Watchdevil's New Restomod Thread *Update 12-2-10* Reply #15 – November 26, 2010, 02:35:56 PM I must have been in the process of posting and editing when all that came up. It's done now. Quote Selected
Watchdevil's New Restomod Thread *Update 12-2-10* Reply #16 – November 26, 2010, 02:43:12 PM how hard was the dash swap ? Quote Selected
Watchdevil's New Restomod Thread *Update 12-2-10* Reply #17 – November 26, 2010, 03:10:53 PM Not really bad at all. I salvaged the use of the original Tbird metal dash frame. Since it falls away at the bottom like the Mustang one does it conformed nicely when the Mustang dash shell was laid over it. I removed the Mustang dash shell from it's frame and installed it over the Tbird one. I had to trim away about three inches from the foward edge of the Mustang dash shell where it butts up against the windshield while also yielding enough space for the windshield defroster to work. There was some minor fabrication work to the dash vent system, HVAC controls and some support brackets but it all turned out well. Quote Selected
Watchdevil's New Restomod Thread *Update 12-2-10* Reply #18 – November 26, 2010, 04:38:15 PM Still love your work,and can't wait to see it all finished......but what happened to the other thread you had. One day all was well,the next,we were lost. Quote Selected
Watchdevil's New Restomod Thread *Update 12-2-10* Reply #19 – November 26, 2010, 05:35:15 PM Wow, that looks good. Definitely puts the mod in resto-mod. Did the original grill have the blue Ford logo on it? Quote Selected
Watchdevil's New Restomod Thread *Update 12-2-10* Reply #20 – November 26, 2010, 08:35:41 PM What did you do with your old halo lights from the 86 nose, hehe, wanna sell 'em? Quote Selected
Watchdevil's New Restomod Thread *Update 12-2-10* Reply #21 – November 26, 2010, 11:21:00 PM Quote from: vinnietbird;343231Still love your work,and can't wait to see it all finished......but what happened to the other thread you had. One day all was well,the next,we were lost. I was ill for a couple of weeks and I probably should have left the thread alone. I got it in my head that I wanted to condense the thread a great deal and get rid of so much of the trial and error. I kind of like this thread in it's condensed form now. It will continue on with the mechanical restoration going forward. Right now I am trying to get the engine to run without stalling after warm-up. A few posts up I discussed the EEC fault codes I pulled. New TPS and new thermostat installed. I pulled the distributor to replace the pick-up coil and whaddaya know... A broken tooth on the gear. Then of course in haste my dumb ass forgot to mark the distributor position before I pulled it and I am hoping that my memory is correct with the rotor pointing at about 10 o'clock. I am going to go ahead and order a reman distributor from work.I know the TPS was bad. I could wiggle the wiring going into it and it would stall. It was the original one, so I am sure it was worn out. I was also able to realign my hood so that it is nicely flush all the way around. Quote Selected
Watchdevil's New Restomod Thread *Update 12-2-10* Reply #22 – November 26, 2010, 11:22:12 PM Quote from: CoogarXR;343263What did you do with your old halo lights from the 86 nose, hehe, wanna sell 'em? They were sold several months ago. They are made my Pilot and I believe you can still find them on eBay. They actually cost less than buying the standard halogen sealed beams from an auto parts store. Quote Selected
Watchdevil's New Restomod Thread *Update 12-2-10* Reply #23 – November 26, 2010, 11:24:11 PM Quote from: dragon574444;343236Wow, that looks good. Definitely puts the mod in resto-mod. Did the original grill have the blue Ford logo on it?No, it originally had the bird emblem. Thunderbirds were never produced with a blue oval emblem anywhere on the front. Quote Selected
Watchdevil's New Restomod Thread *Update 12-2-10* Reply #24 – November 27, 2010, 09:01:11 PM Good new today, I got my reman distributor. My memory served me well as I was correct with the position I thought I remembered the rotor to be in before I removed the old distributor. A couple of twists to get the distributor to fire just right and the engine started up and ran smoothly. The engine was running great. Then suddenly the coolant temp warmed up and I got a nice surprise. The ed water outlet for the thermostat did not seal properly and now I have to go back and redo it. It's a tricky spot where the by pass hose is so close to the outer edge of the thermostat housing. It is a real pain in the butt to remove the lower bolt of the thermostat housing and there is not much room to work since it sits slightly lower than the top back of the water pump. I cannot wait to get that fixed in daylight so I can run the engine again and see if my stalling problems have cleared up. So far I certainly do notice with the new TPS it runs a lot smoother and is more responsive with throttle. Quote Selected
Watchdevil's New Restomod Thread *Update 12-2-10* Reply #25 – November 27, 2010, 09:28:22 PM Good too see it's coming along. You definitely have one of the more unique birds around. Quote Selected
Watchdevil's New Restomod Thread *Update 12-2-10* Reply #26 – November 27, 2010, 09:41:28 PM Quote from: 20thanniver-ls;343441Good too see it's coming along. You definitely have one of the more unique birds around. It's coming along at a snails pace but I feel better doing just one thing that feels like a mechanical accomplishment. I so want my Bird to run well and be a good driver. I really do not want to sweat any more cosmetic stuff until it runs smoothly and reliably on it's own. BTW, I like your Mark VII as well. Those are still very distinct cars that are still interesting looking today. You just cannot beat the interchangeability of Fox platform cars to keep our rides going. Quote Selected
Watchdevil's New Restomod Thread *Update 12-2-10* Reply #27 – November 27, 2010, 09:53:59 PM Quote from: Watchdevil;343445It's coming along at a snails pace but I feel better doing just one thing that feels like a mechanical accomplishment. I so want my Bird to run well and be a good driver. I really do not want to sweat any more cosmetic stuff until it runs smoothly and reliably on it's own. BTW, I like your Mark VII as well. Those are still very distinct cars that are still interesting looking today. You just cannot beat the interchangeability of Fox platform cars to keep our rides going.Thanks. Mine is kind of a "work in progress" as well, but being a DD right now makes it hard to work on. I just need it to get me through 'till the end of February, then I can park it and start the real work. I still haven't got ballsy enough to try out that SC steering wheel... LOL I hear ya on the interchangeability, makes it a lot easier scavenging for parts. I may have missed this in your other thread, but are you keeping the TRX wheels? I saw some that were chromed and looked really good. Quote Selected
Watchdevil's New Restomod Thread *Update 12-2-10* Reply #28 – November 27, 2010, 10:18:02 PM Quote from: 20thanniver-ls;343449Thanks. Mine is kind of a "work in progress" as well, but being a DD right now makes it hard to work on. I just need it to get me through 'till the end of February, then I can park it and start the real work. I still haven't got ballsy enough to try out that SC steering wheel... LOL I hear ya on the interchangeability, makes it a lot easier scavenging for parts. I may have missed this in your other thread, but are you keeping the TRX wheels? I saw some that were chromed and looked really good.Unfortunately those TRX wheels have to go. If tires to fit can be found they are too expensive. One of the original rims was bent and would not hold air in the tire. Right now I have a standard steel wheel on the left front with a 80-82 Tbird wheel cover on it. Matter of fact I have four more wheel covers in good condition but since I got them I want to use aluminum wheels with conventional sized tires, either a nice set of turbines or the style Vinnie is using. I'll cross that bridge one day when it's time to replace the tires for inspection. About the SC wheel, it's lot easier to install an alternate pre-airbag Fox platform steering wheel. It's just that styles are more limited. The drawback to the SC wheel is how much closer the wheel is to your chest and the awkward reach from the wheel to the turn signal lever which is something I never got used to... Not even when I installed a four spoke Tempo wheel on my former 85 Tbird. Don't forget if you decide to use the SC wheel, then flat spots have to be filed at 10 and 5 o'clock positions on the steering shaft for it to slip on. You have to be careful not to file too close to the original flat spots on the steering shaft, otherwise the wheel might slip in hard turns or steering rebound and strip the shaft. Quote Selected
Watchdevil's New Restomod Thread *Update 12-2-10* Reply #29 – November 28, 2010, 08:35:00 AM Love your build. That dash looks really nice with the chrome accents and all. I can't wait to see the door panels finished. Quote Selected
Topic: Watchdevil's New Restomod Thread *Update 12-2-10* (Read 8225 times)
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