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Topic: Should I? (Read 2214 times) previous topic - next topic

Should I?

I have a chance at getting this '84 Thunderbird.

http://nashville.craigslist.org/cto/1900788206.html

I have been talking/texting this guy back and forth about doing an even swap - my '94 bird for his '84 bird. As far as he has told me, the body is straight, no rust, the 3.8 runs good, tranny shifts good. Interior is a little bit of a project.

My main concern is the 3.8L. I know they have a problem with the headgaskets blowing. And, going from a 4.6 to a carbed 3.8........I dunno.... I could always swap in a 302, but I've never swapped a motor before. Of course, I haven't gone and looked at it yet, I will be doing so tomorrow.  The guy is definitly interested, and after showing him a few pics, he basically said if my car runs, then he is willing to work out a deal. I really want to get into another fox, and really just wondering what you guys think.

Here are a few interiot pics of the '84

X

X
FOXLESS!!

1994 Lincoln Mark VIII

Should I?

Reply #1 –
Personally,I'd wait to find a 5.0 car if that's what you want.Don't get in a hurry,otherwise,you'll end up trading for a  pile.Deals are out there.
'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..

Should I?

Reply #2 –
I would have to agree with Vin.
Old Grey Cat to this.88 Cat, 5.0 HO, CW mounts, mass air, CI custom cam, afr165's, Tmoss worked cobra intake, BBK shorty's,off road h pipe, magnaflow ex. T-5,spec stage 2 clutch, 8.8 373 TC trac loc, che ajustables with bullits on the rear. 11" brakes up front. +

Should I?

Reply #3 –
Quote from: vinnietbird;332178
Personally,I'd wait to find a 5.0 car if that's what you want.Don't get in a hurry,otherwise,you'll end up trading for a  pile.Deals are out there.


I hear ya on that one. Very true, I am wanting a 5.0 car, I guess it's just the "wanting that  fox body again". It's a sickness..... This one just looks pretty decent rust-wise. (Since I had my last 20th anny, I've had nitemares about rust issues...LOL) I just really want another fox, I mean I love my tbird, and I love the 4.6, but theres just something about a fox thundercat...... And the MN-12 is getting kinda stale to me
FOXLESS!!

1994 Lincoln Mark VIII

Should I?

Reply #5 –
Hey Joe , Keep looking friend time is always on your side. :poke:


D & P ;)

Should I?

Reply #6 –
@hypostang - Thanks for the link..... I will be contacting that one.

Dan, now, you know how impatient I can get... LOL

It's looking like I may pass this one up, It is what I want and it isn't - it's a bird, but not a V8 bird. I still may go check it out, maybe I can convince the guy to keep it for himself and join the forums, hopefully saving another fox from being beat to hell by someone who dosen't appreciate it.
FOXLESS!!

1994 Lincoln Mark VIII

Should I?

Reply #7 –
Quote from: 20thanniver-ls;332200
@hypostang - Thanks for the link..... I will be contacting that one.



My pleasure ............. just FYI he wont take $200
 I already offered him that :hick:
Fox-less at the moment

Should I?

Reply #8 –
Quote from: hypostang;332202
My pleasure ............. just FYI he wont take $200
 I already offered him that :hick:


Ahh, thanks for the heads up lol Maybe 300, then again, these cars do have the same motor as a fox stang (I've heard that sooo many times, and it's pointless trying to prove otherwise) so people think their gold. It's always worth a shot though
FOXLESS!!

1994 Lincoln Mark VIII

Should I?

Reply #9 –
If the body is nice enough, no rust, or else very little.....why NOT get it..swapping an engine isn't all that bad. hellfire, grab a harness from an '88, a DA1, an HO from a mark 7 or stang....220 ponies..for a few hours' work.

But that's spending money I don't have...hopefully your wallet is thicker than mine lol
'98 Explorer 5.0
'20 Malibu (I know, Chevy, but, 35MPG. Let's go brandon, eh)

Should I?

Reply #10 –
its not a carb car.

not sure why you thought it was. Only if you are lucky it ends up being a carb'd 3.8.,, carb engines are a default extra 20 horses.  Not saying the 3.8 carb is that lucky but id bet the carb'd 3.8 is more powerfull than the cfi.

those small runners are the problem in the intake.

HG are a myth in my opinion based soley around aluminum heads.  wow those are really scares now adays as well eh?

nice looking car from what i can see though.

Should I?

Reply #11 –
Speaking as one who blew the head gasket in a '91 3.8 Bird (in a quite spectacular fashion, I might add), I can assure you they're no myth. It's not an iron vs aluminum thing, it's just poor design - the 3.8 heads have a weak area in which there's a very narrow section of gasket between the combustion chamber and a water passage. Updated gaskets that are stronger in this area have pretty much solved the problem...
2015 Mustang GT Premium - 5.0, 6-speed, Guard Green - too much awesome for one car

1988 5.0 Thunderbird :birdsmily: SOLD SEPT 11 2010: TC front clip/hood ♣ Body & paint completed Oct 2007 ♣ 3.55 TC rear end and front brakes ♣ TC interior ♣ CHE rear control arms (adjustable lowers) ♣ 2001 Bullitt springs ♣ Energy suspension poly busings ♣ Kenne Brown subframe connectors ♣ CWE engine mounts ♣ Thundercat sequential turn signals ♣ Explorer overhead console (temp/compass display) ♣ 2.25" off-road dual exhaust ♣ T-5 transmission swap completed Jan 2009 ♣
 

Should I?

Reply #12 –
Quote from: jcassity;332244
its not a carb car.

not sure why you thought it was. Only if you are lucky it ends up being a carb'd 3.8.,, carb engines are a default extra 20 horses.  Not saying the 3.8 carb is that lucky but id bet the carb'd 3.8 is more powerfull than the cfi.

those small runners are the problem in the intake.

HG are a myth in my opinion based soley around aluminum heads.  wow those are really scares now adays as well eh?

nice looking car from what i can see though.


Well, I say that from experience ;)

My old '84 cougar's head gaskets blew while I was driving from Tampa, Fl to where I live now. Warped the heads and all (it overheated on the interstate - thats how I knew). That and a lot of the other people who have owned 3.8 cars have had HG's blow pn them around 100k miles or so.

On another note, I did go check the car out today, and it was as the man said, the body was straight, no rust even in the most problematic spots. The interior was a little screwed up, a little more than he led on. Of course, the headlight switch burned up, so he replaced it with a toggle, the door panels were , center console was , etc,etc. I think I made a smart choice not trading. Thanks for the input guys.
FOXLESS!!

1994 Lincoln Mark VIII

Should I?

Reply #13 –
Quote from: hypostang;332195
Look at this .....
http://knoxville.craigslist.org/pts/1901780755.html


Why would it have needed just the hood replaced?

Fire?
13 Dodge Dart SXT Special Edition
09 Honda Shadow Sabre ---------- 08 Caliber
05 Aztek ---------- 02 Avalanche
02 Thunderbird (4,000 miles) ---------- 02 Cadillac ETC
98 Explorer ---------- 96 Suzuki X-90
89 Fleetwood ---------- 89 Continental
88 Town Car ---------- 86 Silverado ---------- 84 Fiero
83 Town Car ---------- 82 EXP (32,000 miles) ---------- 82 Mercury LN7
80 Mustang (35,000 miles) ---------- 65 Continental
62 Galaxie 500 ---------- 54 Packard

Should I?

Reply #14 –
im probably just lucky with cars in general.  both my 3.8's had over 300k miles with no blows.