What did you do with your Thunderbird Today?

Started removing the fabric from my spare sunshade to recover. What a surprising PITA, I thought this would be the easy part. The whole core is sheet aluminum but the leading edge of fabric is sandwiched between the main sheet and the reenforcement piece spot welded to it. I don’t know how the hell ford tucked the fabric into it after they welded it, I had to pry it up to get it out… good thing the glass is tinted because it’s quite hideous 😆

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1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
Did you already pick a material? If not, I'm very pleased with "Synergy II" brand faux suede, which is what I used on my console and door inserts.
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Yeah I just ordered it this afternoon. It’s faux suede but a different brand, we’ll see how it turns out, I’m mostly on the fence with the shade of it but I think it’s what I want. I’m doing the headliner, sunshade, visors and door panel/rear speaker inserts in it. Been a long time coming, the houndstooth was an experiment that ended up gracing the interior way longer than I intended
 
1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
Which material did you pick?
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It’ll be revealed, right now I’m not quite sure how it’ll look until it arrives so I don’t want to bury the lead if I dislike it and return it, but all I’ll reveal right now is it’s faux suede, very alcantaraish
 
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Was trying to make two bad “stock” corner lights into one good one, the one I salvaged the housing and lens from (was) a clear corner with a broken reflector made by Depo and IME that company is right on the money with Ford OEM in fit and finish.

The other was a made in Taiwan replacement that never fit right or even looked quite right, (something about the lens always made it look milky next to the headlights) so I thought let’s take the good from both(Depo housing/main lens and Taiwan reflector and combine them!

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Not super easy to separate a reflector without breaking it but also fun in a destructive sort of way…

…unfortunately…

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The reflector mold turned out to be way different between brands. It’s taller the mounting doesn’t match the inner tabs and even with massaging to fix that it sits proud from the depo lens. Certainly explains why I never liked the fit of the Taiwan ones on the car, they’re literally shaped wrong!

Oh well so much for that experiment. If anyone has any stock OEM corners with the reflectors in tact and are willing to part with cheaply(I only want the reflector piece so condition otherwise doesn’t matter), message me! Otherwise I’ll try massaging these to complete the experiment I’ve had in my head
 
XR7-4.6 said:
Was trying to make two bad “stock” corner lights into one good one, the one I salvaged the housing and lens from (was) a clear corner with a broken reflector made by Depo and IME that company is right on the money with Ford OEM in fit and finish.

The other was a made in Taiwan replacement that never fit right or even looked quite right, (something about the lens always made it look milky next to the headlights) so I thought let’s take the good from both(Depo housing/main lens and Taiwan reflector and combine them!

View attachment 16076

Not super easy to separate a reflector without breaking it but also fun in a destructive sort of way…

…unfortunately…

View attachment 16077View attachment 16078

The reflector mold turned out to be way different between brands. It’s taller the mounting doesn’t match the inner tabs and even with massaging to fix that it sits proud from the depo lens. Certainly explains why I never liked the fit of the Taiwan ones on the car, they’re literally shaped wrong!

Oh well so much for that experiment. If anyone has any stock OEM corners with the reflectors in tact and are willing to part with cheaply(I only want the reflector piece so condition otherwise doesn’t matter), message me! Otherwise I’ll try massaging these to complete the experiment I’ve had in my head
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www.pyp.com

1995 Mercury Cougar Used Auto Parts | Sun Valley

1995 Mercury Cougar used auto parts available. Get a great deal on parts for your 1995 Mercury Cougar at Pick Your Part - Sun Valley
www.pyp.com www.pyp.com


Would these work?? Im thinking of hitting the JY by my house and they have this one in stock but not sure the condition.
 
Chingon1 said:
www.pyp.com

1995 Mercury Cougar Used Auto Parts | Sun Valley

1995 Mercury Cougar used auto parts available. Get a great deal on parts for your 1995 Mercury Cougar at Pick Your Part - Sun Valley
www.pyp.com www.pyp.com


Would these work?? Im thinking of hitting the JY by my house and they have this one in stock but not sure the condition.
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Probably but I don’t want anyone to go out of their way or pay junkyard fees. Just if one has the originals collecting dust on a shelf after a clear corner swap or refresh id be willing to pay shipping + their effort to hack away the piece I want
 
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XR7-4.6 said:
Probably but I don’t want anyone to go out of their way or pay junkyard fees. Just if one has the originals collecting dust of a shelf after a clear corner swap or refresh id be willing to pay shipping + their effort to hack away the piece I want
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I'll try to remember to look up at my mom's place where the stuff from the 95 is sitting. For some reason I think it had 96/97 corners tho. Saving my corners in case shit happens...
 
XR7-4.6 said:
Probably but I don’t want anyone to go out of their way or pay junkyard fees. Just if one has the originals collecting dust of a shelf after a clear corner swap or refresh id be willing to pay shipping + their effort to hack away the piece I want
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Well I’m thinking of going because I wanted to snag the pan and pick up, I can’t seem to find a Lincoln pan around. It’s literally 10mins from my pad so if you change your mind let me know, also depends on the current state of them, wouldn’t grab them if their are beat to shit either.

Side not, I heard the early marks have the smaller pick up tubes, so you know which years? There a 95’ around an hour away from home.
 
Chingon1 said:
Well I’m thinking of going because I wanted to snag the pan and pick up, I can’t seem to find a Lincoln pan around. It’s literally 10mins from my pad so if you change your mind let me know, also depends on the current state of them, wouldn’t grab them if their are beat to shit either.

Side not, I heard the early marks have the smaller pick up tubes, so you know which years? There a 95’ around an hour away from home.
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Junkyards around here usually want $20-30 per light which is about all I’d be willing to pay for a pair shipped so I’m going to say definitely no on those.

The HO pickup tube starts in 96, the 93-95s use the same one as 4.6 Tbirds/Cougars, but all Marks do have the 6 quart pan
 
XR7-4.6 said:
Junkyards around here usually want $20-30 per light which is about all I’d be willing to pay for a pair shipped so I’m going to say definitely no on those.

The HO pickup tube starts in 96, the 93-95s use the same one as 4.6 Tbirds/Cougars, but all Marks do have the 6 quart pan
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All good I just checked and they’re about 14$ each.

Thanks! I just might go out there and grab it.
 
I might have one from the tbird crash years ago. I'm putting arp studs in a block tomorrow, I'll look.
 
XR7-4.6 said:
Was trying to make two bad “stock” corner lights into one good one, the one I salvaged the housing and lens from (was) a clear corner with a broken reflector made by Depo and IME that company is right on the money with Ford OEM in fit and finish.

The other was a made in Taiwan replacement that never fit right or even looked quite right, (something about the lens always made it look milky next to the headlights) so I thought let’s take the good from both(Depo housing/main lens and Taiwan reflector and combine them!

View attachment 16076

Not super easy to separate a reflector without breaking it but also fun in a destructive sort of way…

…unfortunately…

View attachment 16077View attachment 16078

The reflector mold turned out to be way different between brands. It’s taller the mounting doesn’t match the inner tabs and even with massaging to fix that it sits proud from the depo lens. Certainly explains why I never liked the fit of the Taiwan ones on the car, they’re literally shaped wrong!

Oh well so much for that experiment. If anyone has any stock OEM corners with the reflectors in tact and are willing to part with cheaply(I only want the reflector piece so condition otherwise doesn’t matter), message me! Otherwise I’ll try massaging these to complete the experiment I’ve had in my head
Click to expand...
Peoples heads will probably spin when I tell them I broke a few sets of the 96/97 clear corner lights trying to pull them apart to paint them. 😂
 
Matt,you can bend that plastic a few ways, boiling water will soften it, and possibly bend it; If it won't, try a blow drier or heat gun.
Last resort is to make a mold that can take heat, and put it in the oven. Start about 275, 350 chars most plastic. I've molded sheets of plexiglass to cover power supplies for sending to Germany. They didn't care for "maybe don't touch trhat part?" The 1350V power supply/test fixture Did not make me popular, lol. They managed to get shocked to the point they were calling it "the defibrillator" ,lol. I made a cover, and rwo pushbuttons to run the test; If their hands are widely separated have to be pushed to run the test, I knew where their hands are.
 
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Grog6 said:
Matt,you can bend that plastic a few ways, boiling water will soften it, and possibly bend it; If it won't, try a blow drier or heat gun.
Last resort is to make a mold that can take heat, and put it in the oven. Start about 275, 350 chars most plastic. I've molded sheets of plexiglass to cover power supplies for sending to Germany. They didn't care for "maybe don't touch trhat part?" The 1350V power supply/test fixture Did not make me popular, lol. They managed to get shocked to the point they were calling it "the defibrillator" ,lol. I made a cover, and rwo pushbuttons to run the test; If their hands are widely separated have to be pushed to run the test, I knew where their hands are.
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It doesn’t need to be bent to fit, it needs to be cut down. It’s really weird, its actually larger both vertically and horizontally as it turns out, it overlaps the clear lens by about 1/8”
 
 
Grog6 said:
They make a plastic cutting tips for the big weller irons; iirc you have one too.

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It would be much safer to reshape it with my sander. Either way I completely lost interest in this mini project lol
 
Drove it, like most days. Pulled into a parking spot, got out. A young gentleman in an Acura RSX pulled alongside, though I could tell from his mods that his RSX identified as an Integra. He asked, "What model Chrysler is that?" I answered, "It's a Thunderbird." He went on to compliment my car, saying he really liked the bodystyle. I told him that he should get one, and that they were inexpensive and reliable!
 
1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
I told him that he should get one, and that they were inexpensive and reliable!
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That’s cool but you didn’t have to lie to the boy! 🤣

Funny enough my buddy got a brand new RSX in our senior year of high school around the same time I bought my Cougar. I was very anti-JDM at the time, and I smiled so hard when he just couldn’t out pull my “grandma car”. Was a car nice though, peak Honda era
 
Little Ice-Cable said:
Called for the tint appointment today 👍
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I was trying to get my Turbo Coupe tinted all summer, but the guy kept blowing me off.

Most tinters I talk to hate doing tint on 90’s tbirds due to the curve in the rear window, I think they think my 88 is just as bad and that’s why I kept getting blown off.
 
Ericv8thunderbird said:
I was trying to get my Turbo Coupe tinted all summer, but the guy kept blowing me off.

Most tinters I talk to hate doing tint on 90’s tbirds due to the curve in the rear window, I think they think my 88 is just as bad and that’s why I kept getting blown off.
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My rear window took a couple attempts per my tint place. And that's on the cougar. I think a TC would provide similar challenges.
 
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