Restoring a 1985 bird

[birdman]

I am restoring my wife's 85. It has the 3.8 v-6 (no power) so I am thinking of going to the 5.0 v-8.

Can anyone give me some advise on what I might be getting into or suggestions on what I should be thinking before I do this?

I noted someone put a 460 in a 86. I only have one question, HOW! I had a 1972 w/ the 460 (I wish I still had it, and will again soon) and that took up most of the engine compartment.


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Mark
[email protected]

[mustang_tbird]

This install is easier than you might think.

Get a 5.0 out of a 87-93 Mustang. Forget the ones out of Crown Vics, other T-birds or Cougars. They do not have the heads or the cam to make a decent ride, they pump about 150 horse compared to the 225 out of a stock Mustang. You keep the Tbird's chassis wiring harness in place, you know, the stuff that goes to the ignition, coil, starter, headlights and dash. You take the kick panel by the passengers right foot and pull out the computer by the glove box. You'll need to pull all of the the Tbirds existing fuel management wiring harness out of the car running from the top of the computer to the fuel injectors. You'll need the 'stang harness and computer. It may seem like a lot but all the controls will fit right on the Mustang's motor. Of course, you'll need to trade computers from the stang to the T bird. That's it in a nutshell as far as parts are concerned. The auto in the Tbird probably won't hold up so well to the Mustang 5.0, so you might want to consider putting a Stang auto in there too or a 5-speed T-5. I'm doing this in my '83 Tbird. It has CFI injection, which is trash for performace. If you have the later Multi-port injection system like what was on the Mustangs, the swap will be about ten times easier. Just trade the motor and computer and go.

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[birdman]

Thanks mustang_tbird. Other questions.

What I would like to do is get rid of all the computer crap and just get back to the basics and change the multi-port to a standard carb.

The only problem is the car has an electronic speedometer, trip and mileage. I also want to get rid of the idiot lights and replace them with gages. If I do this will I even need the computer at all? If not what do I do about the mileage? Will I have to re-title the car?

Also, I can replace the engine with the 460, what should I be thinking about before I pull either engine?

As you can tell I won't be doing this myself I will be taking it to someone who knows more that I do.

Thanks again.

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Mark
[email protected]

[mustang_tbird]

If you go carbureated, that's even easier. Just throw away ALL the computer stuff and put some edelbrock intake that'll hold a carbureator. As far as I know, your existing dash is all controlled by the chassis harness and not the computer. The dash still reads off the speedo gear in the tranny. Your can always replace the electronic one with a mechanical one any ways and start cutting in autometer gauges, which are beautiful. As for a 460?? I always heard you had to cut fenderwells to get the clearance right! I could be wrong, though, Ford Motorsport does make a crate motor 460 and offers a conversion for Fox Chassis cars like us.

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[T-Bird-uzi]

yeah i am putting a 351 in my 88 Bird and i was gonna go the carb. route..but i also have an 85 cougar dash i was wanting to use....it has the analog style speedo, not the digital..would the rest of the gauges work as factory intended tho w/o cutting up wires? :confused:

[mustang_tbird]

I'm not sure.. I've never cut in analog in place of a digital, but I'm pretty sure it will work. Ford probably did not manufacture separate harnesses for cars equipped with digital dashes, since analog was standard. I took out the cluster in my '88 GT Mustang and noticed that they were the same connections as found in my '83 Thunderbird. I'll bet it will work exactly with no mess.