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Topic: Looking for a Change...need advice.... (Read 3481 times) previous topic - next topic

Looking for a Change...need advice....

Hi everyone,

This is the first time I've posted here, but since I've been lurking around for such a long time, this all looks the same to me. Anyway, here is my story:

I currently own an 87 Thunderbird LX (6-cyl version). It's been a good car to me, but recently I've been looking for a change...a change for more power. I came across listings on Ebay for Thunder Turbo Coupes. I thought they looked pretty sleak compared to my old bird, and decided to look into them a bit more. I read up that the 4cyl Turbo Charged engine actually had more horsepower than mine! It was also during this period I learned my Engine was only putting out 120 horses, which was a bit surprising. Compared to the Turbo Coupe which not only looks better than my car, but also has approx. 25 more horsepower as well. (I got my stats from a Chilton Carcare Book, so correct me if my Horsepower stats are wrong.)

Anyway, It seemed as if my mind had been made up. I would sell my LX to get a Turbo Coupe. More Horsepower, a better look, and to boot, better Fuel economy! However, I then learned about the 5.0 Liter 302 V-8 Option for the Thunderbird. Apparently that engine was the same used for the Mustangs at the time. Looking up the specs for that version of the car, I found that it had all the Options a Turbo-Coupe had, and even MORE horsepower.

Basically, I want to know what your opinions are on choosing between a Turbo Coupe and a V8? I like the idea of the most possible Power, and from what I have read, the V8 seems to have it. However, I prefer the look of the Turbo Much much more than the Other two styles of the T-birds, and I have heard in some circles that the Turbo Coupe seems more powerful than the V8 does. If you guys can help me choose between the two cars, I would be greatful. What are the major differences between the two cars, and why should I choose one over the other?

Thanks
DMC24guy
<---One must always remember to Remain cool, calm and collected when dealing with your fellow man, especially on the Internet....
-DMC24guy
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Re: Looking for a Change...need advice....

Reply #1
Tons of info here: clickie

hmm, to start with the tbirds V8 was not the same as the mustangs. the stang came with the 5.0 HO wheras the tbirds came with the passenger car version of the V8 commonly referred to as the 5.0 SO around here. the HO, having better heads, cam, intake, TB and exaust was rated at 225 hp. the SO was rated at 150 and 155 for the 88.

the turbo coupe had the exterior styling( solid header pannel instead of grille, turbo hood, different lower bumper cover etc..). it also had 190 hp if it was a standard shift car. if it was an automatic it was rated at somewhere around 155 hp. they got about the same gas mileage as the V8.

IMHO, if your going to leave the car stock, id go with the standard shift turbo coupe. they are alot of fun, get decent mileage and handle well too.

otherwise, id try to find a "sport" or a lx/base with a V8 and drop in a HO. its very common, relitivaly easy to do and there is a ton of support here..welcome aboard btw....
:america: 1988 Thunderbird Sport, Former 4.6 DOHC T56 conversion project.

Rest of the country, Welcome to Massachusettes. Enjoy your stay.

 
Halfbreed... Mango Orange Y2K Mustang GT
FRPP complete 2000 Cobra engine swap, T56 n' junk...
~John~

Re: Looking for a Change...need advice....

Reply #2
Ok then, I have another few questions. How would the 3.8L V6 I have now compare to the Automatic Version of the Turbo Coupe in terms of power? Also, since the Turbo is a 4 cyl car, how much of an effect does running the Air Conditioning have on the performance?
<---One must always remember to Remain cool, calm and collected when dealing with your fellow man, especially on the Internet....
-DMC24guy
[/SIZE]

Re: Looking for a Change...need advice....

Reply #3
well, i had an lx with the 3.8. i hated it. i never owned an auto turbo coupe personally but i did drive a few. parted one out myself. i think they would pretty much spank the 3.8. generally speaking the turbo coupe handled better and had a much better interior in my opinion anyway. i always preferred having the center console and a floor shift. the turbo and sport seats are alot more comfortable to boot. as far as running the ac, i know the 3.8 realy suffered. im sure theres some lag with the turbo coupe but i doubt its all that bad. again...only speculation ;)
:america: 1988 Thunderbird Sport, Former 4.6 DOHC T56 conversion project.

Rest of the country, Welcome to Massachusettes. Enjoy your stay.

 
Halfbreed... Mango Orange Y2K Mustang GT
FRPP complete 2000 Cobra engine swap, T56 n' junk...
~John~

Re: Looking for a Change...need advice....

Reply #4
Ok, another probing question....

How does the power of the 5.0L V8 compare to that of the 5speed Turbo Coupe? My main point for starting this thread was to determine whether I should get a Turbo Coupe or V8. I'm trying to get opinions on why one is better over the other.

(I like the idea of having the Automatic Turbo Coupe, but everyone seems to badmouth it. If I knew it had a significant improvement of Horsepower compared to my V6, I would jump all over it)
<---One must always remember to Remain cool, calm and collected when dealing with your fellow man, especially on the Internet....
-DMC24guy
[/SIZE]

Re: Looking for a Change...need advice....

Reply #5
Quote
How does the power of the 5.0L V8 compare to that of the 5speed Turbo Coupe?
there is none. the STOCK SO V8 is fine as a daily driver but in terms of performance is somewhat a joke. a 5 speed surbo coupe stock is twice the car a stock v8 tbird is. going from the 3.8 you currently have to a v8 tbird would likely be enough to keep you happy for awhile but a HO conversion would be a nice solution altogether.

if your not one to tinker with your car and dont want a stick than a tbird sport is probably the better way to go. its easy to upgrade/modify if you do decide to. its also simpler/less complicated.

all i can realy say, is open up a want advertiser or auto trader, and get out there and drive a few of them. you will be supprised at how well that little 2.3 goes. the V8 has alot more noticable torque than the auto turbo coupe off the line but once the turbo kicks in youl see what its all about. its pretty neet. id highly recomend giving a standard shift turbo coupe a try ;)
:america: 1988 Thunderbird Sport, Former 4.6 DOHC T56 conversion project.

Rest of the country, Welcome to Massachusettes. Enjoy your stay.

 
Halfbreed... Mango Orange Y2K Mustang GT
FRPP complete 2000 Cobra engine swap, T56 n' junk...
~John~

Re: Looking for a Change...need advice....

Reply #6
Some other differences not mentioned is that the Turbo Coupe came standard with 16" wheels, four wheel disc, ABS, programmed ride control, and a bunch of other electronic doodads. The fully loaded ones all everything- leather, auto climate control, auto dimming headlights, power antenna, etc. They also had an 8.8 with 3.55 gears for the 5 speed, 3.73's for the auto.

Some problems with the turbo coupe: First, the auto that they put behind the 2.3L turbo was py (A4LD) so you really wanna stick to a 5 speed. Also, with all the electronic gizmos that the turbo coupes had, sometimes problems can be hard to figure out. The master cylinder uses a pump to build pressure in the brakes, and mine went out so I just recently converted to vacuum brakes. Overall my car has been a great car and I like it and it runs great. Although did build a new engine for it (that's in the car now), when i pulled the old engine it still ran great with 145K on it albeit with some blowby and it was leaking oil all over the place.

Garrett H.
'94 F250 XLT- 4x4, 5 speed, 7.3 IDI Turbo Diesel, 4" intake, 4" exhaust, 5" turnout stacks, manual hubs, etc.
'87 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
Engine, wheels, tires, etc!
Exhaust sound clip
Another clip

Re: Looking for a Change...need advice....

Reply #7
heh...yeah i was thinking more drive line wise. no matter what, it sounds like your looking for more power. any one of those would be an improvement in that area. a word of caution...you could end up being bitten by the HP bug and theres no lookin back from there ;)
:america: 1988 Thunderbird Sport, Former 4.6 DOHC T56 conversion project.

Rest of the country, Welcome to Massachusettes. Enjoy your stay.

 
Halfbreed... Mango Orange Y2K Mustang GT
FRPP complete 2000 Cobra engine swap, T56 n' junk...
~John~

Re: Looking for a Change...need advice....

Reply #8
You need to look over the TC real good. The 2.3 are strong but if they weren't taken care of in the turbo department you may end up with a big problem. Mainly replaceing the turbo and that cost $$$.

On the other hand the 5.0 were nice but like stated above they only had a 7.5 axle. Why, don't know.

You could also look into an XR7 Cougar with the 5.0. These did come with the 8.8 axle with traction lock, 10in drums and all the features of the bird just a different look. You may be able to pick one up cheap also.

You need to look into the aftermarket parts before deciding. There is more aftermarket for the 5.0 but will cost more beings you will have two times as many cylindes to feed.

But in the end don't let us decide what car you buy. Get all the info you can and happy hunting for that car of your dreams.

Re: Looking for a Change...need advice....

Reply #9
If I had to choose between a stock V8 bird and a stock 4 cylinder Turbo Coupe I would go with the Turbo Coupe.  If we are talking modifications I would look for a nice 87-88 cougar XR7 and drop in a 5.0 HO out of a mustang as it would be a basic engine swap.

 

Re: Looking for a Change...need advice....

Reply #10
Quote from: jasontbird
If I had to choose between a stock V8 bird and a stock 4 cylinder Turbo Coupe I would go with the Turbo Coupe.  If we are talking modifications I would look for a nice 87-88 cougar XR7 and drop in a 5.0 HO out of a mustang as it would be a basic engine swap.


Or you could take a automatic Turbo Coupe and put a highly modified 5.0 in it like I did.

Re: Looking for a Change...need advice....

Reply #11
when it comes to power the 3.8 is a dog. I have two 86 5.0's which are virtally identical to the 87 and 88's. The stock 5.0's arent dogs,... but they are alittle bit lacking. My 5.0's will spin the tires alittle bit and still get around 20 or so MPG overall. I personally have not driven a tc more then once, but every where I look they are expensive as anything. My two 86 5.0's were $110 and $400. Not the best looking cars, but if its a daily driver you wont have too many gripes. The 5.0 is a good strong motor. I have never been stuck to the point that I couldnt get it home in a pinch. Basically the 5.0 will be like a 3.8 with lots more torqe and will seem to have alot more HP. And if you do get the hp bug then it is really easy to only switch some parts out. Like the 5.0 mustang headers, upper intake, throttle body and some others. And the greatest part, is that anyone that dosent know anything aobut tbirds/cougars thinks that its a mustang engine. I say just keep your eye out for a cheap 5.0. That is all that I have been able to find, decently priced. Cheapest turbo coupe that I have found, was about $2500 and it wasent in very good shape. Here are some pics of my cars. Total cost for them was $1060. One is a v-6 by the way, and I feel your pain
here is the link to my "collection" http://foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showthread.php?t=3828
.

Overall if you are going for a cheap dependable car then I think that the 5.0 is the way to go. And you cant beat the aftermarket for the 5.0. If it says mustang it will work,for the most part. A 4 is prolly just as good for power and the aftermarket and has better gas miliage. But Like I said I havent found a decent tc for less then $2500 and have picked up two 5.0's for $510. It may be diffrent in your area, but here 5.0's and v-6's are a dime a dozen.
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

Re: Looking for a Change...need advice....

Reply #12
it all depends on what you want, and your level of knowledge

Turbo Coupes are great, i own one, and i own a V6 car, but the Turbo Coupes require alot of "specialty" knowledge, if youre great at learning things quickly, these cars arnt too much of a problem, but not all of us were blessed with fast learning capabilities, or just being mechanically inclined

the 5.0's arnt nearly as fun, they dont have as much of the "go-fast" parts from the factory, but they also have a lot of potential. Theyre also hard to mess up and are generally as reliable as a brick.

Personally, id buy a Turbo Coupe, the community is great, theyre fun and unique cars, and they have kickass potential. The 5.0 cars arnt bad, but they need a lot more to really catch up to where the turbo coupe is
It's Gumby's fault.

Re: Looking for a Change...need advice....

Reply #13
Wow. Thanks for those replies. From the sounds of things, most people seem to think that the Turbo Would be the way to go. The thing I like the most about that car is the look of it. If you drove up behind someone who didn't know any better, they would think you're driving a mustang. I also like the idea of having the most possible horsepower. Since the basic out of the factory Turbo apparently has more power than the V8, I probably would want to take that route. I figure I could probably get at least 700 dollars for my V6, and with the prices of some of the Turbo's I have seen on Ebay, that would probably cover about half the cost of one.

I'm kinda surprised at all the comments about how poorly the V6's are. Personally I've never really had any problems with the car, it's just that I hear so many good things about the Turbo, and how fun it is....I had to make a change.


Finally, I have one more very important question. I know how most 4 bangers run. I've driven in a Ford Contour before, and various other similar cars, and was...not pleased with the experience. What I want to know, and have always wanted to know is this: Does the Turbo Coupe's power seem..."4cylinder-ish".. until the Turbo kicks in, or does the Turbo constantly run? I've never dealt with a car that has a TurboCharger in it before so this is all new to me. At what point does the Turbo kick in? Do you have to mat the accelerator to notice the difference, or does the Turbocharger run constantly and provides more power all the time? I'm asking this because with the weight of the Thunderbird and a 4cylinder engine in it, I would think the drive would seem pretty sluggish until the Turbo kicked in. Someone please set me straight and let me know how this all works...
<---One must always remember to Remain cool, calm and collected when dealing with your fellow man, especially on the Internet....
-DMC24guy
[/SIZE]

Re: Looking for a Change...need advice....

Reply #14
It sounds to me like you're thinking of the turbo more in the terms of a supercharger.

The turbo is spinning all the time BUT it doesn't make any boost until you put a load on it. Basically, the more throttle you give it, the more boost there is, although that's not 100% true because you can have full boost at part throttle, it just won't accelerate as fast.

Also, there is some lag with a turbo but it just depends on what RPM you're at. '87-88 Turbo coupes have a small turbo (the IHI) with which lag usually isn't much of a problem. Of course if you get on it at 2000 rpm or lower you're gonna see some lag, but otherwise it's not a problem.

Honestly it's kinda hard to explain. Once you drive one, you'll understand what I mean.

Garrett H.
'94 F250 XLT- 4x4, 5 speed, 7.3 IDI Turbo Diesel, 4" intake, 4" exhaust, 5" turnout stacks, manual hubs, etc.
'87 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
Engine, wheels, tires, etc!
Exhaust sound clip
Another clip