The first part that I was able to get over the winter is a set of mint 1990 Ford Thunderbird SC blue cloth seats. These seats are awesome in every way. There isn't even any wear on the driver seat, no fading, no stains and not one problem with them. They look like new! These seats are lighter colored then the seats they replaced but they fit in the interior nicely.
These seats have many advantages over the LX seats including not just one lumbar, but two of them! They have both side lumbar and lower back lumbar. The LX seats didn't have even back lumbar as an option. The LX seats do not provide support for your back at all, your back sinks into the seat back. They also allow for full functional features for both driver and passenger sides. The wires were present in my 1995 for the passenger side, which made the swap a snap. SC seats do bolt up to LX interiors with no modifications. If you are planning to use the 1989-1993 seats in your newer T-Bird, I suggest you swap in the belt buckles. The original SC had an automatic seat belt with a manual lapbelt, so the belt buckle is in an odd place.
If you need better seats, I highly suggest finding a set of SC seats.
I am still on track for the DirtyDog 4R70W/AODE Torque Converter. I am still deciding on who will install it. With these new seats, I might just make the trip to Ohio to have the expert install it.
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This summer has been busy for the Thunderbird. It started out with a rear brake cylinder leak, which caused a bit of brake fluid to leak. Many suggested that I put on rear discs but I wanted to keep the drums. While replacing the brake cylinder, we ended up snapping the brake lines creating a much bigger problem. We patched the system and ordered pre bent lines from DirtyDog Performance. Getting the lines pre bent was a big time saver, the lines were in the car within a couple of hours.
The other upgrade was a custom bent exhaust system to replace the old "fake" dual exhaust. I went with a 2.5" pipe to a single muffler. My goal with the single exhaust was to create the most efficient system possible. I initially went with no cat setup but quickly found out that it was too raspy for the 4.6L Thunderbird. The car also had a 3 chamber Magaflow 13236 muffler, which didn't do too much to muffle the exhaust. Instead, I went with a set of Magnaflow high flow converters (model 54306) and a Turbo style muffler. The exhaust note is great with this setup, no rasp, not over powering. I would highly recommend a single exhaust to cut down on weight and exhaust efficiency.
This is my next upgrade, a Mercury Marauder Torque Converter for the 4R70W transmission. This converter is considered the best of the factory options. It features a 11.25" size (compared to a 12" standard size), fully furnace brazed, larger sprag and a durable lockup piston. It is designed to handle the stress of modifications and horsepower. There are many aftermarket options that have even more performance, but I bought this converter as a upgraded factory option.
Along with this upgrade, a new J-Mod valve body will be installed. The J-Mod is similar to a shift kit for the transmission. This modified valve body will allow my transmission to shift more firm and quickly. This will also make my transmission last longer and run cooler.
After having some issues with the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 tires, I decided its time for an upgrade.
These rims are from a 2000 Ford Windstar. The Thunderbird shares the same bolt pattern with the Windstar and the older Taurus. I wanted a 5 star rim and these were the best looking of the OEM Ford models. It is a shame that the Thunderbird does not share the Mustang's bolt pattern. I would have rather went with a Mustang rim instead.
I am still gathering parts for the 2012 season. My latest purchase is the matching 1990 crystal blue back seats! This back seat came off of a lower optioned car, which had no center armrest or fold down features. Unlike other cars at the junkyard, this car had no visable damage other then rust and a mismatched bumper cover. Whoever owned it must have been fussy, because the whole interior was nice. It did have a grease spot on a cushion, but it came off with some effort. All in all, I thought this was just the item to finish off my interior swap.
I purchased the Michelin Pilot A/S Plus tires and I can't wait to give them a try in the early spring. The car is also going in for a drivetrain vibration issue and possibly the torque converter. It should be pretty exciting once the Winter passes.
