I just inherited my Dad's '91 T-Bird Sport model 5.0 in Cardinal Red with only 38,000 km last year! He hardly drove it and it spent its last 5 years in his garage collecting dust! I just had all the fluids changed,the TFI module replaced, it needs only new tires, upper control arms since the bushings are dry rotted and a power antenna motor and It'll live on Dad in your memory, I miss and love ❤️ you Dad😔‼️
MN12 T-Bird/Cougars are heavily underrated. The last of the full size 2-Door RWD, V8’s. I am surprised there isn’t as much of a following and demand for them.
If you were a mechanic during those "passive" shoulder harness days, you learned to hate them very quickly. If you were outside the car and leaned into the open window to start the car, the harness would travel up the A pillar and try to tear your head off. The opposite was also true, with the engine running the belt would be at rest on the B pillar. reach in, turn off the key and the belt would drag you by the neck into the steering wheel. Oh, those were the days.....
Wow. I always wondered why exhaust systems never need to be replaced these days. When I was a kid (same age as Steve M.), my Dad was replacing tailpipes and mufflers all the time in upstate New York. At some point, it was no longer a thing. Now I know why. Thanks, Steve.
My sister and brother in law had one of these heaps from brand new. They had it 10 years and sold it. It wasn't a year and a half old and the driver's door latch broke one day. It was a two-day nightmare to replace because the dealership kept saying the parts were discontinued. As I was in the parts industry then, I had to look up my own parts and provide them with the part numbers. Turns out the "discontinued" clip was the same part from 1972 onward on most Ford products. Of course, yours truly had to do the repair. LOL. It was a nice riding car, but very ho-hum. My sister's was a 1990 base model car. Another time during a warranty repair, the dealer lost the keys to the car and even though it was sold at the dealership originally, it took them three times to get a working set of keys again. My memory of these cars is not fond. LOL. IRS was also the record company that signed the musical group Go Gos. Those automatic seat belts were a PITA. My mother's 1993 Saturn SL2 (and my sister's T-Bird) had them. Correct, 1991 brought the 5.0L (302 CID) V8 and 1994 brought the 4.6L V8. No VIN, can't win, but might go something like: 1FA for US made Ford passenger car, P for automatic seat belts, P60 for Thunderbird base model, 4 for 3.8L V6 with multiport fuel injection, "Essex V6", then a random check digit, K for the 1989 model year, H for Lorain, OH assembly and the rest is the production sequence. The Lorain, OH plant operated from 1958 to 2005. About 8 million vehicles were produced in the time it operated and most production was then moved to "OHAP" or Ohio Assembly in Avon Lake. No tag, can't brag, but looks like paint code ED Currant Red exterior paint. I do not believe that's correct on air bags and automatic seat belts. I think by the 1990 model year, it was either one or the other for the first few years. You could have a driver's airbag or automatic seat belts depending on the model. After a while, the automatic belts went away and airbags became the standard. My 1989 Cavalier has neither airbags nor automatic seat belts. But cars like the mid-1988 and 1989 Chrysler "M" body cars had a driver's airbag, but had manual seat belts as an example.
And for the final "box" B-body GM sedans and wagons in 1990, the Caprice Classic had door post mounted manual belts, and no airbag. 1989 Cavalier? Wow I remember my uncle had one until 1998, I always was fascinated by how tiny the fuel gauge was, and mounted upside down too! Was a Lordstown, OH assembled and 2.0 4 cyl auto.
@@googleusergp Nice, his was a light blue metallic 4 door sedan. I remember the R12 refrigerant long leaked out even by 98. We sold it for 1600 with 71k. Was touched up on fenders and door bottoms, rockers, etc. I doubt it lasted 4 or more years, the body was popping thru underneath. I think it was GM water based paint, (maybe was enamel but I cant remember) I know it wasnt lacquer like my 86 Celebrity is. Was a good runner and family car, but noisy and rusty. I remeber it had some dealer added rustproofing, there was a sticker on rear door window "this vehicle shielded by The Protector" with a drawing of a man in armor with a spray gun. Needless to say, it didnt help much. Was replaced with a 1998 Cavalier LS in deep green metallic.
Great video. I particularly enjoyed your exegesis on the exhaust system lifetime. I grew up in my father's auto parts store in the 1960s. The product that occupied the largest amount of floor space was mufflers, tailpipes and exhaust pipes. We stocked literally hundreds of pipes and dozens of mufflers, all in pre catalytic converter days. You could anticipate replacing some or all of the exhaust system every two years or so, particularly in places like Western New York State where I lived.
The better exhaust shops had the IBM punch cards which could be fed into a tubing bender to make up the needed pipes. It was rare to see, but it could be done and had.
@@8632tony It didn't kill them, but it slowed things down. Vehicles using unleaded fuel still rotted exhausts out. Fuel injection helped clean things up, but the enemy of an exhaust system is standing water/moisture inside of it and of course salt exposure. Vehicles driven a longer distance have time to blow out all of the moisture and heat the exhaust up, so those tend to last longer.
First I've heard of that reason. Exhaust systems were always mild steel hanging from the underside of a car exposed to water and road salt. Perhaps it was the change to stainless steel that really improved things.
I currently own it’s upscale brother a 94 Mark 8. I think the Mark 8 was the finest car Ford had made, and currently one of the best buys in the market.
This platform was a career ender for those involved with the program. It missed all targets, including weight , mileage and cost. It ended up heavier and more expensive to build than planned. They took cost out of the interior to compensate, which is why the dash was kind of chintzy until the the 1994 facelift. I remember being really excited about these before they came out, but was disappointed when I finally saw them. Didn't matter, as I couldn't afford it anyway. And they never recouped the cost of the IRS by putting it in other cars, other than the Mustang Cobra SVT . As pointed out above, I always thought the Panthers should have gotten it, at least on higher end ones like the Town Car. All in all, the Fox version was IMHO a lighter, more nimble & cost-effective package. I remember driving a late 87-88 Fox Bird, and even with the lo-po 302, would spin the tires quite well. In fact, had I been in the market would always have chosen a V8 in either Fox or MN12, 302 or 4.6. The 302 over the 2.3Turbo for superior torque and smoothness, or the 302-4.6 over the 3.8 Supercharged just for it's greater simplicity/reliability. The superchargers proved to be problematic as they aged.
I had two 1989 SC great handling like A BMW and best riding I did pulleys On the supercharger ram 14:75 At E/Town. With the trunk full On of stuff great looking in The Sc
Wonder if Steve knows if the IRS hardware has any connections to the one they threw under the Exploder my to distance themselves from the rollover scandal.
@@rotaxtwin Considering who the customers were for these cars, I don't think weight was a huge issue. Nobody was going to be racing these around even with the super charger.
I jave owned 12 of these over the years including a few MN12 chassis Cougars. The SC was the new car i wanted in high school. They are fantastic freeway cars. Biggest weakness being the head gaskets in the 3.8. Find a 92 sport 5.0 and you will have a rare bird
My old man had a '93 SC. Said he had to get rid of it cuz it was going to get him in trouble. Claims he out ran the popo twice. My friend and I "borrowed" it two nights in a row when he left it with my mother while he and my stepmother took a trip to Tennessee. We were both 14 and, somehow, never got caught. Fond memories of that wicked Bird. Sure would like to find a decent one today.
My 93 SC was super rare. A rare red on red (68 in that color combo) stripper model with no moonroof, no premium sound, no lighting package, no keyless, no leather, no power passenger seat. The only "option" it had was the automatic. As SCs go, it was probably one of the lightest in existence as they removed some stuff by the time 93 came around. They got heavier in 94 with the addition of dual airbags I believe.
Hi Steve, great video on this Thunderbird. Boy Steve you gave me a bunch of ammo to work (jaw jack) with in this video. 1st I had a buddy who in my opinion was a genius he turboed his Citation with a set up from a Riviera and talked me into setting up 1980 Pinto with the turbo coupe set up from an '85. Once we were through it looks absolutely factory and scary as hell can be. I snapped a couple light weight Pinto rears before I decided to let that car go. But in a straight line that dude definitely set you back in the seat. Well I actually sold the car after a night of partying and it was 3-4am. Coming home as usual I had floored doing all she could do. The 85 on the speedo had been buried in-between 2&3 gear. Had an old boy in the passenger seat he was about 7ft tall and he was a deal maker his nickname ,"Monty Hall" because of his constant haggling on everything. So we're cruising home (wide open) and the back wheel PASSES US! Well somehow the lord took hold of the steering wheel because I left my Sébastien Loeb driver's permit at home. The Pinto Ralley held her own and with a couple fancy turns we came to a stop. The whole time Monty was yelling "stay with it Jr!" I assume he was referring to Jr Johnson. So we looked for that rim an tire until the sun came up and never found it. Of course the state trooper shows up. I ended up taking a lug nut off each wheel and using the spare to get home. Oh yeah Monty got rid of the trooper while I got the wheel put back on. Monty asked is 3 lug nuts safe? I told him it was good enough for the French. A bit of a back story I had a rash of brake lines cut and now the lugs loosen up. Probably because my 2nd job was stealing women from their men. 👀 So the car was 'hot' so to speak.😳 But this video was about the IRS Thunderbird. 😅 sorry Steve. So in 96 I bought a white (of course) Thunderbird with the 4.6 very nicely optioned with the keyless entry. Had it parked out front so that pearl white would maybe grab some eyeballs and bring in a customer or 2. Well a semi trailer lost its rear set of wheels and ended up going through the passenger side door and they ended up in the driver's seat! Car had almost a 1000 miles on the clock 😢. The set of wheels pushed the passengers door inside the car against the dash and pushed up the top. Well I kept the Bird out front for a few more days and that brought in more people than the new Bird. Sex may sale but destruction brings in the interested. It was a sight to see with a pair of dually wheels crammed inside a pearl white Thunderbird. Have a blessed day everyone 🤙🏼 Namaste 🙏🏼
Great story. What if...the errant Pinto wheel wheeled its way into a living room somewhere near the side of the road. And what if....that living room was owned by a Truck Driver who later happened to be driving past your '96 T-Bird? Just wondering...As for Turbo Pintos, I worked at Hot Rod magazine (1997-2005) and one of my more memorable stories was "Turbo Joe" Morgan who swapped an '87 Turbo Coupe 2.3 into his '73 Pinto and ran 10-second 1/4 miles. The story was titled Poisonous Pinto and appeared some time in 2001, if I recall correctly. He used a C3 automatic (lighter guts than a C4 he said, just as capable of being "fortified" and at the rear, the third member out of any V6 Pinto / Bobcat, plus a small 50-hp shot of nitrous to get the turbo spooled up quicker off the starting line. That little Turbo Pinto was an awesome little critter. He even drove it on the Hot Rod magazine Power Tour - a cross country road trip that proved (or disproved) the merit and mettle of any hot rod. Great things CAN come in small packages! Thanks Chris for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
@@mattskustomkreations Hi Matt yeah I've been called long-winded SOB on many occasions and I've heard about people warning others about it. 🤣 I can't help it because I treat everyone as if they're the most important person in the world and why not? I surely hope they feel that way about themselves if not I believe they should take inventory of themselves and dont forget the stuff that they got for free. Everything that’s really worthwhile in life came to us free, our mind, our soul, our body, our hopes, our dreams, our ambitions, our intelligence, our love of family and children and friends. All these priceless possessions are free, but the things that cost us money are actually very cheap and can be replaced at any time. I've never met an enemy but I'm sure I made a few afterwards. Have a blessed day. 🤙🏼 Namaste 🤙🏼
I've only had one MN-12 Thunderbird (a 95 4.6 V8), but I've owned more of their Lincoln counterpart than I can count. The 93-98 Lincoln Mark VIII was built on the FN-10 chassis, a modified MN-12 with an aluminum 4.6 DOHC, 4R70W, aluminum driveshaft, and IRS similar to the Thunderbird/Cougar, but with an aluminum differential carrier "pumpkin" and aluminum lower control arms. I came to own my 95 Thunderbird when I was between Mark VIII's. My friend was selling it and made me an offer I couldn't refuse. I even tried to talk him out of it because I knew how much he loved that car and knew he'd regret selling it, but he was determined to sell it so he could work on another project car so he gave me a nice deal on it. I'd been used to having a Mark VIII and was missing having one, so I didn't have the Thunderbird long before I started thinking about doing a 4.6 DOHC engine swap- I already had a Mark VIII engine at the time. The more I thought about it, the more I began to think I might as well just buy another Mark VIII. I was still trying to decide exactly what I wanted to do with the Thunderbird when my friend called me one day, just a few months after he'd sold me the car. He asked if I'd consider selling the car back to him and how much I'd want for it. After messing with him a bit, and a few "I told you so's", I sold it back to him for what I bought it for. That's been over 10 years ago, and though my friend and I have lost contact over the last few years, the last I knew he still had that car.
Steve, just a quick thank you for that vid you did with the 57 Desoto. I mentioned to a good friend about it, and he contacted the yard to get some parts off it. We are 3 hours away, but they shipped him the parts. Desoto parts are very hard to come by. THANKS!
Hello scrappy, THANK YOU for helping to save some parts from this amazing "repository of automotive history". They're NOT junkyards, right? -Steve Magnante
The reason why this style T-bird was still produced was ford needed a 2door platform to have a car that could run in NASCAR at that time you could not run a 4door platform so when when Ford didn't want to make the T-bird any longer they went to NASCAR to get the Taraus approved , that opened the door for Toyota who didn't have a 2door car with a long enough wheel base to compete plus then Chevy at that time changed to use l believe there Impala 4door car That's how it was explained to me . Enjoyed the the video Steve. 👍😎
I bought mine new in 1991, LX with 5.0 200hp with 8.8 inch "performance traction lok," which was the 3.08 in 1991. Mine would squat down on the highway, 4000lb with IRS, and turning 2800 RPM at 100mph. My job (musician working 6 nights a week at the jazz club) was in NYC and I was living 90 miles south in S Jersey so the NJ turnpike was my real home. Drove home in the wee hours of the morning and the NJSP ran radar from the exact same spots every night so I spent most of my time cruising at 100 and the car was super stable. I remember reading that the styling and some suspension components of this series bird was copied from the 2 door 6 series BMW from this era, so maybe that accounts for the high speed stability. The odometer on my bird gave up at about 190,000, so when I gave it to a buddy it probably had over 250,000 and the 302 still took less than a quart of oil between my regular 3000 mile changes. Those engines were indestructible. BTW Steve, the best glass packs were Hollywood Noisemaker and Dynatone. Smitty was pretty good also. You had to BLOW 'EM OUT! That one you was holding probably had a nice mellow sound to it.
I hated (and still do hate) those "weedwacker" sounding 5.0L engines. They give some insight as to the tools that typically drive them. I think they got ruined with all of that exhaust "tone". My Craftsman leaf blower has a better sounding exhaust note. LOL.
@@customkey Nah. I just hate the sound of loud exhaust. It's nothing but noise in my book. I find the loudest cars aren't always the fastest. Take the Grand National. It was a "silent but deadly" car that embarrassed many an offensive sounding junk box.
@@googleusergp I agree with you 100%. My pronouncement about that muffler Steve was holding was a wisecrack, junkyard humor. But I do remember a guy who lived around the corner (in 1961, '62?) who owned a beautiful pink, black and white '56 Mercury 2 door hardtop that growled, told me he had a set of "Hollywood Noisemakers" on his duals, I liked that sound when I was 12 years old. I agree 100% and always enjoy what you write.
I own an MN12 but whats intresting about mine is that it lives on the other side of the world here in Ireland. It's a great car. I really enjoy driving it, completely alien from anything on the road here.
Great Video! I had a base 89 T-Bird & loved it. It was the best car I ever owned to that point replacing my previous 84 model. Made the mistake of trading it off once it passed 100K miles on a similar 95 T-Bird which was a disappointment. The only plus for the 95 was air bags replacing the clunky automatic seatbelt configuration. Unfortunately, adding the air bags came with a new dash & console design that was awful...not a single flat surface on which to set anything even for a brief moment. The 89 had a smoother ride too. I miss "personal sporty luxury coupes" of that era: big and comfortable without being too sporty or too stogy. Can't help but think there may still be a small niche market for them among us aging but active boomers who are not fond of SUV's, but I am sure development costs get in the way of that dream.
This brings me back, my parents bought a brand new 1990 LK model and our neighbor had a Iroc z so there was a lot of nascar rivalry going at that time.
My mom had a 90s T-Bird.😊 It was a comfortable car sporty-looking and you could fit adults in the backseat. It drove well. Was the last hurrah rear-wheel drive coupe. With the demand of sport utilities and crossovers.
I bought a new 1990 Thunderbird Supercoupe in the color Light Titanium. It was a great driving good looking car, and fast for the day. Until the Camaro and later Mustang made an entry into the NASCAR Cup series, the 10th generation Thunderbird was the last actual 2 door production car whose body style was used in the Cup series.
I had to watch the ending of the video three times because I kept watching Katie rolling around on the ground lol. She always knows when you're filming and she loves to steal the show. Haven't seen lockjaw in a while either. Another great video thank you for the knowledge.
I had a friend back in 2008 who owned a 89 Turbo coupe. Whenever I see a 57, I'm reminded of Clive Owen's great line in Sin City (one of the great movies of 05 with Bruce Willis and Micky Rourke: "Get me a hardtop, with a decent engine, and a big trunk!".
You are correct but I was specifically referring to the Gen-10 T-Bird in the video. But yes, the 4-door T-Bird of 1967-'69 was a "first and last" for T-Bird history. It also supplied major undercar bits for the 1969 Continental MKIII. Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
I had a Merc. Cougar from that era. I can't recall what year it was, but probably an 89 or 90. It was a Thunderbird, but with a flat, vertical windscreen and a different trunk. I guess the Cougar was the luxury version of the Tbird, with all of the options - a phony cloth landau roof, a rack on top of the trunk, and huge alloy rims, among lots of other gagetry. It was alternately a magnificent and a silly car. The automatic seat belts were awful and were constantly catching me in the face as they ran up thev track on the window.
I followed the development of the 1989 T bird from the 1st drawings in motor trend magazine to when they got old on the street and disappeared. I have always liked them . I drove its sister, the 1991 mercury cougar.
The Thunderbirds actually were available with 4 doors from 1967 til 1971, albeit suicide doors. there used to be a 1967 model in my neighbourhood though sales dropped over time.
Yes, why would they block/Pixuate the face of that dog ? Was the dog in witness protection program. Look close they really block the face of the dog. Odd at least.
WOW, talk about bringing back memories! I leased a new 1993 V6 T-Bird for 3 years. I actually loved that car! But when the lease was up.... Then a number of years later, like around 2002 or 2003, I bought a 1996 4.6 V8 T-Bird, with 40K miles! I loved that car too, but the day after buying it, the plastic manifold cracked (water jacket was part of the intake manifold) and Ford had to fix it under warranty. The problem was that it started having issues a couple of years later. Still fun car to drive. I then gave it to my son, and he proceed to destroy it! :(
I bought my wife a low mileage used 97 T-bird in September of 97. It was the LX model with the 3.8 V6. She really loved the torque that the engine put out. By that model year the engine made 170 hp and around 235 ft lb of torque and it came with factory stainless steel shorty headers.
Great video, I'm only a couple hours away from that junk yard. I own a 94 Tbird and an 88 Turbo coupe, love them both, I've had the 94 for 16 years now.
I had its sister ship, a 1989 Mercury Cougar with the weedy 3.8 V6 and yes, it blew its head gaskets. Other than that, I was very impressed with the MN12 chassis.
Cool cars Steve ... my moms last car she bought new was a black 96 T bird 4.6 V8 automatic and positraction with leather seats.. 20k out the door. I drove it a lot to help my mom out or if she had a long-distance trip ...the family sold it a few years ago with only 126k on the odo. the good ole not so long ago days... i miss my mom. Thanks for sharing bud PS oh my girlfriend owns a 04 modern baby bird.. funny how things come back into your life PSS... i heard a company called monster miata uses the irs set up to build V8 miatas !!
I had a gen9, '86 Aero Tbird as my first "real" family car when I got married in '89. Really liked the looks. Traded it on on one of those Toyota Wonder Van's when my son came along in '91. Needed more than 2 doors. Sorry to see it go. Thanks for the vid, Steve. 😁👍
A-well-a don't you know about the bird? Well, everybody knows that the bird is the word A-well, a bird, bird, b-bird's the word A-well-a mow, mow, pa-pa, ma-ma-mow, pa-pa Ma-ma-mow, ma-ma, mow, pa-pa
There's an Arkansas state trooper named Jacob Byrd who has quite a following on some of the police chase channels for PIT maneuvers and a no-nonsense attitude on the job, and that guy can drive. Of course people have come up with expressions such as, "You can run, but the Byrd can fly", and "Byrd of Prey" or one I came up with, "Lynyrd Skynyrd had the Freebird, but ASP has Jacob Byrd".
This song always reminds me of the "trailer home party scene" in the John Waters / Divine film "Pink Flamingos". Don't Google it if you want to preserve your current idea of this song! Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
I don't think the Focus came with a power shoulder belt. That was replaced with airbags in '98, and the Focus wasn't available, yet. I think the Escort had motorized seatbelts, and that's the most similar vehicle. I had them in my 1990 Nissan 240sx, my 1990 (& 1991) Honda Civic sedans, and the fleet of 1g DSM's that rolled through my garage (Mitsubishi Eclipse/Eagle Talon/Plymouth Laser).
You're correct. I mis-spoke it was a ford TEMPO I had back in my California days that had the automatic shoulder harness unit. The car was baby blue and totally rust free but I couldn't give it away after the heater core began leaking and steaming the interior on 90-degree days. I eventually got $125 for it. Woo-Hoo! Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
I had one. Looked just like the black one in your brochure. I loved that car. Was pretty good but ate front rotors. It was 2 years old when I got it. The seatbelts were good,never got a ticket.
I've always had a soft spot for the 10th generation T-Bird because my mother had one. She had a 95 LX with the 4.6L V8 and it was nice and comfortable. I'm glad she chose the V8 because the base 3.8L V6 felt underpowered because of the heavy weight.
Good morning, fellas - getting ready to start another day at the quarry…….😂 The next car I add to my collection will likely be one of the last three years of the MN-12 cars (‘95 - ‘97) with the 4.6 V8, or a “Retrobird” from ‘02 - ‘05. Already have the cash saved up to buy a pristine, low-mileage version of the MN-12, but a Retrobird in similar condition will be a tad more expensive, so I continue to keep a tight budget in 2023 and squirrel away any leftover discretionary income I have each month so I’m in position to do either vehicle by early 2024! The only other car on my radar screen that might distract me from this goal would be a Marauder from the early 2000’s, but those are getting outrageously expensive in the miles and condition I like……..🤔
When I was a kid my mom's friend had the generation before. All I can remember is how the rear end wiggles when they came to a stop. My grandparents had a cougar from that era. It was black on black with a digital dash. Nice cars.
I had one of those! It had the 5.0. It was a gitter! Whenever the wife or kids would get in id turn on the key and stick my tongue out and make choking sounds like it was hanging me. Always good for a laugh...
My parents had an ‘89 Camry with those motorized belts. Hard to believe all that mechanism was cheaper than an airbag at the time. The worst though were the fixed passive shoulder belts on the cheapest cars (cheap Toyotas had them). What a pain!
@@downlowsyndrome3163 True, but you were doing yourself a disservice by doing that. You wouldn't be ejected because you were wearing the lap belt, but you could hit the steering wheel and windshield and get some hefty injuries that way. I always wore both on cars had had automatic belts. I prefer the manual belts and I wear my seat belt all the time, including when I'm in the back seat of a vehicle.
@@googleusergp And lets not forget the dreaded "spinal cord separation" factor when the torso pivots forward about the "hinge" of the lap belt and "unplugs" or damages the connection between spine base and pelvis. Often lower body paralysis resulted. I'm not a big fan of "government mandates" but will admit many nasty bits of engineering were snuffed by Uncle Sam....for the better. Ever see a Corvair after a driver-front impact with a tree? Steering wheel / column delivers a one ton upper cut to driver's face. Anyhoo, THANKS for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
My friend at the time in 1997 had one of these, white. It was manual and it was really awesome. Of course I was 16 at the time and didn't know much but it sure did move.
My 98 mark viii has the thunderbird to thank for the use of the mn12 platform it rides so smooth even on bad roads the car feels planted. I love the thunderbird/cougars too it's neat seeing them on the street
This era of Thunderbird made for some really cool NASCAR cars on the grid, certainly my personal favorite Thunderbird era, tho' the original was stand-alone cool and the final was, I get it, a throwback for older folks with money to recall their youth, or American Graffiti, but it did seem fluffy, not sporty like the original. And styling-wise, was any car more all over the map than the Thunderbird?
I remember way, way back in the day in TV land, you did a build series on a white ’62 T-bird convertible. Swapped heads, intake, carb, etc. on the 390 FE. I remember a tonneau cover and Kelsey Hayes wire wheels as finishing touches. Great Series! The show inspired me to mildly modify my Impala, with the ability to go back to original. I envisioned a series like that for your ’62 Dart PoPo. I realized that there is a ton of content like that on YT today, but back in the day you couldn’t get stuff like that on TV. Your fan base loves your current content and can’t start the day without Professor Magnante’s enlightenment. Thanks! BTW, no connection to the Psychedelic Furs; just the radio delete dude.😎
Hello Martin J. Taylor, Thanks for remembering the old "Classic Car Restoration" series on the DIY Channel. That was a real 1962 Sports Roadster with the "89" body code. I remember NOT liking the swapped on Edelbrock aluminum heads and top end kit BUT the producer thought we needed some "engine work" and simply rebuilding the stock parts wasn't 'sexy" enough. I lobbied for a limited slip diff swap but was over ruled over the hassles of lighting the dark under car area without creating harsh shadows as I moved my arms through the light beams. Argh. Television. Thanks for clearing up the Richard Butler / Psychedelic Furs profile photo mystery for me. And THANKS for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
Ha! One of my college buddies had a sister who dated a Psychedelic Fur for quite a few years! I want to say it was Tim Butler, but I might be “misremembering” that after so many years! Always thought it was weird that a North Dakota farm girl ended up dating a “Fur” - a strange combination, for sure……..😂
my sister had a 1991 thunderbird when we were in high school. It was white with blue interior. It was an ok car. Felt pretty big compared to my 84 Firebird. Sadly she totaled her car after a couple years of ownership.
These cars were built in US, Canada, and Mexico. Some of the Mexico only options are desirable. The long wheel base made the car ride like luxury. The car was hefty, but the engines were torque-y so they were nice drivers. The IRS was a nice system and helped with traction. I owned a 94 Cougar, one thing I will say is the brakes were outstanding for the heft of the car. They used really good steel in these cars(mine was Canadian) and they resisted the salt belt rust extremely well. The 4.6 I had was shared with the Lincoln cars, they didn't share with Mustang until 96. Factory HP was probably over rated, factory ft lbs was deffinaetly under rated. Ford did odd things with these cars, they didn;t want to step on Mustang toes so they put 2.73 rear gear in the car(48mph in first gear!) but they didn;t want to step on lincoln toes so no DOHC engines. Then they tried to price them in between too. They could have made a Cougar eliminator package with doch 4.6 They could have offered a 5 speed. They could have done a lot of things but Ford is Ford and they could only ever offer "most" of a great car. In the case of these, no V8 and crappy dash. Then they fixed it, but not all the way. Solid build quality, but didn;t commit to performance parts they already had to establish the car's sales point of performance. So it was a grandpa car. Bigger, comfy, V8, but not that fast really. And even doing that they competed with the Panther cars. Ford had all the makings of great vehicles. They just never could talk themselves into actually putting those parts together.
I had the 97 tbird last year of that platform. I had it for ten yrs and and 120k miles. I had one major problem with it the whole time I owned it and it was the plastic intake manifold which split on the front facing casting seam..... even though I had 56k on it it was still covered under a silent recall ( thank God).. I lowered it with eibach springs which was amazing for its handling but as for overall power it was under of course,, and it needed bigger brakes... I would have bought the super coupe if they hadn't discontinued it in 95.
My 97 T-Bird did the same thing and it was also covered under warranty. Mine also went through 2 heater cores. I'm still kicking myself for getting rid of it.
My parents had a 57 Thunderbird and it was super cool to look at but very awkward and uncomfortable to drive . So Im going to go with the best Thunderbird being the 1988 Turbo Coupe .. Great car .. Fun to drive and comfortable .. Lots of power and great fuel economy ..
![1989 Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe Review [MN-12]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YKMzjPDAk3o/mqdefault.jpg)
I just inherited my Dad's '91 T-Bird Sport model 5.0 in Cardinal Red with only 38,000 km last year! He hardly drove it and it spent its last 5 years in his garage collecting dust! I just had all the fluids changed,the TFI module replaced, it needs only new tires, upper control arms since the bushings are dry rotted and a power antenna motor and It'll live on Dad in your memory, I miss and love ❤️ you Dad😔‼️
Good morning to you all
Im just jumping into bed here in oz.
And good morning to you sir ☺️
Yo
How about a toilet saying good morning back?
MN12 T-Bird/Cougars are heavily underrated. The last of the full size 2-Door RWD, V8’s. I am surprised there isn’t as much of a following and demand for them.
I've seen probably 2 in drivable condition at this point. Many rusted away pretty quick near me
If you were a mechanic during those "passive" shoulder harness days, you learned to hate them very quickly. If you were outside the car and leaned into the open window to start the car, the harness would travel up the A pillar and try to tear your head off. The opposite was also true, with the engine running the belt would be at rest on the B pillar. reach in, turn off the key and the belt would drag you by the neck into the steering wheel. Oh, those were the days.....
good point I remember the same
When I see these aero Thunderbirds I think of Bill Elliott and the 212 MPH Talladega qualifying run. My personal favorite bird is the 67 four door.
Amazing junkyard that has two, 2 door fastbacks, manufactured 40 + years apart, resting in the same grave plot.
Wow. I always wondered why exhaust systems never need to be replaced these days. When I was a kid (same age as Steve M.), my Dad was replacing tailpipes and mufflers all the time in upstate New York. At some point, it was no longer a thing. Now I know why. Thanks, Steve.
My sister and brother in law had one of these heaps from brand new. They had it 10 years and sold it. It wasn't a year and a half old and the driver's door latch broke one day. It was a two-day nightmare to replace because the dealership kept saying the parts were discontinued. As I was in the parts industry then, I had to look up my own parts and provide them with the part numbers. Turns out the "discontinued" clip was the same part from 1972 onward on most Ford products. Of course, yours truly had to do the repair. LOL. It was a nice riding car, but very ho-hum. My sister's was a 1990 base model car. Another time during a warranty repair, the dealer lost the keys to the car and even though it was sold at the dealership originally, it took them three times to get a working set of keys again. My memory of these cars is not fond. LOL. IRS was also the record company that signed the musical group Go Gos. Those automatic seat belts were a PITA. My mother's 1993 Saturn SL2 (and my sister's T-Bird) had them. Correct, 1991 brought the 5.0L (302 CID) V8 and 1994 brought the 4.6L V8.
No VIN, can't win, but might go something like: 1FA for US made Ford passenger car, P for automatic seat belts, P60 for Thunderbird base model, 4 for 3.8L V6 with multiport fuel injection, "Essex V6", then a random check digit, K for the 1989 model year, H for Lorain, OH assembly and the rest is the production sequence. The Lorain, OH plant operated from 1958 to 2005. About 8 million vehicles were produced in the time it operated and most production was then moved to "OHAP" or Ohio Assembly in Avon Lake. No tag, can't brag, but looks like paint code ED Currant Red exterior paint.
I do not believe that's correct on air bags and automatic seat belts. I think by the 1990 model year, it was either one or the other for the first few years. You could have a driver's airbag or automatic seat belts depending on the model. After a while, the automatic belts went away and airbags became the standard. My 1989 Cavalier has neither airbags nor automatic seat belts. But cars like the mid-1988 and 1989 Chrysler "M" body cars had a driver's airbag, but had manual seat belts as an example.
I had a 1989 Ford Crown Victoria that had an airbag in the steering wheel. Passenger was not provided with one. Normal seat belts too.
@@suzi_mai Correct.
And for the final "box" B-body GM sedans and wagons in 1990, the Caprice Classic had door post mounted manual belts, and no airbag. 1989 Cavalier? Wow I remember my uncle had one until 1998, I always was fascinated by how tiny the fuel gauge was, and mounted upside down too! Was a Lordstown, OH assembled and 2.0 4 cyl auto.
@@WildBill236 Yup, and yes, my '89 Cavalier is a 2.0L assembled in Lordstown, OH. My grandparents bought it brand new.
@@googleusergp Nice, his was a light blue metallic 4 door sedan. I remember the R12 refrigerant long leaked out even by 98. We sold it for 1600 with 71k. Was touched up on fenders and door bottoms, rockers, etc. I doubt it lasted 4 or more years, the body was popping thru underneath. I think it was GM water based paint, (maybe was enamel but I cant remember) I know it wasnt lacquer like my 86 Celebrity is. Was a good runner and family car, but noisy and rusty. I remeber it had some dealer added rustproofing, there was a sticker on rear door window "this vehicle shielded by The Protector" with a drawing of a man in armor with a spray gun. Needless to say, it didnt help much. Was replaced with a 1998 Cavalier LS in deep green metallic.
I like it when Katie comes to visit. She’s a good doggo
Great video. I particularly enjoyed your exegesis on the exhaust system lifetime. I grew up in my father's auto parts store in the 1960s. The product that occupied the largest amount of floor space was mufflers, tailpipes and exhaust pipes. We stocked literally hundreds of pipes and dozens of mufflers, all in pre catalytic converter days. You could anticipate replacing some or all of the exhaust system every two years or so, particularly in places like Western New York State where I lived.
Twas a bit of a racket, yes? And not just the racket of leaky exhaust systems! Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
The better exhaust shops had the IBM punch cards which could be fed into a tubing bender to make up the needed pipes. It was rare to see, but it could be done and had.
It was the lead in the fuel that was so corrosive to exhaust systems. Taking the lead out killed Midas and the like.
@@8632tony It didn't kill them, but it slowed things down. Vehicles using unleaded fuel still rotted exhausts out. Fuel injection helped clean things up, but the enemy of an exhaust system is standing water/moisture inside of it and of course salt exposure. Vehicles driven a longer distance have time to blow out all of the moisture and heat the exhaust up, so those tend to last longer.
First I've heard of that reason. Exhaust systems were always mild steel hanging from the underside of a car exposed to water and road salt. Perhaps it was the change to stainless steel that really improved things.
I currently own it’s upscale brother a 94 Mark 8. I think the Mark 8 was the finest car Ford had made, and currently one of the best buys in the market.
Agreed.
Honorable mention to the first gen SHO.
This platform was a career ender for those involved with the program. It missed all targets, including weight , mileage and cost. It ended up heavier and more expensive to build than planned. They took cost out of the interior to compensate, which is why the dash was kind of chintzy until the the 1994 facelift.
I remember being really excited about these before they came out, but was disappointed when I finally saw them. Didn't matter, as I couldn't afford it anyway. And they never recouped the cost of the IRS by putting it in other cars, other than the Mustang Cobra SVT . As pointed out above, I always thought the Panthers should have gotten it, at least on higher end ones like the Town Car. All in all, the Fox version was IMHO a lighter, more nimble & cost-effective package. I remember driving a late 87-88 Fox Bird, and even with the lo-po 302, would spin the tires quite well. In fact, had I been in the market would always have chosen a V8 in either Fox or MN12, 302 or 4.6. The 302 over the 2.3Turbo for superior torque and smoothness, or the 302-4.6 over the 3.8 Supercharged just for it's greater simplicity/reliability. The superchargers proved to be problematic as they aged.
They were great rental cars.
I had two 1989 SC great handling like
A BMW and best riding I did pulleys
On the supercharger ram 14:75
At E/Town. With the trunk full
On of stuff great looking in
The Sc
Wonder if Steve knows if the IRS hardware has any connections to the one they threw under the Exploder my to distance themselves from the rollover scandal.
That IRS may have been a gift to ride quality but at what weight cost? It was a monster.
@@rotaxtwin Considering who the customers were for these cars, I don't think weight was a huge issue. Nobody was going to be racing these around even with the super charger.
I jave owned 12 of these over the years including a few MN12 chassis Cougars. The SC was the new car i wanted in high school. They are fantastic freeway cars. Biggest weakness being the head gaskets in the 3.8. Find a 92 sport 5.0 and you will have a rare bird
My old man had a '93 SC. Said he had to get rid of it cuz it was going to get him in trouble. Claims he out ran the popo twice. My friend and I "borrowed" it two nights in a row when he left it with my mother while he and my stepmother took a trip to Tennessee. We were both 14 and, somehow, never got caught. Fond memories of that wicked Bird. Sure would like to find a decent one today.
My 93 SC was super rare. A rare red on red (68 in that color combo) stripper model with no moonroof, no premium sound, no lighting package, no keyless, no leather, no power passenger seat. The only "option" it had was the automatic. As SCs go, it was probably one of the lightest in existence as they removed some stuff by the time 93 came around. They got heavier in 94 with the addition of dual airbags I believe.
I was just in a junkyard this morning, pretty good amount of Mopars. A lot of 80s cutlass supremes
I had a 1986 Cutlass Salon with bucket seats. One step below the 442...
I put the rear end out of one in my rat rod. I’m surprised more people don’t use them in there builds. Would be great in a mini truck.
Mom had a Silver 1994 Thunderbird 4.6 that was such a great car
Hi Steve, great video on this Thunderbird. Boy Steve you gave me a bunch of ammo to work (jaw jack) with in this video. 1st I had a buddy who in my opinion was a genius he turboed his Citation with a set up from a Riviera and talked me into setting up 1980 Pinto with the turbo coupe set up from an '85. Once we were through it looks absolutely factory and scary as hell can be. I snapped a couple light weight Pinto rears before I decided to let that car go. But in a straight line that dude definitely set you back in the seat. Well I actually sold the car after a night of partying and it was 3-4am. Coming home as usual I had floored doing all she could do. The 85 on the speedo had been buried in-between 2&3 gear. Had an old boy in the passenger seat he was about 7ft tall and he was a deal maker his nickname ,"Monty Hall" because of his constant haggling on everything. So we're cruising home (wide open) and the back wheel PASSES US! Well somehow the lord took hold of the steering wheel because I left my Sébastien Loeb driver's permit at home. The Pinto Ralley held her own and with a couple fancy turns we came to a stop. The whole time Monty was yelling "stay with it Jr!" I assume he was referring to Jr Johnson. So we looked for that rim an tire until the sun came up and never found it. Of course the state trooper shows up. I ended up taking a lug nut off each wheel and using the spare to get home. Oh yeah Monty got rid of the trooper while I got the wheel put back on. Monty asked is 3 lug nuts safe? I told him it was good enough for the French. A bit of a back story I had a rash of brake lines cut and now the lugs loosen up. Probably because my 2nd job was stealing women from their men. 👀 So the car was 'hot' so to speak.😳 But this video was about the IRS Thunderbird. 😅 sorry Steve. So in 96 I bought a white (of course) Thunderbird with the 4.6 very nicely optioned with the keyless entry. Had it parked out front so that pearl white would maybe grab some eyeballs and bring in a customer or 2. Well a semi trailer lost its rear set of wheels and ended up going through the passenger side door and they ended up in the driver's seat! Car had almost a 1000 miles on the clock 😢. The set of wheels pushed the passengers door inside the car against the dash and pushed up the top. Well I kept the Bird out front for a few more days and that brought in more people than the new Bird. Sex may sale but destruction brings in the interested. It was a sight to see with a pair of dually wheels crammed inside a pearl white Thunderbird. Have a blessed day everyone 🤙🏼 Namaste 🙏🏼
Wow. Sounds like you don’t need any help with things to talk about. 😂
Great story. What if...the errant Pinto wheel wheeled its way into a living room somewhere near the side of the road. And what if....that living room was owned by a Truck Driver who later happened to be driving past your '96 T-Bird? Just wondering...As for Turbo Pintos, I worked at Hot Rod magazine (1997-2005) and one of my more memorable stories was "Turbo Joe" Morgan who swapped an '87 Turbo Coupe 2.3 into his '73 Pinto and ran 10-second 1/4 miles. The story was titled Poisonous Pinto and appeared some time in 2001, if I recall correctly. He used a C3 automatic (lighter guts than a C4 he said, just as capable of being "fortified" and at the rear, the third member out of any V6 Pinto / Bobcat, plus a small 50-hp shot of nitrous to get the turbo spooled up quicker off the starting line. That little Turbo Pinto was an awesome little critter. He even drove it on the Hot Rod magazine Power Tour - a cross country road trip that proved (or disproved) the merit and mettle of any hot rod. Great things CAN come in small packages! Thanks Chris for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
Man, that's funny shit. "3 lug nuts work for the French". I think that goes over the heads of most car type guys. Great stary as well!
@@mattskustomkreations Hi Matt yeah I've been called long-winded SOB on many occasions and I've heard about people warning others about it. 🤣 I can't help it because I treat everyone as if they're the most important person in the world and why not? I surely hope they feel that way about themselves if not I believe they should take inventory of themselves and dont forget the stuff that they got for free. Everything that’s really worthwhile in life came to us free, our mind, our soul, our body, our hopes, our dreams, our ambitions, our intelligence, our love of family and children and friends. All these priceless possessions are free, but the things that cost us money are actually very cheap and can be replaced at any time. I've never met an enemy but I'm sure I made a few afterwards. Have a blessed day. 🤙🏼 Namaste 🤙🏼
@@chrisscearce I’m known to be long winded myself. I do tutorial videos. 😂
My daily driver is a 1978 Thunderbird with a built and balanced 400 and C6. Love it
One of the last with a full perimeter frame, or, as my uncle said, "the LTD chassis".
Just yesterday watched a white 70 bird strolling down the road, looked odd, because today's cars don't have half the class!
One of my favorite Thunderbirds! The MN12 is still elusive, but I will one day own one!
Thanks for another great video, Steve!
I've only had one MN-12 Thunderbird (a 95 4.6 V8), but I've owned more of their Lincoln counterpart than I can count. The 93-98 Lincoln Mark VIII was built on the FN-10 chassis, a modified MN-12 with an aluminum 4.6 DOHC, 4R70W, aluminum driveshaft, and IRS similar to the Thunderbird/Cougar, but with an aluminum differential carrier "pumpkin" and aluminum lower control arms.
I came to own my 95 Thunderbird when I was between Mark VIII's. My friend was selling it and made me an offer I couldn't refuse. I even tried to talk him out of it because I knew how much he loved that car and knew he'd regret selling it, but he was determined to sell it so he could work on another project car so he gave me a nice deal on it. I'd been used to having a Mark VIII and was missing having one, so I didn't have the Thunderbird long before I started thinking about doing a 4.6 DOHC engine swap- I already had a Mark VIII engine at the time. The more I thought about it, the more I began to think I might as well just buy another Mark VIII. I was still trying to decide exactly what I wanted to do with the Thunderbird when my friend called me one day, just a few months after he'd sold me the car. He asked if I'd consider selling the car back to him and how much I'd want for it. After messing with him a bit, and a few "I told you so's", I sold it back to him for what I bought it for. That's been over 10 years ago, and though my friend and I have lost contact over the last few years, the last I knew he still had that car.
You did a GOOD THING there! Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
Thanks for giving us the bird , Mags! 🤣
Steve, just a quick thank you for that vid you did with the 57 Desoto. I mentioned to a good friend about it, and he contacted the yard to get some parts off it. We are 3 hours away, but they shipped him the parts. Desoto parts are very hard to come by. THANKS!
Hello scrappy, THANK YOU for helping to save some parts from this amazing "repository of automotive history". They're NOT junkyards, right? -Steve Magnante
The reason why this style T-bird was still produced was ford needed a 2door platform to have a car that could run in NASCAR at that time you could not run a 4door platform so when when Ford didn't want to make the T-bird any longer they went to NASCAR to get the Taraus approved , that opened the door for Toyota who didn't have a 2door car with a long enough wheel base to compete plus then Chevy at that time changed to use l believe there Impala 4door car
That's how it was explained to me .
Enjoyed the the video Steve. 👍😎
I have a good memories on those cars ,it was a fine machine on the highway.
I bought mine new in 1991, LX with 5.0 200hp with 8.8 inch "performance traction lok," which was the 3.08 in 1991. Mine would squat down on the highway, 4000lb with IRS, and turning 2800 RPM at 100mph.
My job (musician working 6 nights a week at the jazz club) was in NYC and I was living 90 miles south in S Jersey so the NJ turnpike was my real home. Drove home in the wee hours of the morning and the NJSP ran radar from the exact same spots every night so I spent most of my time cruising at 100 and the car was super stable.
I remember reading that the styling and some suspension components of this series bird was copied from the 2 door 6 series BMW from this era, so maybe that accounts for the high speed stability.
The odometer on my bird gave up at about 190,000, so when I gave it to a buddy it probably had over 250,000 and the 302 still took less than a quart of oil between my regular 3000 mile changes. Those engines were indestructible.
BTW Steve, the best glass packs were Hollywood Noisemaker and Dynatone. Smitty was pretty good also. You had to BLOW 'EM OUT! That one you was holding probably had a nice mellow sound to it.
I hated (and still do hate) those "weedwacker" sounding 5.0L engines. They give some insight as to the tools that typically drive them. I think they got ruined with all of that exhaust "tone". My Craftsman leaf blower has a better sounding exhaust note. LOL.
@@googleusergp Did I strike a nerve?
@@customkey Nah. I just hate the sound of loud exhaust. It's nothing but noise in my book. I find the loudest cars aren't always the fastest. Take the Grand National. It was a "silent but deadly" car that embarrassed many an offensive sounding junk box.
@@googleusergp I agree with you 100%. My pronouncement about that muffler Steve was holding was a wisecrack, junkyard humor. But I do remember a guy who lived around the corner (in 1961, '62?) who owned a beautiful pink, black and white '56 Mercury 2 door hardtop that growled, told me he had a set of "Hollywood Noisemakers" on his duals, I liked that sound when I was 12 years old. I agree 100% and always enjoy what you write.
@@customkey Nice of you to say. It's my opinion, it's just irritating with all that loud exhaust to "prove a point". It proves nothing.
Gotta ask, is the dog in the witness protection program?
I’ve been wondering the same thing.
I own an MN12 but whats intresting about mine is that it lives on the other side of the world here in Ireland. It's a great car. I really enjoy driving it, completely alien from anything on the road here.
Fellow I worked with had a 95 w/the 4.6L V8. It was a nice car.
Love my 89 Supercoupe 5 speed
Back in the 90s these things were everywhere.
Great Video! I had a base 89 T-Bird & loved it. It was the best car I ever owned to that point replacing my previous 84 model. Made the mistake of trading it off once it passed 100K miles on a similar 95 T-Bird which was a disappointment. The only plus for the 95 was air bags replacing the clunky automatic seatbelt configuration. Unfortunately, adding the air bags came with a new dash & console design that was awful...not a single flat surface on which to set anything even for a brief moment. The 89 had a smoother ride too. I miss "personal sporty luxury coupes" of that era: big and comfortable without being too sporty or too stogy. Can't help but think there may still be a small niche market for them among us aging but active boomers who are not fond of SUV's, but I am sure development costs get in the way of that dream.
This brings me back, my parents bought a brand new 1990 LK model and our neighbor had a Iroc z so there was a lot of nascar rivalry going at that time.
I definitely remember the 1955 T-Bird.
But I don't recall that dip in the top of the windshield.😂
i love when the dog walks by , his face is blurred ...rofl .... keep the vids coming !
My mom had a 90s T-Bird.😊 It was a comfortable car sporty-looking and you could fit adults in the backseat. It drove well. Was the last hurrah rear-wheel drive coupe. With the demand of sport utilities and crossovers.
I bought a new 1990 Thunderbird Supercoupe in the color Light Titanium. It was a great driving good looking car, and fast for the day. Until the Camaro and later Mustang made an entry into the NASCAR Cup series, the 10th generation Thunderbird was the last actual 2 door production car whose body style was used in the Cup series.
Built mid engine sand rail with that IRS hooked to a Powerglide & SBC .... No drive shaft.. U joint to yoke to the glide. Ran great
I always really liked this generation of Thunderbird and Cougar. And they were very successful in NASCAR racing
I had to watch the ending of the video three times because I kept watching Katie rolling around on the ground lol. She always knows when you're filming and she loves to steal the show. Haven't seen lockjaw in a while either. Another great video thank you for the knowledge.
I had a friend back in 2008 who owned a 89 Turbo coupe. Whenever I see a 57, I'm reminded of Clive Owen's great line in Sin City (one of the great movies of 05 with Bruce Willis and Micky Rourke: "Get me a hardtop, with a decent engine, and a big trunk!".
Great Video Steve !!! But they actually had 4 door Thunderbirds from 1967 to 1971 …. I guessing it just slipped your mind for a moment….Ha Ha Ha !
You are correct but I was specifically referring to the Gen-10 T-Bird in the video. But yes, the 4-door T-Bird of 1967-'69 was a "first and last" for T-Bird history. It also supplied major undercar bits for the 1969 Continental MKIII. Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
I had a Merc. Cougar from that era. I can't recall what year it was, but probably an 89 or 90. It was a Thunderbird, but with a flat, vertical windscreen and a different trunk. I guess the Cougar was the luxury version of the Tbird, with all of the options - a phony cloth landau roof, a rack on top of the trunk, and huge alloy rims, among lots of other gagetry. It was alternately a magnificent and a silly car. The automatic seat belts were awful and were constantly catching me in the face as they ran up thev track on the window.
I always liked the 87-88 Aero Thunderbirds. Still looking for one to buy. 😍
A 95 T Bird has been my favorite of the many cars I have owned
I followed the development of the 1989 T bird from the 1st drawings in motor trend magazine to when they got old on the street and disappeared. I have always liked them . I drove its sister, the 1991 mercury cougar.
The Thunderbirds actually were available with 4 doors from 1967 til 1971, albeit suicide doors. there used to be a 1967 model in my neighbourhood though sales dropped over time.
Anyone else see the dog rollin around in the background? 😂
Yes, why would they block/Pixuate the face of that dog ? Was the dog in witness protection program. Look close they really block the face of the dog. Odd at least.
@Paul Stewart Idk, dogs are people too? Also, what's the running gag with the deer?
Katie, the junkyard dog was hoping to be "Rollin' in a 5.0", but instead was very unimpressed with the Essex V6 in this vehicle.
When my dog did that as a kid it meant that he’d found something dead……..🫤
@@ddellwo maybe the other half of the deer
WOW, talk about bringing back memories! I leased a new 1993 V6 T-Bird for 3 years. I actually loved that car! But when the lease was up.... Then a number of years later, like around 2002 or 2003, I bought a 1996 4.6 V8 T-Bird, with 40K miles! I loved that car too, but the day after buying it, the plastic manifold cracked (water jacket was part of the intake manifold) and Ford had to fix it under warranty. The problem was that it started having issues a couple of years later. Still fun car to drive. I then gave it to my son, and he proceed to destroy it! :(
I bought my wife a low mileage used 97 T-bird in September of 97. It was the LX model with the 3.8 V6. She really loved the torque that the engine put out. By that model year the engine made 170 hp and around 235 ft lb of torque and it came with factory stainless steel shorty headers.
Great video, I'm only a couple hours away from that junk yard. I own a 94 Tbird and an 88 Turbo coupe, love them both, I've had the 94 for 16 years now.
I had its sister ship, a 1989 Mercury Cougar with the weedy 3.8 V6 and yes, it blew its head gaskets. Other than that, I was very impressed with the MN12 chassis.
Good to see you covering some 80's car, do more.
Cool cars Steve ... my moms last car she bought new was a black 96 T bird 4.6 V8 automatic and positraction with leather seats.. 20k out the door. I drove it a lot to help my mom out or if she had a long-distance trip ...the family sold it a few years ago with only 126k on the odo. the good ole not so long ago days... i miss my mom.
Thanks for sharing bud
PS oh my girlfriend owns a 04 modern baby bird.. funny how things come back into your life
PSS... i heard a company called monster miata uses the irs set up to build V8 miatas !!
I had a gen9, '86 Aero Tbird as my first "real" family car when I got married in '89. Really liked the looks. Traded it on on one of those Toyota Wonder Van's when my son came along in '91. Needed more than 2 doors. Sorry to see it go.
Thanks for the vid, Steve. 😁👍
A-well-a don't you know about the bird?
Well, everybody knows that the bird is the word
A-well, a bird, bird, b-bird's the word
A-well-a mow, mow, pa-pa, ma-ma-mow, pa-pa
Ma-ma-mow, ma-ma, mow, pa-pa
😆
There's an Arkansas state trooper named Jacob Byrd who has quite a following on some of the police chase channels for PIT maneuvers and a no-nonsense attitude on the job, and that guy can drive. Of course people have come up with expressions such as, "You can run, but the Byrd can fly", and "Byrd of Prey" or one I came up with, "Lynyrd Skynyrd had the Freebird, but ASP has Jacob Byrd".
This song always reminds me of the "trailer home party scene" in the John Waters / Divine film "Pink Flamingos". Don't Google it if you want to preserve your current idea of this song! Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
EVERY-! came run'n wonder'n about the I.R.S.! When they seen what he meant they had to "leaf" here with a SPRING in their step.
I don't think the Focus came with a power shoulder belt. That was replaced with airbags in '98, and the Focus wasn't available, yet.
I think the Escort had motorized seatbelts, and that's the most similar vehicle.
I had them in my 1990 Nissan 240sx, my 1990 (& 1991) Honda Civic sedans, and the fleet of 1g DSM's that rolled through my garage (Mitsubishi Eclipse/Eagle Talon/Plymouth Laser).
You're correct. I mis-spoke it was a ford TEMPO I had back in my California days that had the automatic shoulder harness unit. The car was baby blue and totally rust free but I couldn't give it away after the heater core began leaking and steaming the interior on 90-degree days. I eventually got $125 for it. Woo-Hoo! Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
@@SteveMagnante oooh, sorry. I'd hate to admit having a Tempo!
Had a 1994 with 4.6 v8. Decent vehicle, comfortable and enough go. Steering rack went out, pain to replace. Thanks for the memories of all vehicles.
Weren't the 1967 T-bitds available as a 4 dr??
Yes they were and the rears were suicide like a continental
Yep, 67-71 all had the option to be 4 doors I believe, with the rear doors being suicide doors similar to the 61-69 Lincoln Continental
Yes.
Yes, but I was referring to the 10th-Gen featured in the video. But yes, GOOD EYE! -Steve Magnante
I had one. Looked just like the black one in your brochure. I loved that car. Was pretty good but ate front rotors. It was 2 years old when I got it. The seatbelts were good,never got a ticket.
I always liked the look of these T-birds. I never owned 1, but thought they would look cool with a black phantom convertible top.
Good day,eh! From Montreal Canada. 🇨🇦👍
I've always had a soft spot for the 10th generation T-Bird because my mother had one. She had a 95 LX with the 4.6L V8 and it was nice and comfortable. I'm glad she chose the V8 because the base 3.8L V6 felt underpowered because of the heavy weight.
Still have and love my 2004 small V8 runs like an sr-71 Blackbird
Fast and sleek
I had 10 55, 56, 57 T-Birds. ( Yes all at once ) Several top show winners. I guess I am partial, but they were the best of all the versions.
Good morning, fellas - getting ready to start another day at the quarry…….😂
The next car I add to my collection will likely be one of the last three years of the MN-12 cars (‘95 - ‘97) with the 4.6 V8, or a “Retrobird” from ‘02 - ‘05. Already have the cash saved up to buy a pristine, low-mileage version of the MN-12, but a Retrobird in similar condition will be a tad more expensive, so I continue to keep a tight budget in 2023 and squirrel away any leftover discretionary income I have each month so I’m in position to do either vehicle by early 2024!
The only other car on my radar screen that might distract me from this goal would be a Marauder from the early 2000’s, but those are getting outrageously expensive in the miles and condition I like……..🤔
I'd go with the retro bird. I like it much better than this bloated, platypus looking heap. LOL.
@@googleusergp platypus, I can see that
@@tomwesley7884 That's what it looked and rode like. LOL.
I agree that a DOHC Marauder would be a fantastic purchase. I HOPE I NEVER find a modern Marauder in the junkyard! -Steve Magnante
When I was a kid my mom's friend had the generation before. All I can remember is how the rear end wiggles when they came to a stop. My grandparents had a cougar from that era. It was black on black with a digital dash. Nice cars.
I had one of those! It had the 5.0. It was a gitter! Whenever the wife or kids would get in id turn on the key and stick my tongue out and make choking sounds like it was hanging me. Always good for a laugh...
Knew somebody who had one of these back in the day, was a nice long distance cruiser
These were very nice cars to drive... my father bought one new in 1991. I always enjoyed getting behind the wheel of it.
Always been a Square Bird fan especially with the rare 430 V-8.
I remember looking at a white Cougar that had the supercharged engine.
I had a 92 t bird sport. 5.0 ho limited slip rear, disc brake all the way around. I enjoyed it, was a fun car.
Now, that bird has been plucked
The 'Bird is a turd.
My parents had an ‘89 Camry with those motorized belts. Hard to believe all that mechanism was cheaper than an airbag at the time. The worst though were the fixed passive shoulder belts on the cheapest cars (cheap Toyotas had them). What a pain!
I had them in my Protege (93). I would just unplug them from the piece on the pillar, and use the lap belt as that's all that is required by law.
@@downlowsyndrome3163 True, but you were doing yourself a disservice by doing that. You wouldn't be ejected because you were wearing the lap belt, but you could hit the steering wheel and windshield and get some hefty injuries that way. I always wore both on cars had had automatic belts. I prefer the manual belts and I wear my seat belt all the time, including when I'm in the back seat of a vehicle.
@@googleusergp And lets not forget the dreaded "spinal cord separation" factor when the torso pivots forward about the "hinge" of the lap belt and "unplugs" or damages the connection between spine base and pelvis. Often lower body paralysis resulted. I'm not a big fan of "government mandates" but will admit many nasty bits of engineering were snuffed by Uncle Sam....for the better. Ever see a Corvair after a driver-front impact with a tree? Steering wheel / column delivers a one ton upper cut to driver's face. Anyhoo, THANKS for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
@@SteveMagnante 100% right. Some regulations are good, you're right on that. It's the overreach that's the problem.
My friend at the time in 1997 had one of these, white. It was manual and it was really awesome. Of course I was 16 at the time and didn't know much but it sure did move.
Ford Mexico sold this base model with a 3.8L 5 speed manual. It didn't have to had the Super Charged engine to get the manual in Mexico.
My dads best friend and his wife owned a 92 mercury cougar in similar trim and colors as this bird.
I’ve owned an ‘89 as well as a ‘93. Loved them, although only the v6. My father still has his mint condition’96 with the v8.
Dale Jarrett did well in his Quality Care Ford Thunderbird...
What a difference in 20 years of thunderbirds. My 1969 thunderbird is a 4 door with a 7.0 liter v8.
How can you be so calm with that vicious junk yard dog right behind you? LOL!
My 98 mark viii has the thunderbird to thank for the use of the mn12 platform it rides so smooth even on bad roads the car feels planted. I love the thunderbird/cougars too it's neat seeing them on the street
Neighbor lady in 91 asked me to bring her car to dealer for maintenance. It was one of these SC with the stick!! She was early eighties then👍
This era of Thunderbird made for some really cool NASCAR cars on the grid, certainly my personal favorite Thunderbird era, tho' the original was stand-alone cool and the final was, I get it, a throwback for older folks with money to recall their youth, or American Graffiti, but it did seem fluffy, not sporty like the original. And styling-wise, was any car more all over the map than the Thunderbird?
I remember way, way back in the day in TV land, you did a build series on a white ’62 T-bird convertible. Swapped heads, intake, carb, etc. on the 390 FE. I remember a tonneau cover and Kelsey Hayes wire wheels as finishing touches. Great Series! The show inspired me to mildly modify my Impala, with the ability to go back to original. I envisioned a series like that for your ’62 Dart PoPo. I realized that there is a ton of content like that on YT today, but back in the day you couldn’t get stuff like that on TV. Your fan base loves your current content and can’t start the day without Professor Magnante’s enlightenment. Thanks! BTW, no connection to the Psychedelic Furs; just the radio delete dude.😎
Hello Martin J. Taylor, Thanks for remembering the old "Classic Car Restoration" series on the DIY Channel. That was a real 1962 Sports Roadster with the "89" body code. I remember NOT liking the swapped on Edelbrock aluminum heads and top end kit BUT the producer thought we needed some "engine work" and simply rebuilding the stock parts wasn't 'sexy" enough. I lobbied for a limited slip diff swap but was over ruled over the hassles of lighting the dark under car area without creating harsh shadows as I moved my arms through the light beams. Argh. Television. Thanks for clearing up the Richard Butler / Psychedelic Furs profile photo mystery for me. And THANKS for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
Ha! One of my college buddies had a sister who dated a Psychedelic Fur for quite a few years! I want to say it was Tim Butler, but I might be “misremembering” that after so many years! Always thought it was weird that a North Dakota farm girl ended up dating a “Fur” - a strange combination, for sure……..😂
We still want the floating Jeep
Good luck
i like 1967-1971 thunderbird 4 door.
my sister had a 1991 thunderbird when we were in high school. It was white with blue interior. It was an ok car. Felt pretty big compared to my 84 Firebird. Sadly she totaled her car after a couple years of ownership.
Good car. I had an SC back in the day.....
These cars were built in US, Canada, and Mexico. Some of the Mexico only options are desirable.
The long wheel base made the car ride like luxury. The car was hefty, but the engines were torque-y so they were nice drivers. The IRS was a nice system and helped with traction.
I owned a 94 Cougar, one thing I will say is the brakes were outstanding for the heft of the car.
They used really good steel in these cars(mine was Canadian) and they resisted the salt belt rust extremely well.
The 4.6 I had was shared with the Lincoln cars, they didn't share with Mustang until 96. Factory HP was probably over rated, factory ft lbs was deffinaetly under rated.
Ford did odd things with these cars, they didn;t want to step on Mustang toes so they put 2.73 rear gear in the car(48mph in first gear!) but they didn;t want to step on lincoln toes so no DOHC engines. Then they tried to price them in between too.
They could have made a Cougar eliminator package with doch 4.6
They could have offered a 5 speed.
They could have done a lot of things but Ford is Ford and they could only ever offer "most" of a great car. In the case of these, no V8 and crappy dash. Then they fixed it, but not all the way. Solid build quality, but didn;t commit to performance parts they already had to establish the car's sales point of performance.
So it was a grandpa car. Bigger, comfy, V8, but not that fast really. And even doing that they competed with the Panther cars.
Ford had all the makings of great vehicles. They just never could talk themselves into actually putting those parts together.
I have a 92 SC. Love the car to death, but its such a pain when things inevitability break lol
I bought a 1990 Super Coupe last year with 45k miles. White with blue interior...
I had the 97 tbird last year of that platform. I had it for ten yrs and and 120k miles. I had one major problem with it the whole time I owned it and it was the plastic intake manifold which split on the front facing casting seam..... even though I had 56k on it it was still covered under a silent recall ( thank God).. I lowered it with eibach springs which was amazing for its handling but as for overall power it was under of course,, and it needed bigger brakes... I would have bought the super coupe if they hadn't discontinued it in 95.
My 97 T-Bird did the same thing and it was also covered under warranty. Mine also went through 2 heater cores. I'm still kicking myself for getting rid of it.
Love the platform, had 3. Never could stand the automatic seat belt mechanism. The later 4.6 cars were so nice and comfortable.
The turbo T-birds were nice. They had a European style to them. They also had the Mercury Cougar with the formal roof line.
My parents had a 57 Thunderbird and it was super cool to look at but very awkward and uncomfortable to drive . So Im going to go with the best Thunderbird being the 1988 Turbo Coupe .. Great car .. Fun to drive and comfortable .. Lots of power and great fuel economy ..
I liked the retro bird, and had a Tbird SC - it was moderately fast but a nightmare to insure and keep running.