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Topic: Change of direction, advice needed (Read 4175 times) previous topic - next topic

Change of direction, advice needed

The elimination of Emissions testing in Ontario has given me thoughts of leaving the track style exhaust on my project car.

With the discovery that the exhaust manifolds on the donor engine are not useable, my mind is made up.

Before I buy anything, I need your help !

Do these pipes look like the were used with shorty headers ?

What do you think ?

X
Original 1988 Cougar XR7 owner 200,000 miles and counting.

Change of direction, advice needed

Reply #1
I'd make sure those shock towers are solid before anything else....looking pretty crusty to me.
'84 Mustang
'98 Explorer 5.0
'03 Focus, dropped a valve seat. yay. freakin' split port engines...
'06 Explorer EB 4.6

Change of direction, advice needed

Reply #2
Looks like they are in the same place mine used to be when I had the stock manifolds a little hard to tell. Shorty headers should probably work? Can you tell if  somebody put that o2 bung in the driver side and modified the pipe there? Not sure I've seen one in that position before but again I may be wrong.

Change of direction, advice needed

Reply #3
X
X

Don't feel too bad about your shock tower I intentionally cut a hole and hammered the  out of mine to make the pipe from a foxbody cold air intake fit better.

Change of direction, advice needed

Reply #4
Those look like shorty header pipes. They have oxygen sensor bungs, the stock manifold pipes do not.
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.

Change of direction, advice needed

Reply #5
Exactly. O2' s are in the manifolds stock.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com

Change of direction, advice needed

Reply #6
Thanks,

Not the best picture.

It's a pretty cool exhaust system and it is growing on me.

This car has been soaked on a oily wax undercoating.

What you see is a combination of the coating and surface rust.

Everything is solid and better then my original car.

I will share a pic after I clean the bay up.
Original 1988 Cougar XR7 owner 200,000 miles and counting.

Change of direction, advice needed

Reply #7
Outsidedog.......DANG man!!! I think I would've just cut half an inch from the throttle body end of that pipe and moved it loser to the. I never had a CAI that hit the strut tower.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Change of direction, advice needed

Reply #8
In Ontario it is a bit of a game when you get a car certified.

Any alteration to a structure, like a shock tower, is looked on harshly.

Ordered these, hope they work.

X
Original 1988 Cougar XR7 owner 200,000 miles and counting.

Change of direction, advice needed

Reply #9
Quote from: vinnietbird;467584
Outsidedog.......DANG man!!! I think I would've just cut half an inch from the throttle body end of that pipe and moved it loser to the. I never had a CAI that hit the strut tower.


Thought had crossed my mind, but if I do that then it throws off the angle I need and puts it right into the turbo. X

And I like cutting and hammering.

Change of direction, advice needed

Reply #10
Quote from: Muttwood;467586
In Ontario it is a bit of a game when you get a car certified.

Any alteration to a structure, like a shock tower, is looked on harshly.

Ordered these, hope they work.

X

Did not know that, if you're referring to Ontario,California I think the strut tower would be the least of their worries with my car and if you're in Canada I know nothing of their regulations on vehicles. Anyway, those headers look nice will probably work fine.

Change of direction, advice needed

Reply #11
Yes, Ontario, Canada.

The land of rusted out cars with really nice interiors, without the sun damage ;)
Original 1988 Cougar XR7 owner 200,000 miles and counting.

Change of direction, advice needed

Reply #12
I'd like to find a heater only setup. Ditch the a.c..
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com

Change of direction, advice needed

Reply #13
I think 1984 was the last year AC was not standard.

I could be wrong.
Original 1988 Cougar XR7 owner 200,000 miles and counting.

Change of direction, advice needed

Reply #14
This is all most people will see :flame:

(Picture from last winter, no snow here)

X
Original 1988 Cougar XR7 owner 200,000 miles and counting.