What did you do with your Thunderbird Today?

Chingon1 said:
You got any numbers or a dyno graph?? I wana see that sick ass torque curve.
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Never been dyno'd. Street tuned.

The car this blower was last on made 310whp. But that was on a stock aluminum block explorer 2v. This is a 96 NPI with PI cams and long tubes. So idk how the math maths out.
 
CDsDontBurn said:
How'd you come across this guy? I'd like one of these for myself!
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There was a guy on Facebook last year who posted about having one on a Bird he had bought and was maybe thinking about getting rid of it. I didn't respond much at the time as I had budgeted for other things. No one really asked him about it, so he held onto it and tinkered with it.

This year I dug back and messaged him about it and he had decided to keep it, so I went and spent all my cash on a desperately needed rear suspension rebuild. A couple of weeks later a kind soul who knew I was looking for an Allen messaged me and told me about a sale and it was the same guy: he'd decided on a whim to rebuild a Mustang and didn't want the Allen anymore (but was hoping to sell the whole car). I guess he didn't get the takers he wanted, because I was able to get the kit off of him.

Bad timing, because the TBird kitty was empty, but I'd broken that in the past when certain rare items came up (like the Cobra steering rack). Knowing that he'd had it in a car and running and had video of it going (instead of just a pile of random parts in the garage that may or may not have been complete/operational) was a big point in its favour. He'd also mated it to a Gen V M90 instead of the stock Gen IIIS, which you couldn't get on the TBird version stock. He gave me extensive notes on how he'd set it up and what I needed to do. So all in all, I couldn't resist.

It's going to sit for quite a while though, as I need to pay this down, then do the differential upgrades, then the transmission upgrades--I've always had a six-part build plan, and power is second-last. Only then will I be doing the engine (which will be a major rebuild on its own with a lot of investment). But I'm slowly but surely getting all the unobtanium pieces for the vault.
 
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Not today actually, but in the past week I've driven my 92 SC to several parts stores to acquire everything thing needed to change all of the brakes on my 06 Acura TL that my sone will be taking to college.
 
Kurt K said:
Not today actually, but in the past week I've driven my 92 SC to several parts stores to acquire everything thing needed to change all of the brakes on my 06 Acura TL that my sone will be taking to college.
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TL, or TL-S?

Either way, that J35 is a beast of an engine!
 
CDsDontBurn said:
TL, or TL-S?

Either way, that J35 is a beast of an engine!
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Just a regular TL. About 240k on the car and already has it's 2nd timing belt replacement. Hoping it makes it through college for my son. The car was super nice until I hit a basket pole on the interstate one morning going to work that dented the hood, fender, door, and tore up the bumper. Then a deer hit the other side and got the other fender and door. It has been a great 1st car for my oldest.
 
While going up I-85 yesterday between Montgomery and Auburn, I came across this guy. What a coincidence as I never see MN12s anymore - certainly not nice ones - and the one day mine has seen the sun in like 3-4 years. I can't make out the state on the tag. It was a very clean, lowered 94-95 with what looked like 97 tails and chrome fanblades. He got pretty excited when I passed him with mine on the trailer, but he didn't follow me into the fuel stop unfortunately. Maybe he's on here?

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jco1385 said:
View attachment 13831

I turned her into a covered trailer. Making the move from AL to GA. The car is packed to the ceiling, including the trunk. With no engine in the bay, it looks like it's pulling a wheelie.
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Safe travels. Can't wait to see it put back together.
 
Was looking through old FB posts and found this post by dale brown?? Anyways he mentions he made a cradle to “box” the IRS subframe. It ties between the pinion brace and the lower control arm brace basically making a square. What do you guys think??

IMG_6286.jpeg

IMG_6287.jpeg

also also,
I came across this article on the TCCOA website. It details some additional welding to the IRS subframe. Have any of you guys done it? Does it make a difference?? I have seen the stock welds when I put solid bushings on mine and they stock welds look atrocious, not even fully welded. Kinda like they almost just tacked it together.

IMG_8042.jpeg
 
jco1385 said:
While going up I-85 yesterday between Montgomery and Auburn, I came across this guy. What a coincidence as I never see MN12s anymore - certainly not nice ones - and the one day mine has seen the sun in like 3-4 years. I can't make out the state on the tag. It was a very clean, lowered 94-95 with what looked like 97 tails and chrome fanblades. He got pretty excited when I passed him with mine on the trailer, but he didn't follow me into the fuel stop unfortunately. Maybe he's on here?

View attachment 13832
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Quebec plates. Period-correct 6-digit design from 94-95, so he's likely the original owner.

Which makes it even more impressive as the most common colour of car in Quebec is "rust".
 
Kurt K said:
Just a regular TL. About 240k on the car and already has it's 2nd timing belt replacement. Hoping it makes it through college for my son. The car was super nice until I hit a basket pole on the interstate one morning going to work that dented the hood, fender, door, and tore up the bumper. Then a deer hit the other side and got the other fender and door. It has been a great 1st car for my oldest.
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With proper maintenance, that TL can go for a long time. Timing belt is 100k miles or 7yrs, whichever is first. Presuming mileage, the current belt still has 60k miles to go before the third one is needed.
 
Chingon1 said:
Was looking through old FB posts and found this post by dale brown?? Anyways he mentions he made a cradle to “box” the IRS subframe. It ties between the pinion brace and the lower control arm brace basically making a square. What do you guys think??

View attachment 13835

View attachment 13834

also also,
I came across this article on the TCCOA website. It details some additional welding to the IRS subframe. Have any of you guys done it? Does it make a difference?? I have seen the stock welds when I put solid bushings on mine and they stock welds look atrocious, not even fully welded. Kinda like they almost just tacked it together.

View attachment 13833
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That exhaust hanging that low looks atrocious, and I don't see the point. If you have a beefy diff cover brace and the LPW or Freaks cove, plus the pinion brace, it isn't going anywhere unless you're at insane power levels.

I did think about having mine welded, but not sure if it's worth it. The pinion and rear cradle brace get rid of the vast majority of deflection.
 


This.


Pump is not priming, and from what I can tell the EEC isn't getting power at all. So figuring that out.


Love the "for fucks sake" code on the dash.
I'm sure the car liked being dead
 
@Zep5.0 I feel like he made it so it doesn’t flex, the front portion to the rear portion. No im the sense of the diff moving. Those welds on the IRS are piss poor tho, I can’t believe they left the factory that way. Every other one from different manufacturers have welding ALL the way through. Kinda wack they skimped out.

@XR7-4.6 the brace or the welding??
 
Chingon1 said:
@Zep5.0 I feel like he made it so it doesn’t flex, the front portion to the rear portion. No im the sense of the diff moving. Those welds on the IRS are piss poor tho, I can’t believe they left the factory that way. Every other one from different manufacturers have welding ALL the way through. Kinda wack they skimped out.

@XR7-4.6 the brace or the welding??
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The brace would be working on motion from front to back. With the diff mounted with a good cover, mount, and pinion brace, I just can't see the load causing any movement. You also have to remember the LCAs are holding it front to back. Having just put one together, I guarantee that's just added weight.

The welds are sorry, at best. I did take an angle grinder and smoothed them out a touch before painting mine. Just for aesthetics, tho.
 
AdamG said:
That Quebec tbird a nice one. It's a mark bird. Mark viii motor, interior and wheels. They're regulars at Carlisle, very nice people too...
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Oh that's awesome, good catching that. jco takes a pic of a bird and gets 3 pictures of it back! Gorgeous car too.
 
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