North American Turbocoupe Organization



Well...it might be decision time..
Chuck W Offline
Posting Freak
#1
Hey all, I've been away for a while, but not gone, just busy. I have been gearing up to do some work on the XR7 here very soon, but after looking at both my cars in the driveway on stands I noticed a few things. The primary one is that the XR7 is in need of some serious body work, but has all the parts on it, whereas the TBird has a much better body (only 2-3 minor surface rust spots) but has no drivetrain or computer. THe absurd thought has entered my head to strip all the parts off the XR7 and transfer them to the TBird and get rid of the XR7 shell. On the XR both rear lower quarters are holed and there is a sizeable rust area above the driver door in the sill area. Also the windshield is cracked and needs replaced. I guess if it wasn't an XR7 I wouldn't be thinking so hard about it. It would take roughly the same amount of work to get the TBird up and running as it would to work on the XR7. I just feel bad about sending another one off to the scrap yard.
The Tbird was my first aero-Fox car, but I looked for almost 2 years for the XR7.
I guess I just needed to air the topic while I try to make my decision. Any input?

Thanks
Chuck
83 TC Clone, 85 Mercury LTS, 97 Volvo 850 T5 Turbo, 78 Volvo 240, 93 F150
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Glenn 88TC Offline
Posting Freak
#2
If it is the same work either way then I guess it comes down to which car you like better. Do you want anther modded turbocoupe or would you like to have one of a few modded turbo cougars? I'd rather do engine work as oppsed to body work, but that is just me. Keep the cougar! It's different.

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Glenn 88TC
current mods (13.809 at 98.48mph): ported & polished big valve head(1.89/1.59), ranger roller, gutted upper and ported lower intakes, t3/t4 turbo, MSD 6al, MSD Launch Control, K&N filter, Walboro 255 pump, Kirban adj. fuel reg., ATR header, full 3" exhaust with Dynomax Ultraflow muffler, Star stage III ceramic clutch, Tiny Avenger bleed valve, Weld Draglites with M/T ET Street 26x11.5/15

Winter 2001-2002 upgrades - powerstroke intercooler(mounted full size or it won't be going in), 65mm throttle body, 42lb. injectors, custom grind roller cam, big turbo, rear suspension upgrades
NO TC and NO headaches.
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Walsted Offline
Posting Freak
#3
So, is the choice one or the other, or could you be talked into keeping them both? It would be a hard decision for me, since I would want to keep them both. My first choice would be to find the stuff to get the TC running, and work on the XR7 afterward.

That said, if I were in your situation and had to get rid of one car, the one needing the most work that I couldn't do would be gone. In my case, I could arrange to have both cars hauled to an auto hobby shop and do the engine swap in a day or two. I am real bad with body work, especially rust-through, so the TC would win that one regardless of the rarity of the XR7. This is assuming that all else was equal - both have similar interiors, suspension, etc.

Don't know if this helps your decision any.

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Mike Walsted - NATO member
1986 5-speed TurboCoupe and 1985 5-speed XR7
Mike Walsted - Sold my 1986 5-speed TurboCoupe
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Pete D Offline
Administrator
#4
Keep them both

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NATO Member. it's not a vice, it's an obsession
"The nice thing about each new day is nobody ever used it before" Barnaby Jones
88 TC X 2, 86 SVO, mods list at
http://www.turbotbird.com/showroom/pd_88tc.htm
Pete Dunham


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Chuck W Offline
Posting Freak
#5
Well, I don't really want to give up either car, but I what I think is the real problem is I have no turbo car to drive right now. I have the Ranger to drive every day (an 87 with 38K miles : ) ) and the old Merc...but no turbo running as of right now. I need it..bad.
I guess one possibility is to do as Walsted mentioned and get the Tbird running and sit on the XR7 and get the body straightened out. That is a possibility. Right now the XR7 is apart for the following chores: Rebuilt head, gutted intake, front-mount IC, LA2 swap, tranny/clutch replacement and rear disk brake install. I guess another thing to mention is that the TBird is not a TC. It's an ex- 5.0l auto car that is taking on the outward appearance of a TC..thus the Pseudo-Coupe references. It has had alot of chassis and suspension work done to it, but is now w/o a driveline or wiring harness. I could put the motor/tranny from the XR into the TBird and install the harness and LA3 I have for it and do all the other stuff I was going to do to the XR7 but have the added bonuses of Cobra brakes, 17" wheels, a modified front Kmember and a cage. I could have the XR running in short order...but it would still look like ass, and then it would need to be down to do the body work. The TBird needs a trunk lid and fender (which I have) and a coat of paint and it's in business.
As for finding parts for the XR if I put it's gooies into the Tbird, that isn't a problem. I have 3 or 4 motors and two trannies (needing rebuilt..but I have a kit).
The more I write, the more I think I may have come to a decision..get the TBird rolling with the XR7's parts and then get to work on the XR7.

What you guys think?
Chuck
83 TC Clone, 85 Mercury LTS, 97 Volvo 850 T5 Turbo, 78 Volvo 240, 93 F150
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Walsted Offline
Posting Freak
#6
Quote:Originally posted by Chuck W:
..The more I write, the more I think I may have come to a decision..get the TBird rolling with the XR7's parts and then get to work on the XR7.

What you guys think?
Sounds like a good plan, provided you aren't pulling any parts from the XR-7 that you hadn't already pulled.

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Mike Walsted - NATO member
1986 5-speed TurboCoupe and 1985 5-speed XR7
Mike Walsted - Sold my 1986 5-speed TurboCoupe
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Pete D Offline
Administrator
#7
Sounds like a plan to me

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NATO Member. it's not a vice, it's an obsession
"The nice thing about each new day is nobody ever used it before" Barnaby Jones
88 TC X 2, 86 SVO, mods list at
http://www.turbotbird.com/showroom/pd_88tc.htm
Pete Dunham


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Hybridbird Offline
Posting Freak
#8
Well,I would say unless you are real good at bodywork(unlike me)all the stuff you have metioned about the XR will be pretty costly to fix.I'm pretty sure the quarters will have to be cut out and have new pieces welded in.The pillars I'm not real sure about but that is a real tough spot to work on also.Just a few points that would be important while I was making my considerations(since I suck at body work).I hate to be the one to make all the obvious points,painfully obvious but.....someone had to do it.

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Too much fun, what's that mean?That's like too much boost,there's no such thing.
"Finch....get the f*ck away from that Ficus......that's a jizz-free Ficus!"
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Chuck W Offline
Posting Freak
#9
Hybrid- Nah, I knew the quarters would be a PITA to fix, and the section on the roof isn't a pillar but the sill right over the driver's door. Don't ask me how it rusted, unless some wet leaves or something had been there for a while and started the whole thing. I've been thinking about my plan of attack on the TBird to get started. I think first will be to get all the crap I shoved into it when I moved out of it and then get the harness in and then go from there. I will need to swap out front springs since I think the 700-800# springs I had in there with the 5.0 coupled with the additional anti-dive I've dialed into the Kmember might be a little much for the 2.3/t-5 combo. The gears are turning.....
83 TC Clone, 85 Mercury LTS, 97 Volvo 850 T5 Turbo, 78 Volvo 240, 93 F150
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