tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20455586896992713992012-02-16T18:03:54.672-08:00<br />Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.comBlogger251100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-18034705901292633102008-08-21T23:57:00.000-07:002008-08-22T00:56:41.265-07:00

So when I started driving the bird I noticed that not only did it not have cold ac but it didn't really have heat either.. In fact even with the fan on full blast the air would just barely trickle forth from the vents. I decided that it was time to investigate that.I removed the heater side of the box off the firewall along with the heater core. Then I removed the evaporator from the housing to

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-45290168916726440642008-07-14T18:39:00.001-07:002008-07-14T18:50:10.128-07:00

I know it's been a long time, I'm sorry about that. I will try to do better.

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-65684738212275630422008-04-19T17:53:00.000-07:002008-04-19T18:03:09.899-07:00

Green grass courtesy of spring rain and sunThe front bumper once again reflects the ground in front of the car instead of the floor of my washing porch..I put a charge on the battery and went for a drive around town a bit.. the bird squaked a little when I was leaving the gas station so I knew it was happy to be out of it's cage.I guess the next thing, after I put in the other things I picked up

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-91872834045648240822008-04-15T20:25:00.000-07:002008-04-15T20:39:32.272-07:00

Afternoon offSunny dayRoad trip to Andersen's Wrecking in KearneyBumper clip on nuts foundExpect a photo with the bumper back on soon.

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-80023216737768691912008-03-22T21:34:00.000-07:002008-03-22T21:51:46.210-07:00

Open wider.. there we go.The thunderbird gets it's hood latch rod reinstalled. The only way to get at the hood latch was to remove the grille, the only way to remove the grille was to take the bumper loose.. and two out of four of the captured nuts inside of the frame rails came loose..I went down to the parts store and purchased an assortment of snap locks to keep the rod affixed in it's hole on

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-25229655149893299492008-03-09T21:23:00.000-07:002008-03-09T21:39:35.042-07:00

Ever since I purchased the car way a long time ago the way you open the hood was with a stiff piece of wire that was looped around the latch mechanism and looped around a bar in the grill. Looked o.k.. and worked just fine but it just wasn't right.I had been watching an ebay auction for some time that had the latch assembly and the latch pull rod all complete.This weekend I was scrounging around

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-57923851048851827402008-03-01T11:42:00.000-08:002008-03-03T17:42:57.372-08:00

Reuben Garret Lucius Goldberg (July 4, 1883 - December 7, 1970) was an American cartoonist who received a 1948 Pulitzer Prize for his political cartooning. He is best known for his series of popular cartoons depicting Rube Goldberg machines, complex devices that perform simple tasks in indirect, convoluted ways. In addition to his accomplishments he was also the supposed inspiration for the

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-45265002925784031362008-02-11T21:53:00.001-08:002008-02-12T11:06:03.541-08:00

I mailed off an order to T-Bird Sanctuary at the very begining of January. I waited until mid January before contacting them about it.Hello Bob,I sent an order to you at the beginning of this month, I would have thought that I would have seen some bank activity with the check I mailed by this time.. I have not.. My name is T-Bird_Guy and the order would have been for three shift linkage bushings

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-75188830842925968642008-02-02T16:30:00.000-08:002008-02-02T18:45:34.352-08:00

The surround that goes around the gauges was painted chrome around the outsides and black inside of the individual gauge pods. After 37 years this paint had largely worn away or became so affected by the elements that if you swiped it with your finger you came away with little pieces of alternating shiny/black crumbs.. So it was time to resurface it. I pulled the cluster out and began cleaning

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-64731868719760263632008-01-25T21:14:00.000-08:002008-01-25T21:40:31.234-08:00

Back awhile I had an event inside of the dash wiring. I was living in Kearney at that time and so I took it down to a local place to have the wiring checked. Well I tell you I can't ever remember having the lights on the windshield wiper pod work or the lights on the heater controls so I wanted to check that out and see if I could figure it out.. Since my shop manual haven't arrived yet I worked

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-25745745145937652282008-01-01T14:08:00.000-08:002008-01-15T11:16:38.280-08:00

It ran, but it didn't run very well at all.. It was time to overhaul and upgrade the ignition system. This car was running on the same points system that it was when the car was produced in the early 70s and I decided it was time to upgrade to a breakerless ignition system. Also on the list were new upmarket plug wires and a new distributor cap and rotor.Plug Wires: The first component I swapped

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-65776356788975101442007-12-26T11:19:00.000-08:002007-12-26T11:22:22.418-08:00

The xi-1 kit from Crane Cams that would have came in on the 23rd is a good part. Both mounting holes are there. Batting 33% isn't bad .. umm.. I guess.. I am just hoping that the apperent QC issues at Crane Cams doesnt extend into the internals of the module I will be installing.I am looking forward to getting this part of the project finished.

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-60049046233368372192007-12-22T21:04:00.000-08:002007-12-22T21:19:09.501-08:00

So I was working on getting new plug wires, new rotor/cap and a points conversion kit installed on the Bird. The Point to electronic kit that I ordered was made by Crane Cams, the xi-1 kit. I ordered this kit through Advance Auto parts here locally.Despite it being very plain that the kit includes a bottom adapter plate that has two mounting holes in it. (image of parts in the kit) (pdf of

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-52176199742439452562007-12-14T20:56:00.000-08:002007-12-14T21:08:07.004-08:00

Well so I pulled the rear drums to take a peek back there as well.. The left rear needed a little heat inspiration but pinged loose pretty quick.. I would have to say that everything really looked all right in both sides.. still pad left on them and still shiny parts in there.. I'm not gonna bother any further into the rear brakes.Also, while I was walking through WallyWorld doing my grocery

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-73888958828915316842007-12-04T00:59:00.000-08:002007-12-04T01:14:22.978-08:00

The car is now back on the ground.. I repacked and replaced the brake assembly on the right front and preloaded everything to spec. and went around and did the drivers side.. The nut on the drivers side was still mostly tight. Way different torque than the passenger side. The bearings on the drivers looked alright as well. So I repacked them and preloaded everything to spec. I am going to see if

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-49899653044718655592007-11-25T17:52:00.000-08:002007-12-04T01:11:21.270-08:00

Due to a request by pa the brakes were the next thing to be looked after. Remanned calipers and new pads.. I had intended to also check and repack wheel bearings, though half way into the drivers side I wimped out and only did the calipers and pads.. (top picture is before, middle picture is after).. When I went around to the passenger side I discovered after removing the rim that the disk was

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-88289681854447038612007-11-16T11:20:00.000-08:002007-11-20T19:15:42.789-08:00

The mufflers and truly the entire exhaust system on this Thunderbird was rotten. I had thought about only having done what was missing. For a while. I did eventually decide to have a completely new exhaust system created.The first place I called (Midas) didn't have a bender on site and would have to get a kit shipped to them to install. No thanks.. The second place I called did have a bender on

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-22730637954730682462007-11-10T15:06:00.000-08:002007-11-10T21:44:10.493-08:00

Ahh sunny fall Saturday afternoons are sure great things.Replacing the turn signal switch had some effects on other road worthy deficiencies of the bird bird. Turn signals and brake lights. Here is a bit of video I shot after I came back from my short drive.

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-67399754322230172612007-11-10T14:46:00.000-08:002007-11-10T15:06:50.547-08:00

This poor thing sat for two years with gasoline both in the tank as well as the carburetor. I could tell on the drive from west to east that I took it on. Even if you tried to get it just over idle it would nearly die.Last night after work I took the top of the Edlebrock carb apart and was appalled at the amount of orange brown slime in the bottom of the side tanks. The valve in the accelerator

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-17150286976933852252007-11-08T18:28:00.000-08:002007-11-08T18:51:50.900-08:00

The windows in these Thunderbirds were glued into the tracks from the factory. Then the tracks were bolted into the window mechanism itself. After thirty some years (or twenty) the tracks come loose from the glass and things get sloppy. Back when I was driving this beast full time I had used a product from Duramix to glue things back together. It usually stayed put for about six months before

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-44166267015204205702007-11-02T00:10:00.000-07:002007-11-04T22:09:44.091-08:00

The turn signal switches in these early '70s Thunderbirds are prone to plastic fatigue. There are more readily available and cheaper alternatives on the market but I highly recommend that faced with the same need you choose to find a NOS complete turn signal as I have. This was found on Ebay (figure A)from a good parts seller there and was purchased for less than thirty dollars.The first thing

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-76701816203686720652007-11-01T23:45:00.000-07:002008-01-01T14:22:06.111-08:00

Turn Signal SwitchThe turn signal switches in these early '70s Thunderbirds are prone to plastic fatigue. There are more readily available and cheaper alternatives on the market but I highly recommend that faced with the same need you choose to find a NOS complete turn signal as I have. This was found on Ebay from a good parts seller there and was purchased for less than thirty dollars. READ THE

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-60770499877223325912007-10-19T12:35:00.001-07:002007-10-23T21:51:07.361-07:00

Well after about two weeks.. I changed the interior from full of stuff (my stuff, car stuff.... umm... mouse stuff) to completely empty and clean... so as to better see what I was dealing with.. all in all i found $1.95 in American change, a Canadian quarter many assorted screws washers bolts etc.. Yeah so as you can see over there.. it went from completely full of stuff to nothing.. I have been

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-60967752603408384312007-10-16T18:30:00.000-07:002007-10-19T12:48:24.371-07:00

If I remember correctly this thing has issues with the brake lights.. It HAS taillights, they just don't get brighter when you step on the brakes. It also really needs some exhaust work done. At the tail end of the time it was being driven regularly the tailpipe on the drivers side, from in front of the muffler back, fell off on the interstate. So the TBird is a little on the loud side. Also the

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2045558689699271399.post-80157746308698560392007-10-08T07:55:00.001-07:002007-10-13T16:54:45.304-07:00

Well so here it is Autumn.. Time for indoor projects.I just decided that it was finally time to pull the old "71 Thunderbird outta the tree and see if I am able to make it right. The poor thing had been parked back in the tree line at my folks farm for approximately two years while I worked on advancing my career. Going from a factory worker to a white collar job... the old t-bird.. much as I

Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03063376150895061908noreply@blogger.com0