I've been reading in here pretty much all morning, and see lots of tips and helps on the 'newer' MN12 and FN10 'Birds. Anyone out there besides me with a still surviving Fox body T'Duck?
I've got the old CFI system on my Quacker, and am wondering if I have any options for converting it to EFI, speed density suits me just fine. If the rework for a SD system on this thing is that big a deal, then perhaps MAF is in order.
I bought the car new in December 1985, and right now, it serves as a daily driver for the better half. The ex overheated it once when the bypass hose blew, and until an ace mechanic left a rag under the intake for me, the car leaked coolant and oil like a seive. I've NEVER had an issue with blown headgaskets, but the original engine only had 63000 on it when the rag episode led to a new long-block. I had that installed by a dealer, much to my chagrin, and just recently had to replace the timing cover gasket, etc, because of very poor quality work.
I plan on turning it into a project car when I can get a decent mini-van for her. New paint, 5 lug conversion for better wheels, etc. I'd dearly love to drop in an engine from an SC, but that appears to be a wiring nightmare. An AOD wouldn't hurt my feelings or the car's fuel mileage either.
I love the old duck because it drives like it's on rails. Always has, albeit it's always had wobbly wheels. I think it was probably pulled down too tight on the transporter, but could never get the dealer to warranty the wheels. The ex did a bit of interior damage, but nothing that seems impossible to fix, assuming I can find the parts or someone to make new ones.
This is the first new car I ever bought, so some might be able to understand why I'm hanging on to it. But, if I'm gonna do that, I need a lot more resources for parts than seem to be available. Most of the junkyards around here tend to crush anything over 15 years old. The body's in excellent condition minus a few small dings by the ex, and Wile E. Coyote mistaking the T-Bird for a road runner at 80 mph. I was impressed at how well the old girl fared when I hit the coyote. Bent the radiator support a little, but a comealong and heavy persuasions stick fixed that right up. The clear-coat on it is toast, but nothing a paint job won't handle. ZERO rust on it. Not bad at all for a 21 year old car.
I'm fairly handy with a wrench, and not a bit afraid to tackle engine rebuilds (I own a VW, need I say more?). I don't think I'll be needing a rebuild for a long time, though, since this engine's only got about 30K on it. The only reason I bought a long block from a dealer was warranty issues versus replacing it with a used car with no warranty at all. Seemed like a no-brainer at the time, but hind-sight is 20/20. I'm fairly well versed in EEC-IV OBD-I technology because of the same system on the Bird and the F-150. It became a matter of necessity because of lousy mechanics at dealerships in the area.
So, if ya got an old Fox body, and know of some good resources, thanks in advance for any tips/tricks.
I've got the old CFI system on my Quacker, and am wondering if I have any options for converting it to EFI, speed density suits me just fine. If the rework for a SD system on this thing is that big a deal, then perhaps MAF is in order.
I bought the car new in December 1985, and right now, it serves as a daily driver for the better half. The ex overheated it once when the bypass hose blew, and until an ace mechanic left a rag under the intake for me, the car leaked coolant and oil like a seive. I've NEVER had an issue with blown headgaskets, but the original engine only had 63000 on it when the rag episode led to a new long-block. I had that installed by a dealer, much to my chagrin, and just recently had to replace the timing cover gasket, etc, because of very poor quality work.
I plan on turning it into a project car when I can get a decent mini-van for her. New paint, 5 lug conversion for better wheels, etc. I'd dearly love to drop in an engine from an SC, but that appears to be a wiring nightmare. An AOD wouldn't hurt my feelings or the car's fuel mileage either.
I love the old duck because it drives like it's on rails. Always has, albeit it's always had wobbly wheels. I think it was probably pulled down too tight on the transporter, but could never get the dealer to warranty the wheels. The ex did a bit of interior damage, but nothing that seems impossible to fix, assuming I can find the parts or someone to make new ones.
This is the first new car I ever bought, so some might be able to understand why I'm hanging on to it. But, if I'm gonna do that, I need a lot more resources for parts than seem to be available. Most of the junkyards around here tend to crush anything over 15 years old. The body's in excellent condition minus a few small dings by the ex, and Wile E. Coyote mistaking the T-Bird for a road runner at 80 mph. I was impressed at how well the old girl fared when I hit the coyote. Bent the radiator support a little, but a comealong and heavy persuasions stick fixed that right up. The clear-coat on it is toast, but nothing a paint job won't handle. ZERO rust on it. Not bad at all for a 21 year old car.
I'm fairly handy with a wrench, and not a bit afraid to tackle engine rebuilds (I own a VW, need I say more?). I don't think I'll be needing a rebuild for a long time, though, since this engine's only got about 30K on it. The only reason I bought a long block from a dealer was warranty issues versus replacing it with a used car with no warranty at all. Seemed like a no-brainer at the time, but hind-sight is 20/20. I'm fairly well versed in EEC-IV OBD-I technology because of the same system on the Bird and the F-150. It became a matter of necessity because of lousy mechanics at dealerships in the area.
So, if ya got an old Fox body, and know of some good resources, thanks in advance for any tips/tricks.
