What did you do with your Thunderbird Today?

[Rodeo Joe]

But seriously, let's see that boot. Did you make it yourself?

Someone on the old site (when it was fun), made it for me years ago. It looks gray in the picture, but it's actually black.

Joe

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

Nice!

I should try something like that at some point. Faux suede and all.

 

[Grog6]

Here ou go; it's black leather, after all:

Giant Silver Size70 Tree Spike

Giant Silver Nickle Size70 Tree Spike

www.studsandspikes.com

One of my friends recommended I install these on the drivers' airbag, lol.

 

[XR7-4.6]

Nice!

I should try something like that at some point. Faux suede and all.

Pretty easy to DIY, I know you can baseball stitch

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

Also very nice!

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Pulled it out of the garage today and washed the dust off of it ... again.

 

[Grog6]

Purdy.

 

[CDsDontBurn]

Whose shift indicator is still this bright orange?

Ok, this may look like a déjà-vu. Yes, I did this once before, though I applied the orange paint from below the translucent indicator (after removing the faded color from the top).

That ended up making the indicator almost invisible during the day, so I opened it back up and applied the orange to the top .

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How is your plastic trim still so supple?

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

How is your plastic trim still so supple?

What plastic now?

 

[Chingon1]

Went to the JY today and scored a set of manual seat rails for the bird. Swapped em out already and got some weights for you guys. I’m not sure how accurate my scale is but here it is. Also weighed the bottom and back rest of the driver seat since I had it apart.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

Wow! I didn't realize those motors were so heavy. My car came with manual seats, and I'm ok with it, though I have considered picking up a good power seat if I find one.

 

[Grog6]

I'd love to have a drivers side seat track; if you ever change it out for electric, I'd trade! Mine have been cleaned and relubed, and work great. The downside of the electric seats is that you have to clean and relube them every 5-10 years, same as the door locks. and seat tilt mech. If you spray it clean with wd 40, when it messes up again, it will be rusted solid.

 

[XR7-4.6]

Last time my car had its perfectly operating door locks lubricated was in Lorain Ohio 30 years ago in April

 

[Chingon1]

@1997ThunderbirdLXV6 the electric ones are cool, you can move the F/R of the seat independently. I have no complaints and it’s working perfectly fine. I just wanted to shed a few LBS.

@Grog6 you’re looking for a set of manual rails? I can’t trade you these but I’ll keep an eye out for you in the JY out here and let you know.

 

[XR7-4.6]

They're exceptionally rare, I've found three in 15 years, and that goes back to when these cars were as common in yards as Tauruses. If you bought the bare minimum group 1 equipment package you got the power driver seat with it.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

But...how rare are Taurus manual seat tracks? And wouldn't they swap over?

 

[XR7-4.6]

But...how rare are Taurus manual seat tracks? And wouldn't they swap over?

The frames are the same but the tracks aren't. Manual tracks aren't common in them either in my experience but I never looked in many Tauruses unless they were SHOs to figure out a ratio

 

[dDUBb]

You need to pick up the side trim pieces as well .. with no buttons.

 

[XR7-4.6]

You need to pick up the side trim pieces as well .. with no buttons.

The one I really want to find is the zero option group 94-95 cougar one that don't have the forward/back/up/down buttons, but do have the Lumbar/(blanked)bolster buttons! It's my white whale.

 

[supergordo]

Went to the JY today and scored a set of manual seat rails for the bird. Swapped em out already and got some weights for you guys. I’m not sure how accurate my scale is but here it is. Also weighed the bottom and back rest of the driver seat since I had it apart.


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Now that you have those open button holes in the seat trim you can install your hidden nitrous switches there!

 

[xlitefighter]

Tomorrow's task. come hell or high water!

 

[Stanley]

I wound up completely rebuilding the front suspension using the SCP full rebuild kit, and got it back from the shop today. That's almost everything: arms, links, tie rod ends, quality bushings galore. The only thing the kits doesn't have are struts, but I did those as well. It's beautiful: the thing drives like it's new: no more play in the steering wheel, no more strange scrunch noise going over bumps, no more wobble at high speeds. I'm in love.

 

[Grog6]

The hardest part on these cars are the front shocks; I'm covered for a few years. I have a set of shock tops modded by Randy, That I'd rather use for a set of race konis, double adjustable. They're 300 bux each, unfortunately.

 

[xlitefighter]

34 years ago today my US Army unit was alerted for deployment to Panama for Operation Just Cause. This morning I added something to my '96 to keep fresh in my mind the events of Dec 1989 - Jan 1990 and those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their country in Panama.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

34 years ago today my US Army unit was alerted for deployment to Panama for Operation Just Cause. This morning I added something to my '96 to keep fresh in my mind the events of Dec 1989 - Jan 1990 and those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their country in Panama.View attachment 2638

Awesome! Thanks for your service. Yes, thanks to all who served during that time and those who made the ultimate sacrifice. There are so many conflicts where service men are killed besides the major wars. I was there in Panama just two years later in 1992 on deployment. It's a beautiful country and, at least in my experience, the people are very friendly. What did you do in the Army? I'd be very interested to hear the story of your time in service. You can PM me if you like.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

Details, details...

I switched from one Lincoln LS shift knob to another.

I prefer the lighter, more linear wood pattern. From my observations, the facelift LSs have this type of wood while earlier examples have the darker, swirl type pattern.

Before



After

 

[supergordo]

Yesterday My younger son and I installed new head gaskets and ARP head studs on his project motor. Today the older son and the younger son put the timing set on themselves!

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

Replaced a cracked piece of molding:

 

[KevinVarnes]

Tomorrow's task. come hell or high water!

View attachment 2524

Curious where you got your replacement mast from? When I got my car the power antenna didn't work. I put a new mast in from theantennasource.com. That failed about a year later and then I put another one in from the same place. Now it goes about halfway up. I've considered just putting a stationary mast in, but the cool factor of watching the antenna go up when the radio is turned on is too much for me. If I could find a good Ford NOS mast I'd pay the extra money for it, but I've had a hard time verifying the proper part number.

 

[Green T]

Replaced a cracked piece of molding:

View attachment 2937

Is that the bumper cover? More pics please. Where did you find replacement? Color a good match?