The Unofficial "Ask a Stupid Question" Thread

[theterminator93]

Send your oil out for analysis if you want to be sure.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

I think you'd be able to smell it. Plus oil will soak in. Just not sure how fast. Gas would soak in quicker.

That's the point of the cardboard test - if it actually works. The circle around the oil drop being gas that has soaked in.

I always taste it if I'm not sure on smell. If it's a bit sweet there's antifreeze in it. Gas tastes like....gas

Well, I wouldn't know what that tastes like...

How has your fuel economy been? Overall power?

Fuel economy is totally normal. Power...I think normal, too.

 

[Kenz]

I would use reducer rather than paint thinner.

Thanks for the advice, it worked out just fine. I bought a small jar of airbrush paint reducer off Amazon for $7. Put a bit of it into the touchup paint jars, and it mixed in with no issues.

If it helps anyone else I have used www.automotivetouchup.com a few times now and had very good luck. I'm planning on buying an aerosol can to paint the chrome trim body color.

 

[Stanley]

For the 1997 Sport, do they need special brake pads for the rears or will any old Bird brake pad do at the back?

I keep seeing sales pages for Bird front brake pads, but not rears, which is confusing me, and sometimes there's a mention that it doesn't apply to Sports but that's not consistent either.

 

[Rodeo Joe]

Rears are all the same.

Joe

 

[Grog6]

Sports have the same calipers as the mark 8. marginally bigger than the v6 caliper. a 2004 mustang gt pbr caliper will bolt right up, clear a 15" wheel, and uses much bigger pads. The rears we need due to the parking brake design. It wouldn't hurt to replace them with remanned ones, along with the stock rubber lines at the wheels.

 

[Stanley]

Purely academic question: what do guys with rear drum brakes have to do if they want to do the hub swap? Do they have to take any extra steps, like guys who have the 89-92 spindles do, or is still just the same procedure?

 

[XR7-4.6]

I very vaguely recall there being a drum that worked with the MN12 shoes and had the 5x4.5” bolt pattern. But generally it’s a good idea to just convert to rear disc while you’re there, the spindles have to come off anyway and that’s the biggest hurdle to the drum/disc conversion.

 

[Grog6]

All you have to do to convert is find a set of disk knuckles on car-part. com, And get the whole assembly. lines, brake cables and all.

 

[rampagingsloth]

New stupid question. I went to the Fabulous Fords Forever car show recently at the Irwindale Speedway. Very cool show, though it was about 80% Mustangs (some old, many newer). I saw maybe 3 Fords from the '90s, just one Thunderbird ('96, I think). Only one '70 Torino this time, but bright yellow so that was nice. Three Mavericks, a couple old Cougars. My question is, I remember many years ago a TCCoA meeting in Fullerton, not a true car show but maybe a dozen+ cars and owners, it was cool to see that many of these cars in the same place, so I'm wondering if that still ever happens here in L.A.? I may have asked this some time ago (on TCCoA) but I can't remember the answer and I don't know if circumstances have changed since then.

 

[Vicinity]

What's wrong with my tires? I had my brakes done recently, my guess is that it's Dot 3 stain? Theres one instance on every tire

 

[Rodeo Joe]

Dirt roads?!

Joe

 

[XR7-4.6]

It’s tire blooming. Tire cleaners will turn it black again, happens to my Nittos from time to time

 

[Vicinity]

Thats interesting, thank you. I don't hate it (so far)

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

Do headliners just sort of dissolve on their own?!

I know I didn't do this:

 

[Grog6]

Yes, they do. First,the foam backing on the cloth disintegrates, then the material itself comes apart. Be extremely careful not to fold the fiber backing. The fold line will never come out. I put some thin balsa on the back to support it where it folded.
I bought the replacement material from these guys: https://midwestfabrics.com/collections/headliner-fabric
They also sell this adhesive: https://midwestfabrics.com/products/performance-high-temp-spray-adhesive
Note the words 'High temp"; that's fucking important, lol. The '77' spray on adhesive
(https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b40071862/)I've used before, and still use for gluing sandpaper on a sander. It does great at that. releases about 180 degrees, so the first time you leave your beautiful, brand new headliner in the parking lot at work, the headliner falls out, sticky as fuck side up, lol. The roof on the Firebird was as big as the bird, so it's an issue to think of. Lazarus' headliner is in the garage, folded neatly in half. That happened when I was in the hospital, after the stroke.

All the foam backed stuff is disintegrating; That black shit that gets on your hands comes from the shifter or steering wheel.

Seats do this too.

 

[Boston-Bull]

Do headliners just sort of dissolve on their own?!

I know I didn't do this:

View attachment 5553

The wife has used this and it worked very well.
Coconix​

 

[Grog6]

It's hard to repair fabric that is falling apart. 20 bux will get you 2 yards of New Headliner. Why would you use that?

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

So is it possible to remove the headliner in one piece through one of the doors? Headliner acrobatics?

 

[XR7-4.6]

Take one of the seats out and put the window of the door your taking it out of down, it’s easier in a Tbird than a cougar

 

[Kenz]

Yeah it's not easy in Cougars.... I took the opportunity to redo mine when I had the dash and seats out.

Never replaced on in a Tbird, but it must be a fair bit easier because of the smaller size.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

Very helpful. Thank you!

 

[supergordo]

So is it possible to remove the headliner in one piece through one of the doors? Headliner acrobatics?

Definitely doable. Helps to have a friend.

 

[Grog6]

I'd have to say Yes to both your questions. And i'm Sure Gordo has done it before.

 

[XR7-4.6]

It’s pretty doable by yourself since its soft and basically weighs nothing.

 

[supergordo]

I'd have to say Yes to both your questions. And i'm Sure Gordo has done it before.

Done it several times. Need to do another one soon.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

I won't do it any time soon as the damage is minimal at this point. But I'm curious: do you all just replace the headliner cloth with the same material/color, or do you go with anything different?

I think I would go the faux suede route as I've had positive experiences with that material. I'm also thinking about going darker, matching the dash.

 

[XR7-4.6]

I like the color to match the pillars, I think it looks weird otherwise. Suede would look sweet, I wanted to do that with mine but ended up finding a really nice stock black moonroof headliner in a 93

 

[supergordo]

I won't do it any time soon as the damage is minimal at this point. But I'm curious: do you all just replace the headliner cloth with the same material/color, or do you go with anything different?

I think I would go the faux suede route as I've had positive experiences with that material. I'm also thinking about going darker, matching the dash.

I've just used headliner material in the stock color. But you could use the suede material if you like. I've seen it before in custom interiors.

 

[Derphound01]

I prefer the flat knit style of the newer Fords and VWs. Not sure if you can get it in the blues/greens/reds of the MN12 interiors though.