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Topic: to keep aero front, or go 4 eye? (Read 4319 times) previous topic - next topic

to keep aero front, or go 4 eye?

I know where an '86 Tbird is, it's for sale...cheap...real cheap.

Now, I don't know exactly what shape the header panel and grille are in, but I'm thinking of taking a closer look this weekend.

I'm a little bored with the aero front, not to mention the piss-poor lighting from 24 year old lenses that quite frankly, I'm sick of polishing. (done it twice when they were on the white car).

The bird has right now, a generic TC header and stock TC lights, etc, and the original LX/Base style bumper.

What would y'all, if you were me?
'98 Explorer 5.0
'20 Malibu (I know, Chevy, but, 35MPG. Let's go brandon, eh)

to keep aero front, or go 4 eye?

Reply #1
4 eyed all the way! i'm still missing pieces, but it still looks better than the ugly 87 clip it had

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

to keep aero front, or go 4 eye?

Reply #2
I'd say stay aero.  Mainly because I don't think the 4 eyes flow with the rest of the car.
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo - '85 Marquis LTS - '86 LTD Wagon

to keep aero front, or go 4 eye?

Reply #3
Personally, if you want a four eyed car, buy a four eyed car. If you want aero, buy an aero nose car. It just doesnt look right when the parts get mixed and matched.
88 TC 5speed, 168000+ miles, stock 2.3T long block, ported RFE6 exhaust, Evergreen T3 running 15#'s.
Up next: FMIC, fresh air intake, ported intakes, ported big valve head.

to keep aero front, or go 4 eye?

Reply #4
Quote from: Chuck W;377422
I'd say stay aero.  Mainly because I don't think the 4 eyes flow with the rest of the car.

Quote from: jangus;377424
Personally, if you want a four eyed car, buy a four eyed car. If you want aero, buy an aero nose car. It just doesnt look right when the parts get mixed and matched.

i beg to differ with both of you.. fordguy545's auto-x bird is down right gorgeous.. the mixing and matching gives it a mean, unique look that i believe looks better than what ford put together in either version of the fox bird
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

to keep aero front, or go 4 eye?

Reply #5
I'd go 4 eye!
83 Thunderbird Heritage - Right Hand Drive
95 Falcon GLi

to keep aero front, or go 4 eye?

Reply #6
4 eyes for the win.
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

to keep aero front, or go 4 eye?

Reply #7
Well, I'd rock the '86...but...it's a six banger car, has bad rust in the rear quarters, and junk interior.

I dunno, we'll see....at the very least, it's little more than a "what if" thing for now, but seeing what the general consensus is/was... :)
'98 Explorer 5.0
'20 Malibu (I know, Chevy, but, 35MPG. Let's go brandon, eh)

to keep aero front, or go 4 eye?

Reply #8
Heh, everyone is ditching the aero nose lately.
Correct me if wrong, But;
Molding on the 4eye bumper is lower than 87-88 body molding, So you cant really use the side moldings (They wont match up front-to-back).
~Project ThunderStorm = '84 Charcoal Thunderbird - First Car - Long Time Work in Progress~
~Project (No Name Yet) = 1970 Plymouth GTX/RR "Clone"~

to keep aero front, or go 4 eye?

Reply #9
It really depends, but out of all of the cars on here, how many people do body work and keep the side mouldings? I doubt anyone would notice the 1nch differance from front to back without the lines drawn down the sides. No one noticed on the stock setup either.
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

 

to keep aero front, or go 4 eye?

Reply #10
Quote from: Haystack;377445
It really depends, but out of all of the cars on here, how many people do body work and keep the side mouldings? I doubt anyone would notice the 1nch differance from front to back without the lines drawn down the sides. No one noticed on the stock setup either.

there's also a lower-fender difference, which translates to the 4 eyed bumper.. solution = either 83-86 fenders or mold the bottom half (of the front) of the 4 eyed fender to the 87-88 fender.. since BJL supplied me with the lower fender pieces, i'll be blending them in, without the silly fender marker lights.. i'll make the corner lights flash when the blinker is on. so people approaching the car from the side can see that i'm turning

as for the body moldings, i haven't figured out how i'm going to conquer that yet.. i'm 1 of the few people who will be able to look at it and see the difference
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

to keep aero front, or go 4 eye?

Reply #11
The front of that car is quite a bit higher then the back of the car, as far as the mouldings go, stock.

The wider 83-86 xr7 and tc mouldings are the same size as the 87-88 lx birds. You could just line them up an inch higher or lower and call it a day.
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

to keep aero front, or go 4 eye?

Reply #12
....what do you think?
84 COUGAR/90 HO, 1.7RRs, performer RPM,700DP, equal length shorties, stainless EXH ,T-5,Hurst pro-billet, KC clutch, 8.8/ 4.10s, line-lok, bla ,bla, bla.
71 COMET/289,351w heads, 12.5 TRWs, 750DP, Liberty TL, 9"/6.00s, 11.9x @112 , bla,bla,bla.

Never shoot your mouth off, unless your brain is loaded! ....I may get older, but I'll never grow up!....If you're not laughing, you're not living!  :laughing:

to keep aero front, or go 4 eye?

Reply #13
Quote from: jangus;377424
Personally, if you want a four eyed car, buy a four eyed car. If you want aero, buy an aero nose car. It just doesn't look right when the parts get mixed and matched.

+1
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.

to keep aero front, or go 4 eye?

Reply #14
to each their own I guess.  I personally don't like the tail end of a 83-86 but like the 87-88 rear.  The four eye grew on me enough to swap it out originally, but the tail didn't.  The added byproduct of the 4 eye swap is better cooling!  Most people overlook the fact that I have a mismatched header/bumper to the car.  That body line that isnt on the 87/88 is only about an 1/8" deep anyway and with no side mouldings and painted black, you just don't notice.

88 t-bird tc - 14.97 @ 90  IHI 18 psi + k+n filter...so far - NOW HX-35 @25psi - 12.75@112    348rwhp/395rwtq
78 F-150 - 11.61@120 on 175shot N20 - 12.55@110 on motor - 5200# race weight:hick: