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Topics - TheCowboyKiller

1
T-Bird/Cougar Parts & Cars FOR SALE / 88 Cougar LS Modified
Hey guys,

Testing the waters on selling my 1988 Mercury Cougar LS. Purchased several years ago from someone original owner. Was garage kept and immaculately maintained by original owner. I have been gradually converting it from an old lady car to a muscle car ever since. It was originally a stock 3.8L column shifted car with an open diff. rear and has middle of the road options.

-   Engine swap: Started with a low mile (70k~) 5.0 roller short-block from an 87’ Tbird. Added rebuilt GT40P heads, new Scorpion 1.6 roller rockers, new Melling 5.0HO roller cam, new double roller timing gear set, and a new oil pump.
-   Transmission: Reputably rebuilt Borg Warner World Class T5 with reinforced internals to handle more torque. Synthetic gear oil. SVE short throw shifter with Steeda aluminum arm. Used factory console parts from Turbo Coupe and pedal assembly from Mustang GT to make the install look factory stock.
-   Exhaust: Shorty headers into an H-piped true dual 2.5” aluminized steel setup into two Summit Racing Flowmaster 40 style lers dumping in front of the rear tires.
-   Ignition: Duraspark 2 module/vacuum advance distributor and Blue Streak coil. Custom cut plug wires with ceramic boots.
-   Fuel system: In tank Walbro 255gph unit feeding a Holley return style regulator for carb. Fuel tank was replaced by last owner shortly before I purchased the car.
-   Front Suspension: Turbo Coupe springs installed and lowered car by 1.5” or so. Struts replaced by previous owner with KYB. Moog sway bar bushings.
-   Rear Suspension: Red CHE tubular lower control arms with polyurethane bushings installed. Upper control arm bushings replaced with Moog rubber units. Rear sway bar and new heavy-duty springs from Turbo Coupe installed. Struts replaced by previous owner with KYB.
-   Steering: Rack and pinion from Turbo Coupe and new pump.
-   Front Brakes: Mustang GT spindles and 11” rotors. 70mm piston Lincoln LSC calipers/brake pads/flex lines installed.
-   Rear Brakes: All drum brake components replaced and adjusted.
-   Rear Axle: 3.45:1 limited slip differential rear axle assembly from 86’ Turbo Coupe installed. Outer bearings and seals replaced. New Yukon axles installed. Quad shocks installed. U joints on driveshaft replaced. Also included is a 8.8 rear from a TurboCoupe with 3.55:1 limited slip and disc brake components.
-   Air & Fuel: Reconditioned Holley 4160 vacuum secondary electric choke carb sitting on top of new Edelbrock RPM intake. Quick Fuel adjustable throttle cable bracket. Edelbrock air filter housing.
-   Wheels & Tires: Vision wheel 15x7 front and 15x8 rear wheels. New Cooper Cobra tires 215/70/15 front 255/60/15 back.
-   Cooling: New 3 row aluminum radiator and dual electric fan system.
-   Electrical: New battery, new 3G 120A alternator, PMGR high torque starter, and wire harness tuck behind fender apr0ns. Turbo coupe buttstuffog gauge cluster installed. In cabin fuel pump switch installed.
-   Heating/AC: New expansion tank and lines.
-   Interior: New seat belts. Hurst shifter handle.
-   Exterior: Replaced headlamps. Includes custom fitted car cover.

What it needs:
-   AC system needs to be charged. Compressor is original and clutch is tested and works.
-   No stereo head unit installed. Speakers and factory amplifier still present.
-   Fuel level sender tested outside of tank for resistance and does work, along with level gauge, but gauge doesn’t read while sender is in tank. I suspect the float may not be floating, or there’s a touchy connection at the sender plug that needs to be fixed.
-   Choke on carb could use adjusting.
-   Front control arm bushing should be replaced. I have Moog replacements ready to go.
-   Could use a good exterior buffing and polishing. Paint is fantastic for it’s age but not perfect.
-   Oil pressure gauge occasionally doesn’t read right away but will suddenly start working. The connector on this cluster is not great even from the factory, so I suspect this is the issue.

This car is already an awesome street machine as is, and without a whole lot of work it could be very reliable and possibly daily driven. I recently became a father and don’t have the time to dedicate to this car right now, and probably not for the next few years. I’m contemplating putting the car in long term storage to keep it out of the elements and mess with it again a few years down the road. Alternatively, I’d be open to selling it to someone who can finish it and have the kind of fun I intended to have in it. Building this car has been a passion of mine over the past six years. I changed directions on it many times and have spent a small fortune as a result. I’m aware that something this heavily modified can be hard to put an exact price on, but I’m open to having conversations. Feel free to give me a ring at (240) 678-5016 as I don't check this forum all the time. I'm located in Southern PA, not far from Baltimore.
3
T-Bird/Cougar Parts & Cars FOR SALE / A lot of Tbird/Cougar Parts
I'm looking to clear out my garage in preparation for the next project. I'd be open to shipping some parts, and am open to offers, bundle deals, and trades. I attached some pics but not everything listed is shown:

- Center Console. Blue, mid 80's TC unit. I have the mounting brackets and console insert.
- Glove box. Blue, 85-88.
- Visors. Blue, 85-88.
- Steering Column covers. Various upper, lowers, collars. Blue 85-88.
- Cluster surround and dash trim (consolette). Wood grain 85-88.
- Cluster surround and dash trime (Full console). Brushed aluminum 85-88.
- Steering Wheel, Turbo Coupe 87-88.
- Full Console insert (for column shift cars).
- System Sentry unit.
- Automatic Climate Control unit.
- Base cluster, 85-88.
- Rearview mirror. Non-Auto headlight unit.
- AOD kickdown cable assemblies. One for 3.8L, one for 5.0L.
- AOD Column shift linkage.
- 20th Anniversary Cougar travel pack.
- Cougar Mudflaps
- Front Springs, TurboCoupe 87-88. Heavy duty Moog units. Barely used.
- Wirewheel cover, blank center cap.
- 5.0 roller block, crank, balancer.  "XXX" casting for rebuild. Appears to not have been previously bored.
- 5.0 roller lifters, dogbones, spider. Appear to be in good shape but will need cleaned.
- 5.0 Timing cover. Needs cleaned.
- 5.0 Timing sprockets. Single roller, various.
- 5.0 Stock HO headers. Ceramic coated.
- Full size 14" spare tire, 4 lug.

Give me a call or text at (240) 678-5016


4
Engine Tech / Fuel Pressure Gauge Location
Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with adding a mechanical fuel pressure gauge to a stock 5.0 fuel rail setup. Long story short, I didn't realize there was a schrader valve on the hard line coming off the fuel rails when I redid the fuel system during my swap, and I ended up trashing said hard line in place of a new rubber line and connector. I attached a picture to show what I mean. I also ended up ordering a Kirban adjustable fuel pressure regulator to throw into the mix and again did not account for it's lack of pressure port for a gauge. In what location would you guys recommend adding the gauge?

Thanks,

Dan
5
Suspension/Steering / Springs for V8
Hi All,

I recently swapped from 3.8/Auto to 5.0/Manual & did the LSC brakes/GT spindles up front. I also swapped to Turbo Coupe springs on all four corners. The back of the car appears to be sitting slightly lower than before, but the front of the car is actually higher than before at approx. 3.5" between the top of the tire and the wheel arch. I've heard that springs need time to settle in, and I wouldn't say I've driven the car an enormous amount since doing the swap but have put some miles on it and expected to see some different already. Is is possible I have the wrong springs? If so, what do you guys recommend as far as front spring/strut selection?

Thanks,

Dan
6
Electrical Tech / PMGR Starter Issue
Hi All,

I installed a PMGR starter on my freshly built 5.0 and am having a strange issue that I'm hoping someone can shed some light on. I'll mention that when I did my 5.0 swap, I also went with a T5 and chose to eliminate the firewall mounted starter solenoid altogether, since the PMGR has a solenoid built onto the housing and I did a wire tuck.

Symptom: Starter only turns over motor sometimes when triggered by ignition switch. Sometime it'll take 20 or so turns of the ignition switch before I can get cranking.

Diagnosis so far:

1) I initially suspected my battery might be low so I charged it, and it now reads over 12.6V

No Change

2) I figured it may be a grounding issue so I installed a grounding strap from the back of the starter to the K member. I grinded the paint away from the K member to ensure a good connection.

No Change

3) I removed the starter from the vehicle, along with all associated wiring. I hooked up jumper cables straight from the - to the housing and + to the positive strap going to the motor.

The motor spun fine

4) I hooked up the + jumper cable to the solenoid's coil.

Saw it push the bendix gear out

5) I installed a new solenoid assembly, thinking the original may only be pushing the plunger out and not closing the contacts for the motor all the way. Truth be told, I'm not sure how the internals of this particular solenoid work so this was kind of a shot in the dark and since the replacement was $15 I figured it wouldn't hurt to try. I reinstalled this in the vehicle.

Made no difference, same issue.

6) I removed the starter again, this time leaving all of the connections hooked up but letting the starter hang freely under the vehicle. I triggered the ignition switch repeatedly.

The bendix gear both protruded and spun at the same time.

7) I did some research to double check that my starter and flywheel are compatible.

As far as I can tell, they are. Flywheel is 157 tooth and the starter was one of the ones recommended on the coolcats website.


I'm kind of at a loss as far as what to do next. I'm having a hard time understanding how the starter can work every time outside of the car but not when installed, especially since there is no adjustment for gear engagement and I believe I have the right parts.

Any ideas?

7
Drivetrain Tech / Floor Shifter
Hi All,

I'm excited to get back to working on my Cougar now that it's getting nice out! My motor is mostly built and now I'm dealing with the transmission part of the build. I have a low mile rebuilt AOD. I bought a higher stall torque converter for it and a Baumann shift kit. Recently I've been contemplating ditching the column shift admittedly partially because I'm dreading getting all the linkage back together. My other thought is to install an auto/manual valve body to give me the flexibility of manually shifting when I feel like it. Have any of you gone with a setup like this? If so, what shifter and valve body have you gone with? I'm contemplating the Silverfox SPTR valve body and a Hurst V-Matic 3 shifter. I don't mind spending the money for the right stuff, but it is a large purchase so I'd like to explore all my options.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks!
8
Electrical Tech / Fuel Level Sender
My car has the base cluster and I'm upgrading to full buttstuffog. Do I need to change my fuel level sending unit? If so, where do you guys recommend I buy one?

Thanks!
9
Engine Tech / Torque Converters
Hey guys,

I've been doing a whole lot of research regarding torque converters and am getting a little lost in the weeds. I would appreciate some guidance on this subject matter. I am currently building this setup:

-Stock 87' sport 5.0 bottom end.
-87' HO roller cam and speed density system
-GT40 heads/intakes
-Headers
-3.45 limited slip rear
-255 tires in the back

I'm fairly convinced as of right now that I'll be installing a Baumann AOD shift kit. What do you all recommend as far as torque converters go. Should I stick with the stock one or upgrade, This will NOT be a drag car. I'll be driving it on the street exclusively.

Thanks!
10
Electrical Tech / Electric Fan
I'm doing a 5.0 conversion in the 88' and contemplating an electric fan swap. Any recommendations?

Thanks!
11
T-Bird/Cougar Parts & Cars FOR SALE / T-Bird/Cougar Parts - Some Free
I've got a bunch of stuff to clean out of the garage. Some of this stuff can be had for free. I'm also interested in trades for 5.0 parts, specifically decent valve covers, GT40P compatible headers, full buttstuffog V8 cluster, electric cooling fans, and mustang dual exhaust components.

- 7.5" Conventional 3.08 rear out of an 88' Cougar LS. Swapped it out recently for a limited slip unit from a TurboCoupe and no longer need it. FREE local pickup.

- (2) Stock 5.0/3.8 Starter Motors. FREE local pickup.

- 4 bolt spare wheel/tire. Tire is immaculate and original. $50 local pickup only.

- 14" wire hubcap. Great shape, no label on centercap. $20

- 5.0 XXX block and crank. Never bored over. Looks to be in good shape, just needs cleanup. $100 local pickup only.

- 5.0 Harmonic Balancer. Cleaned. $20

- Various 5.0 accessory drive components from various years. Power steering pumps, air pump, alternator, mounting brackets, pulleys. Inquire.

- Blue center console out of 86' Turbo Coupe. Decent shape. $50

- Stock 1987 5.0 Upper and Lower intakes, EGR block, and throttle body. Plaque missing. $40 takes all.

- Stock 1987 5.0 Computer. $20

- 1988 3.8 V6. Full motor assembly and associated wiring. Ran decent until car was parked after transmission failure. Did have some leaks and repaired oil pan. Needs to be pull out of my car but if someone wants to help me, its theirs for free.

- 1988 Stock V6 Exhaust System. Like new, installed shortly before car was parked. $75

- 1985 Stock V8 Motor Mounts. Cleaned and in good shape. $20

- Blue 1985-1988 Sun Visors. Fantastic shape. $40

I probably have more things I'm forgetting.

Hit me up! (240) 678-5016. Southern York County, PA



13
Engine Tech / Mid Output Intake Question
Hey guys,

I picked up a nice 5.0/AOD combo from 50RACER last weekend. He's a cool dude and very helpful!

I am planning my transplant around the "Mid Output" 5.0 mod from coolcats.net. The upgrade parts I have acquired thus far that I plan to swap onto the motor are:

Rebuilt GT40P heads

Foxbody Mustang 5.0 Headers

My plan is to use a 87-93 HO upper intake plenum and 60mm throttle body/EGR spacer. I was browsing CL and found someone selling an explorer upper and lower intakes for a very reasonable price. My questions is, am I going to run into a problem with too much airflow for the amount of fuel I'm dumping in with the stock computer/injectors? If so, should I stick with the HO intake/TB and call it a day? I'm not trying to get major horsepower out of this car, just making it a little more fun to drive without spending too much money.

Thanks!
14
T-Bird/Cougar Parts & Cars WANTED / Looking for a complete 87-88 5.0 Motor and Trans
Hey guys,

I'm looking for a 87-88 Cougar/Thunderbird driveline in good shape to swap into my 88 V6 Cougar. I'm not looking to race this car or even fast for that matter and don't realistically have time to do anything other than a direct swap so a standard engine/trans and all associated wiring would be ideal. I'm in southern PA.

Thanks!
15
T-Bird/Cougar Parts & Cars FOR SALE / '88 Cougar LS
Hello all,

I have decided to sell my 88' Cougar LS. It's a shame because this car is in such great shape, but unfortunately I'm not finding myself with much time to go through with the projects I had in mind for it. Here's a little background on the car. I've own a few Thunderbirds and Cougars in the past but most had been total beaters so I decided that I wanted to find a very clean, rust-free car to use as the platform for my modifications. I originally had a high output and 5 speed swap in mind with some suspension and brake upgrades thrown in there. I ended up finding this LS two years ago and although I tried to avoid V6 models, nothing came close to how clean this car was. It was previously owned by an old lady who commuted with it daily and parked it at a garage at work and a garage at home. The guy who ended up purchasing a lot of this woman's estate told me that her son (who he was friends with but had also passed) had owned a detailing shop and always took care of the car for her. I was easy to believe considering the condition of the vehicle and it was a good price so I jumped on it. The car had some nagging issues that I took care of over the coarse of the following year and everything I did is included below. It ended up being my daily driver for awhile until the AOD decided to die one day. I figured that it would be a good time to start collecting parts for my V8/T5 swap. I collected for awhile but ended up being too busy with work, home remodeling, and other cars that it has sat in my garage for the last year practically untouched. I feel that now it's finally time to let it move on to someone that has the time to fix it up and drive it again.

This is what's been done to the car over the last couple of years:

- New gas tank and level sender
- New front seat belts
- New windshield wiper motor
- New aluminum three row radiator
- Added a turbocoupe rear swaybar and CHE tubular lower control arms
- New U-joints on driveshaft
- New bfgoodrich Radial T/A tires. 235 in front, 255 in back
- Mustang turbine wheels
- New front sway bar links and bushings

This car doesn't have a spec of rust, the paint is prestine (yet dirty from sitting in the garage), all of the gaskets on the doors like brand new, and is not trashed whatsoever.
The engine runs but I remember is running a tiny bit rough before the transmission blew. The car also currently will need new front brakes. I collected a ton of parts for the swap as well so I may or may not sell a lot of that stuff too. The car is located close to York Pennsylvania.

 I'm having a hard time attaching images to this post so I can send pictures through email or text. Please email me (Dan) at dcogut1@gmail.com or give me a ring or text (240) 678 5016.

Thanks!

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