http://portland.craigslist.org/clc/car/334787782.html
^^Car in question. It *looks* like a TC but the 14's are dead giveaway's. I know from experience that the 14" 8-holes will not fit over the rear caliper brackets or front spindles no matter how hard you try or grind. So either somebody swapped to the 10" front spindles and slapped a drum brake rear in, or it's not a TC. The door *looks* like it says "Turbo Coupe" and the trim is definitely red. The windows/mirrors are black instead of chrome. This car just confuses and infuriates me! Why would you stick TC trim on a Sport? Or why completely 5.0 a TC down to the brakes? I just don't understand!!!
tc trim and all matches and looks good thats the only reason i can see putting it on a sport
On the '88 Sport, the 14" painted steel wheels with the trim rings were standard wheels. The only optional wheel for the Sport was the 14" 8-hole rim. To me that has to be a Sport.
Lets assume they swapped a 5.0 and the TC rear was toast. They swap on a drum rear end and call it done. Will 14" wheels work on the front of a 11" car?
Why would they swap TC trim onto it? And since they had access to a red TC (front bumper) why the black TC header and hood?
Did they make Sports in Medium Red Clearcoat Metallic? (Oh wait, I'm supposed to know that :hick: )
Mikey,
14" will not fit over the 11" brake spindles, even with grinding :hick:
Didn't sports also have full black window trim like the TC's?
Naughty boy. ;)
That car is a Sport...trust me. It's identical to my old one:
(http://www.coolcats.net/eric/88tbird/88tbird_01.jpg)
Didn't Sports have black mirrors and window trim like TC's? I thought they did. ^beat me to it.
Maybe he liked the red strip in the molding better than chrome and painted it. But if he went through that trouble, why not finish the job?
The trim swap thing still confuses me. Maybe they REALLY wanted a TC clone? I emailed him, I have to know the story behind this abomination. Usually Mustangs are the only cars that get confused (CobraMach1SVTSaleenSteedaShelbyGT500KR man!)
Yes, Sport's had black mirrors and window trim.
The trim I'm referring to is the black/red beltline stuff. It's a PITA to get off and on so I don't understand why they would swap it.
I do have to admit, there's a White Sport looking thing in my county I've been chasing down for a year. It's 100% stock yet has black/red beltline molding. The doors have no indents where "Turbo Coupe" would go. It's the strangest thing and I know those door sections would bring BIG $$$. He's ALWAYS going the other direction when the center divider is too big for even my truck :(
relax, they probobly swapped the whole door off a donor TC cause the sport washiznit or was just a toilet. the cars only 20 years old. who knows what the sport has been through. parts is parts...
Why swap the rest of the red trim then? Usually these swaps are done really badly with either no trim or mix-and-match. I don't understand why someone would so carefully swap the pain-in-the-@$$ trim pieces, then not bother with 16" snowflakes and use a 2nd TC for the hood/header?
EVERY '88 Bird I've ever seen,regardless of engine, has had black mirrors, both of my V6 cars did,as well as the TC.
I'd say a phone call will solve the issue, lol.
Good point, I have only seen the chromies on Cougars...
Boy, my car will really infuriate you when it's finished then. I've got the TC header panel, bumper cover, hood, blacked out window trim and antenna (including disassembling both doors to use the window mouldings and swapping both quarter windows off the parts car), the red striped trim (including the Turbo Coupe emblems), the snowflakes, the complete interior (including metric speedometer), the rear axle, and the front brakes.
I think my car is more TC than base 5.0 car now :hick: ...
no but14" will fit the rear with disc
He probably wrecked it years ago, put a TC doors on it, swapped the small molding (not difficult), threw the TC nose on it, then painted it. Then maybe he got into another accident, and got the black header and hood.
Why worry about it so much?
Not worried, just confused. You probably have it right though, cloned a TC awhile ago then wrecked it again.
Got a VIN:
1fabp61f5jh120217
So it's definitely not a TC. This owner's only had it for 2 months because they wanted (and bought) a Park Avenue. Now I'm REALLY confused... Park Avenue??? WANTED?
Some people just don't do common-sensical things! :hick:
A Buick Puke Avenue!? c'mon...WTF!?:beatyoass:
See Eric was right, it is a sport
Hell, he will really hate me, All I am swapping onto my Bird is the TC side trim and header panel. Complete with the "turbo Coupe" in the door peices.
IF it got a door swap(probably), it's easy enough to apply red tape tape to the rest of the trim... I've seen a TC with aqua trim and a another '87-'88 with gold trim...
It's stated the prev owner was a Ford mechanic, probably pieced together...