Every now and then…

RoadRoach

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Once in a blue moon between centuries, I have a small stroke of good luck. Normally, if it weren’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have any luck at all.

Today, I decided to resuscitate a 1986 Ford Thunderbird that has been dormant since 2009. Of course, the dead battery was the first contest. Not a real problem as I had one that I’d removed from my daughter’s car that didn’t fit and replaced with the right one. Didn’t fit the TBird either, but it would certainly crank it. Lo and behold, the car started on the 3rd attempt and ran beautifully. That’s the first surprise of the day. Since this effort is something of an attempt to sell the car, I figured one that will start and can be driven away (notwithstanding the flat-spotted tires) is worth more than one that has to be loaded onto a trailer and hauled away. So, once I started it with the battery that didn’t fit, I figured I’d get one that does. First issue is that the battery in a 1986 T-Bird is about as rare as hen’s teeth. But, Advance Auto showed they had one, so off I go. I get to the store, and accidentally get their battery specialist who immediately recognized it as one for an older Ford. Hmm, Group 56-1 gonna be hard to get. He checked, and sure enough, they had one on the shelf, BUT, way past it’s “fresh sale date”. The bad news wa that it was a defective battery by their standards, but he tested it and found it in working condition. But he couldn’t sell it to me. So he took my old core (14 years old) and GAVE me the “defective” battery. A $200 battery, I got for the exchange value of the old one.

If I hadn’t been carrying a 40 pound battery when I left the store, I’d have done the hamster dance. Got home installed this battery and voila, the car started beautifully. For free, basically.

On top of the luck with the battery, the tires still hold air, though that’s the most positive comment I can make about them. Still plenty tread as they have less than 5000 miles on them, but sitting in one place for 14 years takes a toll. But, I checked the brakes and they too seemed to work. No dry rotted lines, no leaks. So after installing my new free battery, I drove up the street to see if it would think about moving. Brakes are a little noisy from rusty rotors, but it goes and stops. Next fix will be stuck power windows. I’m a pro with Ford Fox Body power windows. They used EXACTLY the same motor and gear box as a 1992 F-150. Ask me how I know.
The car was gonna be my retirement project and lifelong dream of a Fox Body T-Bird with a sleeper drivetrain and a good mellow rumble. It has a ground effects kit on it straight outta NASCAR. I know if I drive it much, I’ll probably overrule the missus about selling it. I always loved the Fox Birds. But it’ll make a good daily driver for someone that wants a car no one else has. Otherwise it’ll sit in the driveway another 14 years.
 
https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/ford/thunderbird/1986
Once in a blue moon between centuries, I have a small stroke of good luck. Normally, if it weren’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have any luck at all.

Today, I decided to resuscitate a 1986 Ford Thunderbird that has been dormant since 2009. Of course, the dead battery was the first contest. Not a real problem as I had one that I’d removed from my daughter’s car that didn’t fit and replaced with the right one. Didn’t fit the TBird either, but it would certainly crank it. Lo and behold, the car started on the 3rd attempt and ran beautifully. That’s the first surprise of the day. Since this effort is something of an attempt to sell the car, I figured one that will start and can be driven away (notwithstanding the flat-spotted tires) is worth more than one that has to be loaded onto a trailer and hauled away. So, once I started it with the battery that didn’t fit, I figured I’d get one that does. First issue is that the battery in a 1986 T-Bird is about as rare as hen’s teeth. But, Advance Auto showed they had one, so off I go. I get to the store, and accidentally get their battery specialist who immediately recognized it as one for an older Ford. Hmm, Group 56-1 gonna be hard to get. He checked, and sure enough, they had one on the shelf, BUT, way past it’s “fresh sale date”. The bad news wa that it was a defective battery by their standards, but he tested it and found it in working condition. But he couldn’t sell it to me. So he took my old core (14 years old) and GAVE me the “defective” battery. A $200 battery, I got for the exchange value of the old one.

If I hadn’t been carrying a 40 pound battery when I left the store, I’d have done the hamster dance. Got home installed this battery and voila, the car started beautifully. For free, basically.

On top of the luck with the battery, the tires still hold air, though that’s the most positive comment I can make about them. Still plenty tread as they have less than 5000 miles on them, but sitting in one place for 14 years takes a toll. But, I checked the brakes and they too seemed to work. No dry rotted lines, no leaks. So after installing my new free battery, I drove up the street to see if it would think about moving. Brakes are a little noisy from rusty rotors, but it goes and stops. Next fix will be stuck power windows. I’m a pro with Ford Fox Body power windows. They used EXACTLY the same motor and gear box as a 1992 F-150. Ask me how I know.
The car was gonna be my retirement project and lifelong dream of a Fox Body T-Bird with a sleeper drivetrain and a good mellow rumble. It has a ground effects kit on it straight outta NASCAR. I know if I drive it much, I’ll probably overrule the missus about selling it. I always loved the Fox Birds. But it’ll make a good daily driver for someone that wants a car no one else has. Otherwise it’ll sit in the driveway another 14 years.
An '86? Geez, you were a kid then. Well, a young man at most.

Drive it for the summer, get it all sorted, have it detailed. Then you'll have a Car, and maybe she'll give in? Otherwise take the fifteen grand it's worth and run.

Hemmings motor news.
 
You better go buy a lottery ticket Roadie!

That lucks gunna run out soon might as well try your luck while you've got some.
 
Yeah it’s mind boggling that with ZERO investment other than a few minutes labor and a trip to the parts house (which was actually just a small detour from an already scheduled trip) my driveway ornament is now a functional car, albeit sorely neglected one. Unlike new cars, I can swap the battery in this one in less than 10 minutes, from the time I pop the hood(that’s the bonnet to you, Ben). This vintage was the dawn of the technology that put shade tree mechanics and DIYers out of business. I know the Ford Speed/Density technology pretty well, but Mass/Air systems grew up without me because I had other concerns to keep me busy. But I like learning, so maybe a little engine swap and some minor performance mods will happen if I keep the Thunder Chicken.
 
https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/ford/thunderbird/1986
An '86? Geez, you were a kid then. Well, a young man at most.

Drive it for the summer, get it all sorted, have it detailed. Then you'll have a Car, and maybe she'll give in? Otherwise take the fifteen grand it's worth and run.

Hemmings motor news.
I turned 28 in’86. I’d been with GE for about 4 years after putting myself through college.

The interior is actually in good shape. I parked it clean and threw some deodorizer under the seats. Still smells good inside. Nothing in there a little upholstery cleaner won’t fix, other than some fading on the front passenger seat. The outside, not so much. Pollen, algae, and mold set up residence. The windows are tinted, so that protected the interior, but sure wish I’d kept it inside and sold the other one for parts.

I bought new tires for it when I got it in 2007, but they’re shot thanks to a very heavy car sitting on them in one place. AC system needs a complete overhaul and conversion to R134. PO just put 134 in on top of the original 22. Big mistake. The ester oil coagulated and plugged every orifice. The compressor still tried, but there’s no mistaking that sound of the high pressure bypass. It’s leaked down again over the years, so I don’t have much hope for the compressor anymore. If you’ve never pulled a heater core and E-coil out of a car, don’t start with an 86 ‘Bird. The whole dashboard has to be removed.
 
Once in a blue moon between centuries, I have a small stroke of good luck. Normally, if it weren’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have any luck at all.

Today, I decided to resuscitate a 1986 Ford Thunderbird that has been dormant since 2009. Of course, the dead battery was the first contest. Not a real problem as I had one that I’d removed from my daughter’s car that didn’t fit and replaced with the right one. Didn’t fit the TBird either, but it would certainly crank it. Lo and behold, the car started on the 3rd attempt and ran beautifully. That’s the first surprise of the day. Since this effort is something of an attempt to sell the car, I figured one that will start and can be driven away (notwithstanding the flat-spotted tires) is worth more than one that has to be loaded onto a trailer and hauled away. So, once I started it with the battery that didn’t fit, I figured I’d get one that does. First issue is that the battery in a 1986 T-Bird is about as rare as hen’s teeth. But, Advance Auto showed they had one, so off I go. I get to the store, and accidentally get their battery specialist who immediately recognized it as one for an older Ford. Hmm, Group 56-1 gonna be hard to get. He checked, and sure enough, they had one on the shelf, BUT, way past it’s “fresh sale date”. The bad news wa that it was a defective battery by their standards, but he tested it and found it in working condition. But he couldn’t sell it to me. So he took my old core (14 years old) and GAVE me the “defective” battery. A $200 battery, I got for the exchange value of the old one.

If I hadn’t been carrying a 40 pound battery when I left the store, I’d have done the hamster dance. Got home installed this battery and voila, the car started beautifully. For free, basically.

On top of the luck with the battery, the tires still hold air, though that’s the most positive comment I can make about them. Still plenty tread as they have less than 5000 miles on them, but sitting in one place for 14 years takes a toll. But, I checked the brakes and they too seemed to work. No dry rotted lines, no leaks. So after installing my new free battery, I drove up the street to see if it would think about moving. Brakes are a little noisy from rusty rotors, but it goes and stops. Next fix will be stuck power windows. I’m a pro with Ford Fox Body power windows. They used EXACTLY the same motor and gear box as a 1992 F-150. Ask me how I know.
The car was gonna be my retirement project and lifelong dream of a Fox Body T-Bird with a sleeper drivetrain and a good mellow rumble. It has a ground effects kit on it straight outta NASCAR. I know if I drive it much, I’ll probably overrule the missus about selling it. I always loved the Fox Birds. But it’ll make a good daily driver for someone that wants a car no one else has. Otherwise it’ll sit in the driveway another 14 years.
I have some damn good memories about those Mid 80s T-Bird reclining passenger seats LOL.
 
If you’ve never pulled a heater core and E-coil out of a car, don’t start with an 86 ‘Bird. The whole dashboard has to be removed.

I sold a Ford Focus a few years back because the heater core leaked (and it had an electrical short I couldn't track down). I swear when they built the car they placed the heater core on the ground and built the car up around it! Even after removing the dashboard and still couldn't get at it. :mad:
 
I sold a Ford Focus a few years back because the heater core leaked (and it had an electrical short I couldn't track down). I swear when they built the car they placed the heater core on the ground and built the car up around it! Even after removing the dashboard and still couldn't get at it. :mad:
A Mercedes 124-type E-Class (86-94) was the same way. Took me 2 weeks of nights to get the evaporator core replaced, but it worked out well. @RoadRoach been there done that. Leave the original motor in it, worth more that way. But yeah, mixing R12 and R134a is bad, and mixing the oils is far worse. Everything needs to be replaced, nothing can be re-used, as you know. Ugh!

Rock Auto to the rescue!
 
Yeah it’s mind boggling that with ZERO investment other than a few minutes labor and a trip to the parts house (which was actually just a small detour from an already scheduled trip) my driveway ornament is now a functional car, albeit sorely neglected one. Unlike new cars, I can swap the battery in this one in less than 10 minutes, from the time I pop the hood(that’s the bonnet to you, Ben). This vintage was the dawn of the technology that put shade tree mechanics and DIYers out of business. I know the Ford Speed/Density technology pretty well, but Mass/Air systems grew up without me because I had other concerns to keep me busy. But I like learning, so maybe a little engine swap and some minor performance mods will happen if I keep the Thunder Chicken.
Thunder Chickens Are GO!
 
A Mercedes 124-type E-Class (86-94) was the same way. Took me 2 weeks of nights to get the evaporator core replaced, but it worked out well. @RoadRoach been there done that. Leave the original motor in it, worth more that way. But yeah, mixing R12 and R134a is bad, and mixing the oils is far worse. Everything needs to be replaced, nothing can be re-used, as you know. Ugh!

Rock Auto to the rescue!
They were offered with the 5.0 V8 as well, same transmission and drive train, so the V8 was tuned back to keep from destroying the C3 trans, or blowing up a 8.5" diff. It's a HEAVY car, and more than one was destroyed by youngsters trying to hotrod them. They could also be had with a manual transmission, but ONLY behind the 2.3L Turbo. It was claimed that the V6 had too much torque and would damage the transmission, but I ain't buying it. I've driven both. That Turbo bird is QUICK. The V6 cars were designed for economy with styling to sell them, and sell, they did. Awesome Bill from Dawsonville (Bill Elliott) set and still holds the track speed record at Talladega for closed wheel race cars at 212 MPH in an 84 model Bird. That's boogeyin', hitting nearly 250 on the back stretch.

You are correct, though, the car is worth more if it's all original, to a collector. These were pretty common cars (at one time the top selling car in the US), so not much collector demand for them. For the Turbo Birds and 5.0 packages, yes, but the 3.8L six bangers not so much. Strangely enough, even if the original paint has faded or failed, it's STILL worth more than if you paint the car to improve its appearance. Figure that one out. I guess it's more about what may have been hidden by the paint, regardless of whether anything actually did. But if I'm gonna keep it, I can see it blacked out. These things look SINISTER when they're black with matte black finish on all the stuff that was chrome, especially with the ground effects on them.

The problem is I have enough trouble just driving my 2014 F-150 enough to keep the parasitic drain from killing the battery. Having another that needs to be driven might be counterintuitive.
 
Once in a blue moon between centuries, I have a small stroke of good luck. Normally, if it weren’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have any luck at all.

Today, I decided to resuscitate a 1986 Ford Thunderbird that has been dormant since 2009. Of course, the dead battery was the first contest. Not a real problem as I had one that I’d removed from my daughter’s car that didn’t fit and replaced with the right one. Didn’t fit the TBird either, but it would certainly crank it. Lo and behold, the car started on the 3rd attempt and ran beautifully. That’s the first surprise of the day. Since this effort is something of an attempt to sell the car, I figured one that will start and can be driven away (notwithstanding the flat-spotted tires) is worth more than one that has to be loaded onto a trailer and hauled away. So, once I started it with the battery that didn’t fit, I figured I’d get one that does. First issue is that the battery in a 1986 T-Bird is about as rare as hen’s teeth. But, Advance Auto showed they had one, so off I go. I get to the store, and accidentally get their battery specialist who immediately recognized it as one for an older Ford. Hmm, Group 56-1 gonna be hard to get. He checked, and sure enough, they had one on the shelf, BUT, way past it’s “fresh sale date”. The bad news wa that it was a defective battery by their standards, but he tested it and found it in working condition. But he couldn’t sell it to me. So he took my old core (14 years old) and GAVE me the “defective” battery. A $200 battery, I got for the exchange value of the old one.
If I hadn’t been carrying a 40 pound battery when I left the store, I’d have done the hamster dance. Got home installed this battery and voila, the car started beautifully. For free, basically.
On top of the luck with the battery, the tires still hold air, though that’s the most positive comment I can make about them. Still plenty tread as they have less than 5000 miles on them, but sitting in one place for 14 years takes a toll. But, I checked the brakes and they too seemed to work. No dry rotted lines, no leaks. So after installing my new free battery, I drove up the street to see if it would think about moving. Brakes are a little noisy from rusty rotors, but it goes and stops. Next fix will be stuck power windows. I’m a pro with Ford Fox Body power windows. They used EXACTLY the same motor and gear box as a 1992 F-150. Ask me how I know.
The car was gonna be my retirement project and lifelong dream of a Fox Body T-Bird with a sleeper drivetrain and a good mellow rumble. It has a ground effects kit on it straight outta NASCAR. I know if I drive it much, I’ll probably overrule the missus about selling it. I always loved the Fox Birds. But it’ll make a good daily driver for someone that wants a car no one else has. Otherwise it’ll sit in the driveway another 14 years.
It sounds like you had a great day! I’m glad to hear that you were able to get the battery you needed for your car and that it started beautifully. It’s always nice when things work out like that.
 
It sounds like you had a great day! I’m glad to hear that you were able to get the battery you needed for your car and that it started beautifully. It’s always nice when things work out like that.
Like this one. Ideas?
 

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