tranny gaskets & seals, etc. Lord knows what else seized up over the years (ABS master cylinder? PRC struts/shocks/actuators? Alternator? Starter? Turbocharger/wastegate?Door locks? Window motors?)I am a firm believer that improperly storing a car is far worse than driving the hell out of it, and that car was improperly stored, judging by the excessive scale-type rust on the undercarriage.It has a beautiful interior, a good front clip (header panel, hood, bumper cover), 11" spindles, decent snowflakes, and the desirable 3.73 8.8" rear. Other than that it hasn't much else going for it, unless you want to sink a fortune into it. Once again: Looks like a parts car to me... Quote Selected
Have you ever noticed... Reply #12 – January 20, 2007, 09:25:38 PM Yup, you gotta get the parts from somewhere. It would be nice though if the "good" cars could be saved, but it's not always possible. I've parted a couple Tbirds/Cougars, but all were beyond the point of saving (except for maybe the old black 83 I had, which would have made a good daily). I actually ALMOST sped the silver '83....yes THAT car as I really wanted an '83 TC at the time. I thought my plan through though and the "clone" was the better option. My other cars are Merkurs...more specifically Scorpios. They only imported 28,000 of them in 88-89.....and usually when the trans dies (A4LD) the cars got sped...so there aren't many around and most replacement parts have to come from a donor vehicle, it's just that simple. I'm actually sping one at the moment....too rusted to save. In both cases, the cars are only "important" to a select group of people. To the rest they are "beaters", or just plain old and can't be worth anything since they're not a fashionable, or collector car. Quote Selected
Have you ever noticed... Reply #13 – January 20, 2007, 09:33:42 PM QuoteI am a firm believer that improperly storing a car is far worse than driving the hell out of it, and that car was improperly stored, judging by the excessive scale-type rust on the undercarriage.I agree 100%. As for the ebay TC, In a nutshell, I just wish my car was half that nice. Quote Selected
Have you ever noticed... Reply #14 – January 20, 2007, 11:06:24 PM As said its the circle of life, i've parted out some nice complete sleds this year that were perfect, almost make a guy cry but the fact is that a perfect complete item just means more parts for resale.Luckily i've been able to save a motorcycle and a sled, the rest got 'the knife' including an insanely nice 670 summit x.Scott Quote Selected
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