What did you do with your Thunderbird Today?

1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
I relocated my OBD connector back to its stock position below the glovebox.

After the heater core failure, I had moved it inside the dash behind the glovebox because residual coolant kept soaking it.

Since I like connecting my app, I need it in a convenient place, and there doesn't seem to be any coolant dripping anymore.
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oh man i had done the reading for doing a heater core and never got the motivation to actually do it. i just tolerated the cold. Call me lazy, i am and i need to get off my ass but its not my cat anymore so..

The key is to buy the heater core and convince yourself you are gonna do it when winter comes around, then suffer XD
 
Pulling the dash in a weekend isn’t as bad as being cold for 5 months.

It’s really not the horror show you expect it is, my least favorite part of a heater core job is getting the core tubes through the firewall grommet, the dash pulling part is cathartic car bonding time.
 
I had a windshield fall out in my lap once; My cycle cold weather gear was in the trunk, so I wore a helmet, goggles, etc for a week until I could get it replaced. 83 firebird; went from crack~1/2" long to "Holy fuckingshit!" in an instant.The trooper I talked to said it was "legal, but expect hassle."

Here, running a bottle or a dd with a cage and a harness on the street will get you arrested.
 
Warm day today, 85°F, so I was able to bring the transmission up to 150°F for the first time this year, which actually isn't that easy since the installation of the cooler. And that's the lower end of the 150-170°F preferred temperature range for reading the fluid level.

Ergo, that's what I did, and the fluid covered indeed the lower third of the "HOT" area on the dipstick. And that was somewhat of a relief because I have been having distinct red moisture from the bellhousing for a while now. All good for now.
 
Did the task worse than R&Ring the heater core, steering rack or fuel pump combined…. Went to the DMV to get my sticker that expired 2 days ago… tried, and still am trying to get EA plates but I got the runaround where I needed to renew my current normie plates before I can apply for the EA plates, so I ain’t saving shit for money 😆
 
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XR7-4.6 said:
am trying to get EA plates
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EA is your version of antique plates I'm guessing? Here in VA, they come with too many restrictions...


And what did I do today? I accelerated briskly!
Ok, that by itself isn't newsworthy; I just enjoyed it! There's a spot near my home where you have to go all in: you turn right from a neighborhood drive onto the somewhat busy main road, speed limit 45 mph, and it's uphill. To get any sort of speed, I have to essentially floor it, so it holds 1st gear until about 4,500 rpm. It just sounds lovely! The uphill puts an added load on the engine, which I think improves the sound. The shift feels solid, and the soundtrack continues into 2nd gear...

I know, I know...stock NA V6. But sometimes this car truly shines!

And also today, I did a brief fuel economy run. 95% freeway, and I realize using two different pumps introduces a margin of error.

Screenshot_20260402_164446_Calculator.jpg

The result is as expected, i.e., pretty good.

But I have the feeling that my overall economy is down lately. It hovers around 20-21 mpg; I'm more used to 23 mpg average. Has my driving changed? I don't know.

But some may remember that I have occasional hot start stumbling, which I attribute to fuel vaporizing in the lines, and I'm wondering if there could be a leak. No dripping or smells though; I may just be paranoid.
 
1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
EA is your version of antique plates I'm guessing? Here in VA, they come with too many restrictions...
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Only real restriction here is don’t drive from Dec 1 to Mar 1(no problemo!) and given I see people with the plates driving in those months the police don’t bother enforcing it.
 
Zep5.0 said:
No smog testing here in Iowa, but technically no catalytic converter can be removed, whoops.

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Well yeah because it’s a federal law, literally all mechanical car mods since the clean air act are effectively outlawed, but cops have bigger fish to fry than to enforce it, and that’s specifically why there are state inspections to take that burden off them… but if the state can’t be bothered with them the unspoken murky rule to me is “do whatever the fuck you want with that rustbucket” 😉😉
 
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