What did you do with your Thunderbird Today?

The other day, I also swapped shift knobs. I went to a more brown wood. The previous one had a more red hue.

New:
20240122_100619.jpg

Previous for comparison:
20240120_162136.jpg


I always look at the Lincoln LS in junkyards, and these knobs come in all kinds of shades. Later model years have more linear wood patterns while earlier years have more of a swirl burl wood look - which was what I had first. Yes, I'm actually on my third LS shift knob.
 
Tried to take it to the self serve wash but the winter storm did in the pipes, it was closed. A questionable 90s mustang drove passed with a tbird emblem on the front, he gave me a thumbs up
 
I'd never chase after but I totally understand the inclination

Old cars survive in the PNW so here's a metric since 2016 or so

Once went in opposite directions of my bird, they honked. It was a red with shine, very clean

Once went in opposite direction, my bird was having suspension work so I was in a family car. Hers was very clean and black.
A week apart there was another passer in red, could have been the first item above, same road

Once I was flagged down at a drug store and he said he had one in storage and reminiscence about nascar. He called himself fox.

Once shared a stoplight with a real beater, they didn't care to look over at all.

Once was in a church parking lot with 45k miles. I asked to look around and we did, but he texted me later saying that its worth more to him than bluebook, and that will always be the case.

Once was a fellow in the 200x generation, he didn't care to acknowledge either. Come to think of it, I see more MN12s than 11th gen

Once saw a 9th gen at a drag strip

I've seen probably 2 or 3 parked somewhere, and saw one at a spanish only speaking dealership with the v6 where the asked for 6,000. That was the car that I suspect was originally a starbucks.
 
IME unless they’re in one of the clubs in any capacity MN12 drivers are invariably pond scum :rofl:

I met quite a few people who had them in their past though and are always very nice and complimentary, these cars depreciated hard sending them into beater class by only their third or even second owners. I know, I’m the third owner of mine 😆
 
I've been Really lucky. All the mn12 drivers are invariably better people than the other people you end up interacting with. I see a lot of mustang owners; most open with"You know that's a mustang with a different body?" I say, "no, we got irs in 89." :)
The scum I see here are driving toyotas or hondas with fart pipes. I never did anything to my Mom's contour's exhaust, because the shop told me it would sound terrible .The kit on the tbird sounded better than the custom 2&1/8" custom job they did on lazarus, so I can see it. Mandrel bent really does sound better.
 
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Back from Florida and the Rolex 24. Will post photos later.

What'd I miss here?
 
With the sun coming out for the first time in like, a month, I decided to wash the salt off the Mark VIII. Instead of flushing $15 down the drain at a car wash, I washed it in the driveway since it was in the low 40s.

Then I got distracted and ripped apart the driver side mirror to investigate nonfunctional features.

I need to pull the LR wheel on the T-bird and yank the caliper to see if I can fix the bracket. If not, I'll have time to get a replacement ordered in time for spring driving. :smile:
 
I bought a new battery for Lazarus. I pumped more fuel from the red cougar; the pump is drawing 10A at times, so it's failing, or chewing up trash on its way out. I'm letting it cool often, so it doesn't melt or burn. :)
 
Last Friday I filled up the 97 bird, and it started leaking fuel. Pulled it into the shop to see where the leak was, which turned out to be the fuel pump seal, but upon lifting the car, the right rear shock started leaking! Everything finally came in today, so at the end of the day I brought it in for an Aeromotive Stealth 340 pump on a factory sending unit (the car had an aftermarket pump assembly, and the fuel gauge was always off ever since installing it), and a pair of 03 Cobra Bilsteins to replace the Tokico Blues.
 
MadMikeyL said:
Cobra Bilsteins to replace the Tokico Blues.
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I have an odd Blue here, which I'll likely never use (same deal as you - had them on the rear and one started leaking). If you want it, remind me when you're out this way in a couple months. Then you'll have a spare set! :biggrin:

I pulled off the LR wheel to check out the brakes, expecting to find a seized slide pin or two. Boy, was I wrong! The caliper piston wasn't staying extended and taking up the slack after braking, and the slide pins were immaculate. I compressed it and extended it manually and it seems to be a little better. Test drive needed tomorrow before I'm convinced that was the fix though - hello 60 degrees!
 
theterminator93 said:
I have an odd Blue here, which I'll likely never use (same deal as you - had them on the rear and one started leaking). If you want it, remind me when you're out this way in a couple months. Then you'll have a spare set! :biggrin:

I pulled off the LR wheel to check out the brakes, expecting to find a seized slide pin or two. Boy, was I wrong! The caliper piston wasn't staying extended and taking up the slack after braking, and the slide pins were immaculate. I compressed it and extended it manually and it seems to be a little better. Test drive needed tomorrow before I'm convinced that was the fix though - hello 60 degrees!
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Cool! I’ll definitely take it! Thanks!
 
I was going to say... it's a neat keychain accessory for a Ford owner, but I bet it smells like absolute ass.
 
Took the bird out for a spin around the development to see how braking felt after the "fix" to the caliper gap. It felt better from what I could tell, but I was more preoccupied with how good it felt to drive the car again after parking it last year - even if it was for only a mile. If this weather pattern continues I'll be back in it by March! :)
 
That’s the one bright spot about Midwest winters, you fall in love over and over again with your hobby car when you finally get a chance to drive it again.
 
Pumped another 5 gallons of gas out of the red cougar. That's 10 gallons so far. I have two more cans, lol.
 
Wait; didn't the 95 come with a 5.0? I thought they cleared...My sis had an earlier than 4.6 , 5.0 version, and I'm sure it cleared. Why the hole?
 
Grog6 said:
Wait; didn't the 95 come with a 5.0? I thought they cleared...My sis had an earlier than 4.6 , 5.0 version, and I'm sure it cleared. Why the hole?
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It's clears a Tbird 93 or 94-95 SN95 HO intake. Not the Expo or GT40 intakes.
 
Ahhh. Upgrades! Could you post a hires version of the Awesome drifting photo, I'd like to print a copy. Maybe this could be something the club sells, with your permission. It would cost me $150, to get this printed at poster size, judging from the 2 Hubble photos I had printed.
 
Was going to drive it yesterday but it rained. Was going to drive it today but it's raining.

Same story tomorrow. Sigh.
 
theterminator93 said:
I pulled off the LR wheel to check out the brakes, expecting to find a seized slide pin or two. Boy, was I wrong! The caliper piston wasn't staying extended and taking up the slack after braking, and the slide pins were immaculate. I compressed it and extended it manually and it seems to be a little better.
Click to expand...
I had something similar on a late model Explorer a couple of years ago. One of the rear calipers would retract way too far. This gave an obvious soft/low brake pedal. I tried cycling it in/out several times, but in the end I just wound up replacing it with a new one. If it were my car I would have probably spent 40 hours rebuilding the caliper. Sometimes the easy route is the best route.
 
Yeah we'll see how it behaves on the open roads in a few months. I remember replacing that caliper once before, like 15 years ago...
 
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