What did you do with your Thunderbird Today?

I (think I) finally isolated the world's most annoying and persistent squeak in the driver door, though all the times I've removed it and reseated the door panel finally caused one of the plastic hooks the panel hangs on to break off. Fortunately it still seems to be hanging there rather solidly.
 
Installed an original dead pedal today. Thanks @1997ThunderbirdLXV6 for getting it!

My goal with the interior has always been to keep it looking close to factory. I think it's now just about what these cars would have been like inside with a Manual V8 option.
I might look into one of the retro style radios that have been getting more popular recently. That or maybe modifying an OEM stereo with Bluetooth / Aux-in.

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No photos of the bird, but I replaced the spark plugs in the gold car. Might explain the rich codes. Bank 1 was at .02ish, bank 2 at .04. all now are a .05.

Also, I painted the bed cap to match the truck.
 
Chingon1 said:
I had a similar idea for my exhaust, I just didn’t like how low it would hang. Do you have a picture from the rear?? It does look pretty cool tho, the shinny muffler looks dope out back.
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I did have to "flatten" the underside of the trunk by cutting the part that protruded down a bit and added a flat sheet in it's place.
 
So let’s see, my first purchased mod ever was 96-97 clear corners, later I matched those to used clear 95-97 grand Marquis headlights, then I painted the insides of both black, then I got new grand marquis headlights, then 89-95 style clear corners, then new stock 91-95 Cougar headlights, then new stock amber corners, then recently new Grand Marquis headlights again, and today new 96-97 amber corners. I’ve gone full circle 😆

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XR7-4.6 said:
So let’s see, my first purchased mod ever was 96-97 clear corners, later I matched those to used clear 95-97 grand Marquis headlights, then I painted the insides of both black, then I got new grand marquis headlights, then 89-95 style clear corners, then new stock 91-95 Cougar headlights, then new stock amber corners, then recently new Grand Marquis headlights again, and today new 96-97 amber corners. I’ve gone full circle 😆

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And you want to sell me your nice stock headlights for dirt cheap, right?!
 
XR7-4.6 said:
So let’s see, my first purchased mod ever was 96-97 clear corners, later I matched those to used clear 95-97 grand Marquis headlights, then I painted the insides of both black, then I got new grand marquis headlights, then 89-95 style clear corners, then new stock 91-95 Cougar headlights, then new stock amber corners, then recently new Grand Marquis headlights again, and today new 96-97 amber corners. I’ve gone full circle 😆

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You have headlights and side marker lights. 1997ThunderbirdLXV6 has shift knobs. Grog will be pumping old gas out of the tank in his car for the next 15 years. I collect random crap that I'll probably never use. Everyone has their "thing" and it all works.
 
Zep5.0 said:
I'd drive there just to make it easier on him. 5 hrs in the car seems like a good break in for the engine anyway
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Hey if you want them come get them! However they aren’t OEM, they were on the car from 2018-2024 and have definitely aged in that time. (They didn’t so much as yellow like the stock ones do but greyed). I didn’t regress to this custom look for no reason 🤣
 
Changed the front brakes and rotors on our Explorer today, took the Tbird out of the garage to work on the Explorer. I washed the dust off of the Tbird and took the car for a drive this afternoon with my son. We haven't been out in the car for Months! We both really enjoyed the ride together. It was some wonderful father, son time.
 
Mines super dusty too. Tonight I was vacuuming out the interior. It’s been in the garage but I’ve left the windows down since the cam swap and in the last week the damn cottonwoods turned my black leather interior white shag 😆
 
Replaced the alternator. I had an old alternator in storage; took it off my Thunderbird years ago. It was crusty, but had a Motorcraft rebuild sticker on it so figured I'd give it a try. The bearings are quiet, and I the brushes aren't worn out.

Gave it a fully certified Craigslist rebuild! Some generous use of the air hose, brake cleaner, and rattle can paint.

It's working fine and the weird voltage spikes at high RPM are gone.

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1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
1962 badging.

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For me it’s a bit busy. Did that come from the dash? As that’s the only other emblem on a 62 I can think of besides the ones on the quarter panels that used Thunderbird text rather than a bird emblem on the entire car.

But I’m a less is more type with badging so to each their own. I’d stick it on my toolbox or wall but not my car
 
XR7-4.6 said:
For me it’s a bit busy. Did that come from the dash? As that’s the only other emblem on a 62 I can think of besides the ones on the quarter panels that used Thunderbird text rather than a bird emblem on the entire car.

But I’m a less is more type with badging so to each their own. I’d stick it on my toolbox or wall but not my car
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Correct. From the dash.

And I agree, less is more. I had time on my hands, you know. I doubt it'll last long there.

On the other hand, it fits into that spot so perfectly. Maybe it'll grow on me.
 
Little curious how it would look in place of the font that you had removed.

I like the exaggerated T. Its as if someone really did write it with a quill
 
Vicinity said:
I like the exaggerated T. Its as if someone really did write it with a quill
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It actually probably was, they weren’t coming up with these on computer screens back then, it might not have been with a quill but it was definitely hand written by a designer before being duplicated in mold form for the physical emblems.
 
1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
Oh, I never removed that. I talked about it, but closing up the holes would be way more work than I'm willing to put into it.
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Ya wanna know what I did? I just left the holes, its still nicer in my opinion to have holes than that front plate. tbf your car is FAR nicer than mine, so it might stick out more, I guess its relative
 
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