What did you do with your Thunderbird Today?

[XR7-4.6]

I have $2600 worth of speed parts ready to install, but what am I doing? Rewiring again lol








Shedding weight!

 

[Rodeo Joe]

What's going on Matt?!

Joe

 

[Trunk Monkey]

What's going on Matt?!

Joe

I was wondering the same thing! What's up with all the rewiring???

 

[XR7-4.6]

What's going on Matt?!

Joe

I decided to finally shed the disused ABS system(my staggered height tires don’t get along with it) and swap in those rust free sport lines. But before I do that I want to get rid of ALL wiring related to it, from stem to stern.

 

[Ericv8thunderbird]

I got my supercharger on (sorry no pics yet) and I noticed the alternator sits higher than it did, Sooo. My Kenny Brown STB doesn’t fit now, it might be going up for sale which is unfortunate, cause now I have some unsightly holes on my shock towers to fill.

 

[XR7-4.6]

I got my supercharger on (sorry no pics yet) and I noticed the alternator sits higher than it did, Sooo. My Kenny Brown STB doesn’t fit now, it might be going up for sale which is unfortunate, cause now I have some unsightly holes on my shock towers to fill.

I’ll add that to my rolodex on why I don’t care for STBs lol


Seriously though, bummer! I hate when I have to reverse course on a mod to use another mod… actually I’m literally ankle deep in it right but it’s much less impressive

 

[Rodeo Joe]

I checked to see if the battery tender was still working!

Joe

 

[XR7-4.6]

I checked to see if the battery tender was still working!

Joe

Oh yeah thanks for reminding me, I better check mine…



Yep still good

 

[Ericv8thunderbird]

I’ll add that to my rolodex on why I don’t care for STBs lol


Seriously though, bummer! I hate when I have to reverse course on a mod to use another mod… actually I’m literally ankle deep in it right but it’s much less impressive

It really is a bummer!

I only need about an about an inch clearance, I thought about grinding the STB in that area, but it’s hollow tubing.
I might find someone local who can replicate that bar, but with a little bit more of a bend around the alternator.

I think a cammed 4V is impressive, you can’t beat that sound, it’ll sound better than my cammed 2V.

 

[XR7-4.6]

More wire gutting, super fun with the garage being a balmy 10°F



The growing pile

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

Your car has a nipple?

 

[Grog6]

That happens to all the D size non-fake hooters by age 35. It's depressing when they disappear into the armpits.
It's also depressing to see an awesome set of c-cup hooters turned into a lumpy,scarred , dd sized mess.
"You killed the twins!" Is not a popular reaction,lol!

 

[Ericv8thunderbird]

More wire gutting, super fun with the garage being a balmy 10°F

I picked up one of these when it was on sale for my garage, it gets it pretty warm on the lowest setting after about 20 mins, almost too hot.

 

[White Lincoln]

I got one of these milkhouse space heaters from the hardware store on sale for $29. Works great and heats up the garage pretty fast. I could not have worked in my garage without it. I do turn it off before I start welding.

​

 

[Kenz]

New fuel pump going in soon! Removed the exhaust today, might change the exhaust setup while it's apart.

Little bit of rust showing but it is pretty clean. I bought the car 2014 in New Jersey. Pictures show the Cobra aluminum diff, poly sway bar and diff mounts, Vogtland lowering springs.

 

[SC_Shi]

Amateur hour rust repair

 

[Kenz]

@SC_Shi Guess yours spent some time up North too. If I ever find a nice Florida only MN12 for sale close by I will be buying it.

My Firebird has 150,000 miles on it, but it always been in Florida. It doesn't have a spot of rust on it anywhere, thing still looks brand new underneath. Even when I took the factory exhaust off everything just unbolted without any trouble

 

[SC_Shi]

@SC_Shi Guess yours spent some time up North too. If I ever find a nice Florida only MN12 for sale close by I will be buying it.

My Firebird has 150,000 miles on it, but it always been in Florida. It doesn't have a spot of rust on it anywhere, thing still looks brand new underneath. Even when I took the factory exhaust off everything just unbolted without any trouble

Sounds like a dream! I never really looked too far into the cars history but I would assume yeah some up north time, couple of rusty spots, but I do know that it sat for awhile up in west palm beach before I got it, maybe it was close to the water.

 

[theterminator93]

Well hey, all MN12s were made "up north" - depending on when it rolled off the line, it may have been road tested on lovely NE Ohio salt-covered roads.

Anyone want to take bets on whether they were washed properly before being sent to the dealerships after that?

 

[XR7-4.6]

@SC_Shi Guess yours spent some time up North too. If I ever find a nice Florida only MN12 for sale close by I will be buying it.

My Firebird has 150,000 miles on it, but it always been in Florida. It doesn't have a spot of rust on it anywhere, thing still looks brand new underneath. Even when I took the factory exhaust off everything just unbolted without any trouble

Be careful, Florida cars that spent time around the coast can be as bad as cars from around here in Chicagoland, that salty sea air is no joke!

 

[Kenz]

That is true to a point, especially for cars that have spent time near the beach. I do think it is somewhat exaggerated though.
Like @SC_Shi said areas like West Palm Beach may be a prone to rusting.

My cousins Jeep from Tampa had rust, but he actually bombed around on the beach with it, and got the thing stuck in sand lol..

Used Florida cars mostly have a bad rap for other reasons though. Title issues and flood damage.

 

[XR7-4.6]

That is true to a point, especially for cars that have spent time near the beach. I do think it is somewhat exaggerated though.
Like @SC_Shi said areas like West Palm Beach may be a prone to rusting.

My cousins Jeep from Tampa had rust, but he actually bombed around on the beach with it, and got the thing stuck in sand lol..

Used Florida cars mostly have a bad rap for other reasons though. Title issues and flood damage.

That same thing is true of CA cars, coastal cars there get it bad too, maybe worse in some ways than rust belt cars, but the way population centers are CA vs FL it tends to be more inland for the latter on average.

Driving along the beach isn’t good for sheetmetal but it’s not going to be the death kneel for it on a few skirmishes out there any more than driving a car through a salty Chicago winter or two will either, as there are simple effective measures on these cars to prevent or prolong corrosion. In both cases if you wash it off right away you’ll prevent the most severe effects.

I think when it comes right down to it the miles/exposure/maintenance ratio is what matters, a unwashed FL car can be as bad as a unwashed rust belt car, and vice versa. I’m just saying it’s best not to make assumptions, I know of a few people who picked up FL cars that looked like about average Chicago cars once the carpets and whatnot were pulled up. Perfectly fixable or even livable as is but not worth the premium paid.