Hello from Sweden! The SC is truly underappreciated. For it´s time a technological wonder (Made in USA) And kind of a sleeper hot Rod. Supercharger, independent rear suspension, 4-wheel disc brakes, active suspension, and bolstered seats, are some of the features that must have made this car feel like a spaceship, when it launched in 1988! Far ahead of it´s time! :) I have a nice 1990 (stock) SC, and I was surprised by the performance and handling when i first drove it! Horse power are underrated not to compete with the Mustang, and the LS differential makes for awesome donuts! A true modern classic. Keep up the good work you guys. Thank you from Sweden! /Peter
HOLY BISCUITS! 🤩I had a 1995 Ford Thunderbird LX with the 4.6L V8. I drove it through college and unfortunately sold it in 2008. I absolutely loved the car. It was the most quiet and comfortable cruiser cars I've ever driven. I was the second owner. I miss it to this day.
I have a silver 1995 with the 4.6! It belonged to an officer in the military. It sat in an aircraft hanger off & on when he was deployed. FOR 20 ODD YEARS... The brakes & lines were rusty & were replaced as were the tires & sparkplugs & coil packs (1 per bank as opposed to 8 individuals) the gears in the odometer stripped out but less than 10 miles discrepancy before I was able to pull that & replace those with some long life nylon ones. Sitting at 70k-ish miles & only 2 grand invested. It gets compliments everywhere it goes because the interior is immaculate as is the tunk space. I don't know if I'll ever part with it.
There was a beaut of a 1995 V-8 at that Mecham Auto Auction a year or two ago, and nobody bought it, it was only $2500. I would have jumped at the chance, if I didn't have three of them already. Why wouldn't somebody buy one that was in such good shape?@@jaydawg7
My first car was the sister car of this. Not the supercharged one though. 1991 Cougar LS with the 5.0HO. It was a boat, but I loved it. Passed down from my grandmother to my mom to me, and then it taught my little brother to drive before finally being put out to pasture. I miss it sometimes.
That was a cool car to have in those days, especially in a 5 speed manual. I had a 1990 in 2001. It was hard to work on. You had to remove the supercharger housing to get to your spark plugs. However, when it came to performance and comfort, that car was awesome!
Other than the spark plug quirk you just mentioned, it was actually REALLY EASY to work on! It was a well laid-out RWD platform, and I bought my '91 with 53K miles and donated it when it was at 186K. It had some electrical and sensor issues but was super easy to diagnose (I'm not a mechanic, but I am a system engineer) and the parts were all inexpensive (at the time) and quick to swap - the Teves integrated ABS pump, which I was able to find used, took me maybe 90 minutes to change. The crankshaft position sensor, IAC motor, MAF sensor, and the ignition module (twice) were the other electrical problems. The only major problem (which I didn't fix myself) was the 5-speed manual transmission (made by Mazda.) I also performed a bunch of mods - strut tower braces, poly bushings, underdrive supercharger pulley, Flowmaster exhaust, Center Force 2 clutch, K&N intake and a ridiculous sound system (I was just out of college.) I've owned a lot of cars, from Corvettes to an XR4Ti, but the T-Bird SC is the one I probably remember most fondly 😎
@@mikem2k38 Mine was a 1991 White Maroon interior 5 speed. I bought it from my boss at the time (he ordered it from Ford with every available option, all the factory ground effects, rear spoiler etc). He basically sold it to me for practically nothing because my car was trashed and he needed me to have a reliable car lol. I ended up having to sell it because I moved from CT to the U.S. Virgin Islands. I knew nothing about cars at the time but near the end I started having electrical gremlins. Battery would drain for no reason, wouldn't start sometimes and the synchros needed to be replaced but other than that, it served me well for a few years. My boss was adamant that I never put any oil other than Mobil 1 and he made me promise him I would never put less than 92 or 93 octane in it. The car was pristine with just under 100k highway miles when he sold it to me. Nobody had ever sat in the back seats and the floor mats were in the trunk still in the factory plastic. I think about that car all the time and wonder where it is. Car was completely stock.
Funny story about IRS. I was at a car show with mine back in the early 2000s and sone old dude is looking at it. Somehow we got to talking about suspension and I mentioned it had IRS. He goes "do you even know what IRS Iis?" I say "independent rear suspension and this car has it." He tried saying I didn't know what I was talking about and that the 99 cobra was the first RWD Ford with IRS. I told him he was wrong and he wasn't having it. I finally said "if you're so sure my car doesn't have IRS, crawl under there and look." He does and goes "wow, it does have IRS!" I had to keep from replying "no shit Sherlock!" 😂😂😂
I bought a new 1991 LX with a 302 v8 and 8.8 inch traction loc rear, dark blue with light blue leather seats. Independent rear suspension, 100 miles a night on the NJ turnpike coming home from work after midnight. That sucker would squat down at 100 mph, it did it every night. These cars are based on the old 6 series BMW chassis and they love to eat up highway with the speedo up in the big numbers. My odometer stopped working around 250000 and that 302 still barely used any oil. I'm 74 now and my daily is an '06 Hemi Charger R/T Road & Track, still like new. You keep a car with mad giddyups, and you will never grow old.
@@nickdfoxyThe last cassette was Dwight Yoakum. Didn't he and Buck Owens collaborate on a song called, "The Streets of Bakersfield?" Wasn't Buck Owens on "Hee Haw?"
I bought a 65,000-mile 1997 Mercury Cougar 30th Anniversary model from a Copart in Texas in July and it was a donation! It needs some paint work, it has the troublesome key reminder buzzer on, there was a minor intake manifold leak and the fuel pump had to be replaced. I am just glad I got the 4.6 V8 after seeing many V6 versions, some in terrible accident condition. Another cool fact is it was originally sold in southern California. It's back home now, in the high desert area.
As someone who worked on them when they were new, it wasn't the rust that killed most of them, it was the 3.8L engine issues, expensive rear suspension repairs, and fuel tank/pump issues that most who owned them couldn't afford to repair. The regular 3.8L had issues with gaskets, the timing cover gasket and/or intake gaskets would fail, fill the crankcase with coolant and therefore kill the engine. By the time that happened, they were second owner cars 4-6 years old and those owners generally just walked away. The independent rear end also didn't lend itself well to modifications, so the younger crowd generally stayed away from them favoring the cheaper to mod Mustang and prior generation T-Bird/Cougar/Lincoln MKVII instead. The lack of aftermarket support, engine issues, borderline OEM performance pretty much made these first owner cars, after that they tended to die a slow death until something expensive broke and it got scrapped. In comparison, look at the older Fox body mustangs, and those get recycled over and over until someone wrecks it so bad there's nothing left. They pass from owner to owner year after year. I've got a neighbor with a non-turbo '94 T-Bird that he parked when it started to overheat and put coolant in the crankcase, its rust free but its been sitting for 20 years now in his garage. I prodded him a bit about selling it but it turns out he parked the car with an outstanding loan and never got the title. The lender never bothered to repo the car, likely figuring it wasn't worth the cost of the tow bill. Its destined to rot away not having a title, despite being in really nice shape.
I had a 1990 Supercoupe that I bought new. It was painted 'light titanium' from the factory with a matching leather interior. It drove great, and was quick for the time period. The front bucket seats are still the best looking most adjustable and most comfortable seats that I ever set my rear end in, or have ever seen. It was a great car.
Still have my 95 SC. In the garage for the last 21 years. I ordered as my first new car. I wanted the 5sp but opted for the 4R70W as i drove around DC for work.
There's a guy that I've seen a few times in my town with a 95 5 speed. A real unicorn. Back in the early 2000s I was obsessed with the SC's and ended up owning several of them. But I could never find a 94-95 5S that I could afford.
Loved my SC. Best thing you can do is a 2.5” down pipe into high flow cats then both pipes into a dual in single out 3.5” resonator then split back out to dual 2.5” pipes without mufflers. It will make a world of difference in performance and it will protect the head gasket failure issue. That 90 degree bend into the cat is a killer.
Had a 1985 Turbo Coupe. 5 speed. The absolute best $50 car I've ever owned. Very reliable. Drove it for 3 years with near 0 problems. Seemingly indestructible. Withstood thousands of rev limited clutch dumps. Sold it to a couple friends for $300 who drove it for 3 more years commuting over Vail Pass daily. It was then driven 3 more years by one of those 2 friends. Only problem after all those years was the voltage regulator and i think 1 water pump.
As a young man at the time who remembers the Thunderbirds from the 1970s and early 80s, I remember going by the Ford dealership in my small Pennsylvania town and seeing one of these. I never thought I would actually want to own a Ford product until I saw the radical change this sleek body was from those boxy and baroque designs. And when I found out about the SC I gave up on wanting a Buick Grand National.
So now we know that Grimes is worked far too hard, to have time to do up this Thunderbird. He also has tones of money and is a rocker from the 70s, best of all he's a clasic car enthusiasts, and cool guy 👍😊
I still miss my 95 which was in forest green with a sunroof full options leather interior etc. Only downside was the 4.6 L under the hood. Sweet car Grimes
I remember seeing a lot of these on the road once upon a time. The gas bill to keep it going down the road meant most people didn't have much left in the budget for upkeep. They were common, yet finding one in good condition nowadays is rare.
I got an average of 24 mpg on my SC and I have a heavy right foot, though I also had a 5 speed. Bought it with 53K on the odometer and donated it with 186K (I was always meticulous with maintenance on every car I ever owned) and I loved every mile
Car Wizard, OMG, OMG, OMG thank you for this vid!!! SOOOOOOO many fond memories of my '89 SC (MT Car of the Year!) that I got in '95 w/ 46K miles when I got my first "good job" out of college. All I'd driven up to then were hoopties. $13K for me back then was a fortune! Took 3+ years to pay it off early. Mine was midnight blue 5 speed, and my gawd I enjoyed driving it!!! Gray leather interior & it never broke down on me because I took care of it. Eventually sold it because I was starting a family & it didn't make sense to keep it [sigh]. By far, it was my FAVORITE car I'd ever owned, up until my current car (Lincoln MKZ 3.0T AWD). I almost miss driving a manual: 0-60 was a very respectable 7.0 seconds (chirped the tires in 2nd, yo!!!) and I actually fit in it @ 6'3". I wanted a Mustang, but headroom killed that idea. The best part about it was that it was a "sleeper." People didn't know that you had a monster lurking under the hood (like my current MKZ), and it was more luxurious than a Mustang/Cougar. As mentioned in vid, as the car aged, power steering leaks were a problem, to which my ear still is hyper-sensitive to in all my families' cars. It also chewed through some oil (seen especially at night in headlights of those suckers in your rear view mirror). Power seats struggled, and multiple issues with power windows. All that said, absolutely LOVED my SC!!! And the passive seatbelts were NOT as traumatic as everyone says!!!
The LSC Mark 8 one of the best interior cockpit designs in my opinion. It wrapped toward the driver and had a fighter jet like appearance. I'd like to see Tesla's take on buckets seats and cockpit design. Love this era Thunderbird/Cougar/LSC
Ten years ago, I went searching for a nice Thunderbird. After a month, I realized that most of them were just beat to death. Then I had an epiphany; Lincoln Mark VIIIs were the same car, and likely owned by people who had garages. So I expanded my search, and found a nice 1998 Mark VIII, with about 100,000 miles on it. Brother in law, a Lincoln mechanic, said that if it was well taken care of, it will have plenty of life left in it, so I went to see it, take it for a ride, and I was sold; I bought it right then. Original owner, a retired man of 72, had kept all the records. I got it for $3800, and it needed nothing. Since then, not a bit of trouble. Just changed all the fluids, kept up the routine maintenance (which had up to my purchase had always been done at a dealership where the previous owner had bought the car). Wonderful car. Oh, I did replace the air suspension for coils, because the front air suspension is simply not made anymore, but the ride with the replacement Monroe shocks and coils is just fine! Easily as good as my dad's Caddy was. And with close to 300 hp and torque, the quarter is less than 15 seconds, and top end will never be seen with me at the wheel in America. So if you can't find a T bird you like, consider the Mark VIII.
You're so right Wizard on the LX v8's....just all seem to be trash lately. I had a 95 LX v8 from 2003 to 2007 and really enjoyed it. Put over 60k miles on it (at 150k when donated) and only reason I didn't keep it was I got a new job and didn't want to bring it with me due to the mileage/condition/lack of parking space where I was going. One day again, I hope to find a clean Thunderbird LX v8. May have to settle on a Lincoln Town Car or Grand Marquis/Crown Vic.
@@alb12345672 Very cool! Love hearing one of these rides got north of 300k!! Sadly it's being recycled. They are fun cars and not expensive, which makes them more fun.
@@itsnotme07 I feel bad because of all the new parts 🤣🤣. Last repair was fixing leaking power steering tubes. I may try selling it as a project, maybe someone can use the powetrain for something. But the rust is bad, the rear shock is almost in the trunk!
I had a 94 Lincoln Mark VIII and absolutely loved that car. It had what came to be the Cobra motor and hauled ass. The best thing about it them is that they were bought by old people and maintained! I used to go-to parties in it people would say "who's grandpa is here" but if you got inside and heard the 12" Subs and saw my TV and PlayStation, it would feel like you're in the living room hahaha.😅 Obviously this Thunderbird reminds me of it. I'd love to get my hands on 98 Mark 8 now!
I had a 97 Cougar with the V8 that I regret trading in in 2007 so 3 years ago in 2020 I bought a 1998 Mark VIII LSC with 15,000 miles on it. I've almost got 30,000 on it now and love it! Keep looking as they do come up once in a while. One thing to watch out for on the thuderbird/cougars with the V8 is the factory plastic intake manifold. Quick look to be sure the front where the alternator bolts on is the upgraded metal one.
Hopefully you will also get Special Edition one. The Mark 8 was my fav luxury 2dr. I had a 97 Toreador Red , gray int. perfect condition, until my son wrecked it about 5 yrs ago. 😢 I had just redone the interior and upgraded the pipes. Haven’t brought a Ford car since they stopped production of them . Good luck with that last year search.
Mmmhmm - my folks had a 1991 T-bird, and those drove SO nice. A lot of folks don't realize that in the early 1990s, the T-bird was the only full-size car from the big three with independent rear suspension. The rust thing is _definitley_ why there are so few. I live in southern Ontario, Canada, and you just _don't_ see them here anymore - in fact, while they were super common in the 90s and early 2000s, rust was quick to claim. Even if you see someone with a low-mileage one for sale, the rust is really bad. I haven't seen a _nice_ one for almost 20 years now. Definitely a cool car worth holding onto.
Wizard, I have viewed your videos for a long time, enjoy them. I'm a farmer, mechanic all my life. I like your, up on the lift inspections and one thing you always do is take your flashlight and inspect the brakes. You can't see the width of the pads with the tire on the car. With the dust shields in place I can's see the pads, maybe with a mirror it's possible. Yes you can see if there is any leakage from pistons, hoes, or maybe see condition of rotor, Drum brakes if you pull the adjustment cover you might see a little. Brakes for me has been the most costly item to repair and keep working in Ohio weather. Something always going wrong, stuck pistons, master leaking, booster system that work from power brake pump. Cover more brake system problems that northern cars have. Love you comments, love your videos on dealing with customers. As you have stated, you never know what you are getting into on cars, trucks.
Definitely on the bucketlist. Tried to buy several, but its not easy finding a Turbo Coupe OR a Super Coupe being that isn't being sold by an absolute lunatic.
Turbo Coupes still going for 20 to 30 grand at auctions and classic dealerships in decent condition. They holding their value better than the SC without the digitalization and "top of the line" sensors that have no aftermarket support today. Abs sucked too in the 89-93 SCs. It's why the few SCs out there through independent sellers, tend to be a little off. Takes a lot of blind loyalty to a brand and dedication to dump so much money and time into one that still run smoothly today, with dirt market value regardless lol.
Had a '93 LX with V8 for 15 years (Illinois). It was still in good shape and well cared for with just a little over 100k on it when we sold it in 2008 for $1400. It was just starting to get a little rust on the rocker just behind the front wheels. I knew it would explode with rust. Moisture gets in there where there are three layers of metal. Wanted $2500 but no takers so it went wholesale price. A few years after, the values started to go up as the number of decent ones went down. A grandfather bought it for his grandson who promptly killed the trans (they called us complaining>>too bad, so sad>>no warranty. I know how a kid would drive it). We also had a '90 Cougar with the V6 (wife's car). It was an absolute maintenance turd from the git-go.
To be fair. That Trans was made of glass. Almost bought a 94 cougar with a bad Trans for $300 bucks. Would shift out of 2nd. Was too far away to drive back with a top speed of 30 mph on the interstate
Once read Ford Management was not happy the car was so heavy, 500+ lbs overweight. Rented an LX once, really great highway cruiser probably because of weight. one of first Ford coupes with IRS. Mustang took many years to give up on live axle.
The SCs are high maintenance vehicles with rapidly depreciating aftermarket support. Prone to blown head gaskets and a brake system built around abs in its early days where a faulty sensor can make the car undrivable. That being said, my 93 SC is my baby and don't intend to ever give her up. Gotta really love T-birds to get an SC because you're guaranteed to spend a shitload more money on em than anything you'd get on a potential sale.
We’ve got to get the Wizard to 1,000,000 subscribers. He’s been hanging out in the 900s for a minute now. No one deserves that benchmark more than he does to be at 1 million subscribers
I had a 92 Mercury Cougar XR7 with a 5.0 HO in maroon with titanium leather interior on the MN12 platform and it was an awesome and very special car with amenities that were XR7 only. Got about 25 MPG and was a true dream on the highway and the back roads. I sold it to my sister and she just destroyed it. Don't know what I was thinking. Wish I had never sold it.
YES!!!! My first car was a SuperCoupe! 1991 Thunderbird SC in Crystal Metallic Blue. Weak point was rust in rockers as said, but door hinges will wear easily. Lot of weight on the hinge. Especially if someone leans on the door.
That car is a gem. He's also got some good tapes to go with it. I would have jumped at this. You've even got some really good mods to it already. It's a shame that these had head gasket issues, and the AOD transmission that may make adding power a sketchy proposition. I had a mark VII LSC which I loved that had the AOD transmission kill it. Ever since I've been afraid to mess with that automatic transmission on rear wheel drive 80's to early 90's Fords. Especially if they are anything high performance. Keep it clean and keep customisation to a minimum and you can get a lot for it in a few years.
I was a 88 t bird owner and would love to see what he does with the build of the car in the future I miss my t bird and u guys are right there no we’re to be found!!
I had a 93 in the 90’s green/teal… the LX, moonroof, loaded miss that car a lot. Had the head gaskets fixed on it and it was amazing. Sold it with just over 60k on it when it was 13 years old in Illinois. Still have the vin and would love to find it. Thanks for showing this man. Nice ride!!!
I had a 95 5-speed for about 10 yrs, definitely a fun car. Put almost 200,000 km on it during that time, it was good to me. Tough part now is the availability of some of the unique SC parts.
Actually, these aren't Fox-body, these are MN-10. But it's true, I rarely see them around, and only know of two in my town, other than mine.@@martinliehs2513
Right on, I tried to get one back in 91/92 and they were trashed I mean seriously beat to hell some of them didn't even have any boost. I waited a while in 98 I got my first SC. I'll be the one that sold this one to Tyler. I loved the 88 TC it had the leg extension on the seat I'm 6'2 and it was just built for me I thought.
👍Nice! In 1988 i bought a sweet heavily optioned 1987 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. 4 cyl 5 speed. Not a huge powerhouse but handled great. (Not on ice) wife drove to work & spun out (ice) hitting front corner, destroying whole car. Insurance totaled. Had 23,000 miles. I was so sad but no damage to the wife! It was a beautiful Ford.
I had a 1995 Thunderbird SC 5spd Manual when I was 20... that car was an absolute rocket ship. I put headers a full exhaust, smaller supercharger pully on it, a larger supercharger top and intake plenum, an 85mm throttle body, etc.. and she was unstoppable after that.. (I blew the headgaskets out of it after a while, but that was pretty common even without mods.. ) Sadly I never got it fixed and eventually let it go.. but it was an amazing sleeper car for sure.. tons of fun.
i had a 94 tbird 4.6L and it was the best handling car ive ever owned, even better than my 94 Vette. The IRS was amazing. At the same time I had a 98 MarkVIII and i know it was a different platform but i bought the Lincoln to retire the bird and i ended up selling the Mark and keeping the tbird. It drove SO nice. I know Grimes enjoyed that drive home. I kept that tbird as long as i could, until it was a rusted out heap. But it still ran beautifully. the 4.6L is a very good, reliable motor.
I bought one new in 1990 and loved the car. It seemed to have lots more performance than the magazines of the day said it had. Maybe that is because I was used to 4 -cylinder cars. My wife used to drive it a lot and said that no matter how hard you drove it, it seemed to have more to give. One of the first American cars with 4- wheel anti-lock disk brakes. And they really worked. I wish I still had the car now.
A girl i went to h.s. with had one like that. She missed a stop sign one day and ended up also missing the rest of the year of school because she broke her pelvis in multiple places after the accident.
I had a 95 LX V8 that I bought for $2500 back in 2003 with 42k miles on it and was going to do the PI head conversion on it but life events got in the way. I had true dual exhaust installed on it with an H-Pipe and Flowmasters and it sounded good. I installed a shift kit and did the update to the transmission with the newer style accumulators using OEM parts. Also had a performance tune on a SCT chip and had it set to work with a MAF from a 2002 Mustang GT. The throttle response and increase in power was great and the tune made it fun to drive. Finding good suspension components became an issue though as Bilstein and Tokico shocks became unavailable. I ended up selling it back in 2014 and regret it now. The interior was in better condition than this Super Coupe and it only had 80k miles when I sold the car.
Ive had a few thunderchickens. I loved my 93 lx. It was just a regular 6 but rode and handled very well for a boat. I also had an 84 v8, went like hell with an intake and exhaust work. My favorite tho was my 87 turbo couple. She was quick as hell. Got me in a lotta trouble when i was younger. Miss that one but family changes priorities.
I've had one of the best and one of the worst: 1979 Heritage and a 1980 base model with the 4.2 liter (255 c.i.d. V-8). I thought I was going to need to get out and push the 1980.
I had a friend who had a black 5 speed S/C and he told me it did 150 MPH. I didn't believe him so he took me for a ride and showed me. We lived about 10 miles out in the country and the road has a lot of ups and downs like a roller coaster and the car rode so smooth over the undulations. I think it only redlined around 4500 or 5K but, pulled hard down low so it always felt like he never had to redline it.
Must have been Scott Long 😂😂😂 I recognize the name Redbud from the motocross track Mark Strand aka 68cougar lived next to. I remember when my crank sensor failed on the way back to his house and Mark used his wife's buick to tow me there. We spent 3 days fixing that cause we couldn't get the 5.5 mm bolts loose. That was a long time ago. Summer 2002. I actually git a used crank sensor off Scott's 90 automatic that was sitting diagonally in his mom's garage at the time.
I drove a red, company furnished 91 SC with an automatic when I worked in West Texas. Even though it had been wrecked a couple of times and run pretty hard in between, it was a great car to drive. While you say you maybe see two a year, I haven’t seen any for a long time. The closest was last winter seeing a red LX…. The SC I drove had something jacked up that wouldn’t allow it to exceed 100mph - transmission? But it was fun getting it up to that velocity. Handled pretty good for cars of the day too. Great video!
I'm with Mr. Wizard, regarding the LX V8 models. 😉I've had 3 SC's and 2 of the 2002 Retro Tbirds over the last few decades. Just got rid of last SC (rust bucket) and got a pristine, one owner (California) 97 LX with 4.6 V8 and Sport package. Only has 65K miles on it. Put some SC 5 spoke wheels on it and it's my favorite 'bird to date.
I didn't have a supercoupe but I had a 1994 Thunderbird LX V8 and it was in super nice condition, I loved that car! 150K miles and it ran like a top. One day on the highway the traffic came to stop due to some construction up ahead. The person coming up behind me wasn't paying attention and smashed into me at highway speed. Luckily I was fine but that was the end of the car. I never found another thunderbird that was in decent enough shape to purchase.
Super cool Super Coupe. This and the LX with 4.6L DOHC are my two faves. Don't see a lot of them anymore in decent condition. So many have been trashed. Sad.
Well that’s a lot different than mine. I’ve got a 94 mines got a five speed manual. Mines kind of a turquoise blue with a tan leather interior boy. There’s a big difference in the interior of that one are mine but I bought mine brand new and mines got a lot less miles on it. I drive truck mine got just a little over 30,000 miles and I’m the original owner. I bought it when I got my first real job right out of high school.
I've owned multiple Mercury Cougars, 91, 93, 96, 97, 97 30th anniversary. Very comfy car, very complicated front suspension, Rear Independent Suspension. Easy to fix. These cars don't exist in Toronto anymore, can't even find them in the junk yard.
I have the Cougar. 1995.5 Cougar with the 4.6L. I love the car but unfortunately it decided to spin a bearing on me. I also got lucky and got ahold of a 89 Thunderbird SC but unfortunate it was completely rotted out. But I managed to salvage alot from it. I'm currently putting the clutch pedal assy and brake pedal from the sc into my cougar.
Wendy all new thunderbird in 1989 came out I was floored & and I was wildly excited however I couldn't afford one (so a couple of years later in 92 I got a used 1990 Ford Probe LX (with the Taurus 3.0 L Vulcan V6) because at the time it sure as hell couldn't afford a Thunderbird Super Coupe but God knows I wanted one..and It was one of my dream cars (also GTA Pontiac Trans Am or a Z28 Camaro) .and now 30 years later it's still extremely beautiful car and it's a damn shame that so many of these cars have disappeared into junkyard Oblivion and are no longer around except for a few that have been well taken care of by devoted owners. Describe miss the words that nose is one of them and kudos to him for keeping this beautiful classic alive .
They all went to the crusher. I took an 89 SC that someone drove just a bit too tough and lost the mighty V6. I put a SVT Cobra 4.6 with a Vortec SC with a T5 in it. I used Mk VIII aluminum rear lower control arms and center section in it . Converted it to 5 lug and used the cobra brakes & Wheels. Fun street beater, likes high speed well . Had to make my own hood for it so the manifold would clear.
I have a 1990 LX Thunderbird it is the coolest car to own and drive! I am having a hard time finding the original wheels though. It has the digital dash which it makes it more rare than the regular. I still drive it to this day. The only thing replaced was the battery!
I had a 5speed 91 Supercoupe in college (2000). It was a money pit for me but I loved/miss that car. Bought a civic after I blew the head gasket the 2nd time. I wish this video highlighted how far ahead of the time some of the interior features were for a Ford. Auto Climate control, electric lumbar and bolstered adjustable seats.
My daily driver is an old 1996 V8 T-Bird LX. I've had it since 2006 and love the car. Unfortunately over last summer a Subaru pulled out 40 feet in front of me from a side street when I was going 40 mph and smashed in the front fender. To get it fixed through the other party's insurance would total it, but I was able to fix it up with a junk yard fender and some paint for under $150. She's now right as rain and still on the road.
There's a local mechanic who has a Pontiac Fiero near where I live. I talked to him about it and he does want to restore it but he's so busy that he doesn't put the free time to fix it. He won't let it go unless someone's willing to fix it. It's been under water, it has a supercharger that overheats because there's no intercooler for the intake. I had considered buying it but he's picky on his condition to part with it.
I owned a 95 Thunderbird LX with the 4.6 in (Ebony) black with a red (Firethorn) cloth interior for 12 years and truly enjoyed it. The only options that I didn’t have on mine were the ABS with rears discs and CD Premium Sound. The MN-12 Thunderbird/Cougar/Mark VIII Fords are highly underrated since unlike other rear drive coupes they have independent rear suspension like the Mustang Cobra. Basically a gentleman’s Mustang. As sales of these and other coupes started to decline due to the popularity of SUV’s, 97 being the final year (apparently a SVT version was planned for 98 if the model received a reprieve) Ford started to de content some features on the 96-97 Bird and Cougar models. (Thanks Jacques Nassar). The gauge cluster on those years removed the oil pressure and volt gauges. Also fewer option and trim packages were offered. Until a couple of years ago you could fine them reasonably priced but now their value seems to be increasing particularly the SC version.
This video brings back memories. My mother had one of these when I was in high school. Took it to my senior prom. Absolutely loved that car, mom ended up taking it over a huge rock into a tree and totaled it.
I suspect the answer to Wizard’s question “where have they all gone” lies in the description of the ABS system. Grimes mentions the positive manifold pressure interference with vacuum assist brakes leading to the Teeves ABS system. Replacement and programming that all-in-one booster/ABS pump was economically infeasible when they first started breaking and has since become the stuff of legend. Also the end of the road for Lincoln MK VII which were otherwise bulletproof. I read another Utuber’s site where the MK VII can be retrofitted with booster/master cylinder/proportioning valve from Mustang GT or Cobra of some era but the supercharger kinda lets the Super Coupe out of that game. Grimes can keep his example running with knowledge and enthusiasm 👍
That's why I believe the 93 SC was the best year. It had the updated Lincoln mark VIII ABS system but still retained the original 89-93 look but got the better looking 93-95 wheels. Maybe you can retrofit a 93 SC ABS system to an 89-92.
10 месяцев назад
I have a 1989 5spd driver, and a 1990 that I bought in 1995, with 170k miles. The 1990 has never had head gaskets, and only a water pump, and belts. Both have the original brake systems, with new accumulators. Smooth, and quiet.
I had one of these it was a 95. That AOD had a nice firm 1-2 upshift. I loved to hold the accelerator about half way down from a light, when it shift to second it would bark the tire. Lol. I also had a 96 cougar that was the same way. Cool cars. And roomy. Those where the days. These things where solid with the 5.0 in them.
I’ve always appreciated these cars, I’ve had a couple older Thunderbird Turbocoupes. My 86 was rear ended and I put its drivetrain inside of a 91 Mustang 4 cylinder 5 speed car.
What a lick and a promise interior review. I was in love with these cars in the 90's. Since then I have checked out the survivors. Ford had really cheap interiors for the price they were charging for these cars. These were performance cars so the seats had side bolsters. The problem was they didn't last. All the SC's I have seen had trashed side bolsters. I notice you didn't show the drivers seat. Need I say more.
69k driven 1993 5speed SC, white with black interior here, greetings from Finland!
Hello from Sweden!
The SC is truly underappreciated. For it´s time a technological wonder (Made in USA) And kind of a sleeper hot Rod.
Supercharger, independent rear suspension, 4-wheel disc brakes, active suspension, and bolstered seats, are some of the features that must have made this car feel like a spaceship, when it launched in 1988! Far ahead of it´s time! :)
I have a nice 1990 (stock) SC, and I was surprised by the performance and handling when i first drove it!
Horse power are underrated not to compete with the Mustang, and the LS differential makes for awesome donuts!
A true modern classic. Keep up the good work you guys.
Thank you from Sweden! /Peter
i love my sc
My uncle Matt is the guy he mentions in CA! Pretty awesome! ❤ They go way back and both have a love for these cars. This is very cool to see!
HOLY BISCUITS! 🤩I had a 1995 Ford Thunderbird LX with the 4.6L V8. I drove it through college and unfortunately sold it in 2008. I absolutely loved the car. It was the most quiet and comfortable cruiser cars I've ever driven. I was the second owner. I miss it to this day.
I had a 3.8, was a great highway car.
me2. '89 SC 5 speed
I have a 95 v8, runs great but is so rusty it is falling apart. Going to scrap soon. It did see 300K.
I have a silver 1995 with the 4.6! It belonged to an officer in the military. It sat in an aircraft hanger off & on when he was deployed. FOR 20 ODD YEARS... The brakes & lines were rusty & were replaced as were the tires & sparkplugs & coil packs (1 per bank as opposed to 8 individuals) the gears in the odometer stripped out but less than 10 miles discrepancy before I was able to pull that & replace those with some long life nylon ones. Sitting at 70k-ish miles & only 2 grand invested. It gets compliments everywhere it goes because the interior is immaculate as is the tunk space. I don't know if I'll ever part with it.
There was a beaut of a 1995 V-8 at that Mecham Auto Auction a year or two ago, and nobody bought it, it was only $2500. I would have jumped at the chance, if I didn't have three of them already. Why wouldn't somebody buy one that was in such good shape?@@jaydawg7
What a gem, and it's in good hands now so hopefully will go on for many more years
My first car was the sister car of this. Not the supercharged one though. 1991 Cougar LS with the 5.0HO. It was a boat, but I loved it. Passed down from my grandmother to my mom to me, and then it taught my little brother to drive before finally being put out to pasture. I miss it sometimes.
I had a 90 Cougar XR-7 supercharged 5-speed. No stock Mustang LX 5.0 could hang with it. Your cougar LS would hang with a 5.0 even till 138mph.
@@davidalexander828My mom still has her 89 Cougar xr7 5 speed. She’s owned it since 91.
My first car was a maroon 91 LS 3.8. I traded it on on my 93 SC in 2000.
Grimes is a great change of pace. Love to hear him speak in his calm and soothing voice. Thanks guys, really enjoyed this one. Thank you Grimes!
That was a cool car to have in those days, especially in a 5 speed manual. I had a 1990 in 2001. It was hard to work on. You had to remove the supercharger housing to get to your spark plugs. However, when it came to performance and comfort, that car was awesome!
Other than the spark plug quirk you just mentioned, it was actually REALLY EASY to work on! It was a well laid-out RWD platform, and I bought my '91 with 53K miles and donated it when it was at 186K. It had some electrical and sensor issues but was super easy to diagnose (I'm not a mechanic, but I am a system engineer) and the parts were all inexpensive (at the time) and quick to swap - the Teves integrated ABS pump, which I was able to find used, took me maybe 90 minutes to change. The crankshaft position sensor, IAC motor, MAF sensor, and the ignition module (twice) were the other electrical problems. The only major problem (which I didn't fix myself) was the 5-speed manual transmission (made by Mazda.) I also performed a bunch of mods - strut tower braces, poly bushings, underdrive supercharger pulley, Flowmaster exhaust, Center Force 2 clutch, K&N intake and a ridiculous sound system (I was just out of college.) I've owned a lot of cars, from Corvettes to an XR4Ti, but the T-Bird SC is the one I probably remember most fondly 😎
And you had to drain the coolant to change the serpantine belt. Fun times. Oh and that damn DIS module shortage of 2000/2001.
@@pdennis9335thauto here from SCCOA, The DIS module had me sideline for a while also.
@@mikem2k38 Mine was a 1991 White Maroon interior 5 speed. I bought it from my boss at the time (he ordered it from Ford with every available option, all the factory ground effects, rear spoiler etc). He basically sold it to me for practically nothing because my car was trashed and he needed me to have a reliable car lol. I ended up having to sell it because I moved from CT to the U.S. Virgin Islands. I knew nothing about cars at the time but near the end I started having electrical gremlins. Battery would drain for no reason, wouldn't start sometimes and the synchros needed to be replaced but other than that, it served me well for a few years. My boss was adamant that I never put any oil other than Mobil 1 and he made me promise him I would never put less than 92 or 93 octane in it. The car was pristine with just under 100k highway miles when he sold it to me. Nobody had ever sat in the back seats and the floor mats were in the trunk still in the factory plastic. I think about that car all the time and wonder where it is. Car was completely stock.
@@mikem2k38 That wouldn't have been a Merkur XR4Ti with the Bi-wing spoiler, would it?
Seems like it would have been worth mentioning the independent rear suspension.
Funny story about IRS.
I was at a car show with mine back in the early 2000s and sone old dude is looking at it. Somehow we got to talking about suspension and I mentioned it had IRS. He goes "do you even know what IRS Iis?" I say "independent rear suspension and this car has it." He tried saying I didn't know what I was talking about and that the 99 cobra was the first RWD Ford with IRS. I told him he was wrong and he wasn't having it. I finally said "if you're so sure my car doesn't have IRS, crawl under there and look."
He does and goes "wow, it does have IRS!"
I had to keep from replying "no shit Sherlock!" 😂😂😂
A lot of Americans, even American car guys, just don't know or care.
I bought a new 1991 LX with a 302 v8 and 8.8 inch traction loc rear, dark blue with light blue leather seats. Independent rear suspension, 100 miles a night on the NJ turnpike coming home from work after midnight. That sucker would squat down at 100 mph, it did it every night. These cars are based on the old 6 series BMW chassis and they love to eat up highway with the speedo up in the big numbers. My odometer stopped working around 250000 and that 302 still barely used any oil. I'm 74 now and my daily is an '06 Hemi Charger R/T Road & Track, still like new. You keep a car with mad giddyups, and you will never grow old.
Grimes is a stand up dude. He let the boss's wife rumage through all the little stash compartments and call him out on his music. 😂
Some people just don’t know the classics, man. 😂
His taste is ok
Thank goodness he didn't contaminate this nice car with country.
@nickdfoxy lol good one 👍
@@nickdfoxyThe last cassette was Dwight Yoakum. Didn't he and Buck Owens collaborate on a song called, "The Streets of Bakersfield?" Wasn't Buck Owens on "Hee Haw?"
I bought a 65,000-mile 1997 Mercury Cougar 30th Anniversary model from a Copart in Texas in July and it was a donation! It needs some paint work, it has the troublesome key reminder buzzer on, there was a minor intake manifold leak and the fuel pump had to be replaced. I am just glad I got the 4.6 V8 after seeing many V6 versions, some in terrible accident condition. Another cool fact is it was originally sold in southern California. It's back home now, in the high desert area.
As someone who worked on them when they were new, it wasn't the rust that killed most of them, it was the 3.8L engine issues, expensive rear suspension repairs, and fuel tank/pump issues that most who owned them couldn't afford to repair.
The regular 3.8L had issues with gaskets, the timing cover gasket and/or intake gaskets would fail, fill the crankcase with coolant and therefore kill the engine. By the time that happened, they were second owner cars 4-6 years old and those owners generally just walked away.
The independent rear end also didn't lend itself well to modifications, so the younger crowd generally stayed away from them favoring the cheaper to mod Mustang and prior generation T-Bird/Cougar/Lincoln MKVII instead.
The lack of aftermarket support, engine issues, borderline OEM performance pretty much made these first owner cars, after that they tended to die a slow death until something expensive broke and it got scrapped. In comparison, look at the older Fox body mustangs, and those get recycled over and over until someone wrecks it so bad there's nothing left. They pass from owner to owner year after year.
I've got a neighbor with a non-turbo '94 T-Bird that he parked when it started to overheat and put coolant in the crankcase, its rust free but its been sitting for 20 years now in his garage.
I prodded him a bit about selling it but it turns out he parked the car with an outstanding loan and never got the title. The lender never bothered to repo the car, likely figuring it wasn't worth the cost of the tow bill. Its destined to rot away not having a title, despite being in really nice shape.
^ What he said
I had several tbirds. Loved them. Raw power, nice looking, good handling. Ok cars. Miss mine.
Just turned 67,000 miles on my 95 LX V8. Great car. 😎👍
Very creative and innovative...Extraordinary God bless you Greeting from Indonesian traditional gold Prospecting 🇮🇩🚖🚖🙏👍👍
I had a 1990 Supercoupe that I bought new. It was painted 'light titanium' from the factory with a matching leather interior. It drove great, and was quick for the time period. The front bucket seats are still the best looking most adjustable and most comfortable seats that I ever set my rear end in, or have ever seen. It was a great car.
Right on. I have a survivor as well. 1984 Thunderbird 5.0. 17,000 miles. Keep the birds flying.
Still have my 95 SC. In the garage for the last 21 years. I ordered as my first new car. I wanted the 5sp but opted for the 4R70W as i drove around DC for work.
There's a guy that I've seen a few times in my town with a 95 5 speed. A real unicorn. Back in the early 2000s I was obsessed with the SC's and ended up owning several of them. But I could never find a 94-95 5S that I could afford.
Loved my SC. Best thing you can do is a 2.5” down pipe into high flow cats then both pipes into a dual in single out 3.5” resonator then split back out to dual 2.5” pipes without mufflers. It will make a world of difference in performance and it will protect the head gasket failure issue. That 90 degree bend into the cat is a killer.
I had a 1990 SC only problem was the breke booster ,i had it 17 years 243,789 miles loved the car !!
Had a 1985 Turbo Coupe. 5 speed. The absolute best $50 car I've ever owned. Very reliable. Drove it for 3 years with near 0 problems.
Seemingly indestructible. Withstood thousands of rev limited clutch dumps.
Sold it to a couple friends for $300 who drove it for 3 more years commuting over Vail Pass daily. It was then driven 3 more years by one of those 2 friends.
Only problem after all those years was the voltage regulator and i think 1 water pump.
grimes is the best mechanic youve ever had, awesome he knows his stuff, love your content wizard, you are the best
As a young man at the time who remembers the Thunderbirds from the 1970s and early 80s, I remember going by the Ford dealership in my small Pennsylvania town and seeing one of these. I never thought I would actually want to own a Ford product until I saw the radical change this sleek body was from those boxy and baroque designs. And when I found out about the SC I gave up on wanting a Buick Grand National.
So now we know that Grimes is worked far too hard, to have time to do up this Thunderbird. He also has tones of money and is a rocker from the 70s, best of all he's a clasic car enthusiasts, and cool guy 👍😊
@@andydufresne8034Grimes wasn’t even alive in the 70s…
🤨
I still miss my 95 which was in forest green with a sunroof full options leather interior etc. Only downside was the 4.6 L under the hood. Sweet car Grimes
I remember seeing a lot of these on the road once upon a time. The gas bill to keep it going down the road meant most people didn't have much left in the budget for upkeep. They were common, yet finding one in good condition nowadays is rare.
You COULD get 30 mpg out of it if you kept your foot out of it. The regular V6 would easily get 30 on the highway.
I got an average of 24 mpg on my SC and I have a heavy right foot, though I also had a 5 speed. Bought it with 53K on the odometer and donated it with 186K (I was always meticulous with maintenance on every car I ever owned) and I loved every mile
Mine actually got 28mpg on the highway.
I had the exact car but all black and grey cloth interior, miss that car.
My 1997 V8, after chipping and lowering, averaged 25-30 mpg depending on where and how it was driven.
Car Wizard, OMG, OMG, OMG thank you for this vid!!! SOOOOOOO many fond memories of my '89 SC (MT Car of the Year!) that I got in '95 w/ 46K miles when I got my first "good job" out of college. All I'd driven up to then were hoopties. $13K for me back then was a fortune! Took 3+ years to pay it off early.
Mine was midnight blue 5 speed, and my gawd I enjoyed driving it!!! Gray leather interior & it never broke down on me because I took care of it. Eventually sold it because I was starting a family & it didn't make sense to keep it [sigh].
By far, it was my FAVORITE car I'd ever owned, up until my current car (Lincoln MKZ 3.0T AWD). I almost miss driving a manual: 0-60 was a very respectable 7.0 seconds (chirped the tires in 2nd, yo!!!) and I actually fit in it @ 6'3". I wanted a Mustang, but headroom killed that idea.
The best part about it was that it was a "sleeper." People didn't know that you had a monster lurking under the hood (like my current MKZ), and it was more luxurious than a Mustang/Cougar.
As mentioned in vid, as the car aged, power steering leaks were a problem, to which my ear still is hyper-sensitive to in all my families' cars. It also chewed through some oil (seen especially at night in headlights of those suckers in your rear view mirror). Power seats struggled, and multiple issues with power windows. All that said, absolutely LOVED my SC!!!
And the passive seatbelts were NOT as traumatic as everyone says!!!
The LSC Mark 8 one of the best interior cockpit designs in my opinion. It wrapped toward the driver and had a fighter jet like appearance. I'd like to see Tesla's take on buckets seats and cockpit design. Love this era Thunderbird/Cougar/LSC
I agree. Lincoln was fully trying to compete against Lexus. And they got pretty close.
Yes. On the money. I had a green ‘94 Mark VIII. Best interior ever. I currently have a ‘94 T-Bird 5 speed. Owned it since 2004. It’s a beauty.
You are right about the Mk8. It's close to the top of my list. Has the great 4.6 Intech motor, not turboed or s/c'd.
I had a white 1990 Ford Thunderbird SC. That was my favorite car, but I converted to vacuum brakes.
Had a Blue 90 SC Manual one of my favorite cars.
Ten years ago, I went searching for a nice Thunderbird. After a month, I realized that most of them were just beat to death. Then I had an epiphany; Lincoln Mark VIIIs were the same car, and likely owned by people who had garages. So I expanded my search, and found a nice 1998 Mark VIII, with about 100,000 miles on it. Brother in law, a Lincoln mechanic, said that if it was well taken care of, it will have plenty of life left in it, so I went to see it, take it for a ride, and I was sold; I bought it right then. Original owner, a retired man of 72, had kept all the records. I got it for $3800, and it needed nothing. Since then, not a bit of trouble. Just changed all the fluids, kept up the routine maintenance (which had up to my purchase had always been done at a dealership where the previous owner had bought the car). Wonderful car. Oh, I did replace the air suspension for coils, because the front air suspension is simply not made anymore, but the ride with the replacement Monroe shocks and coils is just fine! Easily as good as my dad's Caddy was. And with close to 300 hp and torque, the quarter is less than 15 seconds, and top end will never be seen with me at the wheel in America. So if you can't find a T bird you like, consider the Mark VIII.
I use to have a 5 speed version of the Super Coupe. What a great car.
That will never go away, you may want one again someday. They are mad fun especially to drift maybe in snow or Rain.
Always wanted a 5 speed version! Super Rare. Last one I got to drive was the 95 auto but damn that was such a gorgeous car at the time.
@@bcanfield33 that was almost as fun.
Did you have the hood scoop, body kit and louvres?
@@RebeccaForbes-yi3vi Yes, it had the factory hood but I did not have the louvres.
I was on the tccoa forums for years. Very helpful folks.
You're so right Wizard on the LX v8's....just all seem to be trash lately. I had a 95 LX v8 from 2003 to 2007 and really enjoyed it. Put over 60k miles on it (at 150k when donated) and only reason I didn't keep it was I got a new job and didn't want to bring it with me due to the mileage/condition/lack of parking space where I was going. One day again, I hope to find a clean Thunderbird LX v8. May have to settle on a Lincoln Town Car or Grand Marquis/Crown Vic.
I have a 95 v8 but its going to the junk yard. 😥😥. Rust, otherwise it runs great. Almost 300K so it lived its life.
@@alb12345672 Very cool! Love hearing one of these rides got north of 300k!! Sadly it's being recycled. They are fun cars and not expensive, which makes them more fun.
@@itsnotme07 I feel bad because of all the new parts 🤣🤣. Last repair was fixing leaking power steering tubes. I may try selling it as a project, maybe someone can use the powetrain for something. But the rust is bad, the rear shock is almost in the trunk!
I had a 94 Lincoln Mark VIII and absolutely loved that car. It had what came to be the Cobra motor and hauled ass. The best thing about it them is that they were bought by old people and maintained! I used to go-to parties in it people would say "who's grandpa is here" but if you got inside and heard the 12" Subs and saw my TV and PlayStation, it would feel like you're in the living room hahaha.😅 Obviously this Thunderbird reminds me of it. I'd love to get my hands on 98 Mark 8 now!
I had a 97 Cougar with the V8 that I regret trading in in 2007 so 3 years ago in 2020 I bought a 1998 Mark VIII LSC with 15,000 miles on it. I've almost got 30,000 on it now and love it! Keep looking as they do come up once in a while. One thing to watch out for on the thuderbird/cougars with the V8 is the factory plastic intake manifold. Quick look to be sure the front where the alternator bolts on is the upgraded metal one.
Hopefully you will also get Special Edition one. The Mark 8 was my fav luxury 2dr. I had a 97 Toreador Red , gray int. perfect condition, until my son wrecked it about 5 yrs ago. 😢 I had just redone the interior and upgraded the pipes. Haven’t brought a Ford car since they stopped production of them . Good luck with that last year search.
Mmmhmm - my folks had a 1991 T-bird, and those drove SO nice. A lot of folks don't realize that in the early 1990s, the T-bird was the only full-size car from the big three with independent rear suspension. The rust thing is _definitley_ why there are so few. I live in southern Ontario, Canada, and you just _don't_ see them here anymore - in fact, while they were super common in the 90s and early 2000s, rust was quick to claim. Even if you see someone with a low-mileage one for sale, the rust is really bad. I haven't seen a _nice_ one for almost 20 years now. Definitely a cool car worth holding onto.
I never see them out here in California and there's alot of cars on the roads here. These cars weren't the best of quality unfortunately
Wizard, I have viewed your videos for a long time, enjoy them. I'm a farmer, mechanic all my life. I like your, up on the lift inspections and one thing you always do is take your flashlight and inspect the brakes. You can't see the width of the pads with the tire on the car. With the dust shields in place I can's see the pads, maybe with a mirror it's possible. Yes you can see if there is any leakage from pistons, hoes, or maybe see condition of rotor, Drum brakes if you pull the adjustment cover you might see a little.
Brakes for me has been the most costly item to repair and keep working in Ohio weather. Something always going wrong, stuck pistons, master leaking, booster system that work from power brake pump. Cover more brake system problems that northern cars have.
Love you comments, love your videos on dealing with customers. As you have stated, you never know what you are getting into on cars, trucks.
Definitely on the bucketlist. Tried to buy several, but its not easy finding a Turbo Coupe OR a Super Coupe being that isn't being sold by an absolute lunatic.
Turbo Coupes still going for 20 to 30 grand at auctions and classic dealerships in decent condition. They holding their value better than the SC without the digitalization and "top of the line" sensors that have no aftermarket support today. Abs sucked too in the 89-93 SCs. It's why the few SCs out there through independent sellers, tend to be a little off. Takes a lot of blind loyalty to a brand and dedication to dump so much money and time into one that still run smoothly today, with dirt market value regardless lol.
Don't forget the Mark VIII as well
@@Ownsterx been on the list for years, but the forced induction coupes are far, far more appealing :D
Worked on several back in early 90s always liked them , much better than the v8 units
Had a '93 LX with V8 for 15 years (Illinois). It was still in good shape and well cared for with just a little over 100k on it when we sold it in 2008 for $1400. It was just starting to get a little rust on the rocker just behind the front wheels. I knew it would explode with rust. Moisture gets in there where there are three layers of metal. Wanted $2500 but no takers so it went wholesale price. A few years after, the values started to go up as the number of decent ones went down. A grandfather bought it for his grandson who promptly killed the trans (they called us complaining>>too bad, so sad>>no warranty. I know how a kid would drive it). We also had a '90 Cougar with the V6 (wife's car). It was an absolute maintenance turd from the git-go.
To be fair. That Trans was made of glass. Almost bought a 94 cougar with a bad Trans for $300 bucks. Would shift out of 2nd. Was too far away to drive back with a top speed of 30 mph on the interstate
Once read Ford Management was not happy the car was so heavy, 500+ lbs overweight. Rented an LX once, really great highway cruiser probably because of weight. one of first Ford coupes with IRS. Mustang took many years to give up on live axle.
I really envy you Mr Grimes, getting an SC as beautiful as this one
The SCs are high maintenance vehicles with rapidly depreciating aftermarket support. Prone to blown head gaskets and a brake system built around abs in its early days where a faulty sensor can make the car undrivable. That being said, my 93 SC is my baby and don't intend to ever give her up. Gotta really love T-birds to get an SC because you're guaranteed to spend a shitload more money on em than anything you'd get on a potential sale.
We’ve got to get the Wizard to 1,000,000 subscribers. He’s been hanging out in the 900s for a minute now. No one deserves that benchmark more than he does to be at 1 million subscribers
Nah
I had a 92 Mercury Cougar XR7 with a 5.0 HO in maroon with titanium leather interior on the MN12 platform and it was an awesome and very special car with amenities that were XR7 only. Got about 25 MPG and was a true dream on the highway and the back roads. I sold it to my sister and she just destroyed it. Don't know what I was thinking. Wish I had never sold it.
Love it! Thanks Wiz
gotta love Wiz and Urination Bob
That is a very clean example of a Thunderbird Super Coupe! Such a beautiful car
YES!!!! My first car was a SuperCoupe! 1991 Thunderbird SC in Crystal Metallic Blue.
Weak point was rust in rockers as said, but door hinges will wear easily. Lot of weight on the hinge. Especially if someone leans on the door.
Ironically I saw a Cougar a few days ago,same color, same condition if not better in Michigan of all places. Always liked T-Birds.
Impressive that far north!
I never had a Super Coupe but I did have a 97 V8 that was the best car I ever owned.
That car is a gem. He's also got some good tapes to go with it. I would have jumped at this. You've even got some really good mods to it already. It's a shame that these had head gasket issues, and the AOD transmission that may make adding power a sketchy proposition. I had a mark VII LSC which I loved that had the AOD transmission kill it. Ever since I've been afraid to mess with that automatic transmission on rear wheel drive 80's to early 90's Fords. Especially if they are anything high performance. Keep it clean and keep customisation to a minimum and you can get a lot for it in a few years.
I was a 88 t bird owner and would love to see what he does with the build of the car in the future I miss my t bird and u guys are right there no we’re to be found!!
Was yours a turbo coupe ? Or a V8 car?
My cousin had an 88 5.0 LX. I liked that body style way better than these bricks. I had a chance to buy a 94 LX with the 4.6 V8 years ago but passed.
I miss mine too. Same year. Was my first car.
I had a 93 in the 90’s green/teal… the LX, moonroof, loaded miss that car a lot. Had the head gaskets fixed on it and it was amazing. Sold it with just over 60k on it when it was 13 years old in Illinois. Still have the vin and would love to find it. Thanks for showing this man. Nice ride!!!
I had a 95 5-speed for about 10 yrs, definitely a fun car. Put almost 200,000 km on it during that time, it was good to me. Tough part now is the availability of some of the unique SC parts.
Can't remember the last time I saw one of these Fox-Body TBirds on the roads of Ontario where I live.
Actually, these aren't Fox-body, these are MN-10. But it's true, I rarely see them around, and only know of two in my town, other than mine.@@martinliehs2513
Thought I would see you on here Ed. This is cruel in a Winnipeg winter. Can't wait to get my 94 out in the spring.
Beautiful colour,good luck to you grimes🙏🙏🇬🇧🇬🇧
SC thunderbird's are cool too, but cannot touch the coolness of a turbo coupe thunderbird 😁. Cool ride man!!
Right on, I tried to get one back in 91/92 and they were trashed I mean seriously beat to hell some of them didn't even have any boost. I waited a while in 98 I got my first SC. I'll be the one that sold this one to Tyler. I loved the 88 TC it had the leg extension on the seat I'm 6'2 and it was just built for me I thought.
The TC's were awesome. All that performance from a 4 cyl and they looked wicked. But my '89 SC 5 speed will always hold a special place in my heart!
They are both cool for different reasons.
👍Nice! In 1988 i bought a sweet heavily optioned 1987 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. 4 cyl 5 speed. Not a huge powerhouse but handled great. (Not on ice) wife drove to work & spun out (ice) hitting front corner, destroying whole car. Insurance totaled. Had 23,000 miles. I was so sad but no damage to the wife! It was a beautiful Ford.
I had a dark blue one. great car for sure. Bit heavy but it drives great.
I had a 1995 Thunderbird SC 5spd Manual when I was 20... that car was an absolute rocket ship. I put headers a full exhaust, smaller supercharger pully on it, a larger supercharger top and intake plenum, an 85mm throttle body, etc.. and she was unstoppable after that.. (I blew the headgaskets out of it after a while, but that was pretty common even without mods.. )
Sadly I never got it fixed and eventually let it go.. but it was an amazing sleeper car for sure.. tons of fun.
Extremely nice model in great condition.
I had the 96 Buick Riviera, but not the supercharged model.
I had that car as well, my stepdad and I both had Rics with Superchargers, I blew my engine though lol.
i had a 94 tbird 4.6L and it was the best handling car ive ever owned, even better than my 94 Vette. The IRS was amazing. At the same time I had a 98 MarkVIII and i know it was a different platform but i bought the Lincoln to retire the bird and i ended up selling the Mark and keeping the tbird. It drove SO nice. I know Grimes enjoyed that drive home.
I kept that tbird as long as i could, until it was a rusted out heap. But it still ran beautifully. the 4.6L is a very good, reliable motor.
The Arizona sun tore these things up!
I bought one new in 1990 and loved the car. It seemed to have lots more performance than the magazines of the day said it had. Maybe that is because I was used to 4 -cylinder cars. My wife used to drive it a lot and said that no matter how hard you drove it, it seemed to have more to give. One of the first American cars with 4- wheel anti-lock disk brakes. And they really worked. I wish I still had the car now.
I personally liked the Turbo Coupe better. The hood scoops looked cool.
Getting so close to the million subs Wizard and the team, so deserved. Hope you all had a safe and happy Christmas. Much love from Australia.
A girl i went to h.s. with had one like that. She missed a stop sign one day and ended up also missing the rest of the year of school because she broke her pelvis in multiple places after the accident.
H.S. girls shouldn't drive.
I had a 95 LX V8 that I bought for $2500 back in 2003 with 42k miles on it and was going to do the PI head conversion on it but life events got in the way. I had true dual exhaust installed on it with an H-Pipe and Flowmasters and it sounded good. I installed a shift kit and did the update to the transmission with the newer style accumulators using OEM parts. Also had a performance tune on a SCT chip and had it set to work with a MAF from a 2002 Mustang GT. The throttle response and increase in power was great and the tune made it fun to drive. Finding good suspension components became an issue though as Bilstein and Tokico shocks became unavailable. I ended up selling it back in 2014 and regret it now. The interior was in better condition than this Super Coupe and it only had 80k miles when I sold the car.
Wonder what a modern rendition of this car would look like. Ford needs a good coupe thats not a Mustang.
Still got my '93 5-spd. That supercharger whine is sooo nice.
Get to that oil cooler o-ring fast. I had one go and I broke a crank shaft.
Thanks for sharing this car and thanks to Grimes who preserved it. You guys are knowledgeable and cool asf.
I sold these when new and they felt so much better than most anything else on the road.
How do you know if someone owns a Super Coupe? They'll tell you every time they open their mouth.
Hey did you know I have a super coupe?
Lol as a turbo coupe owner, this is so true, and they always seem to think their SC is better than my TC 😂😂
How do you know because theyll have 3 of them lol
@@x182danrunner, project, parts car. This is the way
Lololol 😂
Ive had a few thunderchickens. I loved my 93 lx. It was just a regular 6 but rode and handled very well for a boat. I also had an 84 v8, went like hell with an intake and exhaust work. My favorite tho was my 87 turbo couple. She was quick as hell. Got me in a lotta trouble when i was younger. Miss that one but family changes priorities.
'89 SC owner here: I empathize with that "family changes priorities" comment!
I've had one of the best and one of the worst: 1979 Heritage and a 1980 base model with the 4.2 liter (255 c.i.d. V-8). I thought I was going to need to get out and push the 1980.
1:32 cash for clunkers Wizard is the reason you don't see many 90's era cars still on the road.
I had a friend who had a black 5 speed S/C and he told me it did 150 MPH. I didn't believe him so he took me for a ride and showed me. We lived about 10 miles out in the country and the road has a lot of ups and downs like a roller coaster and the car rode so smooth over the undulations. I think it only redlined around 4500 or 5K but, pulled hard down low so it always felt like he never had to redline it.
I pulled 155 in my 95. Closed course, in Mexico though.
Must have been Scott Long 😂😂😂
I recognize the name Redbud from the motocross track Mark Strand aka 68cougar lived next to. I remember when my crank sensor failed on the way back to his house and Mark used his wife's buick to tow me there. We spent 3 days fixing that cause we couldn't get the 5.5 mm bolts loose. That was a long time ago. Summer 2002. I actually git a used crank sensor off Scott's 90 automatic that was sitting diagonally in his mom's garage at the time.
I drove a red, company furnished 91 SC with an automatic when I worked in West Texas. Even though it had been wrecked a couple of times and run pretty hard in between, it was a great car to drive. While you say you maybe see two a year, I haven’t seen any for a long time. The closest was last winter seeing a red LX…. The SC I drove had something jacked up that wouldn’t allow it to exceed 100mph - transmission? But it was fun getting it up to that velocity. Handled pretty good for cars of the day too. Great video!
I'm with Mr. Wizard, regarding the LX V8 models. 😉I've had 3 SC's and 2 of the 2002 Retro Tbirds over the last few decades. Just got rid of last SC (rust bucket) and got a pristine, one owner (California) 97 LX with 4.6 V8 and Sport package. Only has 65K miles on it. Put some SC 5 spoke wheels on it and it's my favorite 'bird to date.
I didn't have a supercoupe but I had a 1994 Thunderbird LX V8 and it was in super nice condition, I loved that car! 150K miles and it ran like a top. One day on the highway the traffic came to stop due to some construction up ahead. The person coming up behind me wasn't paying attention and smashed into me at highway speed. Luckily I was fine but that was the end of the car. I never found another thunderbird that was in decent enough shape to purchase.
Super cool Super Coupe. This and the LX with 4.6L DOHC are my two faves. Don't see a lot of them anymore in decent condition. So many have been trashed. Sad.
Well that’s a lot different than mine. I’ve got a 94 mines got a five speed manual. Mines kind of a turquoise blue with a tan leather interior boy. There’s a big difference in the interior of that one are mine but I bought mine brand new and mines got a lot less miles on it. I drive truck mine got just a little over 30,000 miles and I’m the original owner. I bought it when I got my first real job right out of high school.
OMG the first big youtuber to review the tbird sc.
I've owned multiple Mercury Cougars, 91, 93, 96, 97, 97 30th anniversary. Very comfy car, very complicated front suspension, Rear Independent Suspension. Easy to fix. These cars don't exist in Toronto anymore, can't even find them in the junk yard.
I have the Cougar. 1995.5 Cougar with the 4.6L. I love the car but unfortunately it decided to spin a bearing on me. I also got lucky and got ahold of a 89 Thunderbird SC but unfortunate it was completely rotted out. But I managed to salvage alot from it. I'm currently putting the clutch pedal assy and brake pedal from the sc into my cougar.
Wendy all new thunderbird in 1989 came out I was floored & and I was wildly excited however I couldn't afford one (so a couple of years later in 92 I got a used 1990 Ford Probe LX (with the Taurus 3.0 L Vulcan V6) because at the time it sure as hell couldn't afford a Thunderbird Super Coupe but God knows I wanted one..and It was one of my dream cars (also GTA Pontiac Trans Am or a Z28 Camaro) .and now 30 years later it's still extremely beautiful car and it's a damn shame that so many of these cars have disappeared into junkyard Oblivion and are no longer around except for a few that have been well taken care of by devoted owners. Describe miss the words that nose is one of them and kudos to him for keeping this beautiful classic alive .
They all went to the crusher. I took an 89 SC that someone drove just a bit too tough and lost the mighty V6. I put a SVT Cobra 4.6 with a Vortec SC with a T5 in it. I used Mk VIII aluminum rear lower control arms and center section in it . Converted it to 5 lug and used the cobra brakes & Wheels. Fun street beater, likes high speed well . Had to make my own hood for it so the manifold would clear.
I have a 1990 LX Thunderbird it is the coolest car to own and drive! I am having a hard time finding the original wheels though. It has the digital dash which it makes it more rare than the regular. I still drive it to this day. The only thing replaced was the battery!
I had a 5speed 91 Supercoupe in college (2000). It was a money pit for me but I loved/miss that car. Bought a civic after I blew the head gasket the 2nd time.
I wish this video highlighted how far ahead of the time some of the interior features were for a Ford. Auto Climate control, electric lumbar and bolstered adjustable seats.
My daily driver is an old 1996 V8 T-Bird LX. I've had it since 2006 and love the car. Unfortunately over last summer a Subaru pulled out 40 feet in front of me from a side street when I was going 40 mph and smashed in the front fender. To get it fixed through the other party's insurance would total it, but I was able to fix it up with a junk yard fender and some paint for under $150. She's now right as rain and still on the road.
i remember these on the road! and suddenly they all disappeared LOL also, bro's got great taste in music!
There's a local mechanic who has a Pontiac Fiero near where I live. I talked to him about it and he does want to restore it but he's so busy that he doesn't put the free time to fix it.
He won't let it go unless someone's willing to fix it. It's been under water, it has a supercharger that overheats because there's no intercooler for the intake. I had considered buying it but he's picky on his condition to part with it.
I owned a 95 Thunderbird LX with the 4.6 in (Ebony) black with a red (Firethorn) cloth interior for 12 years and truly enjoyed it. The only options that I didn’t have on mine were the ABS with rears discs and CD Premium Sound. The MN-12 Thunderbird/Cougar/Mark VIII Fords are highly underrated since unlike other rear drive coupes they have independent rear suspension like the Mustang Cobra. Basically a gentleman’s Mustang.
As sales of these and other coupes started to decline due to the popularity of SUV’s, 97 being the final year (apparently a SVT version was planned for 98 if the model received a reprieve) Ford started to de content some features on the 96-97 Bird and Cougar models. (Thanks Jacques Nassar). The gauge cluster on those years removed the oil pressure and volt gauges. Also fewer option and trim packages were offered. Until a couple of years ago you could fine them reasonably priced but now their value seems to be increasing particularly the SC version.
This video brings back memories. My mother had one of these when I was in high school. Took it to my senior prom. Absolutely loved that car, mom ended up taking it over a huge rock into a tree and totaled it.
I suspect the answer to Wizard’s question “where have they all gone” lies in the description of the ABS system. Grimes mentions the positive manifold pressure interference with vacuum assist brakes leading to the Teeves ABS system. Replacement and programming that all-in-one booster/ABS pump was economically infeasible when they first started breaking and has since become the stuff of legend. Also the end of the road for Lincoln MK VII which were otherwise bulletproof. I read another Utuber’s site where the MK VII can be retrofitted with booster/master cylinder/proportioning valve from Mustang GT or Cobra of some era but the supercharger kinda lets the Super Coupe out of that game. Grimes can keep his example running with knowledge and enthusiasm 👍
I believe you're thinking of the Mark VIII, but yes.
That's why I believe the 93 SC was the best year. It had the updated Lincoln mark VIII ABS system but still retained the original 89-93 look but got the better looking 93-95 wheels.
Maybe you can retrofit a 93 SC ABS system to an 89-92.
I have a 1989 5spd driver, and a 1990 that I bought in 1995, with 170k miles. The 1990 has never had head gaskets, and only a water pump, and belts. Both have the original brake systems, with new accumulators. Smooth, and quiet.
I had one of these it was a 95. That AOD had a nice firm 1-2 upshift. I loved to hold the accelerator about half way down from a light, when it shift to second it would bark the tire. Lol. I also had a 96 cougar that was the same way. Cool cars. And roomy. Those where the days. These things where solid with the 5.0 in them.
I remember too, seeing these as a young kid Supercharged! Love it!
I’ve always appreciated these cars, I’ve had a couple older Thunderbird Turbocoupes.
My 86 was rear ended and I put its drivetrain inside of a 91 Mustang 4 cylinder 5 speed car.
What a lick and a promise interior review. I was in love with these cars in the 90's. Since then I have checked out the survivors. Ford had really cheap interiors for the price they were charging for these cars. These were performance cars so the seats had side bolsters. The problem was they didn't last. All the SC's I have seen had trashed side bolsters. I notice you didn't show the drivers seat. Need I say more.
I had a red 1992. Head gaskets are a real issue.