new here...dont know quite where to stick this...PLEASE HELP!!

2463 Views 29 Replies 11 Participants Last post by Robinson, Aug 14, 2002

skelebonez

Discussion Starter · Aug 13, 2002

ok im a newbie at this forum...i currently drive my brothers old (currently my parents) 94 tbird 4.6.....

i decided i love tbirds and i want one to race u know wht i mean?...the one i drive now...is dinged up from stupid kids throwin a brick thru the back window and a basketball pole falling on it....ALSO it has 111400 miles...soooooooo im looking to get a new bird (maybe a beater project) to modify and make my own...what year/kind do you suggest to get?....i kinda lean twards the newer tbirds cause of the front looking nice and not fox bodied...but ill prolly take what i can find....i was gona buy a sc for 2400 dollars...but 140k miles on it....and i want one with less then 80 that will do me well....SO my main question is what years (if any) to lean tward or stay away from and what to do with it...if i dont get a sc...i will 99% supercharge it and 120 nitrous (if thats possible)....i want to have a rice eating ford...but mustangs are too played out for me and i love the comfeness of a bird...i fell in love with the one i use now...and i let her rip today vs a 96 stang gt....i got owned...because its bone stock (i think it may have a exhaust) but i just love the raw power of a v8

....now i know some of you may say for me to search....but i hate using them...id much rather ask pros...the tbird is not popular in my area (chicagoland actually joliet, il) SO IM SURE I CAN FIND ONE FAIRLY CHEAP...AND I WILL BE LOOKING TO BUY IN ABOUT 1MONTH OR SO....hopefully any of you kind fellos would be able to give me some advise../ tips on what to do ...

thx in advance

Kevin

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WhiteBird101

· #2 · Aug 13, 2002

Well many will say the '96 lx or sports. This is because it comes from the factory with a little more power then the previous two ('94-95 lx's) and has most of the "bugs" worked out. The sports also have bigger antisway bars and bigger brakes. It is also easier to do a '99 gt engine transplant into a '96 and is easier to add pi heads. However, i perfer the looks of '94-'95s because they seem a lot smoother then the bubblized '96-'97s My suggestion is to look at both bodystyles and decide which one you like better. Basicly, '95s have a lot less problems then '94s, and are rather plentiful, and '96-'97s tends to be slightly cheaper to mod.
On a side note, a the stock 4.6's will not take a 120 shot of nitrous for very long, making the '99 gt swap a near requirement. Our engines also won't take high psi for very long (above 6psi?) and this could also be cured by a built or '99 gt engine.
(Don't start with a 3.8 v6 bird. It will complicate the engine swap to the point of insanity and high expense.)

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skelebonez

Discussion Starter · #3 · Aug 13, 2002

ok so sc is not good tho? i kinda really badly wanted a 5speed

Robinson

· #4 · Aug 13, 2002

the best are the 96 sports and the 94/95 SC's, hands down.

the 97's perform as well as the 96's but the interior got a little economic cutback and its pretty noticable.

skelebonez

Discussion Starter · #5 · Aug 13, 2002

how do i find out if its a sport or not? does it say sport on it? im clueless on this one..had no idea tbird had a sport (LOL)

Robinson

· #6 · Aug 13, 2002

skelebonez said:
how do i find out if its a sport or not? does it say sport on it? im clueless on this one..had no idea tbird had a sport (LOL)

the most obvious signs are the wheels that are similiar to the SC wheels and a spoiler. some sports didnt have a spoiler though, and of course someone could swap the rims quite easily. if you are buying from a dealer they would probably note the sport package on it, but i dont know off the top of my head if there are any labels that mark a sport. youd think i would since i own one though

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skelebonez

Discussion Starter · #7 · Aug 13, 2002

well heres the deal...my mom offered to sell me the 94 i drive now for 2500....i think its a good price...BUT the one dent WILL NOT be able to come out...it is on the driver side corner of the hood (think about the basketball hoop angle hitting it...) so it is dented pretty bad...the others are pretty mcuh just skin deep scratches which a nice new paintjob would do...but i dono...think i can get a sport for around 4k? or maybe a sc for around there?

thx, Kevin

Mod'D97LX

· #8 · Aug 13, 2002

I got my 97lx for 9k with only 28,000 miles. You can definitely find a bird with more miles at a much cheaper price. 94/95 SC's or 4.6L 96/97 LX/Sport is what I'd recommend. But if I were you I'd look at finding a 4.6L 1996 sport.

skelebonez

Discussion Starter · #9 · Aug 13, 2002

thank you mod...do you know of a easy way to distinguish the sport from normal? i usually browse thru car books before i hit up the dealers...

Widowmaker2k

· #10 · Aug 13, 2002

Well, if the dent is on the hood, you can get a new hood. That costs 500-600 dollars I believe. Might as well go for Aftermarket Cowl Induction while your at it.

They're right, to make any real power reliably you will need to get a 99+ GT engine. But, TBirds sure are cool cars.

soop

· #11 · Aug 13, 2002

Go with an SC. I should have. The easiest way to determine the LX/Sport/SC is check under the hood.

Mod'D97LX

· #12 · Aug 13, 2002

Hey skelebonez there are a few ways. One way is the sport comes with 16's and usually comes with a spoiler. I believe on the door jam there is a code that determines if it is a sport. Can't remember what it is but please someone correct me if i am wrong

Tx_Cat

· #13 · Aug 13, 2002

Sup..

Mod, you have a message waiting..

Do you have messenger???? Viva El Chuco.. Write back..

Blackkatt

· #14 · Aug 13, 2002

On the 96 sports there was no external stickers or anything.
You could look at the spring code in the door jamb it should say JJJJ, or that is what mine said. The only other way would be to measure the front brakes. The sport's had about 11.5" brakes and the lx's had about 10.8". But if it is an early 96 sport, like mine was, it will have the smaller brakes on it.

skelebonez

Discussion Starter · #15 · Aug 13, 2002

well the dent is in the front quarter panel or fender...but on top of it..AND on the hood...id rather just buy a better looking car... this one has gone to hell (not fault of mine WHATSOEVER) ok so ill look for spoiler bigger brakes jjjj on the door code or jsut a sc

thx for all the help

GreenBird

· #16 · Aug 13, 2002

skelebonez said:
thank you mod...do you know of a easy way to distinguish the sport from normal? i usually browse thru car books before i hit up the dealers...

It will have a spoiler, and NO brake light on the rear deck of the interior. This is my 96...see how there is no brake light? But, my wing is different from the sport wing.

Will also have 16in wheels, and the brakes will go right up the edge of the inside of the wheel on the front.

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VicRattlehead

· #17 · Aug 13, 2002

if its a 96 the sport option did not include the spoiler. in 97 it did. but be aware anyone could order a spoiler on any of the 96/7 cars v6/v8 it doesnt matter.

easiest way to tell a LX with the sport package is the wheels, they have the 16" "SC"wheels. and check the spring code on the dr side door, it should be "JJJJ"

when i got my 96 i paid 11,800 for it with 16k miles on it. im now doing the PI motor swap in it cause it wasnt fast enough for me. good luck finding one, check autotrader.com they usually have stuff in there. and if your interested come up to the city on the 18th were having a chicagoland get together at hooters in Downers Grove.

VicRattlehead

· #18 · Aug 13, 2002

GreenBird said:
But, my wing is different from the sport wing.

that is the normal ford spoiler for 96/7 3 post with led brake lights intagrated into the spoiler and no light on the rear deck.

Robinson

· #19 · Aug 13, 2002

VicRattlehead said:
if its a 96 the sport option did not include the spoiler. in 97 it did. but be aware anyone could order a spoiler on any of the 96/7 cars v6/v8 it doesnt matter.

easiest way to tell a LX with the sport package is the wheels, they have the 16" "SC"wheels. and check the spring code on the dr side door, it should be "JJJJ"

VicRattlehead said:
that is the normal ford spoiler for 96/7 3 post with led brake lights intagrated into the spoiler and no light on the rear deck.

well my 96 sport came with this spoiler, take the information however you like, but it is the sport spoiler. matt's is not a sport and as such doesnt have the same spoiler. i dont remember if the write-up for the car listed this spoiler as a seperate option from the Sport Package, but i dont think it did.

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VicRattlehead

· #20 · Aug 13, 2002

yer right, i didnt look at the ends that close, i had to get my dealer brochure out and j-rob's is the stock ford spoiler, that other one is different. ford mabey, but i dont know.

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