Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

General => Lounge => Topic started by: RareBreed 5.0 on February 25, 2009, 04:25:15 AM

Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: RareBreed 5.0 on February 25, 2009, 04:25:15 AM
I had a burning thought in my head i have to say it. I have started thinking about how rare it is to find our cars around (well working ones anyway) I know that our cars aren't rare from production but look at it this way how many 85-88 Tbird/Cougars do you see running around on the roads. I only know of 2 tbird's in the lower part of my state that i have seen on the road and they where in very poor condition. I get asked a lot what my car is and i tell them what it is and they go no way, really? I have been asked that question so many times and i said hey that is a good name for my car so now instead of the thunderbird lettering it says [FONT="Palatino Linotype"]RareBreed[/FONT]. Anyways i want to know what you think.
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: Lightningbird on February 25, 2009, 04:32:13 AM
Did you get that car in Ocean Springs, MS??? DO you have pics???Does it look similar to this??

(http://photos-c.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v30/74/26/42810975/n42810975_30353738_3332.jpg)
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: RareBreed 5.0 on February 25, 2009, 06:36:48 AM
no i got mine from a kid in petal its a sport, glad to know that someone else here live's, lived in mississippi....
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: vinnietbird on February 25, 2009, 07:00:08 AM
I saw a black with silver racing stripes '87/'88 TC a while back and haven't seen it since,and then a white '87/'88 with a 5.0 that took a hit to the front and haven't seen it in a couple of months.Mine and a light blue '85 are the only one's I EVER see around this area at all.I don't know if our cars are rare,but scarce,probably.
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: RareBreed 5.0 on February 25, 2009, 07:05:44 AM
Yea, about 2 months ago(before i found this site) i bought a 90 mustang hatch to put the 5.0 in and By the power of god i lost my job before i could get the money up to do a motor swap and boy was i happy because all of a sudden 3 91-93 hatch's popped up in my town and i got lucky because i was going to make the second biggest mistake of my life i will never give my tbird up.
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: daddybair7 on February 25, 2009, 07:23:03 AM
besides my 88tc theres a guy in town thats got 2 88tc's that run and i have seen bout 8 others runin around southern ohio some in better shape then others id say bout 11or12 all together
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: mcb82gt on February 25, 2009, 07:56:37 AM
I dont know about rare, but I sure rarely see any on the road.  I live in the KC area, pretty big area, there just arent any around here.  That is why I c00ched mine up.

Imagine in 10 years, trying to find replacement parts.............
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: Thunder Chicken on February 25, 2009, 08:15:36 AM
Imagine trying to find replacement parts right now. If it wasn't for eBay and this forum (and Mustangs, for most mechanical bits) we'd be screwed
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: RareBreed 5.0 on February 25, 2009, 08:21:39 AM
Quote from: Thunder Chicken;258527
we'd be screwed


Yep you got a point there.
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: 1WLD BRD on February 25, 2009, 08:31:41 AM
Quote from: RareBreed 5.0;258519
Yea, about 2 months ago(before i found this site) i bought a 90 mustang hatch to put the 5.0 in and By the power of god i lost my job before i could get the money up to do a motor swap and boy was i happy because all of a sudden 3 91-93 hatch's popped up in my town and i got lucky because i was going to make the second biggest mistake of my life i will never give my tbird up.


If you did do that swap you would have been REALLY disappointed in the performance of the stang with out more work...  the Tbird 5.0L is not the same as the one in the stock Mustangs.  Tbirds had 150hp, and the stangs had 225hp.  to get the same power you need to swap in a cam, heads and intake from a stang along with the exhaust.

and yeah, My cougar is the ONLY fox cougar on the road around here anymore.  occasionally I see some MN12's (one is a kid in a stock 4.6L one that revs it at me all the time...  I just laugh at him.  Maybe one of these days I will take him  up to the track and teach him a lesson... ) but not many.  Thats what I love about CJ. so many of them to look at.
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: massCougarxr7 on February 25, 2009, 08:45:43 AM
[.  Thats what I love about CJ. so many of them to look at.[/QUOTE]

Hopefully ill know what thats like soon.... i only see two cougars (88s) around here..ones a ls in pretty nice shape, the other is an xr7 but not a fully loaded one like mine, i left the guy a note in his mirror asking if he would like to sell the car, but it was snowing and he never got back to me....I think its wicked cool when me and my girl drive around in our cougars.:burnout:  :burnout:  do you guys do anything like a small cruise around town at cj????? that would be pretty fun!!!!! a whole train of cougars and tbirds........im smiling just thinking about!!!!!!!:burnout:
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: tbirdsps on February 25, 2009, 09:38:06 AM
There's 5 or 6 here in Ridgecrest, Ca.  Most are pretty ratty but there's one really nice 85 LS with original spoked wheel covers that looks almost new.

Mine's a little worn.  I may have it sold too.  I just don't need four cars.  My 82 Cougar wagon is my main interest right now.  Which by the way I've seen no other in person.  Unfortunately rare doesn't mean valuable.  According to the NADA book my 82 wagon if in showroom condition would be worth $3,800.  My 86 Tbird if in average contition would be around $6,000 per NADA.  I don't think that our cars in excellent condition would actually get that much in the real world so I don't know where NADA gets their data.
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: 86XR7project on February 25, 2009, 10:33:27 AM
Mine are the only ones in the area for at least an hour in each way. I know the junkyards out here have quite a bit of stuff (I'm a bit broke so I'm not able to buy up stuff right now) and I saw a Tbird 87+ laying in a field the other day thought about asking the guy about it, he has a deaership and mainly sells older Ford cars.
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: thunderjet302 on February 25, 2009, 08:28:09 PM
If you notice where these cars are really *rare* is in the north where they salt in the winter. I hardly see one in Chicago (99.99% of the time when mine is out it's the only one I see ;) ). There is a guy near me that has a minty 87 T-bird that is tue-tone black over charcoal gray. I'm going to leave a note on his wind shield next time I see it incase he ever wants to sell it. Someone near me also has a mint 85 Cougar convertable that is tan with a tan interior. I have no idea what color the top is as I never see it with the top up. I keep trying to contact the guy to buy it but I haven't had any luck :hick:
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: jangus on February 25, 2009, 08:55:13 PM
I've got my 88TC, 3 parts 87/88 TC's. I've seen three other 87/88 TC's on the road here.  In addition, theres at least 2 really good looking/running Tbirds here in town, one red 85, and a blue 86.
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: daminc on February 25, 2009, 09:08:34 PM
(http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee79/daminc/Stuff%20I%20dont%20know%20where%20to%20put/IMG_4920.jpg)
Here's one that I still see . Yes, I drive around with a camera.. lol
and there's a girl that works at the vet, that owns a white 87 LS that's beat to .
I also see a beat up black 87 TC at the pizza place all the time
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: V8Demon on February 26, 2009, 07:23:42 AM
I see more 4 eyes now than 87-88's.... Not too many that I see are in good shape.
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: 86XR7project on February 26, 2009, 09:10:50 AM
Quote from: thunderjet302;258600
If you notice where these cars are really *rare* is in the north where they salt in the winter.QUOTE]


Unfortunately this is sadly too true. I see more Thinderbirds than I do Cougars but as far as I figure the Thunderbirds sold better. I personally like the Cougars better.
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: RareBreed 5.0 on February 26, 2009, 02:55:40 PM
Quote from: 1WLD BRD;258532
If you did do that swap you would have been REALLY disappointed in the performance of the stang with out more work...  the Tbird 5.0L is not the same as the one in the stock Mustangs.  Tbirds had 150hp, and the stangs had 225hp.  to get the same power you need to swap in a cam, heads and intake from a stang along with the exhaust.

The person i bought it from had put in a bigger cam and H.O. Intake and mustang headers and some other stuff that i forgot(He works at a shop that deals with alot of mustangs). When i was going to do the swap i was going to rebuild it with some better parts and put a turbo on it.
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: Kitz Kat on February 26, 2009, 03:35:00 PM
Theirs a few here, about 5 within my family and friends.
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: CougarSE on February 26, 2009, 05:12:06 PM
Quote from: daddybair7;258521
besides my 88tc theres a guy in town thats got 2 88tc's that run and i have seen bout 8 others runin around southern ohio some in better shape then others id say bout 11or12 all together

Ever seen a white 88 XR7 running around Lancaster-Logan area?

See them all the time around here.  Word has it there is a four eye vert running around my town.
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: jcassity on February 26, 2009, 10:19:58 PM
Quote from: CougarSE;258717
Ever seen a white 88 XR7 running around Lancaster-Logan area?

See them all the time around here.  Word has it there is a four eye vert running around my town.


I bout piss myself having a vert coming head on from opposite traffic passing through Athens.
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: daddybair7 on February 26, 2009, 11:13:50 PM
no i dont get up that way very often i just listed the tbirds there are some cougars too not many but im talkin pike,scioto,jackson,ross,and gallia counties i plan on doing some calling around to some junkyards and family members to try to locate some parts cars hopin they still got some layin around since im layed off now and got the time to do so.ill post a jy run post if i find some
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: Thunder Chicken on February 27, 2009, 07:13:43 AM
It's not just these cars that are disappearing. When was the last time you saw a Chevette, and they were much more common back in the day that these were. Remember, the newest fox 'birdcat is now 21 years old...
Title: Rare Or Not Rare that is the question!
Post by: 86XR7project on February 27, 2009, 09:29:59 AM
Wow it never really dawned on my that my car was 24 years old. Must hold its age well. I don't miss Chevettes like I miss Thunderbirds and Cougars we gotta find more.