My Favoritest Part

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My Favoritest Part

June 05, 2011, 04:43:46 PM

For me, the single part that makes it for me is the 87-88 tbird tail lights. Problem is they can be a PITA to care for.

The butyl on mine has not aged well. They were full of dust and dirt on the inside, and the lens on the passenger side was gettin progressively more loose even with all the clips in place. I just spent ~4.5hrs disassembling, cleaning, polishing, and re-assembling the tails on my car.

I didnt get a before shot, but here is one of the insides; one finished, one not yet started.

I cleaned off all the old butyl and resealed the lenses to the bodies with clear silicone. Just waiting for that to cure before I put them back on the car and polish the outsides of the lenses

Mechanical stuff is simple to swap around, backdate/update whatever, but major body mods are for the elite. If there is one favorite part of you car, the reason you chose a tbird vs. cougar or 4eye vs. aero nose, what is it?

My Favoritest Part

Reply #1 – June 05, 2011, 05:20:50 PM

I did that to mine last year. Man, what a difference, plus, the tail lights are my favorite part of the whole car. Always have been way back to '97 when I first saw one.

My Favoritest Part

Reply #2 – June 05, 2011, 05:49:32 PM

I did something similar with my '86 tail ligts. They are now realy nice and shiny. I can use them as the mirrors :-D

My Favoritest Part

Reply #3 – June 05, 2011, 06:21:29 PM

Quote from: vinnietbird;361095

...the tail lights are my favorite part of the whole car. Always have been way back to '97 when I first saw one.

I was 13yo when my Dad got his 87, so that would have been 1992 when I began my lust affair with these tails.

My Favoritest Part

Reply #4 – June 05, 2011, 07:17:12 PM

Gotta agree. The 87 TC tails are pretty. The aero nose really grew on me fast, too.

Those sure look nice!

My Favoritest Part

Reply #5 – June 06, 2011, 08:16:19 AM

I have never had the balls to take my tail lights apart like that. Mine are full of dirt, dead bugs, and all kinds of crud...

I always did think the tail lights were the best part styling-wise of the 87-88's.

My Favoritest Part

Reply #6 – June 06, 2011, 09:11:19 AM

I agree with you guys about the taillights but it's the nose that does it for me. With how it is rounded yet come to a point it kinda has the look of a bird, especially when you use headlight covers.

My Favoritest Part

Reply #7 – June 06, 2011, 08:39:13 PM

Personally, I like the looks of the four-eye'd birds. I love the quad headlights, non-flush windows, available vent windows, chrome glass trim, and tidier look over the 87/88 (by "tidier" I mean it looks smaller to me, the 87/88 looks longer for some reason). These visual cues all add up to making the car look more like a classic instead of merely an older modern car. The only thing I prefer on the 87/88's are the tail lights.

With Cougars it's different. I like the more elegant styling of the 87/88 over the four-eyes. The square back on the 83-86 is just too square, and the front end differences from the T-Bird are too subtle, while the 87/88's rounded square back is one of the best automotive designs in 40 years and the front end is different enough that somebody that doesn't know cars would not even recognise it as being "Mercury's T-Bird"...

Not that I'm dissing aero Birds (hell, I've had three) or 4-eye Cougs, mind you. I love 'em all equally. I just love some more equally than others

My Favoritest Part

Reply #8 – June 07, 2011, 11:31:30 PM

I'm with you gumby..the '87-'88 is my fave beast...it's the tails that most grab my eyes.

Also, the general profile of the car...there's something about it that just gets me.
It looks like a jet on wheels, aero, flush, yet bold and exciting. Something very few cars from that era had...

Cougars on the other hand kinda turn me off with the upswept rear 1/4 window, and the roofline...more...luxury than sport, in a sense.
I'd still buy an '88 XR7 if I could find one in good shape and affordable, though.