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Topics - bootleggers deluxe

2
Body/Appearance/Interior / i want to see your back seat deletes!
I'm thinking pretty hard about pulling the back seat out of my 87 Tbird, ( no kids, and i typically keep the seat all the way back) but i would love to see who else has deleted the back seat on a fox body Tbird or cougar.

So please, inspire me!
3
User Rides / Boot's Bird Build
Hello Everyone!

I'm Bootlegger's Deluxe, but everyone calls me Boot.  This is my build thread.

I'll start out by saying I've always been one who has always loves Thunderbirds.  My first car wasa 78, a car I still own to this day.  I've owned over 30 Tbirds over the years, but this is my first fox body T.  I had plans of what I wanted to build long before I found the car.

Here is my 1987 Tbird, the day I bought it.





Note the fact the right front wheel is missing.  The strut had sheared itself off of the spindle.

So i towed it home, tossed a pair of struts under it to get it driving, and then fought with the car trying to get the 3.8 to run properly, and ultimately, finding out the rear axle bearings were complete trash.

The car got sidelined, waiting for me to gather parts.

I've been lurking on this forum since i got the car, learning info, and over the time, i ended up getting a 5.0 87 cougar that i parted out, and also a very big lot of parts from a member on here, Lodema.



So, today, I finally wheeled the car out of it's hibernating spot, and into the goodie stall, to begin it's transformation.







Step one is removal of the 3.8 and auto.



Plans for the car will be a budget oriented build, I plan on having the car street driven but also ready to hit an autocross curse at a moment's notice.  I plan to do a 5 lug swap, 4 wheel discs, subframe connectors and other stiffening devices, I plan to trim out some interior things ( converting to manual seats and manual windows, deleting rear seat) while maintaining some creature comforts ( cruise, ac), and the drivetrain will involve a 302 based engine, a 5 speed manual trans, and an 8.8 rear.
4
Suspension/Steering / A tale of three sets of SN95 springs
Hello Everyone!

so, as some of you know, some others may not, I bought a collection of parts from another member here, and I'm slowly sorting through it all, figuring out what I can use and what I wont use for my build.

Today I found three pairs of SN95 springs.  I  have been told before that the SN95 springs will give my car approx.  .75" to 1" of drop, which i am in love with that idea.  But i do need help identifying which springs to use.

First off, I am fairly certain these are the front springs.



And then these both appear to be rear springs, but what is the difference between them?





This last set of springs had me particularly confused, as they are the same height, but one spring has more coils than the other.  Anyone care to chime in what I've got going on here?
5
Misc Tech / Subframe connectors, build, buy, advice?
Hello everyone! 

As im digging deeper into my car, and planning my moves for upgrades so i can do it all in one big push, I am thinking that subrame connectors need to be put on the car.  My 87 T will mostly serve as a fun, not quite daily driver, and not going to make tons of horsepower, but there are two reasons i am thinking subframe connectors are gonna have to be needed.

1) I've always owned full frame cars until the last year and a half.  I'm used to having the beef under there.

2) i like autocross racing, and i plan to occasionally run the T around the track. 

so, i'm up for suggestions , for pictures, for smart remarks, what's the best route to go?  do i buy them somewhere?  do i fire up the plasma and the wire welder and build them? if i'm building, does anyone have pics of what they have built, so i can copy their designs?

Thanks everyone for the input.  i promise, I'll be tearing into the car soon, just a few more projects to go beforehand...
6
Drivetrain Tech / two T5s, whats the difference?
hello everyone!

During a series of horse trades, I ended up trading off a spare 351W that i had sitting around (basically a core, it ran when pulled, and sat in the corner for close ot a decade) for two T5 transmissions. 

the first one is out of a 1989 ford Mustang GT, 5.0 car, and i was told, the 2nd gear syncro is a bit finicky.

the 2nd one is out of a Merucry Mekur, that had a non turbo 4 cylinder.

I'm looking to eventually put one of these into my 87 Tbird, my question is, whats the difference between the two transmissions?
7
Suspension/Steering / 2009 mustang rims on a a fox bird with SN-95 spindles?
hey everyone!

I'm slowly gathering the pieces to get my 5 lug conversion underway , and my glance ended up falling on the 2009 mustang rims I have ( standard issue 16's, nothing too fancy).  I can't seem to find an answer as far as backspacing goes, but does anyone know if they will clear on my 87 Tbird after I do the 5 lug converion?
9
Engine Tech / Which 302 to start with, and what to use for parts??
hello everyone!

I'm getting wrapped up with my current project (1966 ford LTD) and finally ready to start building my 1987 Tbird into a mean, a bit rough around the edges driver.  the plan has been to put a budget 5.0/ 5 speed in, along with some brake and suspension mods, and use it for a driver/have fun car, without caring too much about keeping  perfect paint and a super straight body. This car will be built to drive, and a lot.

so, the car will be tossing out the 3.8 soon enough, but i have a few different engine options to go with.  i'm kinda leaning towards one, but i would like to get  everyone's opinions to make sure i'm not overlooking something.

Option 1:

I have a 302 that came out of a 1991 Ford !50 on the stand.  stock bottom end rebuild, the F150 got a 351W instead. the Bottom end is stock, nothing fancy, but it is all fresh and ready to roll.  I do have a set of freshly refurbished GT40P heads that were going to go onto that engine, i would go choose a fitting cam ( the current cam i had in the engine was more aimed towards towing) and i would put it in the car, with proper mounts, pan, etc, a set of reasonable headers, and go with a simple 600-ish CFM carb and intake combo. the benefits to this setup are that I already have most of the long block bought and assembled, and that simplicity is bliss.

Option 2:

I have a donor 1988 Cougar that is a 5.0 car.  the trans is out of it, the car sat for over a decade, but it was free, and i am harvesting parts, because regardless, i will still need the accessory drive and stuff.  The engine looks NASTY and has 180K on it, I havent even seen if it will turn over by hand or not.  the entire intake and fuel injection setup is there, but mice decided to wreak havoc on the engine harness. It would take some patience, but i would be able to repair the harness, rebuild the 302 out of the cougar, and swap the setup into my Tbird.  yes, I would once again go with an appropriate cam, headers, and probably the GT40P heads.  The Benefits to this setup would be that it would have fuel injection, while much more complex, it does have its merits.


So, my initial thoughts are to go with option 1, because its already mostly paid for, so thats an expense that I wouldn't have to deal with . Yes, i could very easily build the long block in option 1, and hang the cougar injection on it, unless, of course, you guys see some reason that I am unable to use the 91 truck block, which is why i suggested a full rebuild of the cougar engine.

So, lets start this conversation off that direction.  Is there any reason that i would not be able to use my 1991 Ford pickup long block with GT40P heads in this build?

also, sound off, which do you think i should go with, carb or injection, and why?
10
General Fox T-Bird/Cougar Discussion / The rusty old game changer.
So, let me tell you all a story.

I'm a local undercar tech at a small shop in a small iowa town.  i know the customers by name, they know me, its all good.

Old boy comes in today and says "didnt i see you drive an old red Tbird last week?"

Yes, yes i was.

"do you want another?  you can have it for free, it just needs gone by the weekend!"

Ummm....  sure?  can I swing out over my lunch?

Old boy pulls the title out of his back pocket "sure, but its yours now" and hands me the paperwork and walks away.


So i take my lunch break and drive across town to where the old boy has some storage sheds, to see what I had just gotten myself into. Here's what i found.







I think it's safe to assume two things, the car has not moved in a while, and the body is complete junk.

However, there are some redeeming attributes

The car is a 302 car.  ( the transmission is completely removed)
The car has the same color interior as my Tbird, and the seats and console are much better.
The car is free.

Old boy thought it was a 5 lug car, i havent pulled a hubcab to verify.  I will once its on the trailer this weekend.

So, my plan to pluck the 3.8 out of my car just got a lot easier.  Tell me, oh wise ones,  what all do i need to salvage from this car before shipping it off to the s yard?  whats all of value for my swap?
11
User Rides / Boot's Budget Bird Build discussion
hey everyone!

I picked up my 87 Thunderbird this fall ,its a 3.8/ auto car that is far from perfect, but still decent enough to drive, considering it has spent its entire life as a driver in Iowa.  the car is a 3.8/ auto car, the car seems to have an odd hard start issue that has driven me to s the 3.8 idea all together.  So i have been gathering some parts, and plan on digging in this summer.

Here is what I have gathered so far:

351W out of a 95 F150
Rear axle assembly out of a 98 Mustang
Front spindles off the same 98 mustang
All brake parts associated with the same 98 mustang
99 mustang front calipers
98 mustang 15" rims and tires
2008 mustang 16" rims ( i dont know if these will work, but the price was right)

My idea is to make the car a simple, reliable fun driver.  i plan on running the 351 as a carbed engine with the factory AOD for the time being, so i will be open for suggestions on how to ditch the factory 3.8 injection wiring, how to convert to an inline pump, and from what i can tell, most of the mustang engine parts ( pan, headers) will work to get it all in the car.  i plan on swapping to the 5 lug parts that i listed above, the car has new front struts in it, which i will retain with spacers, but i will get a MM bumpsteer kit and MM upper plates.  I know there are larger brake options, but im putting an emphasis on budget.  I have seen several threads about using springs to lower the car,  i dont want to get undriveably low, i would like to just put a proper squat and a firmer ride to it, does anyone have any suggestions there?  Also, with the spindle swap and the consideration of different springs, will i be better off just looking at the offset rack bushings??  finally, while on the discussion of suspension, is there a cheap swaybar upgrade?

As far as the rest of the car goes, the body is in very salvagable shape, i need to replace the rocker panel and possibly look for a door and fender (depends on how deep the rust looks when i get to prep work) but i plan on just giving the car a few coats of flat black paint ( dont worry, body guys, im not going rattle can) and i will probably look at shaving the body trim off as well.  the interior of the car is actually in quite nice shape, I intend to ditch the AC during the engine swap,  and im wondering, even though they are currently still functional, is there an easy way to convert my power windows to crank windows, and my power drivers seat to a manual rail seat?

Like i said, right now im just looking for ideas and discussions on what is the best direction to achieve the build i want.  Im not afraid to spend money on good parts where it is needed, but i am putting a big emphasis on keeping the car simple, and budget oriented. 

your thoughts??
12
Engine Tech / doesnt idle cold, hard start, IAC adjustment?
hey everyone!

I have my 1987 Tbird, 3.8 auto.  i bought it from a guy who only put a mile or two of city driving on it a day, and didnt do any maintenance on it, save for maybe an oil change in the last 5 years.  I got it home, changed the oil, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, air filter, fuel filter, and PCV valve.  i also changed the IAC, because it was making a very loud buzzing noise.

So,  heres my issue.

when i go to start the car cold ( like sitting overnight or sitting all day while at work) it takes several times to get it started, usually with me aiding it with the throttle.  once i get it running, i need to give it some throttle to keep it running for a few minutes until i finally get it warmed up enough to drive it.  once driving, it drives fine, cruises down the highway, and other than the occasional stall out, it drives fine.  but not great.

so,  does anyone have any suggestions on where to look next?  i noticed the the adjustable screw on the IAC bracket was recently cranked a whole bunch, so im sure the last owner screwed with it. is there a procedure to set it properly?

any other suggestions?  id love to get this thing running and driving reliably.
13
Body Repair/Metal Work/Painting / bumper "back to black" repair?
my apologies if there is a thread started on this already, i did a quick search and didnt locate anything.

I have an 87 Thunderbird.  It is by no means a show queen, but i want it to look somewhat respectable, at least from 40 feet away at highway speeds.

the Black trim on the bumpers has faded away. showing that wonderful yellow underneath that im sure we all recognize.

here's a picture to help with the visual end of things.



Far from the best pic, i know, but you understand.

So, what's a great, relatively low cost solution to make them black again?
14
Other Vehicles / My first Thunderbird came home
decided to finally bring home my first car, my 1978 Thunderbird. It's been 15 years.





poor old car saw a lot of miles with me,  it's sitting with 411,000 on it now,  I think im finally ready to restore/rebuild/hot rod it the way i want.
15
Electrical Tech / different battery options for my 87 Tbird?
hey everyone!

I recently picked up an 87 Tbird, just a plain jane 3.8 auto car, for use as a daily driver and as a car that may possibly morph into something a bit more... performance oriented.  But for right now, im more or less focused on getting the car running and driving reliably.

The previous owner put a no name battery in it, it appears quite a few years old.  and it definitely doesnt fit in the car. Whe i say "doesnt fit the car", i mean it hangs out of the battery tray, is not at all fastended down, and rubs against the alternator pulley at times as it slides back and forth.  my guess is that its a group 58R, but as i said, no markings on it.

Now, im typically a truck guy, I have several old Fords, and living in Northeast Iowa, im used to having to have a large , extra cold cranking amp battery to get my trucks going in those frigid January mornings.  I'm used to seeing a big ol Group 65 Battery.  But, from what im finding, all that fits in this tray is a considerably smaller battery.  So,  im sure i'm notthe first person to ponder this, but has anyone swapped trays or anything of that sort to properly mount a larger battery?