hello i just got a thunderbird 88

hey guys, ill be honest, i know nothing about cars yet. I got this car for free off my brothers girlfriend. The car has been sitting in the drive way so i said yeah ill take it (since my first car was taken away). I heard good things about this car.

Its not really in GREAT shape it has 300900 miles on it. It overheated, then a mechanic changed the water pump (it was leaking water) and the cap & rotor. It overheated on me today, i dont know whats up with it, but i LOVE this car, everything insside works, power windows door locks and everything you can thing of inside.

Since i got it for free i will not feel bad putting 1,000 - 2,500 dollars into it, over time of course. I would like to hear your opininons and see if its a good idea to work on it and make it look like new, paint job, new tires (they are completely worn out), getting dents fixed, and whatever else it needs.

This car burns rubber and its automatic. I love the loud engine sound and i would like to make it louder. I hope i figure out whats wrong with it, or if you guys could help me out that would be great.

Do you guys think i should invest in it and keep it?

well here are some pics of my car
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Resendiz/IMAGE_053.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Resendiz/IMAGE_048.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Resendiz/IMAGE_047.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Resendiz/IMAGE_046.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Resendiz/IMAGE_044.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Resendiz/IMAGE_038.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Resendiz/IMAGE_045.jpg
i want to paint it black

well any comments and opinions even questions would be appreciate it, im new here.

thanks!

WOW nice lookin car actually if you got it for free damn right its worth puttin a grand into. where u from i see no rust yeahhhh for sure keep it.. Is it leaking any antifreeze? If not any squealing? if not try something as simple as the thermostat or coolant temp sensor.. black yeahh nice color for a tbird good luck to ya...

Getting a free car is always a good way to start to learn about repairing cars. Spend some money on a good service manual (see my post in the "tech help" thread about where to buy) and let your education begin! A factory service manual such as these will cost more to buy but have a lot more information in them then the ones you buy at Autozone. Your local library may have Mitchell or Motor manuals for you to look at which are still better then the ones at Autozone. Good luck with your new car.

i go w/the themostate 1st. the car sitting so long most likely frose it up. what motor do you have in it 3.8 or 5.0.Change & flush your coolent Electrolysis sets in with the old coolent and eat at the headgasket. So always flush once a year.that car is old now dont get rid of it you will regret it.good website: www.foxthundercats.com. i see in the photos you have some frontend damage easy to fix while looking for parts consider 87-88 turbo coupe noise all bolt up/easy & it looks great.im building my88 as a hot rod these cars are fox platforms same as mustangs so parts are interchangable.

thanks for the replies guys. the car has rust all over but they are little bits. there is a pretty big hole in the left side of the car all the way by the rear left tire. So ill have to cover that. The engine is a 5.0 EFI V8 i dont know how many horse power, if you guys can tell me that would be appreciated.

I have a question for you guys.

Can you guys give me a "more or less" price as to how much this would cost?

1. New Rims (all four)
2. New tires (all Four)
3. Every Dent and rust removed.
4. A really good paint job, (black)
5. Tinted Windows.

Thats my main focus right now, the car runs for now so ill deal with the engine after i have the car looking great.

Thank you guys for replying and thank you in advance for anyone who replies to this post.

your car stock w/5.0 is 155 hp and 265 ft pounds of torque both are at low RPM your motor is a torque monster. its problem is it dont breath enough.#1 problem is its heads,keeping price down agood set of used HO heads from a stang or even better GT-40 off 95-97 1/4 explorer and GTP's off 97 1/4 2000 something.thow GTP being the best they can be tricky getting headers on. heads to complicated get rid of the silencer box in the fender by you air filter.headers real exausts. throttle body used from a stang.another note 95& up explorer have GT-40 upper lower intakes.but if you digging that far just do the heads and cam and rockers and remember you timing is different from HO. I dont want to confuse you but do your homework and reserch.

whats nice about you car is its the last year for fox platform t-birds.fox platform means its the sam as mustangs so most parts fit, and t-birds looks so much better looking. someone said to me one time liking what i was doing to my car everyone and there brother got a stang you can just buy one (mustangs are ME-TOO cars).


prices:
RIMS any ford 4 lug design for stangs will fit
turbo t-birds came w/16 rims w/simlar back spacing as cobras
TIRES 225x50 for 16s are real good.the car feels good
check you local prices
DENTS&RUST depending how bad and what you do yourself
PAINT how nice do you want it 1000-4000 my gues
Earl Jive by me $200 1month or till it rain garentee
TINT 200-400 dollars