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Reply #360 –
The early SVO would have looked much better with black painted headlamp retainer rings ...

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Reply #361 –
Quote from: Watchdevil;315062
Just for that comment Vinnie.... :flip::rollin:

J/K!!!

Other than the bada$$ pink teddy bear wheels....NO.

The wheels DO say "This car kicks so much A$$".LOL.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

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Reply #362 –
Quote from: vinnietbird;315076
Other than the bada$$ pink teddy bear wheels....NO.

The wheels DO say "This car kicks so much A$$".LOL.


LOL! And those wheels do come in 5-Lug deep dish as well!

It's a 7-Up Plus because sometimes the 8th cylinder fires when it feels like it...

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Reply #363 –
More SVO Eyes!

My mind is made up... I am going to go for this look. Seeing the beak in all black cinched it for me. Looking at the bare header panel, it should be a simple inclusion of rectangular headlamps... Now all I need is a nice warm day off to go search for the donor Bird...

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Reply #364 –
Hi, ive been reading about your car and i like it alot :D
I got a quick question for you though, Would you have any idea if the MN-12 tbird dash is about the same size as the mustang?

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Reply #365 –
Quote from: xan;315490
Hi, ive been reading about your car and i like it alot :D
I got a quick question for you though, Would you have any idea if the MN-12 tbird dash is about the same size as the mustang?


Glad you are enjoying my project!

I would not consider using an MN-12 dash in anything but the platform cars they originally came in. Too many mismatches and dimensions are different.

The reason Fox platform dashes work best in Fox bodied cars is because the firewall height, width, lower windshield curvature and mounting points are all either identical or related.  The metal structures are shared designs throughout the entire range Fox platform Ford vehicles so you end up with consistancy in mount and fitment. This is why you see rodders and custom builders swapping older style dashes for newer designs in Fox platform vehicles.

The 1978-83 Fairmont/Zephyr dash is identical to the 1979-86 Mustang and Capri save for the compliment of guages and varied trim bezels and finishes. The 1981-82 Ford Granada and Cougar sedans borrowed the Fairmont/Zephyr body shell and alternately styled the front and rear ends leaving the midsection between the wheels intact. The dash of those cars was also identical to the Fairmont/Zephyr and Mustang/Capri with a special set of square faced gauges to distinguish those cars.

When the Thunderbird and Cougar XR7 was downsized for 1980-82 they took advantage of the Fox platform on a longer wheelbase. Just like the models mentioned before, they used the same firewall structure and front passenger compartment sheetmetal componants. However a different dash was designed for these Birds and Cats using the existing Fox platform mounting points.

The next car to get the Fox platform was the 1982-86 Lincoln Continental. This got yet another new dash design loosley based on the 1980-82 Bird and Cat design.

For 1983, the Birds and Cats were restyled with new exterior sheetmetal and rested on a shorter wheelbase, yet retained the identical firewall and front passenger compartment structure as all the other Fox based cars. As a cost saving measure, the 1983-84 Bird and Cat dash was actually a modified version of the 1980-82 Bird/Cat design and the 1982-86 Lincoln Continental design which used the twin vinyl knee pads.

1983-86 restyled the 1981-82 Granada and Cougar sedans into the LTD and Marquis to replace them. With the restyling came the recycled use of the 1980-82 Bird/Cat dash virtually intact because they simply dropped in and effectively was able to replace the old Fairmont-based dash. 

For 1984-92, the Lincoln Mark VII was based on a long wheelbase variation of the 1983 Bird/Cat body. That car got it's own unique dashboard design.

1985-88 brought a totally restyled dash to the Bird and Cat which showcased the styling inside to match what they originally wanted to do if there was no budget restraint for the 1983-84 models.

For 1987-1993, the Mustang got a major new dash design. Probably the most popular dash swap I have seen is retrofitting this Mustang dash design to earlier Fox Mustangs, Capris, Fairmonts, Zephyrs, Granadas and Cougar sedans.

It's safe to say all of the cars listed above will interchange dashes with each other with either little or relatively moderate modifications if you get the gauges, wiring and HVAC duct and air housing system componants matched up.

With the design of the Mustang for 1994-2003, the Fox platform was heavily redesigned with either new or modified structure and renamed the SN97 platform. There were only a couple of carry over parts from the original Fox design to the modified SN97 platform. With this redesign, the windshield was raked back more and the dash cowl made deeper. The hard points of the firewall, the door hinge pillar mounting structure, the front floor pan and the transmission tunnel are dimensionally the same as the earlier Fox platform cars.

This is why I was able to do moderate modifications to the 1994-2003 Mustang dash to fit it into my 1984 Bird. The major thing I had to do was cut about 3" off the 1994-2003 Mustang dash shell where it meets the base of the windshield while leaving a slit so that the defroster vents will function.

There is the issue of the SN97 metal dash support frame needing some cutting and welding modifications at all the mounting points to adapt it to mount to the earlier Fox mounting hole locations and to have the right set back against the firewall so the dash does not protrude too far into the passenger compartment.

The route I took was much different than usual. I cut the dash shell 3" as mentioned before then mounted it against the original 1984 Tbird metal dash support frame. It took some adjustments, drilling and adapting here and there to make it work but I was able to mount the entire Mustang dash into the Bird using all of the original mounting points AND have the Mustang console match up perfectly with the bottom center of the dash with no gaps.

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Reply #366 –
Excellent summary on the Fox platform and dashes! :burnout:
tbirdregistry.com
26480
27373

Aeronose!!!

Reply #367 –
I went to the salvage yard today and plucked a 87-88 header panel with inner and outer parking lamps. The bumper cover from that car was in bad shape and it was the only one to be found :(

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Reply #368 –
More Aeronose pics...

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Reply #369 –
I like that better than the cougar nose
Fox-less at the moment

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Reply #371 –
Quote from: hypostang;315728
I like that better than the cougar nose


Yeah I am liking it a lot better already. I got this on the real cheap today for $20.

Too bad using that aero header leaves a big gap between it and the original bumper or I would just leave the old bumper cover there. Now I gotta find the rest of the lamps and a bumper cover.

 I have also decided that I am going with the factory style aero headlamps. I test fitted one of my sealed beam lamps and there is just not enough depth on the outer ends to set it back in where it would look right. Making it work is going to be a pain with heavy modifications to the back of the header panel to sink it. So I think I will just go for the simpler route.

I painted the header a semi-flat black just so it does not look so much like an eye-sore until I eventually get the exterior refinishing done.

Looks like all the Bird emblems are going to have to be changed.

So, it looks like I am going to need:

A front bumper cover
LH & RH headlamps
LH inner parking lamp
LH outer parking lamp

And to match the birds:

LH & RH 85-86 taillamps

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Reply #372 –
My local yard has an 84 elan that has 85 taillights
 
 They charge around $15 each side I am going back Friday I can grab them if you want
Fox-less at the moment

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Reply #373 –
Quote from: hypostang;315732
My local yard has an 84 elan that has 85 taillights
 
 They charge around $15 each side I am going back Friday I can grab them if you want


Grab them if they are in decent shape... No cracks or bad scratches that cannot be polished out.

Thanks!

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Reply #374 –
Quote from: Watchdevil;315735
Grab them if they are in decent shape... No cracks or bad scratches that cannot be polished out.

Thanks!


I'll check em out and grab em if they are good
Fox-less at the moment