trying to get back in the bird game

Topic: trying to get back in the bird game (Read 2032 times) previous topic - next topic

trying to get back in the bird game

October 18, 2009, 11:01:07 PM

hey everybody, its been forever since i've been on these forums. about a year to be exact. i used to have an 88 thunderbird lx when i first got my license over a year ago, but when winter came around i realized how bad the car really was, and well, so did my parents. it was completely rotted out and had so many things wrong with it. well they made me get a more reliable car. i was still very immature and i ended up getting a 1997 Eagle Talon esi, basically the same as the mitsubishi eclipse, because hey what sixteen year old doesnt wanna be like the guy from the fast and the furious. god that was a stupid move and now i'm kicking myself for that one. i mean its a fun car and its reliable and everything, but it just doesnt match up to the old thunderbird lol. so now i'm looking to trade the talon off on maybe a decent shape turbo coupe, but the problem is talking my mom into it. she thinks that a rear wheel drive car is the worst thing ever and thats part of the reason why she made me get rid of the old lx. anyways, does anybody on here have any clue where i'd find a halfway decent 87-88 tc that would be willing to trade? oh, i'm sorry if this is in the wrong area of the forums, but i wasnt sure where to put it :/

trying to get back in the bird game

Reply #1 – October 18, 2009, 11:11:16 PM

nice car..its better if you post a pic bigger than that..

trying to get back in the bird game

Reply #2 – October 18, 2009, 11:25:53 PM

Actually that picture in my signature was my old lx I had last year. I no longer have that car and I can't find very many pictures either

trying to get back in the bird game

Reply #3 – October 18, 2009, 11:51:34 PM

There's nothing wrong with a rear wheel drive car.I've been driving these T-Birds since November of '87.They have been great cars,sturdy,and you can do nearly anything to them easily.Nearly anything for a Fox Stang will work on ours,and they ride great.Get one and keep your current ride.One to drive,one to work on.All car guys need that.

trying to get back in the bird game

Reply #4 – October 19, 2009, 02:17:42 AM

So whats the problem with a rear wheel drive car? Snow? I've had many more close calls in front wheel drives in the last year that I've been driving them then I have with all of my rear wheel drive cars put together. If your not stupid and know how to drive, its no big deal. All you have to do is slow down when you stop and when the weather is bad.

Also, with snow tires, or studs, these cars are alot better then my wifes neon could ever be. And my neon was basically the same setup without a turbo as your Mitsubishi.

trying to get back in the bird game

Reply #5 – October 19, 2009, 10:18:52 AM

my mother thinks that a rear wheel drive car is the worst thing ever to put a teenager in in the snow. but to be honest. i drove both the tbird and the talon in the snow last year and i was more confident in the tbird. and as for having two cars. i cant afford both right now til probably after i graduate in june, but shortly after i will be going off to college at university of northwestern ohio, for automotive technology/ high performance motorsports and business administration, and there they encourage you to work on your own vehicles. so its possible that i may start looking for a clean, not running car for a decent price that i could work on in college and use all the resources that will be open to me

trying to get back in the bird game

Reply #6 – October 19, 2009, 11:52:56 AM

we had 5 inches of snow and ice on the road last year and i was running 60 in the t-bird while watching people in FWD's slip and slide all over the road....driving experience? maybe, but it's not hard to drive in a straight line....

trying to get back in the bird game

Reply #7 – October 19, 2009, 08:52:28 PM

Tires make the biggest difference for this, more than fwd or rwd. I find rear wheel to be more predictable with traction. Give it gas, the rear will spin and slide with no traction. Let off the gas and straighten the car with the steering wheel, then give it gas again. Make sure your brake proportioning is working properly or you don't have rear brake pads/shoes that will grab quicker and you have more control. Slow down with lower numerical gears instead of braking and the tires won't lock up. Move any weight to the trunk and you have great wheel traction. Front wheel is just easier to drive for the lazy (imo). FWD/compact cars do generally have narrower tires though, which helps place more weight into a smaller area for better traction.

The biggest problem I have is getting going from a stop on top of packed ice or snow. Fluff is easy, especially around here when everyone is afraid to drive in snow even when it isn't sticking/freezing the ground yet. Big open roads make for fun times as long as I can get moving from a stop. Just idle into speed and coast down into park with gearing, all is swell.

trying to get back in the bird game

Reply #8 – October 19, 2009, 09:56:17 PM

I drove my T-bird through several winters. The main problem is getting her moving in slick conditions. Once you are going I feel that RWD is waaay safer and easier to control than FWD. FWD tends to slide and then its harder control because you are trying to steer and put the power down with the same wheels.

RWD is better in most situations if you ask me. If its that slick...you don't need to be out on the road anyway.

trying to get back in the bird game

Reply #9 – October 19, 2009, 11:05:10 PM

Hey buddy...

dont remember ya bein on here before for whatever reason....but for what it's worth, sounds like your mom and mine have a lot in common. My cougar is obnoxiously loud, yes, but she yells at me all the time for things she *thinks* will happen but have yet to manifest, such as neighbors complaining/police being called. Things like this. "No more spending money on performance!!!!" as well.

Just sayin don't feel like you're alone.

It's a royal pain in the ass, it's too bad she isn't more supportive of something you feel strongly about. I'm glad that my mom at least *recognizes* outwardly an understanding of why I am the way I am and insist on the vehicles I own.

Personally Im in my last year of college, working toward an engineering degree is ALSO a pain in the ass and has been really discouraging sometimes. Now my eye is on the prize and I can't wait to make enough money to get my cars somewhere where mom won't be bothered :D

Keep your eye on that prize too man, focus and work hard then youll be able to drive what YOU want and mom won't be able to have a word in it. They just don't understand, they never will, and the only solution is to eventually get the hell away so it's not their choice!!!

trying to get back in the bird game

Reply #10 – October 19, 2009, 11:10:58 PM

You can still work on the suspension and brakes...it's a better idea to do them before power increases anyways. On the street the stock brakes with the store tire widths are good enough (only need enough to lock them up, beyond that it's all tire) but suspension is also a big part. Also a driveshaft loop is safety insurance, relatively cheap, easy to install, and keeps you working on the vehicle. I find upgrading the rest of the car, other than engine, is much more rewarding. Keep it safe before pushing the chassis' limits.