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BM's 88 Cougar build

Reply #165
One piece at a time.
'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..

BM's 88 Cougar build

Reply #166
Quote from: Bruce M;371252
The lug nuts are tight and the tires have 33 pounds in them. I think its the sidewalls. You can push the rear side to side and see the sidewalls flex. I might pump the tires up to 35-36 pounds and see if it helps.

 
I had some old dry rotted tires on my bird, and it did the same thing. New set of tires, and it was fine after.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com

BM's 88 Cougar build

Reply #167
Quote from: Haystack;374400
I had some old dry rotted tires on my bird, and it did the same thing. New set of tires, and it was fine after.

 
They're brand new. Maybe I got used to it because I dont notice it that much anymore.
88 Cougar LS 5.0 .030 over, ported E7s with GT40 valves & trickflow springs, Proform roller rockers, HO cam, removed air silencer, K&N filter, smog pump delete, 2.25" dual flowmasters, Pacestter H-pipe & headers, HO computer, 65mm TB, Explorer intake, 19# injecters, 3.45s, rebuilt posi, and TCI shift kit.

BM's 88 Cougar build

Reply #168
Try putting more like 38-40 psi in them. Or run what the tire says on the side.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com

 

BM's 88 Cougar build

Reply #169
Run what the tires says to run. If you want stiffer tires, get tires with a lower profile and stiffer sidewalls.
'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..

BM's 88 Cougar build

Reply #170
Im going to either start gathering parts for a T5 swap or a built C4. I held her in first gear for her first 6K RPM pull and when I shifted to second it slipped pretty bad. Im tired of AODs, this is the second trans I've put in this car. Im surprized it pulled hard to six grand, I held it until it flattened out which was about 5800. I thank I'm going to put a C4 in it with a 2400 - 2600 stall. A T5 would be funner to drive but with my future plans a T5 will not hold up.
88 Cougar LS 5.0 .030 over, ported E7s with GT40 valves & trickflow springs, Proform roller rockers, HO cam, removed air silencer, K&N filter, smog pump delete, 2.25" dual flowmasters, Pacestter H-pipe & headers, HO computer, 65mm TB, Explorer intake, 19# injecters, 3.45s, rebuilt posi, and TCI shift kit.

BM's 88 Cougar build

Reply #171
C4's<3 i don't care what anyone says, C4's are better than AOD's
ShadowMSC.com < < Still Under Construction

R.I.P. 'Zump' 8/29/86 - 11/11/11
3- 87 TC's / 1 really mean 83 Capri RS / 94 Sonoma SAS Project on 37x12.50 TSL Radials / 88 S10 that's LITERALLY cut to pieces / 84 F150 SAS, 351M, 39.5 TSL's / 85 Toyota regular cab, 22R 5spd, 3/4" drop, my little junkyard save/daily driver

BM's 88 Cougar build

Reply #172
As long as you don't care for overdrive.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com

BM's 88 Cougar build

Reply #173
OD is nice.. for some people, but i think they suck, majorly.. you can make up for it with a performance lockup converter
ShadowMSC.com < < Still Under Construction

R.I.P. 'Zump' 8/29/86 - 11/11/11
3- 87 TC's / 1 really mean 83 Capri RS / 94 Sonoma SAS Project on 37x12.50 TSL Radials / 88 S10 that's LITERALLY cut to pieces / 84 F150 SAS, 351M, 39.5 TSL's / 85 Toyota regular cab, 22R 5spd, 3/4" drop, my little junkyard save/daily driver

BM's 88 Cougar build

Reply #174
4R70W FTW.

I am luvin' the one I got so far.  Of course I haven't had a chance to abuse it, but it is the end result of Ford developing the AOD.

Bellhousing and trans set me back about $500.00

BM's 88 Cougar build

Reply #175
Do they make controllers for them?
88 Cougar LS 5.0 .030 over, ported E7s with GT40 valves & trickflow springs, Proform roller rockers, HO cam, removed air silencer, K&N filter, smog pump delete, 2.25" dual flowmasters, Pacestter H-pipe & headers, HO computer, 65mm TB, Explorer intake, 19# injecters, 3.45s, rebuilt posi, and TCI shift kit.

BM's 88 Cougar build

Reply #176
bauman does.. i can't know the 4R70W, ford got their game in order after the AOD and put together a decent transi just don't like the fact that it's computer controlled, but that's where the controllers come handy
ShadowMSC.com < < Still Under Construction

R.I.P. 'Zump' 8/29/86 - 11/11/11
3- 87 TC's / 1 really mean 83 Capri RS / 94 Sonoma SAS Project on 37x12.50 TSL Radials / 88 S10 that's LITERALLY cut to pieces / 84 F150 SAS, 351M, 39.5 TSL's / 85 Toyota regular cab, 22R 5spd, 3/4" drop, my little junkyard save/daily driver

BM's 88 Cougar build

Reply #177
Quote from: Bruce M;375070
Do they make controllers for them?

Yep, like Shadow said. Baumann Opti-shift is what I am using. It costs for the electronics, but then you save on the hard parts and gas.

If a person wanted/needed OD, I believe all the best arguments would be for the 4r70.

BM's 88 Cougar build

Reply #178
Quote from: flylear45;375088
If a person wanted/needed OD, I believe all the best arguments would be for the 4r70.

agreed.. i posted a thread on SBF tech asking about AOD upgrades and everyone praised the 4R70W, so i looked into them.. definitely a better trans by a long shot. if you add it all up, it's cheaper to get a 4R70W with a controller than it is to beef up and AOD with performance parts.. like they say, you can polish a turd, but it's still a turd.. i like the C4 because it's a lot like the AOD, minus the trashyness and OD.. C4's also take a LOT more abuse as you add power. i ran a STOCK 140k mile C4 (nothing but a shift kit) in my capri for about 2 months before it died, and i'm pushing a lot more than the 450hp they're 'rated' to handle.. an AOD would have died in 2 days, max
ShadowMSC.com < < Still Under Construction

R.I.P. 'Zump' 8/29/86 - 11/11/11
3- 87 TC's / 1 really mean 83 Capri RS / 94 Sonoma SAS Project on 37x12.50 TSL Radials / 88 S10 that's LITERALLY cut to pieces / 84 F150 SAS, 351M, 39.5 TSL's / 85 Toyota regular cab, 22R 5spd, 3/4" drop, my little junkyard save/daily driver

BM's 88 Cougar build

Reply #179
What about the AODE. I havent heard good or bad. I'd like to keep OD but I cant stand the TV cable. How much are the 4R70 controllers?
88 Cougar LS 5.0 .030 over, ported E7s with GT40 valves & trickflow springs, Proform roller rockers, HO cam, removed air silencer, K&N filter, smog pump delete, 2.25" dual flowmasters, Pacestter H-pipe & headers, HO computer, 65mm TB, Explorer intake, 19# injecters, 3.45s, rebuilt posi, and TCI shift kit.