Pluses & minuses of 5.0 T-birds?

Topic: Pluses & minuses of 5.0 T-birds? (Read 4192 times) previous topic - next topic

Pluses & minuses of 5.0 T-birds?

November 28, 2005, 01:06:18 PM

So I've been looking around lately, being that I originally wanted to get a 5.0 Mustang after I graduate, and just seeing what prices are. All I can say is- ouch! Seems like even py 5.0's go for $3,500-4000. Whilst browsing these mustangs on Autotrader, I looked through Thunderbirds as well. I saw one cherry '88 5.0 Thunderbird on there for $2900, and it got me to thinking. I know I could pick up a V8 thunderbird for considerably less than a Mustang would probably cost me. So I'm curious as to what the ups and downs of these cars are?

I already know a couple, such as-
150 hp from the factory
Auto trans only
7.5" rear

But at the same time, being Fox based, I know that pretty much all the "good stuff" from a Mustang will bolt right on.

So, I'm wondering as to what the other pluses, minuses and oddities of these cars might be. And how hard is it to swap in a 5 speed?

Pluses & minuses of 5.0 T-birds?

Reply #1 – November 28, 2005, 01:11:33 PM

5 speed swaps are easy...done 3-4 of them.
Power is easy to add....same as a Mustang
They weigh a bit more, but are alot nicer inside.
Certain "restoration" parts are hard (if not impossible) to come by.
A big plus is they're not Mustangs.....

Pluses & minuses of 5.0 T-birds?

Reply #2 – November 28, 2005, 02:13:26 PM

ride nicer, the v8 tbirds swap that ho in, in less than a few hrs because its a direct swap with computer. and they are longer and wider which if im not mistaken is better for handeling and more stable go'n down the track.

Pluses & minuses of 5.0 T-birds?

Reply #3 – November 28, 2005, 02:22:35 PM

The list is actually endles but here are a few.
1. Can swap the 5-speed in
2. Can do the HO swap
3. Supercharger or Turbo off of a Mustang will fit
4. Can use the 94-98 Mustang suspension parts for an upgrade
5. They have more room then a Mustang so trips with your modded Thunderbird/Cougar are alot less stressfull
6. And everyone has a Mustang......do something different.

The list goes on and on, use your imagination.
Thanks,
Chris

Pluses & minuses of 5.0 T-birds?

Reply #4 – November 28, 2005, 07:22:58 PM

Didn't the 88 sport model birds come with an 8.8 Trac-lock? Or was that only the XR7's?

Pluses & minuses of 5.0 T-birds?

Reply #5 – November 28, 2005, 08:40:40 PM

cougars in 88 if it was a 5.0 got the 8.8 if im not mistaken

Pluses & minuses of 5.0 T-birds?

Reply #6 – November 28, 2005, 08:56:01 PM

yeah only the xr7 cougars got the 8.8, still didnt have much gear in it tho. i also forgot to say the sub frame in our cars is heavyer than mustangs. when i compaired mine to my friends 91 gt, his is considerably smaller. like instead of being a 4x4" box, its like a 4x2" rectangle. and if it matters, i think we have a bigger gas tank mustangs are something like 15 and ours are like 22 for v8s

Quote from: CougarCoupe88

cougars in 88 if it was a 5.0 got the 8.8 if im not mistaken

Pluses & minuses of 5.0 T-birds?

Reply #7 – November 28, 2005, 10:43:06 PM

Quote from: DakotaEpic

Didn't the 88 sport model birds come with an 8.8 Trac-lock? Or was that only the XR7's?

That's kinda a dicy question. Officially, only the Turbo Coupe and XR7 had the traction-lock 8.8", but it seems a few Sports snuck out of the factory with it toward the end of the '88 model year

Pluses & minuses of 5.0 T-birds?

Reply #8 – November 28, 2005, 10:56:15 PM

I thought all '87-88 Thunderbirds/cougars had the same size gas tank. I know Mustangs had a 15.7 gallon tank, and tbird/cougar tanks are around 20 gallons. I know the one in my turbo coupe is at least 20 gallons because if I run it down to 1/4 tank, it takes around 16 gallons to fill.

Pluses & minuses of 5.0 T-birds?

Reply #9 – November 29, 2005, 09:51:44 AM

T birds and cougars are cheaper to get. cost same as stang to do up. Cheaper on insurance then a stang and best off all they get looked over by cops and stang owners as nothing.

How can you beat having a sleeper

Pluses & minuses of 5.0 T-birds?

Reply #10 – November 29, 2005, 11:53:18 AM

cheaper
better forums (joke)
easy to upgrade.(the 150hp isnt as "bad" as everyone says, I can spin the tire easy up to 20 or so on both my 86 v-8's. for a old car, it isnt to bad)
most mustang parts bolt on.
lots of inside room, maybe not as much as a 4 door, but not bad at all. I am 6'4", and I fit fine. I usally have more then enough room. People that sit in the back hate me, but I am fine.
the cops look right over you thing is true too.
Think light cheap crownvic with mustang parts, and your about there.

Pluses & minuses of 5.0 T-birds?

Reply #11 – November 29, 2005, 12:11:20 PM

The parts compatability is worth it alone. You can go onto mustang forums, take some of their old parts, and have cheap upgrades for your own car. Theres also a ton of factory parts you can use to upgrade your bird.

My 3.8L bird was just a base model with a lighting options group. I went through junkyards, put an buttstuffog gauge cluster in it, TC seats, a full console, a floor shifter, and a bunch of odds and ends in the interior, and had a really nice, clean looking interior, that didnt have that jumbled up aftermarket look, and was almost exactly what i wanted. Went and i got turbo coupe swaybars, and put some 15" turbines on it, tc header panel, tempo mirrors, did some paint work, and have an eye catching car that ive never heard anyone badmouth other than for being a 3.8L, even stang guys.

I was able to mix and match untill i came up with something i liked, we have a lot of options in that respect.

Pluses & minuses of 5.0 T-birds?

Reply #12 – November 29, 2005, 01:16:54 PM

The only down side I see has only started as of late. Due to the fact that not as many people are Cougar/Tbird enthusiasts as compared to Mustang enthusiasts and the fact that they are fairly inexpensive AND well built make a good combo for Junior's first car. That being said I loved my first car but, could have been a lot nicer to it and compared to other people I have seen/know I really don't think I was all that bad. It's just getting hard to find a good platform to start with.

Pluses & minuses of 5.0 T-birds?

Reply #13 – November 29, 2005, 03:44:47 PM

One of the best things... you don't get labeled as having that typical Mustang asshole attitude.
If they weren't too expensive when I was looking for a car, I may have been one of them.
There are too many others to even list. They're just cooler than Mustangs.

*EDIT* Sorry if I offended anyone here who owns a Mustang.*

Pluses & minuses of 5.0 T-birds?

Reply #14 – November 29, 2005, 05:57:27 PM

I like mine alot. Like Haystack said the 5.0 SO ain't that bad. I've added 3.73 gears and a Traction Lock, Stang shorties and custom 2.25 dual exhaust, a HO upper throttle body, and a FMS 1/2" heat spacer to mine. My guess is the car now has 170-180 hp and 280-290 ft/lbs torque. Car accelerates pretty good and can pass most any normal family car on the road. Handeling could be better but mine is an LX so that's probibly why. I'm adding new endlinks and bushings up front and a Turbo Coupe sway bar out back which should help alot. In my opinion they are much better looking than a 5.0 Mustang and can be made to run as fast, if not faster than one. Plus it actually draws attention when I go to car shows. More so than a 5.0 Mustang cause no one has these cars anymore. Stay away from the 3.8 V6 ones though. I drove an 88 3.8 with 37,000 miles on it (that's right 37,000 NOT 137,000 car was mint. Wish I would have bought it instead of my Buick:screwy: as a daily driver) and the car was a turd. Even with the more powerful 88 engine the car couldn't hold a candle to my 5.0 Bird and that was before I modded my car!