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Topic: New Addition (Read 11142 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: New Addition

Reply #15
Congrats on the purchase.

Looks like you aren't messing around with getting it cleaned up.

Want a set of snowflakes for it? I have a set just sitting and collecting dust.

Thank you.  Yeah, not messing around ... it will be gone through in detail.  Thanks for the offer on the snowflakes.  Besides knowing that the hubcaps have to go, I haven't made any wheel decisions just yet.

Re: New Addition

Reply #16
You're welcome to the snowflakes if that's the direction you want to go. If I can fit them in the car, I could bring them to you at Carlisle this year.
It's Gumby's fault.

Re: New Addition

Reply #17
You're welcome to the snowflakes if that's the direction you want to go. If I can fit them in the car, I could bring them to you at Carlisle this year.

Sounds good, thanks for the offer.  I'll let you know ... wheels are on the list, but it's a long list ... ha!

Re: New Addition

Reply #18
Well, despite a leaky cylinder, the top miraculously went down!

Re: New Addition

Reply #19
What company did the convertible conversion on these? Did they strengthen the underbody at all, any added cross braces?

Car Craft Company from Lima, OH did the conversion (they are not associated with the Car Kraft company from MI that did all the hot-rodding to Fords in the 1960s.) The company got bought out a few times and are now part of S&S/Superior Coach which is still in Lima. Essentially the company did nothing but GM conversions at the time, and the Cougar was its one and only Ford conversion which used the same GM parts they'd been using. The top, top skeleton, top motor, cylinders, latches, etc. were all from a Buick Riviera. Even the weatherstripping had GM part numbers. The small side windows do operate and have GM motors, wiring, and switches. They used some aftermarket/generic relays for the top and for each side window. A modified power seat switch is used to put the top up and down. The rear seat was just chopped and narrowed (center armrest removal); the rear side panels were made from sheetmetal and covered with matching vinyl. There is a full snap-on top boot as well. For its day, not a bad conversion although the cut 2-point lap belts usually scare people LOL.

Underneath there are some pretty hefty subframe connectors welded on. They are not the typical ones seen on Mustangs or our cars, for that matter. These are fully boxed, even on the end caps, and contoured to the floor pan and are made of 10-gauge steel. They didn't mess around. There were no other braces on the car that I've found, though. Sometimes I swear my A-pillars were gusseted on the bottom side, as they never quite fit correctly, but that might be from cowl twist. D'oh!

Thanks for the information Eric, sounds like Car Craft did a good job with the conversion then and parts are hopefully fairly easy to come by since they are mostly GM sourced
1988 Thunderbird
306 HO w/ A9P processor
AOD w/ Transgo Reprogrammer
Full Digital Dash w/ twin Cyberdyne A-pillar gauges 
245/50/16 Tires on Snowflakes
Engine swap - CA smog compliant

Re: New Addition

Reply #20
Interior is gutted other than the dash, working on cleaning everything and trying to get into all the nooks and crannies.  Actually, things are slowly going back together now ... "upgraded" with a few stock mods - added the XR7 steering wheel and digital clock.  Replaced the stock dash speakers.

Re: New Addition

Reply #21
Some progress ... "rebuilt" the stock cluster, had to replace the shift indicator and most/all of the bulbs, and buffed out the plastic glass.  Got all of the dew wipes replaced and the chrome trim reinstalled along with the window channel run weather stripping.

Re: New Addition

Reply #22
The trunk and driver's side taillight were damaged when I bought the car ... nothing too major ... there was a small vertical crease in the trunk lip, but the taillight was pretty much toast.  I had 2-3 sets of used taillights, each one with its unique pluses and minuses.  I took them all apart and picked the best pieces to refurb a set for the vert.  I sent the trunk to the body shop to be redone and just picked it up this past week.  It gave me a good fight, but I think I finally got it all aligned nicely.  

Re: New Addition

Reply #23
Started experimenting with the interior color combo a little.  As I mentioned before, I'm not a huge fan of red interior ... or at least not a full on red on red on red.  I do want to keep some of the stock-ness of the interior though, so here's what I'm toying with:

-Stock dash - Raven on top, Canyon Red below
-Upgrading to the high series door panels - messing with these now, thinking of going Raven as the base and then mixing in Canyon Red pieces (started with the inserts)
-Switch out to a Raven carpet
-Add a Canyon Red center console
-Keep the stock Canyon Red seats

Re: New Addition

Reply #24
I think red lower dash,  center console, door inserts, and seats will look good with raven everything else.
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.


Re: New Addition

Reply #26
I think red lower dash,  center console, door inserts, and seats will look good with raven everything else.

Thanks.  Trying to decide if I want to go with Raven or Canyon Red armrests/speaker grates/map pockets now.

I'd go with raven. Leave the red just for the middle door insert.
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.

 

Re: New Addition

Reply #27
Started experimenting with the interior color combo a little.  As I mentioned before, I'm not a huge fan of red interior ... or at least not a full on red on red on red.  I do want to keep some of the stock-ness of the interior though, so here's what I'm toying with:

-Stock dash - Raven on top, Canyon Red below
-Upgrading to the high series door panels - messing with these now, thinking of going Raven as the base and then mixing in Canyon Red pieces (started with the inserts)
-Switch out to a Raven carpet
-Add a Canyon Red center console
-Keep the stock Canyon Red seats
I like the color combo (a lot) but having trouble imagining the seats being one color (either).  Are you painting the trim pieces or they original color?  Would dying/paint the seats a combination be an option?  I believe the raven seats were originally two tone so something similar?
1988 Thunderbird TC, 5spd
Stinger 3" single exhaust, Cone Filter, Adjustable Cam Pulley, Schneider roller cam, Walbro 255 lph, AEM Wideband O2
'93 Mustang Cobra replica wheels on 235/50R17

'21 F150 Powerboost
'17 Husqvarna TX300

Re: New Addition

Reply #28
I think red lower dash,  center console, door inserts, and seats will look good with raven everything else.

Thanks.  Trying to decide if I want to go with Raven or Canyon Red armrests/speaker grates/map pockets now.

I'd go with raven. Leave the red just for the middle door insert.

That's the way I've been leaning, but trying to visualize it the other way.

Re: New Addition

Reply #29
I like the color combo (a lot) but having trouble imagining the seats being one color (either).  Are you painting the trim pieces or they original color?  Would dying/paint the seats a combination be an option?  I believe the raven seats were originally two tone so something similar?

All of the interior pieces that I'm changing out or experimenting with are stock pieces in their original color ... with one exception so far ... I painted the door insert pieces using Canyon Red interior paint from LMR.  I'd use stock pieces here if I could find them.  I suppose I could dye/paint the seats, but I don't have any desire to do that.  My plan is to keep all of the stock items in their original condition in the event I would somehow want to put it back ... however unlikely that is.  The factory Raven seats are two tone - Raven and Smoke color combo, but I'm kind of trying for something along the lines of the below using the stock seats (obviously in an older less sporty fashion ... ha!).  I did have to find a base model driver's seat out of a center console car though.  This will be used to swap the seat bases to avoid having to cut the consolette off of the original base.