1996 thunderbird

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1996 thunderbird

January 14, 2010, 09:38:33 PM

hey guys i might pick up a 96 lx bird as my daily driver it has 90 000 miles on it has the 4,6 engine and basically i have to call and go see the car but it look fairly clean judging only by appearance theres more to judge on when ill go see it

anyways is there something i should be aware about this car and model/year

i saw this on edmunds a guys who was complaining and wanted to verify the accuracy of the source

Heres what he said :Some genius designed the intake manifold out of plastic, including the coolant crossover. It will crack! You will then have a coolant leak requiring replacement of the manifold. Today that cost is around $800 to $1000 depending on where you go.
anyone heard of that

is it a good car overall i hear you can get in the 27mpg on hwy not so bad i wonder about the gas mileage in the city

heres the pics of the car fo those who feel like looking

http://club-auto-zone.autoexpert.ca/fr-ca/club_auto_zone/Inventaire-d-occasions/Ford-Thunderbird-LX-V8-4-6-FINANCEMNT-DISPONIBLE-.aspx?vid=797029

thanx everyone

1996 thunderbird

Reply #1 – January 14, 2010, 10:41:39 PM

i remember hearing from a co-worker ford recalled them to replace the manifold on certain years.
aint there a forum for mn12 tbirds?
god i hate typing on this ipod thing

1996 thunderbird

Reply #2 – January 15, 2010, 01:57:34 AM

Yes, the plastic (nylon?) intakes can and will and often do crack...
The 1/4's rust pretty bad, and you might take a jack and some stands to get a good luck under the rear subframe/IRS area as well.

A friend of mine has a '96 Cougar with the mod motor...it goes pretty good but it's no match for my Sport

For a daily I think you'd like it, and it'll save wear n tear on your Fox

(Can you tell I'm biased to the Fox Birds?

)

You can also go check out SCCOA, they're more for the MN-12 chassis than we are here

1996 thunderbird

Reply #3 – January 15, 2010, 06:37:09 AM

1996 and 1997 were the best years for the MN12 platform, in my opinion. I love my '96 and I've had it for six years.

The intakes do crack, but it's easy to replace if you have any mechanical skills. I paid $200 US for my replacement intake, which has a revised aluminum crossover, and installed it myself.
The car has been trouble-free for 102,000 miles.

1996 thunderbird

Reply #4 – January 15, 2010, 08:09:43 AM

My 96 was a great car (or at least it was right up until the deer incident). The only thing that ever really bugged me was the rubbery coating on the dash fascia peeling off.

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

1996 thunderbird

Reply #5 – January 15, 2010, 09:19:02 AM

I as well have a '96 that the intake cracked on. just get a used PI intake and swap on it. adds a bit of power too. I love my XR-7

1996 thunderbird

Reply #6 – January 15, 2010, 10:15:16 AM

guys i call this morning and it ogt sold better luck next time
thanx for all your infos i apreciate

-Sebastian

1996 thunderbird

Reply #7 – January 15, 2010, 01:56:22 PM

Although not very expensive the upper control arm ball joint boots don't last long at all allowing dirt/water/salt etc destroy the ball joint. They can be seen easily without removing the front wheels. Just look across the top of the tire and there they are.

Also the sway bar links wear out to resulting in clunk noises when going over uneven pavement, parking lot entrances etc.

1996 thunderbird

Reply #8 – January 15, 2010, 05:50:45 PM

it wouldve been nice if ford put a manual trans into them in one form or another without going to a supercharged one. all the supercoupes i see are blown up and worn out at any price.
i was at one time really considering a 96 or 97 tbird(or cougar in good enough shape) since even with low miles they can be had cheap enough. but, 9 out of 10 i looked at around here had disguised trans issues or knocking motors.
when i find a nice well kept one maybe ill pick it up.

1996 thunderbird

Reply #9 – January 15, 2010, 06:32:04 PM

yea the supercoupes around here are also pretty much worn out and speaking of other models like the lx man they rare or beat up
this deal looked sweet but the car was sold in 2 days if you look closely it seems that the previous owner stuck svt badges on the door lol maybe he had it souped up as well

1996 thunderbird

Reply #10 – January 15, 2010, 10:29:08 PM

I've got a 95 as daily driver. It's a good car reliable car. I had to replace both the upper and lower ball joints at 75,000 miles though. That was two years and 5,000 miles ago. It's been fine since then. I'd get a V8 car though. The 3.8, is, uh, yeah....................[SIZE="1"]slow[/SIZE].