I own an all original 88 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe and everything still works as advertised. The programmed ride control still works perfect. The car is quiet and comfortable for long drives and still gets 31+ mpg highway.
I live out west where it is dry so no rust and my ride control still works at 272,000. Not mentioned in the video the rear end is a very sturdy Ford 8.8 with a Trac-loc and 3.55 gear in the diff. Mustangers like to snatch these for the disc set-up and good gear ratio.
bought new an '88 Turbo Coupe, black, 5speed, it was my favorite car that I have ever owned, fully loaded with everything except leather and no sunroof. Drove the car to 230,000 miles until the head cracked, prior to that I did no engine work other than scheduled maintenance and track down the occasional oil leak, never had to replace the turbo either. Broke 1 transmission and wore out another transmission, replaced the steering rack twice as well. Otherwise there were no major repairs..... I loved the car and I miss it.
I can relate to this beauty. I had a 89 Taurus SHO, with the mazda 5 spd manual. It was built to last n i foolishly let it go. I do find your fox body T Bird very attractive. It looks like a keeper. I think am sold, gonna get one asap, thanks to you😊
Bro, I owned 2 of those TurboCoupes and never saw a most wonderful and detailed T-bird review, ever. I also owned a '91 dark blue Supercoupe but this one felt so much heavier to handle I miss those cars. Thank you for a great job here👍
Also the seats have a manual adjustment to make the seat more narrow or wide. The adjustment knob right beside the lumbar. Great video though, thanks for sharing. I love my 87 TC
I remember the ads for these cars back in '88. There was one that that showed the Camaro, Mustang, and Thunderbird Turbo Coupe as 3 of the top speed cars made in America at that time. The Camaro and Mustang came in at 144mph, and the Thunderbird at 143mph.
Great video, I like the 83 to 88 T-Birds and love the Turbo Coupe. You mentioned the Cougar of this era as the sister fox body, but also the 84 to 92 Lincoln Mark VII was also in this family. I have an 89 Mark VII LSC and love it. Keep up the good work.
I remember racing guys with my 88 5-speed. Early 90’s. Most people were surprised how quick these cars were. I’ve had three turbo coupes but the 88 was my favorite. Just a beautiful car. Wish I would’ve kept it. Sold it to pay for a honeymoon.
Those were fantastic car! I wanted one so badly back in the day! Problem was, in the Phoenix area...they were so popular that the dealers had a waiting list! So I ended up with the Cougar. It was a great car too...I sold it in 1997...and I had 170k miles on it, and it still ran like it was new. A buddy of mine had a shop, and loved keeping it running perfectly! If I could have been able to get a Turbo Coupe, I would have never sold it...they were such a great car!
I have an 87 turbo coupe all options except leather seats. Pure stock with 68,000 original miles. I love the car! The 87-88 body style is what attracted me to them. I had a 88 in 1990, wish I wouldn't have sold it, but glad I found another unmolested one about 4 years ago.
I had a Silver ‘87 Turbo Coup. Loved that car. Have so many great memories of it. The silver one and the dark grey were my favourites. Those colours really set off the black and red trim so well. Glad you found one. There mustn’t be too many nice ones left these days. I don’t think most people ever realized just how great those cars were. Smooth cruisers in comfort mode and canyon carvers in sport mode. Lovely interiors in that dark grey velour. It was kind of like the predecessor to Alcantara. It also had adjustable thigh bolsters for the front seats, a nice 5spd manual transmission, anti-lock breaks and 16” Mag wheels. Some of those things sound normal today, but they weren’t back then, especially the electronic controlled suspension and that lovely seat fabric. I was looking for a mustang GT, but it was too skittish on icy roads, so I asked the salesman if we could test drive that gorgeous, lightly used T-bird. It was winter,, the roads were icy and the car had Gatorback summer only tires on it, but once I drove it, I was hooked. It was so stable despite the crazy wrong tires. It rode so smooth and the interior was a big upgrade from Mustangs of that era. I was smitten.
Nice! Bought a 1987 TBird Turbocoupe 5 speed brand new in Red Clear Coat Metallic paint and charcoal interior (as above). I relocated the intercooler to in front of the radiator, built a 3" downpipe and modded the cat to a 3" inlet and ported the cat exit Y pipe. Of course ran a boost controller. Yes, the engine was rated at 190hp but it would not make full boost until IIRC 4500-5000rpm so it would run like 10psi and then go to 15psi above said RPM. Ran very quick vs most other street cars. Did the TO3 upgrade at around 175k miles. Swapped a 5.0 HO and 5 speed from a Mustang at around 190k miles. Super reliable except for the trash Ford power steering pumps that just were not engineered for 6,000rpm shifts.
Your car is loaded with options! I owned a white ‘88 5-speed for years and I loved it, mine was stripped down compared to this. You’re right about the wheels, they’re the worst ones to clean I’ve ever had. I ended up swapping in a T3/T4 hybrid turbo, 3” downpipe and exhaust and a few other little mods. It ran low 14s and really flew on the highway. It was a blast with the hydraulic clutch and great shifting T-5.
‘87 5L V8. 70k. Hand-me-down from my mother. Some undercarriage rust that I’m working on cleaning up. Drives like a dream. Love your video - gives me more determination to do it right!
I was waiting for you to say the curb weight of 3,415 lbs empty. The 5.0 weighs 3,324 lbs and was real smooth with a seemless torque curve to really get you moving fast effortlessly that is why I never sold my 5.0 bird!
I just purchased a 1986 T Bird Elan. It had 19600 miles on it and had been in storage since 1991 so I am the second owner. I need to show it some more love and then I will post a video by the end of May. I’m certain mine is the nicest one in the country. Especially considering what I paid for it. I bought it from an estate. I have the original dealer sticker ($16909), sales brochure, tires and key fob.😁 I had a 1986 turbo coupe 20 years ago.
I owned a silver 1987 Turbo Coup. By around 70,000 miles I had the transmission rebuilt, a new turbo and around 5 alternators, but that car was so much fun to drive that I didn’t really mind. The alternator problem was caused by a clip that connected it to ground instead of a the old fashioned wire bolted to a stud. The clip would oxidize and start to arc and that would melt the covering off the wire. Once it actually started my alternator on fire. Also, the headlight switch had a similar problem that showed up in the winter on the highway. It would get hot from the heater and start to short, turning my headlights on and off on the highway at night. Luckily, by that time there was enough light reflected off the snow to still see. Not the best deal, but I found that if I turned down the heat, the lights would go back on. Finally, the engine didn’t like idling and it would die as soon as the alternator put a load on it. Despite all of the above, it was a very cool car with an electronically controlled suspension that actually worked. It handled so well it was amazing and that little engine was fast for the day even though it was pretty tiny. I think one of the magazines got it up over 140 mph on an oval speedway and raved about how stable it was. I used to cruise it at 100mph on vacant secondary highways. It would get around 33mpg (imperial gallons) cruising at 80 mph. It was very comfortable on the comfort setting and very sporty on the sport setting. I sold it when the rust started to show. Too bad it was winter driven. I think it was a real gem.
Just subscribed. I owned a turbo coupe about 15 years ago and unfortunately got rid of it after a few motor issues i financially wasn’t willing to deal with. I’ve been on the hunt for the last few years but they’re super rare in good condition 😔. Absolutely loved your review. It really brought me back. Surprised you didn’t mention the hydraulic brake booster so your brakes would still work under your boost.
I had a 95 XR7 that I leased for a while. I loved that car. I got it because I had an 88 Turbo Coupe that, to this day is one of my favorite cars I have ever owned. That car just floated down the road like you were riding on clouds it was so comfy.
Really love these cars I had a 1987 and to 88 models upgraded camshaft sprocket the clutch the turbo Superchip and boost control knob these cars will fly
Incredibly reliable engine, my 1988 T-Coupe has 272,000 miles with the original turbo and burns NO oil, only change was the Ranger roller cam in place of the slider. I am installing a new turbo cartridge because I have been running a manual boost controller at 17 psi and no boost dump valve for the last 150,000 miles. Original shocks, original clutch, cone air filter in front of radiator, hi flow single cat and large exhaust. I commuted 130 miles a day for years with only 2 stops out in the country at early am usually 80-90 mph. Just a great car.
Wes from Mazda5 here...Pro-tip: the head from 940 Volvo fits the Lima motor with a little work. The 8 valve head besides the VAM restricts flow. You can fit a Holset and the head is still the choke point. I have years of experience with the 2.3Ford. My first car was a Merkur and a couple others since. I might have a cam and rotated intake for a front mount if I get to my folks house. Probably have other stuff, more likely for the XR. If you need any help, I'm pretty knowledgeable regarding the Lima motor.
Say day-buwed and cavern-us. Also, I love these Turbo Coupe birds and owned an 85. I've never seen one without the cornering lights, I'll have to watch out for one. Auto Dim is for high beam/low beam operation.
GREAT video, very informative. I really appreciate your knowledge and time for sharing this with us. This has prompt me to get off my rear end and put mines back on the road. I have an 88 one exactly like yours minus the large moon roof. Thanks again, keep the great videos coming.
I had a 1984 turbo coupe Thunderbird car magazine that had that red 87 turbo coupe in it I moved to Las Vegas because of management and I wanted one of the new ones not just because I loved it and I was a big mustang fan I traveled different states I got a silver 88 5-speed manual it used to be a magazine called turbo magazine I bought a dial boost controller put 373 gears car at every option but leather which I did not want in 110° heat because this engine in the turbo coupe had a different turbo than in the mustang produce less power and boost hence boost controller absolutely incredible on performance for the day I wasn't afraid to go up against GTS or Z28 in the end I sold it because I was starting a business that I needed trucks a week after I sold the car to this guy he totaled it
I just wish the aftermarket would start making repop trim pieces that are t-bird specific. BTW the 87-88 TC was the best looking non mustang fox body made, hands down.
I don’t know if someone has mentioned it or not but you didn’t quite explain the auto dimmer correctly. You said the photo sensor was just for turning the lights on at night... the auto dimmer feature used that photo sensor to dim the headlights for oncoming traffic. You set the sensitivity range and you don’t have to dim your high beams. The sensor does it when it sees headlights coming.
I had an 88 TC as well. Loved that car, and one of the things I really liked about it was all the buttons and knobs that it had. I think that the only thing I have seen since that has so many buttons and such is my son's 2019 RAM 1500 Limited truck. I had never seen a truck sitting at stock height, and then rise up to a lift of 3" or 5" at a touch of a button. His truck is also smart enough to know when he is on the freeway and it will lower itself into the lowest setting for fuel efficiency. I said I have never had buttons that cool in my cars. Lol
So grabbed it. Yeah not as nice as the 9th gen, but i tell you this, I love this car. I love the fact that it's not " a dime a dozen car " and only cost me $1,000.
Back in the mid 90's, I drag raced the 5.0 Mustangs and worked in sales at a Ford dealership. I used a 1988 Turbo Coupe as my company car. The manager over paid for it on a trade and I was allowed to tune it up and race it 1/8th mile with the dealer magnet sticker on the side, helping to increase sales for the dealership.. I eventually sold the car and made my boss a profit over his over investment and I continued to showcase special vehicles. My next demonstrator vehicle was a new 1994 Lincoln MVIII with the DOHC 32v 4.6.
You are totally correct on the draw thru carb for the carb version 2.3 turbo. Although the turbo was mounted to the intake side of the engine and the carb sat right on top of the turbo. You can see why that was a huge problem.
I'm a GRM lurker, and came to this site to spur on your escapades. I'm not GRM worthy yet, but very excited to see how you're going to transform a very malaise car into a winner!
You forgot about the Lincoln Mark VII 1986-92. they had a slightly longer wheel base than the T-Bird and came with the 5.0 mustang engine. It had a air bag suspension that rode great, but was problematic.
And don't forget the weird version of the Lincoln mark VII and the fox chassis continental both had the BMW inline 6 diesel as a optional engine. Yuppies were European car crazy back in the 1980's. Lincoln was trying to get a slice of that marketshare.
Lima engine. Pronounced like the bean. My dad who retired from the plant had one of these, and it was a true sleeper in it's day. The plant is still going strong today. They produce the 2.7 and 3.0 ecoboost and the 3.5 tvic.
I loved the Fox Body Tbirds. I had an 87 base model with the 3.8 V6 and an 88 LX with the 5.0. Both were fun cars to own. Both of mine had the digital dash. That was a great feature of the other models.
@@PlaysWithCars I had a black'87 T-Bird with a 5.0 in it. Pretty darn fast !!! First car I owned with power windows. All the dash was digital. Power seats ,Yahoo !! Had just become a 1st class lineman for the Philadelphia Electric Co. 26yrs old with a pocket full of money, nicest car of all my buddies. Great time in my life !!! Damn I miss those days. MPH stopped at 85. Shoot, I was just merging onto the Jersey Parkway on my way to the shore undoubtedly with a new lady friend at 2a.m What memories. Where'd the time go ?? Before we know it, it's time for us to leave this place. Hope I didn't leave too many hard feelings behind.
I sorta got one from my girlfriend’s dad, I was making payments. She broke up with me.. I moved away.. lol. That car is amazing. Fun to drive and fast. I drive a gr86 now.
I owned an 88 turbo coupe 5 spd and an 87 cougar 20th anniversary and while they were two different animals I never could understand why the cougar handled better in the turns,, the t bird rear end would roll out but the cougar would remain stable otherwise that t bird was fun to drive, I was lucky back then to own both at the same time, 20yrs ago
I drove this car back in the day. It was OK. The Lincoln Mark V (maybe it was a Mark Vx with x being a latter number) LSC with with the HO 5.0 was way better. It had essentially the same body but much higher output -- HP and torque. It was more money, of course, but I don't think it was that much more. The stock Lincoln beat the snot out of the stock T-bird. The turbo package on the T-bird kicked up the T-bird in price a lot and it didn't sell well in this package -- the reason they killed it after a couple of years. That and reliability issues. Not so much that it sucked but it was costly for dealerships to repair under warranty. People weren't driving the miles they do now and even after 3-4 years, all repairs were pretty much under warranty. Seriously: even in the mid-90s you never saw this car on the road. Coupled with the fact that they didn't sell well and the turbo probably gave out. Admittedly, some of those turbo problems were due to people who had no idea that you had to let them cool -- you couldn't just shut down the engine after driving 70 mph for an hour or more. The other problem with the body style (t-bird and Mark V) was that they were hard to see out of. Changing lanes was a nightmare due to limited blind spot views. Thanks for the video and its fun to reminisce but theres a good reason why these cars didn't stick around very long.
The 83-86 TC was oil cooled T3 turbo with no intercooler. The 87-88 was oil and water cooled IHI turbo with an air to air intercooler. The SVO Mustang was the holy grail of 2.3T with an oil and water cooled T3 with an air to air intercooler.
You’re forgetting the Lincoln Mark BII We’re also on the fox body and actually the door from a Thunderbird and Mark are the same doors and the Mark was probably the best fox body car made.
Was looking for one of these three years back but couldn't find one and gave up looking. then A 1997, 10th gen, 4.6 v8, 120k, rust free from AZ turned up on Craigslist ten miles away
I think my old 88 had the hard/soft ride shock/struts .. keyless and power steering hard/soft steer .. it was a fully loaded car .. power everything and those 8 way power seats even on the passenger side .. lumbar also.
Great video. A white 1985 TBird was my first car. Put a spoiler, white tbird mudflaps, (MUDFLAPS! Hahaha), 1990 Mustang GT wheels, window tints and an insane audio system in in. Does anyone know what a Bensi Box was? Hahaha. Only had a V-6 though and I always loved the 87-88 Turbo Coupe. It was arguably a better looking Mustang GT. I’d drop a Coyote in that white 19871988 T Bird. Go for the gusto.
Don't forget in 1987 and 1988 the turbo system was water cooled unlike the 1983-1986 models. The fancy ABS isn't worth keeping, convert it. The 190HP was the manual t-5 system, aod automatic had lower hp's. In addition to the factory sunroof only came in automatic model. Good Vid, I love my 88 and have fought tooth and nail to keep it.
Lima is pronounced lyma like the bean because it was built in Lima Ohio. Also debuteted and canaverous are funny how you say debuted (day bued) and cavernous (cavern us). Love these cars, especially the 87-88 5-speeds. I have always wanted to find a black one with gray or red cloth interior. I have a black 92 SC 5-speed and have had 3 other SC's.
Is that the anti-wheel-hop weight at 28:55 bolted to bottom of the pinion housing? Too bad these cars had timing belts to break... '62-63 Olds JetFire turbo V8 is opposite, little to no boost in 1st because of turbo lag, but full boost in 2nd, so 2nd gear feels as strong as first...
The Lincoln Mk VII enthusiasts point out that the air bladders on the VII should be thought of as a replaceable part. If the system is properly maintained, and the bladders are replaced when they become worn, as intended by the factory, the air ride system is reliable.
It’s a fun car, that’s given, I have the fully loaded one with leather interior, but you omitted one important item. The lack of parts. I had to sideline my 87 because the TEVES brake system went bad. My car has been sitting in the garage for over 5 years because there are absolutely no parts to fix this brake system, also these cars are know for having headlight switches which fail as well. Once the electronic gremlins come out , I pity the fool.
The popular fix to the TEVIS system is to either give up on ABS and use a 1993 Mustang Cobra master cylinder OR swap the ABS system in from a 94-95 Mustang GT including rotors and calipers. And yes, the parts issue is rough. Luckily a lot of the 87-93 Mustang parts work.
Park a svo mustang next to a 1987-88 turbo t-bird and you'll see the air to air intercooler is slightly larger in the turbo t-bird than the svo mustangs intercooler. And if you like oddball foxbody's, hunt down a cougar station wagon or the Durango. (aftermarket fairmont Futura turned into a El Ranchero car/pick up) or the 2 door Granada. and why did you show everyone the code to break into that car and risk getting it stolen? I do wish I still had my turbo t-bird. One of the best fox body's made.
I have a 1987 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. I have no time to work on it and was wondering the best way to advertise it for sale. I am in Columbus, Ohio.
Do you still own this car would like to know I love these cars cars please comment backThank you very much you have luxury luxury and you also have speed that's what I like about these cars and you can always boost up your speed Thank you for this video please let me know
And I hate to critique you, but you cannot compare a Thunderbird to a Mustang Mustang is the cheapest thing Ford makes next to the escort Thunderbird is Ford’s top-of-the-line car that is their premium car like Lincoln‘s a premium brand Thunderbird is the premium car for Ford motor company It’s always calls more than a crown. Vic Arnel TD it’s cost more than every other for product, Thunderbirds is the premium car.
My grandma had an 87 Thunderbird turbo coupe, white paint. Red cloth interior. I was hoping I was gonna be able.to drive it before she passed away, never did and my "grandpa" just let's it rot outside beside the barn. It breaks my heart😔
@@cowgoesmoo3850 well, look at the bright side, you still got a Grandpa, most of us don't. Send him a letter telling him how much you love n miss him, let God do the rest! He always steps in when we need Him the most, in Jesus's Holy Name, Amen!
I bought a turbo coupe about 3-4 months ago as a project. Love it so easy to work on and preforming great.
This video is amazing! I've never heard someone so knowledgeable about Fox body TBirds!
Thank you!
I own an all original 88 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe and everything still works as advertised. The programmed ride control still works perfect. The car is quiet and comfortable for long drives and still gets 31+ mpg highway.
You should share a video of your bird! Sounds like a really nice car.
I live out west where it is dry so no rust and my ride control still works at 272,000. Not mentioned in the video the rear end is a very sturdy Ford 8.8 with a Trac-loc and 3.55 gear in the diff. Mustangers like to snatch these for the disc set-up and good gear ratio.
bought new an '88 Turbo Coupe, black, 5speed, it was my favorite car that I have ever owned, fully loaded with everything except leather and no sunroof. Drove the car to 230,000 miles until the head cracked, prior to that I did no engine work other than scheduled maintenance and track down the occasional oil leak, never had to replace the turbo either. Broke 1 transmission and wore out another transmission, replaced the steering rack twice as well. Otherwise there were no major repairs..... I loved the car and I miss it.
As a Ford 2.3T fan, I really enjoyed this feature. I have an SVO now but still have a soft spot for the 87/88 TC. Great Job
I can relate to this beauty. I had a 89 Taurus SHO, with the mazda 5 spd manual. It was built to last n i foolishly let it go.
I do find your fox body T Bird very attractive. It looks like a keeper. I think am sold, gonna get one asap, thanks to you😊
Bro, I owned 2 of those TurboCoupes and never saw a most wonderful and detailed T-bird review, ever.
I also owned a '91 dark blue Supercoupe but this one felt so much heavier to handle
I miss those cars.
Thank you for a great job here👍
You're welcome! I'll always love the TC's.
Also the seats have a manual adjustment to make the seat more narrow or wide. The adjustment knob right beside the lumbar. Great video though, thanks for sharing. I love my 87 TC
Good Video, Bought an 87 Turbo Coupe last week. 68,000 miles, garage kept. So, thanks again for the info.
I remember the ads for these cars back in '88. There was one that that showed the Camaro, Mustang, and Thunderbird Turbo Coupe as 3 of the top speed cars made in America at that time. The Camaro and Mustang came in at 144mph, and the Thunderbird at 143mph.
Great video, I like the 83 to 88 T-Birds and love the Turbo Coupe. You mentioned the Cougar of this era as the sister fox body, but also the 84 to 92 Lincoln Mark VII was also in this family. I have an 89 Mark VII LSC and love it. Keep up the good work.
I remember racing guys with my 88 5-speed. Early 90’s. Most people were surprised how quick these cars were. I’ve had three turbo coupes but the 88 was my favorite. Just a beautiful car. Wish I would’ve kept it. Sold it to pay for a honeymoon.
Those were fantastic car! I wanted one so badly back in the day! Problem was, in the Phoenix area...they were so popular that the dealers had a waiting list! So I ended up with the Cougar. It was a great car too...I sold it in 1997...and I had 170k miles on it, and it still ran like it was new. A buddy of mine had a shop, and loved keeping it running perfectly! If I could have been able to get a Turbo Coupe, I would have never sold it...they were such a great car!
Just purchased an ‘87 T-Bird and I’m in love
I have an 87 turbo coupe all options except leather seats. Pure stock with 68,000 original miles. I love the car! The 87-88 body style is what attracted me to them. I had a 88 in 1990, wish I wouldn't have sold it, but glad I found another unmolested one about 4 years ago.
I had a Silver ‘87 Turbo Coup. Loved that car. Have so many great memories of it. The silver one and the dark grey were my favourites. Those colours really set off the black and red trim so well. Glad you found one. There mustn’t be too many nice ones left these days.
I don’t think most people ever realized just how great those cars were. Smooth cruisers in comfort mode and canyon carvers in sport mode. Lovely interiors in that dark grey velour. It was kind of like the predecessor to Alcantara. It also had adjustable thigh bolsters for the front seats, a nice 5spd manual transmission, anti-lock breaks and 16” Mag wheels. Some of those things sound normal today, but they weren’t back then, especially the electronic controlled suspension and that lovely seat fabric. I was looking for a mustang GT, but it was too skittish on icy roads, so I asked the salesman if we could test drive that gorgeous, lightly used T-bird. It was winter,, the roads were icy and the car had Gatorback summer only tires on it, but once I drove it, I was hooked. It was so stable despite the crazy wrong tires. It rode so smooth and the interior was a big upgrade from Mustangs of that era. I was smitten.
That was fun! One of my favorite cars from the 80s
Nice! Bought a 1987 TBird Turbocoupe 5 speed brand new in Red Clear Coat Metallic paint and charcoal interior (as above). I relocated the intercooler to in front of the radiator, built a 3" downpipe and modded the cat to a 3" inlet and ported the cat exit Y pipe. Of course ran a boost controller. Yes, the engine was rated at 190hp but it would not make full boost until IIRC 4500-5000rpm so it would run like 10psi and then go to 15psi above said RPM. Ran very quick vs most other street cars. Did the TO3 upgrade at around 175k miles. Swapped a 5.0 HO and 5 speed from a Mustang at around 190k miles. Super reliable except for the trash Ford power steering pumps that just were not engineered for 6,000rpm shifts.
I have an 88 turbo coupe all black with all options including leather seats. Love the car
As it is now 3 years after your comment, I am just wondering if you still have the car?
Your car is loaded with options! I owned a white ‘88 5-speed for years and I loved it, mine was stripped down compared to this. You’re right about the wheels, they’re the worst ones to clean I’ve ever had. I ended up swapping in a T3/T4 hybrid turbo, 3” downpipe and exhaust and a few other little mods. It ran low 14s and really flew on the highway. It was a blast with the hydraulic clutch and great shifting T-5.
‘87 5L V8. 70k. Hand-me-down from my mother. Some undercarriage rust that I’m working on cleaning up. Drives like a dream. Love your video - gives me more determination to do it right!
I was waiting for you to say the curb weight of 3,415 lbs empty. The 5.0 weighs 3,324 lbs and was real smooth with a seemless torque curve to really get you moving fast effortlessly that is why I never sold my 5.0 bird!
I think the '83 thru '86 models were not quite as long and may have weighed slightly less.
I just purchased a 1986 T Bird Elan. It had 19600 miles on it and had been in storage since 1991 so I am the second owner. I need to show it some more love and then I will post a video by the end of May. I’m certain mine is the nicest one in the country. Especially considering what I paid for it. I bought it from an estate. I have the original dealer sticker ($16909), sales brochure, tires and key fob.😁
I had a 1986 turbo coupe 20 years ago.
Man makes me want my 88 turbo coupe back
I owned a silver 1987 Turbo Coup. By around 70,000 miles I had the transmission rebuilt, a new turbo and around 5 alternators, but that car was so much fun to drive that I didn’t really mind. The alternator problem was caused by a clip that connected it to ground instead of a the old fashioned wire bolted to a stud. The clip would oxidize and start to arc and that would melt the covering off the wire. Once it actually started my alternator on fire. Also, the headlight switch had a similar problem that showed up in the winter on the highway. It would get hot from the heater and start to short, turning my headlights on and off on the highway at night. Luckily, by that time there was enough light reflected off the snow to still see. Not the best deal, but I found that if I turned down the heat, the lights would go back on. Finally, the engine didn’t like idling and it would die as soon as the alternator put a load on it.
Despite all of the above, it was a very cool car with an electronically controlled suspension that actually worked. It handled so well it was amazing and that little engine was fast for the day even though it was pretty tiny. I think one of the magazines got it up over 140 mph on an oval speedway and raved about how stable it was. I used to cruise it at 100mph on vacant secondary highways. It would get around 33mpg (imperial gallons) cruising at 80 mph. It was very comfortable on the comfort setting and very sporty on the sport setting. I sold it when the rust started to show. Too bad it was winter driven. I think it was a real gem.
Funnily enough Ford changed the alternator and connector for it in 1988.
Just subscribed. I owned a turbo coupe about 15 years ago and unfortunately got rid of it after a few motor issues i financially wasn’t willing to deal with. I’ve been on the hunt for the last few years but they’re super rare in good condition 😔. Absolutely loved your review. It really brought me back. Surprised you didn’t mention the hydraulic brake booster so your brakes would still work under your boost.
Beautiful turbo bird, the cougar XR7 1984 turbo is also a Great car.
I had a 95 XR7 that I leased for a while. I loved that car. I got it because I had an 88 Turbo Coupe that, to this day is one of my favorite cars I have ever owned. That car just floated down the road like you were riding on clouds it was so comfy.
Great video, I'm considering buying a running one of these near me to restore. Pretty cool vehicle if I say so myself.
They are pretty easy to work on and the engine parts are still plentiful. Body stuff is a lil different lol
I loved your car description, I love the TC 87, 88 year, I hope so in the future have one, cheers from Mexico
Good luck hard to find
Really love these cars I had a 1987 and to 88 models upgraded camshaft sprocket the clutch the turbo Superchip and boost control knob these cars will fly
They sure do! A few simple mods goes such a long way with them.
Incredibly reliable engine, my 1988 T-Coupe has 272,000 miles with the original turbo and burns NO oil, only change was the Ranger roller cam in place of the slider. I am installing a new turbo cartridge because I have been running a manual boost controller at 17 psi and no boost dump valve for the last 150,000 miles. Original shocks, original clutch, cone air filter in front of radiator, hi flow single cat and large exhaust. I commuted 130 miles a day for years with only 2 stops out in the country at early am usually 80-90 mph. Just a great car.
What mileage were you pulling out of it?
Wes from Mazda5 here...Pro-tip: the head from 940 Volvo fits the Lima motor with a little work. The 8 valve head besides the VAM restricts flow. You can fit a Holset and the head is still the choke point. I have years of experience with the 2.3Ford. My first car was a Merkur and a couple others since. I might have a cam and rotated intake for a front mount if I get to my folks house. Probably have other stuff, more likely for the XR. If you need any help, I'm pretty knowledgeable regarding the Lima motor.
I'm looking for 2.3t parts if you ever want to sell anything.
Say day-buwed and cavern-us. Also, I love these Turbo Coupe birds and owned an 85. I've never seen one without the cornering lights, I'll have to watch out for one. Auto Dim is for high beam/low beam operation.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed 😂
GREAT video, very informative. I really appreciate your knowledge and time for sharing this with us. This has prompt me to get off my rear end and put mines back on the road. I have an 88 one exactly like yours minus the large moon roof.
Thanks again, keep the great videos coming.
Thank you for this review, 10/10, a guy at work is selling one and i wanted to check it out
You're welcome, good luck with the purchase!
I had a 1984 turbo coupe Thunderbird car magazine that had that red 87 turbo coupe in it I moved to Las Vegas because of management and I wanted one of the new ones not just because I loved it and I was a big mustang fan I traveled different states I got a silver 88 5-speed manual it used to be a magazine called turbo magazine I bought a dial boost controller put 373 gears car at every option but leather which I did not want in 110° heat because this engine in the turbo coupe had a different turbo than in the mustang produce less power and boost hence boost controller absolutely incredible on performance for the day I wasn't afraid to go up against GTS or Z28 in the end I sold it because I was starting a business that I needed trucks a week after I sold the car to this guy he totaled it
I just wish the aftermarket would start making repop trim pieces that are t-bird specific. BTW the 87-88 TC was the best looking non mustang fox body made, hands down.
I don’t know if someone has mentioned it or not but you didn’t quite explain the auto dimmer correctly. You said the photo sensor was just for turning the lights on at night... the auto dimmer feature used that photo sensor to dim the headlights for oncoming traffic. You set the sensitivity range and you don’t have to dim your high beams. The sensor does it when it sees headlights coming.
I honestly didn't know that it did that. That's way cool!
That auto high beam sensor was funny if you came upon any fog covering the road. It would start cycling the high beams on and off.
I had an 88 TC,it had options, switches and knobs than any car I've ever seen,super cool.
I had an 88 TC as well. Loved that car, and one of the things I really liked about it was all the buttons and knobs that it had.
I think that the only thing I have seen since that has so many buttons and such is my son's 2019 RAM 1500 Limited truck. I had never seen a truck sitting at stock height, and then rise up to a lift of 3" or 5" at a touch of a button. His truck is also smart enough to know when he is on the freeway and it will lower itself into the lowest setting for fuel efficiency. I said I have never had buttons that cool in my cars. Lol
So grabbed it. Yeah not as nice as the 9th gen, but i tell you this, I love this car. I love the fact that it's not " a dime a dozen car " and only cost me $1,000.
Back in the mid 90's, I drag raced the 5.0 Mustangs and worked in sales at a Ford dealership.
I used a 1988 Turbo Coupe as my company car. The manager over paid for it on a trade and I was allowed to tune it up and race it 1/8th mile with the dealer magnet sticker on the side, helping to increase sales for the dealership..
I eventually sold the car and made my boss a profit over his over investment and I continued to showcase special vehicles.
My next demonstrator vehicle was a new 1994 Lincoln MVIII with the DOHC 32v 4.6.
What an awesome story! We had one of those Lincoln's as well, what a great car. What dealership was this?
@@PlaysWithCars Dobson Ford, Washington, Indiana
@@PlaysWithCars For the time, that Lincoln was sick!
I also had a 1996 Taurus SHO V8 car...
You are totally correct on the draw thru carb for the carb version 2.3 turbo. Although the turbo was mounted to the intake side of the engine and the carb sat right on top of the turbo. You can see why that was a huge problem.
I read somewhere that those draw thru turbo setups had a tendency of boiling fuel in the carb.
What was ford thinking at the time?
Auto dim was for the high beams when approaching another cars headlights
I miss my 88 Turbo 5spd, moon roof. Also my 87 Turbo . But it was an auto non roof.
I'm a GRM lurker, and came to this site to spur on your escapades. I'm not GRM worthy yet, but very excited to see how you're going to transform a very malaise car into a winner!
Thank you! We have big plans for this one.
Great video. Thanks! I have a 87
Great review and video
Regarding handling, the unibody is also stiffer than the hatch mustangs making for a better handling platform.
I first saw that keypad on a 1980 Thunderbird! And it's still available today on Ford/Lincoln.
My 1985 Ranger had the hydraulic clutch.
Lovd your T bird turbo my Dads coworker back in the late 80s had an SVO MUSTANG
Looking forward to driving one of these got one in the garage working on my license lol
You forgot about the Lincoln Mark VII 1986-92. they had a slightly longer wheel base than the T-Bird and came with the 5.0 mustang engine. It had a air bag suspension that rode great, but was problematic.
Lincoln Mark VII LSC 5.0 was a really cool car.
And don't forget the weird version of the Lincoln mark VII and the fox chassis continental both had the BMW inline 6 diesel as a optional engine. Yuppies were European car crazy back in the 1980's. Lincoln was trying to get a slice of that marketshare.
Nice..Mine had side bolster manual adjustments
I have a 1987 Turbo Coupe 5-speed with red interior, 66,500 miles
It was a great car and unique .... comfortable
Lima engine. Pronounced like the bean. My dad who retired from the plant had one of these, and it was a true sleeper in it's day. The plant is still going strong today. They produce the 2.7 and 3.0 ecoboost and the 3.5 tvic.
Tell that to ford execs who called it lee ma
I loved the Fox Body Tbirds. I had an 87 base model with the 3.8 V6 and an 88 LX with the 5.0. Both were fun cars to own. Both of mine had the digital dash. That was a great feature of the other models.
The digital dash was so cool back in the day. Very Star Wars! We had an 87 Cougar XR-7 with the 5.0 and digital dash.
@@PlaysWithCars I had a black'87 T-Bird with a 5.0 in it. Pretty darn fast !!! First car I owned with power windows. All the dash was digital. Power seats ,Yahoo !! Had just become a 1st class lineman for the Philadelphia Electric Co. 26yrs old with a pocket full of money, nicest car of all my buddies. Great time in my life !!! Damn I miss those days. MPH stopped at 85. Shoot, I was just merging onto the Jersey Parkway on my way to the shore undoubtedly with a new lady friend at 2a.m
What memories. Where'd the time go ?? Before we know it, it's time for us to leave this place. Hope I didn't leave too many hard feelings behind.
I sorta got one from my girlfriend’s dad, I was making payments. She broke up with me.. I moved away.. lol. That car is amazing. Fun to drive and fast. I drive a gr86 now.
I owned an 88 turbo coupe 5 spd and an 87 cougar 20th anniversary and while they were two different animals I never could understand why the cougar handled better in the turns,, the t bird rear end would roll out but the cougar would remain stable otherwise that t bird was fun to drive, I was lucky back then to own both at the same time, 20yrs ago
My 88 TC is my daily. White with red interior
What's it like dailying the car, looking to do the same
The Original turbo cars were 79-82...prior to gt, the 83 GT turbo and 83 turbo coupes were the debut of the efi.
I drove this car back in the day. It was OK. The Lincoln Mark V (maybe it was a Mark Vx with x being a latter number) LSC with with the HO 5.0 was way better. It had essentially the same body but much higher output -- HP and torque. It was more money, of course, but I don't think it was that much more. The stock Lincoln beat the snot out of the stock T-bird. The turbo package on the T-bird kicked up the T-bird in price a lot and it didn't sell well in this package -- the reason they killed it after a couple of years. That and reliability issues. Not so much that it sucked but it was costly for dealerships to repair under warranty. People weren't driving the miles they do now and even after 3-4 years, all repairs were pretty much under warranty. Seriously: even in the mid-90s you never saw this car on the road. Coupled with the fact that they didn't sell well and the turbo probably gave out. Admittedly, some of those turbo problems were due to people who had no idea that you had to let them cool -- you couldn't just shut down the engine after driving 70 mph for an hour or more. The other problem with the body style (t-bird and Mark V) was that they were hard to see out of. Changing lanes was a nightmare due to limited blind spot views. Thanks for the video and its fun to reminisce but theres a good reason why these cars didn't stick around very long.
It was the MK VII LSC I had an 89
The abs system was made by ate a German company and it was fenominal way ahead of its time
It absolutely was!! The ABS on the TC was way better than any other performance car of the day, and stood up to modern systems well into the 00s.
The turbo was also liquid cooled and intercooled i had a 84 gt turbo which the turbo had neither only the svo s did
The 83-86 TC was oil cooled T3 turbo with no intercooler. The 87-88 was oil and water cooled IHI turbo with an air to air intercooler. The SVO Mustang was the holy grail of 2.3T with an oil and water cooled T3 with an air to air intercooler.
Dude? Amazing video, very thorough.
You’re forgetting the Lincoln Mark BII We’re also on the fox body and actually the door from a Thunderbird and Mark are the same doors and the Mark was probably the best fox body car made.
Was looking for one of these three years back but couldn't find one and gave up looking. then A 1997, 10th gen, 4.6 v8, 120k, rust free from AZ turned up on Craigslist ten miles away
This car is cool !
I think my old 88 had the hard/soft ride shock/struts .. keyless and power steering hard/soft steer .. it was a fully loaded car .. power everything and those 8 way power seats even on the passenger side .. lumbar also.
Great video. A white 1985 TBird was my first car. Put a spoiler, white tbird mudflaps, (MUDFLAPS! Hahaha), 1990 Mustang GT wheels, window tints and an insane audio system in in. Does anyone know what a Bensi Box was? Hahaha. Only had a V-6 though and I always loved the 87-88 Turbo Coupe. It was arguably a better looking Mustang GT. I’d drop a Coyote in that white 19871988 T Bird. Go for the gusto.
I have two 1988 thunderbird lx v8 they run great and in great shape
Want to sell one?
LOL @ "canaverous…" I think you mean CAVERNOUS...
Yeah, i picked that up too. ha ha!
Also ‘debuted’
The 89 Thunderbird, super coupe, also had a hydraulic clutch
The only fox-chassis car to have a hydraulic clutch. Lots of other Fords did/do, including the current Mustang.
I saw an 87 w 35k miles, was thinking about it
Don't forget in 1987 and 1988 the turbo system was water cooled unlike the 1983-1986 models. The fancy ABS isn't worth keeping, convert it. The 190HP was the manual t-5 system, aod automatic had lower hp's. In addition to the factory sunroof only came in automatic model. Good Vid, I love my 88 and have fought tooth and nail to keep it.
I have a 5 speed 1988 turbocoupe and it came with a sunroof
The one in this video is a manual transmission car with factory power moonroof.
Got one! 1988
Missed buying this car by a couple hours...sure would have been fun!
You can buy it from me!
@@PlaysWithCars how much? Email me trinitybikes05@gmail.com
@@PlaysWithCars do you want to sell it?
@@erichelie393 email sent!
I'm looking at a 88 turbo coupe, thanks for your info about them
Lima is pronounced lyma like the bean because it was built in Lima Ohio. Also debuteted and canaverous are funny how you say debuted (day bued) and cavernous (cavern us).
Love these cars, especially the 87-88 5-speeds. I have always wanted to find a black one with gray or red cloth interior. I have a black 92 SC 5-speed and have had 3 other SC's.
IMO, your cloth interior is nicer than leather...
Is that the anti-wheel-hop weight at 28:55 bolted to bottom of the pinion housing?
Too bad these cars had timing belts to break...
'62-63 Olds JetFire turbo V8 is opposite, little to no boost in 1st because of turbo lag, but full boost in 2nd, so 2nd gear feels as strong as first...
There use to be a company that made sequential taillights for the 87,88 tc birds
The Lincoln Mk VII enthusiasts point out that the air bladders on the VII should be thought of as a replaceable part. If the system is properly maintained, and the bladders are replaced when they become worn, as intended by the factory, the air ride system is reliable.
Great video, I subscribed.!
I had an 88 XR7 couger miss that car
In my opinion the best FOX platform car was the 1988 through 91 Lincoln mark sevenLSC
It’s a fun car, that’s given, I have the fully loaded one with leather interior, but you omitted one important item. The lack of parts. I had to sideline my 87 because the TEVES brake system went bad. My car has been sitting in the garage for over 5 years because there are absolutely no parts to fix this brake system, also these cars are know for having headlight switches which fail as well. Once the electronic gremlins come out , I pity the fool.
The popular fix to the TEVIS system is to either give up on ABS and use a 1993 Mustang Cobra master cylinder OR swap the ABS system in from a 94-95 Mustang GT including rotors and calipers.
And yes, the parts issue is rough. Luckily a lot of the 87-93 Mustang parts work.
Park a svo mustang next to a 1987-88 turbo t-bird and you'll see the air to air intercooler is slightly larger in the turbo t-bird than the svo mustangs intercooler. And if you like oddball foxbody's, hunt down a cougar station wagon or the
Durango. (aftermarket fairmont Futura turned into a El Ranchero car/pick up) or the 2 door Granada. and why did you show everyone the code to break into that car and risk getting it stolen? I do wish I still had my turbo t-bird. One of the best fox body's made.
i have a base model with a 3.8.the only problem i have are the front lights are crappy.they fade and are hard to find
Thanks, Javelin.
Hasbro
You're welcome!
Just bought last week....
Incorrect on intro for 2.3, It was introduced in the 1979 model year. In base, pace car, cobra. And Then in 83 it became a good powerplant
And 84 svos got 175, Not 190. Non intercooled gts and gt 350s got 145 hp.
T-Bird was a longer wheelbase fox body than all other Ford cars, EXCEPT the Lincoln Mk VII. It had the longest wheelbase of all of them.
I have a 1987 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. I have no time to work on it and was wondering the best way to advertise it for sale. I am in Columbus, Ohio.
There's a forum called TurboFord.net, a Facebook group for Thunderbird Turbos, or Craigslist. If it's really nice you can list it on bringatrailer.com
Basically they took all the Lincoln Continental options and put it in the T Birds.
Just bought one and subbed!
Do you still own this car would like to know I love these cars cars please comment backThank you very much you have luxury luxury and you also have speed that's what I like about these cars and you can always boost up your speed Thank you for this video please let me know
Great video. And even better commentary!!!!
Inherited my fathers 87 in the rare metallic silver blue, however its been sitting for 20 years and I have my work cut out for me
That is one of the two extremely rare Mach Editions! The other is Bright Red.
All TCs did not come with dual exhaust. The automatics were single.
I said all manual transmission TC's 😉
@@PlaysWithCars guess I missed that
@@westleywalsh8188 no worries! Thanks for keeping me on my toes!
And I hate to critique you, but you cannot compare a Thunderbird to a Mustang Mustang is the cheapest thing Ford makes next to the escort Thunderbird is Ford’s top-of-the-line car that is their premium car like Lincoln‘s a premium brand Thunderbird is the premium car for Ford motor company It’s always calls more than a crown. Vic Arnel TD it’s cost more than every other for product, Thunderbirds is the premium car.
Awesome loved it!!!
My grandma had an 87 Thunderbird turbo coupe, white paint. Red cloth interior. I was hoping I was gonna be able.to drive it before she passed away, never did and my "grandpa" just let's it rot outside beside the barn. It breaks my heart😔
Oh and it also was a pace car at the Watkins glen racetrack.
Bad Grandpa 😂
@@robertamoyaw1979 yeah he totally dis owned me after my sister did some fucked up shit and blamed it on me
@@cowgoesmoo3850 well, look at the bright side, you still got a Grandpa, most of us don't. Send him a letter telling him how much you love n miss him, let God do the rest! He always steps in when we need Him the most, in Jesus's Holy Name, Amen!
Love is the Key😊