The new Thunderbird.

[Pirate]

Even though the project was given up, don't go ahead and trash the thread.

Here's the skinny with what I'm trying to do with the Bird:

I am going to sell either the Bird or my DisAstro van, as I'm going to need to make a hole for a Lightning. The problem is that I don't know, with today's economy, if I can even get rid of the T-bird for a decent price; I'm not going to give the car away for $500 just to get it out of the driveway, but I don't expect to get $2000 out of it, either.

With the Astro, I can sell it for $800-$1000 locally and not lose any sleep (low mileage, it's a V6, and it has a LOT of new parts), and I have a parking spot for the new toy. If I'm stuck with the car, I'll just put all of the new suspension parts and other goodies in it and use it as a work car, as I still need to have something to drive back and forth to work....and to be honest with you, I hate driving the Astro around town worse than driving the T-bird.

If I have to drive the Bird, oh well, I can live with it. But I'm not going to dump a ton of money into it, either.

[grandpaslincoln]

Come get my '68 F250.

[packman]

Yeah, these Panthers make me feel like a 5'11" giant. Though I like the faux power trips when driving in the CV.

Didn't you try looking for a 1st gen Lightning before and couldn't find one locally at a decent price? I sorta remember you discussing a Lightning clone, but I don't remember why you decided not to do that. Though a F-150 from around those years with a sport suspension and a nasty 408 would be mean.



Packman

[Pirate]

Yeah, these Panthers make me feel like a 5'11" giant. Though I like the faux power trips when driving in the CV.

Didn't you try looking for a 1st gen Lightning before and couldn't find one locally at a decent price? I sorta remember you discussing a Lightning clone, but I don't remember why you decided not to do that. Though a F-150 from around those years with a sport suspension and a nasty 408 would be mean.



Packman

Amazing what a shitty economy can do for a Lightning market....the one I'm eyeballing right now was $6500 FIRM last summer, and now it's down to $4500....supposedly firm....

Come get my '68 F250.

Don't tease me, old man.

[grandpaslincoln]

You know you want it, $600 and it's yours!

[Pirate]

You know you want it, $600 and it's yours!

....must...have....old....truck.....

[Archangel]

Yeah, no kiding, I'm itching for a shortbed '79 F150 4x4 with a 351 and a slushie that I found for $500... new 31" tires too! Never will be registerred, just a trail thing... nah, I need the cash for the rattler, but I still want that darn truck!

[P72Ford]

Jon, is your truck a 4 speed?

[grandpaslincoln]

Yep.

[P72Ford]

Dang. That'd be such an awesome truck if it was 4WD. Pretty cool as it is, but I'm just saying...

[packman]

GL's truck would be a nice project. Lot's of possibilities there. FE, BBF, mmmmmmm...........



Packman

[moneypit]

NO! Stick with the Lightning. See it through. You've wanted it for this long, and let's face it... Lightnings are BAD ASS.

[Pirate]

I'm not happy.

I test-drove one Lightning that I've been looking at, off and on, for the past year or so....(the guy lives not too far from here), and I test-drove another one parked at a stealership. I test-drove both of them today, and just got back from looking at the second one, after prying myself from the sales office.

And what everyone has been telling me is true; They're slow. The first one has been modified a bit....they both have had the cats removed, and custom exhaust installed....but my Thunderbird will give both trucks a run for their money. I drove the T-bird right before I left to go look at the second one....and I swear that my car is just as fast as both of the trucks.

I've driven these before, but I didn't realize they're so freaking slow. They handle pretty good, but to be honest with you, the first thing that needs to be shitcanned with any Ford Lightning is the E4OD transmission, and a Tremec installed in its place....the E40D is overkill for a 1/2-ton pickup. Since that requires a wee bit of work, in addition to redoing the EFI....no thank you.

Another problem? I've gone from having no headroom in the Thunderbird, to having very few places to put my goddamned feet in the generation 1 Lightning. Headroom is sort of tight, but it's not too bad of a problem....but even on the two short test drives, I couldn't find a comfortable spot in which to rest my size-13 boots.

I give up. Let the namecalling commence, because I definitely deserve it, lol. I'm just going to sit on the T-bird for now, and poke away at it, because I'm not spending several thousand dollars on a truck that I don't fit worth a shit into. I did test-sit a 2001 Lightning, and I fit marvelously into THAT truck....but I'm not going to be able to spend $10,000+ on a 1999-up Lightning any time soon, nor do I want to. I'm done for now, dreams shattered...lol.

Of course, there's always Jon's truck....

[1987cp]

Jon's truck is looking better by the day, no?

I still say a freezer would be better.

[P72Ford]

I'm not really surprised about the lack of room. My Dad's friend had a '95 Super Duty car carrier that had very little room in the cab.

Maybe you need to invest in a 3rd gen Ram 1500. My truck is a regular cab, and there is a shit ton of room compared to other regular cab trucks. There is actually about a foot of room behind the seat.

Plus, there is lots of leg and head room. If I feel inclined (and I do, on occasion), I can heel-toe with my size 15 work shoes.