Restoring a 1984 thunderbird fila

Topic: Restoring a 1984 thunderbird fila (Read 4624 times) previous topic - next topic

Restoring a 1984 thunderbird fila

September 21, 2011, 11:09:08 PM

Im soon beginning a restoration of my rare fila bird. I'am just a painter at a light damage body shop and i have a buddy that does all the prep work. The car is not too badly rotted most of it can be saved but just in case does anyone know where i could find new parts online such as a fendor? I seen people on this forum look like they know what they are doing.

Restoring a 1984 thunderbird fila

Reply #1 – September 22, 2011, 08:01:09 AM

Start hitting up salvage yards and the classifieds here. Also Ebay. parts are getting harder and harder to find for these cars. makes a resto interesting. I always did like a challenge though.. It's funny, I was JUST looking through a small box I toss old coins in when I find them, and found two or three NOS Fila emblems. At this point I can't even remember where they came from.

Restoring a 1984 thunderbird fila

Reply #2 – September 22, 2011, 11:06:30 AM

When I put my 86 XR7 together I needed a fender also, I dont think you will have much luck finding a new one. I ended up getting a very good used one from a place in Arizona. If I can find his contact info I will forward it on to you(it was a couple years ago now). It wasnt exactly cheap with shipping but considering my choices around here in the North East, a rust free fender was worth it to me. Post some pics when you get a chance and good luck with it, you are correct there is a ton of knowledgable people on this site.

Restoring a 1984 thunderbird fila

Reply #3 – September 22, 2011, 10:31:39 PM

Well I see you're in Chicago like me. That means that the salvage yards are pretty free of any Fox-body T-birds or Cougars. If any do make it to the yard at this point they are usually rusted to hell. You'll probably have to order a rust free fender form out of state.

My car isn't even from Chicago. It's from Santa Monica, California.

Restoring a 1984 thunderbird fila

Reply #4 – September 22, 2011, 10:45:02 PM

Yea i was getting quite worried when my buddy told me that we might need to get a fender. When i started doing research, i got even more worried when i was struggling to find parts. My insurance company was kidding when they said, "dont smash it parts are hard to find." i got a good laugh now im not laughing..lol. Haha Thats pretty funny vinnie.

Restoring a 1984 thunderbird fila

Reply #5 – September 22, 2011, 10:47:47 PM

That would be also Dansbird if you could give me that information i dont mind paying the extra buck as well if i get like you said a rust free fender. Thank you, ill be posted pictures of it soon. Im glad i joined this forum. I used to have a 30th anniversary cougar pearl white 4.6 until someone stole it another rare vehicle.

Restoring a 1984 thunderbird fila

Reply #6 – September 22, 2011, 10:50:15 PM

Nice car thunderjet. Yea, chicago is nothing but rusted vehicles. I got lucky i bought my tbird from a car collector way north in rockford a few years ago. He was losing his house and started selling everything off. He had a bunch of old tbirds in his barn i grabbed this car fast!

Restoring a 1984 thunderbird fila

Reply #7 – September 22, 2011, 10:59:20 PM

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Restoring a 1984 thunderbird fila

Reply #8 – September 22, 2011, 11:05:00 PM

Quote from: kevfila;368168

I used to have a 30th anniversary cougar pearl white 4.6 until someone stole it another rare vehicle.

hahah i used to have 1 of those.. owned it for about a week.. car rode nice but i hated the stupid mod motor. now it belongs to a guy that treats it like an 81 honda.. yeah, she's not too pretty anymore..

Restoring a 1984 thunderbird fila

Reply #9 – September 22, 2011, 11:17:30 PM

Quote from: Shadow;368173

hahah i used to have 1 of those.. owned it for about a week.. car rode nice but i hated the stupid mod motor. now it belongs to a guy that treats it like an 81 honda.. yeah, she's not too pretty anymore..

hahaha wow thats a shame. Too bad

Restoring a 1984 thunderbird fila

Reply #10 – September 22, 2011, 11:20:21 PM

if it was a 5.0 or a true XR7 with an SC motor, i would have kept it.. but OHC just makes me sick.. clean fila though, definitely a solid beginning for a resto

Restoring a 1984 thunderbird fila

Reply #11 – September 23, 2011, 07:47:25 AM

It's probably picked clean now, but the u-pull-it Indianapolis & Sumner in Hammond had an 83-84 foxbird last week. It didn't appear to be damaged. I haven't been able to get back there yet.

Restoring a 1984 thunderbird fila

Reply #12 – September 23, 2011, 11:30:55 PM

Quote from: Shadow;368176

if it was a 5.0 or a true XR7 with an SC motor, i would have kept it.. but OHC just makes me sick.. clean fila though, definitely a solid beginning for a resto

Sc motor? I mean the 4.6 was a strong small get up motor lol. Thanks man its got a little spots here and there of rust and the lower panels are starting to rot where the mud flaps are at because the guy drilled the flaps right into the body... yea really dumb. He did a great job in ordering the car the had the car under coated and the seams sealed. The doors seams are 100 percent rust free. He actually showed me the paper with all the added features when he bought it from Ford. Under the hood is another story, the motor needs to be pulled and everything needs to be sand blasted in there.

Restoring a 1984 thunderbird fila

Reply #13 – September 23, 2011, 11:31:59 PM

Quote from: 1BadBird;368196

It's probably picked clean now, but the u-pull-it Indianapolis & Sumner in Hammond had an 83-84 foxbird last week. It didn't appear to be damaged. I haven't been able to get back there yet.

OH REALLY? thanks man ill get over there asap! But you are probably right its probably stripped...

Restoring a 1984 thunderbird fila

Reply #14 – September 24, 2011, 12:02:21 AM

Quote from: kevfila;368290

Sc motor? I mean the 4.6 was a strong small get up motor lol. Thanks man its got a little spots here and there of rust and the lower panels are starting to rot where the mud flaps are at because the guy drilled the flaps right into the body... yea really dumb. He did a great job in ordering the car the had the car under coated and the seams sealed. The doors seams are 100 percent rust free. He actually showed me the paper with all the added features when he bought it from Ford. Under the hood is another story, the motor needs to be pulled and everything needs to be sand blasted in there.

yeah, SC motor lol.. in 89 and 90, the XR7 cougars were mercury's version of the super coupe.. i'll never understand why they discontinued it for 91, stupid move in my book

as for the fila, some people just do stupid things like that (what he did with the mudflaps).. at least (i hope) you don't have major wiring gremlins like i had with my first bird.. the guy had a wire running through the interior, under the back seat and through the trunk floor, to the gas tank for a switch to turn the fuel pump off.. lol i wish you the best of luck with her!