some things are just meant to be the way they are, glad you got such a looker my classics got ratty paint and open headers wish i had something more comfortable
@@Keith-rk4td Maybe that was my motor! I gave someone the 2.3 Turbo for a similar conversion when I put a 351W in my '88 TurboCoupe. That was in '98 or so.
I worked on a bunch of the 2.3 Turbo Ford's back in the day and they seemed to be 'hit or miss' on whether you got a 'good' one or not. The best running ones really DID run well while many others were just so-so and I had to investigate as to why. The problem was the Mass Airflow Meter which was a mechanical device with a spring loaded door that the incoming air would force open which then moved a wiper on a resistor board much like a gas gauge sending unit. These MAF's were adjusted on a flow bench at the factory and passing emissions the First Priority and some just didn't work well when actually feeding the engine as mounted in the cars. Opening the cover where the resistor wiper was allowed you to adjust the arm position and it was a VERY sensitive thing. Marking the original position with a fine pencil most of the time the adjustment that made them run the best would be about one pencil line off the original position...so maybe .010" and the spring tension on the door was also adjustable and many set way too tight which strangled the airflow. Idle mixture was adjustable with a long Allen wrench and once everything set properly....and the 'Over-boost' switch jumped they would normally make 18 psi and run strong. Not a bad motor for the time that just needed a little 'tweaking' .
@@alantrimble2881 It's all semantics my friend. Both measure the mass of air being inhaled though they do it in different ways....the end result is the same.
Ernie Elliot was quiet the engine builder but the T bird was designed in the wind tunnel and had less drag coefficient than a fighter jet according to Ford. The Ford's had to run restrictor plates before the whole field was slowed later. The Ford T bird and the Cleveland engine was an unbeatable combination. NASCAR has to rewrite the rule book because of them, justine NHRA when the Cobra Jet came out April 1, 1968. It dominated it's classes causing a rewriting of the rule book.
My mom had a turbo Bird when I was born in 86. It was silver with red interior and automatic trans. I actually cried when they sold it. One of the few Ford products that I like.
Beautifully designed car. Fun and affordable. It was so much more modern than the GM midsized coupes, the boxier Cutlass Supreme, Monte Carlo, etc. When these T birds were new in the early 80s, they were fucking spaceships! Completely unlike anything else on the road. Miss these kinds of cars. Crossover domination sucks so bad 😢. Maybe not Mercedes levels of refinement, but at one-third the cost who cares? Ah, the 1980s. Wish I could go back, definitely.
My friend had a dark blue '87 Turbo coupe that was slightly modified. It wasn't crazy fast, but it was far from a slouch either. He spun it off the interstate (with no damage) one winter. There wasn't snow or ice, but it was wet, and we were coming up quick on a Beretta, and he jerked the wheel a little too quick when changing lanes. Then, he over corrected and sent us into a apin. We cleared the ditch, but landed on the other side of the ditch and spun until we were about 100' off the interstate (There was snow in the grass, but not the road). The wrecker driver had to link 2 cables together just to reach the car to pull it out. 😂
I bought an 81 with a bad engine, put in an hecho en mexico 302 that made 300 HP and mated it to a 4 speed auto that got decent mpg on the hwy, used summit gauges to let me know what was going on. dominated the bowtie Z28, but the IROC was something else.
My Dad had a 1988 Thunderbird LX 5.0 fully loaded. Full electronic gauge package, dual power seats, coded entry with automatic lamps, climate control, 6 speaker cassette stereo with equalizer...... that was one sweet ride. It was white with red interior. For me, I'd love to have a 1991-92 Lincoln Mark VII with the HO 302 and do a 5 speed swap. That's the ultimate combo right there. The best of this generation Fox platform before the Thunderbird and Mark VIII redesigns.
As a car enthusiast dating back to this period, I've always loved these. A well-driven example showed up around 5 years ago at a local car dealer. I stopped and test drove it on behalf of a friend who lived out of state and was into these cars. I was shocked at how nicely it drove and the power that it had. 5-speed car too. The only issue that I saw was a rusty radiator support panel at the front, which there is supposedly no aftermarket replacement for. My friend didn't end up buying the car but I got to drive one of my childhood favorites and have since appreciated these even more. Great video, keep them coming!
I believe the radiator support is all just mustang, just need to double check ford part numbers to make sure then you can get an aftermarket unit, you can put lots of mustang parts on these as the chassis is a stretched mustang chassis for more rear leg room
my Ex had one like this, in Red as well 9:28 was a decent ride, plenty fast, and came with a pretty decent sound system too, a JBL system. she kept it a few years, then we traded it in for her a new 89 Turbo TA. fun times, fun cars back then! ☮
there's another forgotten car from the '80s It was the 1986 Mercury Cougar XR7. It was definitely fun to drive now being a GM guy I just couldn't pass up I bought the car before around $1,000 in 1990. I had an older Pontiac GTO and a square body GMC Jimmy 4x4 which I drove the most. The XR7 was surprisingly great on gas too even with the five speed.
I had a 1984 Ford Mustang GT Turbo convertible in college. I loved that car and drove it for many years. I did have to replace the turbocharger but ended up selling it in 1992. Still one of my favorite cars and fondly remember how I loved the feel of the turbo kicking in when driving my first non 8 cylinder mustang.
Jack Telnack did wonders for Ford in the 1980's. I had an '85 Thunderbird, black w/red interior and 5.0 engine. These cars were light years ahead of anything built in the '70's. If driven hard though, the weight of that V-8 would roll the front tires sidewalls over and give 'em some neat wear patterns. 16" rims and 50 series rubber is good medicine for these cars.
Great video!!! I loved those 87 T Birds!!! The Lincoln’s had that problem with the air suspension! I have a friend who has a T Bird SC it was a barn find. Took him 2 yrs to get it straight. Looks brand new now and hauls ass!!!😎👍🏽👍🏽
In 1988 Car & Driver had a story called "Flat Out Fastest" American cars. The '88 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe was in this group. If I remember correctly, it was the third fastest with a top speed of 144mph with the 5 speed manual transmission. I owned one of these cars and it would do around 150 with intake mods...I miss that car. At the time it was the most technologically advanced car made in America according to C&D!
I owned 1. It was a shit box. I couldn't hold it together. 2 years of constant appointments, long blocks, turbos, and catalytic. I had a gold card for warranty and 8 months of a year in the garage. Found on road dead, frequently. I gave up. Ripped motor out and balanced and blueprints the motor and replaced the chip. 400hp sports car out of the pony block. 15psi bleed off on the turbo for added boost.
My first car in High School was a 1986 Turbo Coupe, sunroof and 5 speed. That car was so close to perfect. It just needed the 87-88 engine updates. Loved that car. I would love another if I had garage space.
Drove my bosses Mk7 a couple of times running errands, loved everything about the car except the stench of cigarettes! I always thought that a Boss 351 with a discreet hood bulge would have made it perfect!
Firstoff,Thanks for Your Time,Research,&a Great Vid.Much appreciated! &Thank You for consequently making this night alot better than it woul've been for someone like me who doesnt make vids..oftentimes Thanks in the 1st place is overlooked..i hope You have a great night my friend!
I remember those Tbird aero coupes from 87-88. I was 11 when they showed up and fell in love with their hawk eyed look. Never owned one but they have aged very well in my opinion
In 1986 I went from being an underpaid Prosecutor to a County Judge making literally three times the salary. I moved from a tiny 3 bedroom, one bath cbs home in a cookie cutter neighborhood to a waterfront house a few blocks away in a gated community. In 88, I decided to treat myself to a new loaded T-Bird with a large v8. It looked very much like the 83 you show here. Ironically, I preferred the 1980 to 1981 style. However my 88 was a lovely car and I followed up with a new 91, with a different body style and later my present 2002, two seater, v8 T-Bird throwback to the first 1950s Thunderbird.
we had an '85 Turbo Coupe and an '88 Turbo Coupbe... I didn't get to drive the '85 but the '88 was a wild ride. Ford din't like it was as powerfull as the 5.0 so they gimped it.. the boost went to 18lps in first gear, thren only 15lbs in the last 5. it hada pretty big lag but about 2800-3000 rpm it was like you got shoved into the seat. Also the t-5 in the 88 felt like a short throw shifter like 1.5 to 2 inches from fist to secon shict and onlt 1.5 inches from 1st to 5th gear... it was aa blast... we only got rid of ours when the local Ford dealership was crooked.. you would take in a car for maintenance and they would damage another component, like I took mine in for a cat recall (I think) and when I'd drivve it home I'd notice either a crimp on the A/C Line or Power Steering line. Thanks Ford dealership in Weaverville NC. (they supposaly are under new mangment and ownership now) Back in the early 90's you couldn't trust them with a basic oil change.
I was around for this. My step-father worked at a Ford dealership, mad got one of the better Turbo Thunderbirds. For its time, it was fast. Street impromptu stoplight races that my mother had with it had a lot of people surprised. That a previously slow-as-sheet car was now beating Porsches, and mid-70's V8 cars, made the entire industry get its stuff together in the coming two or three years. Granted, everything on the streets was from the malaise era, so everything was slow. I knew a guy with a Lincoln Mark VII back in the early 2000's who kept it pristine, but was coming to terms with giving up on it as there were systems in the car that were failing with no way to get replacements. Certainly an interesting car in looks, but if I were you I'd stick with a T-bird as a collector's car unless you have Jay Leno money to re-create whatever the Lincoln would need.
In Feb 1987 I bought a medium red clearcoat metallic with the charcoal interior 5 speed. Identical to the 1st one I saw and the Motor Trend COTY and can be seen in the video at 9:30. Loved it, put 210,000 before converting it to a 5.0 HO from a Mustang. With upgrades it ran mid 14s at low 90s in the 1/4 on the turbo 4 and 13.7 at 104mph on the slightly modded 5.0.
I had a 88 turbo coupe. Dark blue with blue leather. Five speed. Brains blowed out. I swapped tire size . I got rid of the 215/60/16 and wrap my wheels with 225/50/16 man that was one of my favorite. Among others. I was in the car business for 16 years.
If I could have any Ford produced in the 80s, it'd be either the Mustang SVO, or the '87 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. When I was a kid, that was one of my dream cars. Kinda hard to find one whole and running, with the original early 2.3 L turbo four and T5 5 speed manual.
I wish is still had my 1988 T-bird Turbo Coupe. It was built by the GM of Orion stereos. In 88, it had a 20K paint job, big dollar wheels, etc.The stereo was unfortunately gone,but was still an awesome car. Wish I knew where it was at as well.
My step father had an 85 TTC the red with black bottom. 5 speed with a 4 cyl. It broke down a lot. He abused the hell out of it to be fair. Routinely wasted clutches, burned out the turbo, wasted the tires almost monthly and he bent the rims (bottle cap style). Very nice looking on the outside IMO. It was underpowered for sure, but you could YEET it and it would make the right noises and squeal the tires 🛞. Tragic that ford didn’t work on this car longer. They had something here.
I was a teenager in the 80s. Back then, I wanted a Mustang, either the V8 GT or the turbo 4 SVO. As cool as the turbo T-bird is, I think I'd choose a Lincoln Mark VII over the T-bird. Cheers.
The 1987 Turbo Coupe was an unfinished SVO project. Their production car mission was cancelled in 1986 when Bob Lutz, who was over Trucks North America convinced the Board to fund his product rather than SVO’s Corvette-killer, mid-engine, Yamaha powered 300 hp GN34. The BMW 6 series was the target.
My favorite bird was th 1970 with suicide rear doors. That 429 was fun, sounded great, and way easier to stuff the kids in the back seat. I would take one of these too in a heart beat.
Ford could never be thought of without the "Thunder chicken". I always remember Kenny Rogers Thunder chicken in the movie "Six Pack" at the ATL motor speedway. Great movie a childhood favorite. Did they give the Mercury Cougar the same treatment in the same generation. They were basically the same as Ford & Lincoln thunder chickens & Mk7
The later, sleeker turbo coupe with added Cobra wheels is perfect. The enthusiast-focused, no nonsense sport interior checks all the boxes for the price point. It’s the sexiest of all the foxes 🦊
It's hard to communicate how radical these cars looked at the time since nearly everything before them was '70s malaise. My grandmother had an '84 normal Thunderbird 3.8 V6. It was a different era, but I was allowed to drive it around the neighborhood to the community pool when I was 14. What I remember most from that car was that it was quiet, had smooth ride quality and was very comfortable. At that point, I would have probably given half my manhood to have a Turbo Coupe...
Very cool video! I would’ve at least mentioned the Buick Grand National that came about shortly after the Turbo T-Bird. And the supercharged Super Coupe that followed. Maybe in another video. Peace.
I drove a 1988 Lincoln Mark VII during high school and for most of college (1998-2002). The car was very attractive, comfortable, reliable, and there was no getting around how good the 5.0 HO V8 engine drove and sounded in that car. My car was bone stock, not modified with any performance or handling upgrades. For me, the achilles heel of that car was the electronic air-ride suspension. Its malfunction was what drove us to part ways with this car and get something else.
190 horsepower, live rear axle, and McPherson struts in the front. It might have been impressive for 1987 when automakers had just barely come out of the Malaise Era, but it doesn’t seem all that impressive in modern terms. The 1989 and newer Thunderbirds had independent rear suspension, and a much improved front suspension design with actual upper control arms instead of the econobox MacPherson strut setup. They were still underpowered…but swapping in a built 351W(or a Coyote if your pockets are deep enough) will cure whatever may be wrong with them.
I’ve owned a couple of the MN-12’s with the 4.6L…a 1995 and a 1996. Loved them both. The 1987 and 1988 Turbocoupes look amazing. I love them, but the MN-12’s just have an entirely more sophisticated suspension, so I keep gravitating towards them.
I had a 1985 red 5 speed turbo coupe that was intercooled within a month of delivery with a Ford Motorsports cooler. Fast car that I could get 34 mpg on the highway with. Its downfall with me was that the electronic controls under the hood started failing and it became very unreliable. Still one of my favorite cars.
An ex-girlfriends dad had an '87 turbo. I got to drive it a couple of times. It felt about as fast as my 323i E30, but you could feel the weight of it.
I had an 87 TC. It was not very fast, but it was far better than any german cars of the time. You could actually work on it. I changed the water pump in 20 minutes. The timing belt wasn't even hard to get to and didn't destroy the engine if it failed.
The 86-88 T-Birds were on the list of Cars NOT to buy back in the day. I owned one and never had a problem with it like others had. It was fun to drive yes.
I had an '83 Turbo Coupe and I've gotta say, 0-60 was under 8 seconds. Bought it at 80K miles, drove it to 250K miles.. sold it to someone that still calls me a friend.
Had the ‘87 5 liter, still a good looking car imo. If I won the lottery I’d buy a turbo coupe and crate swap the new 2.3 they had in modern Mustang’s that are like double the HP and that car would be a sweet sleeper ride. Mine was nose heavy and light in the tail with the 302 so I think it could be drifted pretty easily with a new SVO 2.3l crate motor. It would have gorgeous lines too because it’s a very long car so it’d be a mechanized version figure skating with the right driver.
That red T-bird has the same dome light/map lights assembly as my '91 F-150 Lariat. only mine isn't missing the center light cover. Gotta be careful with those old things, they could get very Hot if left on too long.
I think that telling about cross shopping the Thunderbolt to Toyota Supra and Merceds SLE is too much of a stretch. I think was designed to compete to domestic cars like Olds Riviera, Malibu, Monte Carlo, Chrysler Le Baron and Buick Regal. For the imports, I would mention Audi GT and Renault Fuego Turbo. I know that these models were about in the same price point because I was cross shopping in 1988. It is interesting to note that that Ford 2.3 L OHC motor started with Mustang II and late Maverick. Ford added a turbo and later an intercooler. But I don’t think that it was able to make more than 175 hp. The problem is in a short time, the major Japanese automakers launched their sport coupes that most of time have more engaging driving experience and performance. They all had sport coupes that had sportier suspension and engines that were 3L not mention turbos on higher trim. I am talking about the Supra, Nissan 3000 GT, Mitsubishi 3000GT. Acura also launched the Legend Coupe in 1988. Which had better body design, interior and respectable V6. Infinity had a coupe and Lexus the SC. So, all these new comers took over a good part of domestic sport coupe. It is interesting to note that the next generation of Thunderbolts didn’t have a turbo option, instead the went back to V6 and V8. I also think that they were never offered with manual.
The 87-88 turbo coupe had 190hp from the factory with the 5 speed. It had automatic adjusting suspension, beefy (for the time) "low profile" tires on a 16" rims with a "traction lock" rear axle with rear discs and abs brakes. This was almost all mentioned in the video. It was targeting bmw and Mercedes "sport coupes".
A neighbor of mine had a 1984 T-Bird. It wasn't a Turbo, or any special edition (in fact, it was fairly standard), but I kept trying to convince them they should keep it as a collector's item. They didn't listen.
Does anyone else remember the Monte Carlo turbo? I had one in high school. Avocado green outside, pea soup green inside. Ugly as sin, but it was Grand National fast. Too bad I let it go. Found out way too late how rare they were! If only I had it now....
Great vid! And, I totally agree! I'd take an LSC over any t-bird in a heartbeat. Not even close. I owned a '97 t-bird with the 4.6 and it was a great daily driver car that ultimately got traded in for a used 01 Bullitt Mustang #246). I actually still have a full 4 wheel set of gorgeous factory 16" LSC wheels and lug nuts that I currently use 2 of on a home built utility trailer that I built 40 years ago!
Too much money needed to make a 4.6L Tbird go fast. I was considering buying a Allen Supercharger to hopefully get into the 13s............I decided to get a 1997 Camaro Z28 instead - easier to mod and faster from the factory.
I had a 1988 turbo coupe thunderbird in the early 2000's and the only thing that was done to it was a exhaust that was not so restricted and that little turbo 4 cylinder in that heavy car was nasty I was gaping Z28 's
My buddy Barry had a used 84' Thunderbird with the 2.3 turbo. He would race it up and down his street until he finally got it on the road a year later! He had it on the road less than a week, lost control went over a cornered medium totaled the car, and hurt his neck... Bum Deal Barry. I felt bad for him.. The man waited a year till he had his license to drive the thing and he had it for less than a week..
Still have my '88 Turbo Coupe in the garage and she's still a keeper 😉
some things are just meant to be the way they are, glad you got such a looker my classics got ratty paint and open headers wish i had something more comfortable
Black 87 in garage under cover , Blue 88 Daily driver/beater. 87 has 250K miles on it and everything works including the PRC.
My friend put that motor in a pinto.😮
@@Keith-rk4td Maybe that was my motor! I gave someone the 2.3 Turbo for a similar conversion when I put a 351W in my '88 TurboCoupe. That was in '98 or so.
Silver 88 here.
My dad had one of the turbo thunderbirds when I was a kid, as a small kid that thing was awesome when boost kicked in.
When the turbo kicked in, it felt like it could keep up with modern 4 cyl Camry for a second!
I worked on a bunch of the 2.3 Turbo Ford's back in the day and they seemed to be 'hit or miss' on whether you got a 'good' one or not. The best running ones really DID run well while many others were just so-so and I had to investigate as to why. The problem was the Mass Airflow Meter which was a mechanical device with a spring loaded door that the incoming air would force open which then moved a wiper on a resistor board much like a gas gauge sending unit.
These MAF's were adjusted on a flow bench at the factory and passing emissions the First Priority and some just didn't work well when actually feeding the engine as mounted in the cars. Opening the cover where the resistor wiper was allowed you to adjust the arm position and it was a VERY sensitive thing. Marking the original position with a fine pencil most of the time the adjustment that made them run the best would be about one pencil line off the original position...so maybe .010" and the spring tension on the door was also adjustable and many set way too tight which strangled the airflow. Idle mixture was adjustable with a long Allen wrench and once everything set properly....and the 'Over-boost' switch jumped they would normally make 18 psi and run strong. Not a bad motor for the time that just needed a little 'tweaking' .
These are airflow meters, not MAF sensors.
@@alantrimble2881 It's all semantics my friend. Both measure the mass of air being inhaled though they do it in different ways....the end result is the same.
The adjustment sounds like a Toyota truck from the 80s 90s not a ford 😮. I didn't know they were like that.
Bill Elliott made this car a household name!!!!
He won Daytona in epic fashion.
Million Dollar Bill was quite the wheel man in his day!!!
Ernie Elliot was quiet the engine builder but the T bird was designed in the wind tunnel and had less drag coefficient than a fighter jet according to Ford. The Ford's had to run restrictor plates before the whole field was slowed later. The Ford T bird and the Cleveland engine was an unbeatable combination. NASCAR has to rewrite the rule book because of them, justine NHRA when the Cobra Jet came out April 1, 1968. It dominated it's classes causing a rewriting of the rule book.
When they drove REAL cars. Haven't watch NASCAR since.
Awesome Bill from Dawsonville!
I had an 87 black Turbo Coupe with a five speed manual. I loved that car!
My mom had a turbo Bird when I was born in 86. It was silver with red interior and automatic trans. I actually cried when they sold it. One of the few Ford products that I like.
Turbo coupes were so good looking. I loved them as a kid.
Beautifully designed car. Fun and affordable. It was so much more modern than the GM midsized coupes, the boxier Cutlass Supreme, Monte Carlo, etc. When these T birds were new in the early 80s, they were fucking spaceships! Completely unlike anything else on the road. Miss these kinds of cars. Crossover domination sucks so bad 😢. Maybe not Mercedes levels of refinement, but at one-third the cost who cares? Ah, the 1980s. Wish I could go back, definitely.
sick of the cross over front wheel drive cars, 80s had MTV and great music
Ohhh man i loved my 88 turbo in high school/college. Twilight blue
My friend had a dark blue '87 Turbo coupe that was slightly modified. It wasn't crazy fast, but it was far from a slouch either.
He spun it off the interstate (with no damage) one winter.
There wasn't snow or ice, but it was wet, and we were coming up quick on a Beretta, and he jerked the wheel a little too quick when changing lanes. Then, he over corrected and sent us into a apin. We cleared the ditch, but landed on the other side of the ditch and spun until we were about 100' off the interstate (There was snow in the grass, but not the road).
The wrecker driver had to link 2 cables together just to reach the car to pull it out. 😂
Good times! 👍
Bought an 87 Thunderbird Turbo Black/ red leather 5 speed . It was a great cruiser. Road trips were comfortable fast and got 30mpg!
I bought an 81 with a bad engine, put in an hecho en mexico 302 that made 300 HP and mated it to a 4 speed auto that got decent mpg on the hwy, used summit gauges to let me know what was going on. dominated the bowtie Z28, but the IROC was something else.
My dad's blue turbo coupe with the manual was a beauty and surprisingly quick for the day.
This is my favorite car channel these days thanks for the uploads, and attention to detail
Ford was playing the game.... they were ahead!
My Dad had a 1988 Thunderbird LX 5.0 fully loaded. Full electronic gauge package, dual power seats, coded entry with automatic lamps, climate control, 6 speaker cassette stereo with equalizer...... that was one sweet ride. It was white with red interior.
For me, I'd love to have a 1991-92 Lincoln Mark VII with the HO 302 and do a 5 speed swap. That's the ultimate combo right there. The best of this generation Fox platform before the Thunderbird and Mark VIII redesigns.
1987-88 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe is the greatest Thunderbird that Ford ever produced. ✌🏻🇺🇸
Actually, the 90 SC was the best.😉 It was faster than the mustang gt.
The 1955-57 Thunderbird would like a word....
As a car enthusiast dating back to this period, I've always loved these. A well-driven example showed up around 5 years ago at a local car dealer. I stopped and test drove it on behalf of a friend who lived out of state and was into these cars. I was shocked at how nicely it drove and the power that it had. 5-speed car too. The only issue that I saw was a rusty radiator support panel at the front, which there is supposedly no aftermarket replacement for. My friend didn't end up buying the car but I got to drive one of my childhood favorites and have since appreciated these even more. Great video, keep them coming!
I believe the radiator support is all just mustang, just need to double check ford part numbers to make sure then you can get an aftermarket unit, you can put lots of mustang parts on these as the chassis is a stretched mustang chassis for more rear leg room
my Ex had one like this, in Red as well 9:28 was a decent ride, plenty fast, and came with a pretty decent sound system too, a JBL system. she kept it a few years, then we traded it in for her a new 89 Turbo TA. fun times, fun cars back then! ☮
My mom had the 84 T-bird Elan, which was a 5.0 Mustang GT dressed up in a T-bird body. That thing could smoke most of them lil imports.
With 140hp in a 3500lb car?
It mostly just smoked
Had an SVO in high school and still have a couple. Along the way had an 88 triple black Turbo Coupe as well.
there's another forgotten car from the '80s It was the 1986 Mercury Cougar XR7. It was definitely fun to drive now being a GM guy I just couldn't pass up I bought the car before around $1,000 in 1990. I had an older Pontiac GTO and a square body GMC Jimmy 4x4 which I drove the most. The XR7 was surprisingly great on gas too even with the five speed.
As much as i like this car, i still think dodge was king of the turbo 4s from the 80s. That 2.2 turbo was a real force to be reckoned with.
You aren't kidding. Had the super 60 package in my 85 Shelby Charger. Insane hp in a tiny package.
Except it was wrong wheel drive.
@@aaadamt964
Funny to think it even mattered with these specs:
0-60 in 9.1
Skidpad .78 Gs
Quarter-mile time is 16.5 @ 80 mph
I had a black 86 turbo coupe with grey interior & a 5 spd manual. Loved it!
I had a 1984 Ford Mustang GT Turbo convertible in college. I loved that car and drove it for many years. I did have to replace the turbocharger but ended up selling it in 1992. Still one of my favorite cars and fondly remember how I loved the feel of the turbo kicking in when driving my first non 8 cylinder mustang.
Jack Telnack did wonders for Ford in the 1980's. I had an '85 Thunderbird, black w/red interior and 5.0 engine. These cars were light years ahead of anything built in the '70's. If driven hard though, the weight of that V-8 would roll the front tires sidewalls over and give 'em some neat wear patterns. 16" rims and 50 series rubber is good medicine for these cars.
I've always been a Mustang guy, but the 88 turbo coupe is sexy.
Thank you so very much for the video and your channel.
my buddy had a 1986 or 1987 Turbo Coupe ... fun car and fun times
3:44 I was wondering when you was going to get something wrong. The TC 2.3 never peaked @ 5400 rpm. Wherever you got your info from. It was wrong.
I'm wondering why you're such a tool. Honestly you are such a cunnt
Great video!!! I loved those 87 T Birds!!! The Lincoln’s had that problem with the air suspension! I have a friend who has a T Bird SC it was a barn find. Took him 2 yrs to get it straight. Looks brand new now and hauls ass!!!😎👍🏽👍🏽
Owned four T-birds. Three were the Supercoupes. A lovely coupe with a ton of torque. They could be had with autos and manuals as well.
In 1988 Car & Driver had a story called "Flat Out Fastest" American cars. The '88 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe was in this group. If I remember correctly, it was the third fastest with a top speed of 144mph with the 5 speed manual transmission. I owned one of these cars and it would do around 150 with intake mods...I miss that car. At the time it was the most technologically advanced car made in America according to C&D!
I owned 1. It was a shit box. I couldn't hold it together. 2 years of constant appointments, long blocks, turbos, and catalytic. I had a gold card for warranty and 8 months of a year in the garage.
Found on road dead, frequently.
I gave up.
Ripped motor out and balanced and blueprints the motor and replaced the chip. 400hp sports car out of the pony block.
15psi bleed off on the turbo for added boost.
@@FUD-o8u Sorry to hear that type of experience. Sold mine at 160,000 miles with all original parts intact with only scheduled maintenance.
I had an 85 TTC and it was one of the most comfortable highway cars I’ve ever had.
My first car in High School was a 1986 Turbo Coupe, sunroof and 5 speed. That car was so close to perfect. It just needed the 87-88 engine updates. Loved that car. I would love another if I had garage space.
Drove my bosses Mk7 a couple of times running errands, loved everything about the car except the stench of cigarettes! I always thought that a Boss 351 with a discreet hood bulge would have made it perfect!
I just saw one of the SVO turbo Mustangs yesterday. It was nice to see some 80's metal on the road again.
well done. Solid info. My favorite cars of all time. Owned 4 in my time. Looking for another.
Firstoff,Thanks for Your Time,Research,&a Great Vid.Much appreciated! &Thank You for consequently making this night alot better than it woul've been for someone like me who doesnt make vids..oftentimes Thanks in the 1st place is overlooked..i hope You have a great night my friend!
I remember those Tbird aero coupes from 87-88. I was 11 when they showed up and fell in love with their hawk eyed look. Never owned one but they have aged very well in my opinion
Had they twin cammed that motor they'd have been Titans.
Did a 5.0 GT swap on my 86 Thunderbird Turbo. Best car I had in college. Ate all the Euro sport cars and had plenty of space for 3 of my friends.
In 1986 I went from being an underpaid Prosecutor to a County Judge making literally three times the salary. I moved from a tiny 3 bedroom, one bath cbs home in a cookie cutter neighborhood to a waterfront house a few blocks away in a gated community. In 88, I decided to treat myself to a new loaded T-Bird with a large v8. It looked very much like the 83 you show here. Ironically, I preferred the 1980 to 1981 style. However my 88 was a lovely car and I followed up with a new 91, with a different body style and later my present 2002, two seater, v8 T-Bird throwback to the first 1950s Thunderbird.
0:45 Love the cracks on the windshield. 😂
85 and 86 were my favorite Turbo Coupes
Once drove a Thunderbird from this era that had the V8 tuned to produce around 220 hp and aftermarket shocks and it was very nice to drive.
loved these turbo thunderbirds. always wanted one.
The 4.6 L T-Bird had unbelievably highway gas mileage
we had an '85 Turbo Coupe and an '88 Turbo Coupbe... I didn't get to drive the '85 but the '88 was a wild ride. Ford din't like it was as powerfull as the 5.0 so they gimped it.. the boost went to 18lps in first gear, thren only 15lbs in the last 5. it hada pretty big lag but about 2800-3000 rpm it was like you got shoved into the seat. Also the t-5 in the 88 felt like a short throw shifter like 1.5 to 2 inches from fist to secon shict and onlt 1.5 inches from 1st to 5th gear... it was aa blast... we only got rid of ours when the local Ford dealership was crooked.. you would take in a car for maintenance and they would damage another component, like I took mine in for a cat recall (I think) and when I'd drivve it home I'd notice either a crimp on the A/C Line or Power Steering line. Thanks Ford dealership in Weaverville NC. (they supposaly are under new mangment and ownership now) Back in the early 90's you couldn't trust them with a basic oil change.
I was around for this. My step-father worked at a Ford dealership, mad got one of the better Turbo Thunderbirds. For its time, it was fast. Street impromptu stoplight races that my mother had with it had a lot of people surprised. That a previously slow-as-sheet car was now beating Porsches, and mid-70's V8 cars, made the entire industry get its stuff together in the coming two or three years. Granted, everything on the streets was from the malaise era, so everything was slow.
I knew a guy with a Lincoln Mark VII back in the early 2000's who kept it pristine, but was coming to terms with giving up on it as there were systems in the car that were failing with no way to get replacements. Certainly an interesting car in looks, but if I were you I'd stick with a T-bird as a collector's car unless you have Jay Leno money to re-create whatever the Lincoln would need.
In Feb 1987 I bought a medium red clearcoat metallic with the charcoal interior 5 speed. Identical to the 1st one I saw and the Motor Trend COTY and can be seen in the video at 9:30. Loved it, put 210,000 before converting it to a 5.0 HO from a Mustang. With upgrades it ran mid 14s at low 90s in the 1/4 on the turbo 4 and 13.7 at 104mph on the slightly modded 5.0.
You forget the Buick GN/GNX!
I had a 88 turbo coupe. Dark blue with blue leather. Five speed. Brains blowed out. I swapped tire size . I got rid of the 215/60/16 and wrap my wheels with 225/50/16 man that was one of my favorite. Among others. I was in the car business for 16 years.
87/88 Turbocoupes came from the factory with 225/60/16
If I could have any Ford produced in the 80s, it'd be either the Mustang SVO, or the '87 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. When I was a kid, that was one of my dream cars. Kinda hard to find one whole and running, with the original early 2.3 L turbo four and T5 5 speed manual.
I wish is still had my 1988 T-bird Turbo Coupe. It was built by the GM of Orion stereos. In 88, it had a 20K paint job, big dollar wheels, etc.The stereo was unfortunately gone,but was still an awesome car. Wish I knew where it was at as well.
I have always loved the '87-88 Turbo Coupes and the Mark VII. I could not afford either when they were new and they're still desirable.
My step father had an 85 TTC the red with black bottom. 5 speed with a 4 cyl. It broke down a lot. He abused the hell out of it to be fair. Routinely wasted clutches, burned out the turbo, wasted the tires almost monthly and he bent the rims (bottle cap style). Very nice looking on the outside IMO. It was underpowered for sure, but you could YEET it and it would make the right noises and squeal the tires 🛞. Tragic that ford didn’t work on this car longer. They had something here.
I was a teenager in the 80s. Back then, I wanted a Mustang, either the V8 GT or the turbo 4 SVO. As cool as the turbo T-bird is, I think I'd choose a Lincoln Mark VII over the T-bird. Cheers.
i see a blue one at my local grocery store all the time, an older lady owns it. looks well maintained.
The 1987 Turbo Coupe was an unfinished SVO project. Their production car mission was cancelled in 1986 when Bob Lutz, who was over Trucks North America convinced the Board to fund his product rather than SVO’s Corvette-killer, mid-engine, Yamaha powered 300 hp GN34. The BMW 6 series was the target.
My favorite bird was th 1970 with suicide rear doors. That 429 was fun, sounded great, and way easier to stuff the kids in the back seat. I would take one of these too in a heart beat.
Ford could never be thought of without the "Thunder chicken". I always remember Kenny Rogers Thunder chicken in the movie "Six Pack" at the ATL motor speedway. Great movie a childhood favorite. Did they give the Mercury Cougar the same treatment in the same generation. They were basically the same as Ford & Lincoln thunder chickens & Mk7
Great video-I would buy both cars-The T-BIRD TURBO COUPE & THE LINCOLN MKVII
The later, sleeker turbo coupe with added Cobra wheels is perfect. The enthusiast-focused, no nonsense sport interior checks all the boxes for the price point. It’s the sexiest of all the foxes 🦊
I bought a new 88 TC T-bird 5 speed, still own it. I have loved it for 236k so far. I will probably never sell it.
I remember seeing these as new cars when I had just bought my 1979 Trans Am in 1984.
It's hard to communicate how radical these cars looked at the time since nearly everything before them was '70s malaise. My grandmother had an '84 normal Thunderbird 3.8 V6. It was a different era, but I was allowed to drive it around the neighborhood to the community pool when I was 14. What I remember most from that car was that it was quiet, had smooth ride quality and was very comfortable. At that point, I would have probably given half my manhood to have a Turbo Coupe...
Very cool video!
I would’ve at least mentioned the Buick Grand National that came about shortly after the Turbo T-Bird. And the supercharged Super Coupe that followed.
Maybe in another video.
Peace.
I had a 88. I loved and miss it.
I drove a 1988 Lincoln Mark VII during high school and for most of college (1998-2002). The car was very attractive, comfortable, reliable, and there was no getting around how good the 5.0 HO V8 engine drove and sounded in that car. My car was bone stock, not modified with any performance or handling upgrades. For me, the achilles heel of that car was the electronic air-ride suspension. Its malfunction was what drove us to part ways with this car and get something else.
My Army buddy in the late 1980s had a stick shift Turbo Coupe. I was envious.
190 horsepower, live rear axle, and McPherson struts in the front.
It might have been impressive for 1987 when automakers had just barely come out of the Malaise Era, but it doesn’t seem all that impressive in modern terms.
The 1989 and newer Thunderbirds had independent rear suspension, and a much improved front suspension design with actual upper control arms instead of the econobox MacPherson strut setup. They were still underpowered…but swapping in a built 351W(or a Coyote if your pockets are deep enough) will cure whatever may be wrong with them.
I love both the fox body and the MN12 Thunderbirds. Owned an 88 fox body, 89 LX with the 3.8L and a 97 with the 4.6L
I’ve owned a couple of the MN-12’s with the 4.6L…a 1995 and a 1996. Loved them both.
The 1987 and 1988 Turbocoupes look amazing. I love them, but the MN-12’s just have an entirely more sophisticated suspension, so I keep gravitating towards them.
I have an "88 Turbo Coupe that my uncle bought new....He retired from the Lorain Assembly Plant where the aero-birds were built.
The success of the design of the 1983 Thunderbird pretty much gave the green light to the Taurus a couple of years later.
Owned a golden 84 Merc cougar that was hopped up for a while was an amazing vehicle, was like driving a couch that was pretty fast.
I had a 1985 red 5 speed turbo coupe that was intercooled within a month of delivery with a Ford Motorsports cooler. Fast car that I could get 34 mpg on the highway with. Its downfall with me was that the electronic controls under the hood started failing and it became very unreliable. Still one of my favorite cars.
An ex-girlfriends dad had an '87 turbo. I got to drive it a couple of times. It felt about as fast as my 323i E30, but you could feel the weight of it.
I had an 87 TC. It was not very fast, but it was far better than any german cars of the time. You could actually work on it. I changed the water pump in 20 minutes. The timing belt wasn't even hard to get to and didn't destroy the engine if it failed.
There were also some Short Wheel Base T-birds made back in the day as I remember?
I had 2 '86's, both with 5 speeds. I miss both of them.
The 86-88 T-Birds were on the list of Cars NOT to buy back in the day. I owned one and never had a problem with it like others had. It was fun to drive yes.
I had an '83 Turbo Coupe and I've gotta say, 0-60 was under 8 seconds.
Bought it at 80K miles, drove it to 250K miles.. sold it to someone that still calls me a friend.
Had the ‘87 5 liter, still a good looking car imo. If I won the lottery I’d buy a turbo coupe and crate swap the new 2.3 they had in modern Mustang’s that are like double the HP and that car would be a sweet sleeper ride. Mine was nose heavy and light in the tail with the 302 so I think it could be drifted pretty easily with a new SVO 2.3l crate motor. It would have gorgeous lines too because it’s a very long car so it’d be a mechanized version figure skating with the right driver.
I had a white on red ‘87, wonderful car and I enjoyed every minute in that car. It used to eat alternators though, never could figure out why.
That red T-bird has the same dome light/map lights assembly as my '91 F-150 Lariat. only mine isn't missing the center light cover. Gotta be careful with those old things, they could get very Hot if left on too long.
I think that telling about cross shopping the Thunderbolt to Toyota Supra and Merceds SLE is too much of a stretch. I think was designed to compete to domestic cars like Olds Riviera, Malibu, Monte Carlo, Chrysler Le Baron and Buick Regal.
For the imports, I would mention Audi GT and Renault Fuego Turbo.
I know that these models were about in the same price point because I was cross shopping in 1988.
It is interesting to note that that Ford 2.3 L OHC motor started with Mustang II and late Maverick. Ford added a turbo and later an intercooler. But I don’t think that it was able to make more than 175 hp.
The problem is in a short time, the major Japanese automakers launched their sport coupes that most of time have more engaging driving experience and performance. They all had sport coupes that had sportier suspension and engines that were 3L not mention turbos on higher trim.
I am talking about the Supra, Nissan 3000 GT, Mitsubishi 3000GT. Acura also launched the Legend Coupe in 1988. Which had better body design, interior and respectable V6. Infinity had a coupe and Lexus the SC.
So, all these new comers took over a good part of domestic sport coupe. It is interesting to note that the next generation of Thunderbolts didn’t have a turbo option, instead the went back to V6 and V8. I also think that they were never offered with manual.
90s had the 3.8 6 supercharged engine with an upgraded 5 speed manual.
The 87-88 turbo coupe had 190hp from the factory with the 5 speed. It had automatic adjusting suspension, beefy (for the time) "low profile" tires on a 16" rims with a "traction lock" rear axle with rear discs and abs brakes. This was almost all mentioned in the video.
It was targeting bmw and Mercedes "sport coupes".
A neighbor of mine had a 1984 T-Bird. It wasn't a Turbo, or any special edition (in fact, it was fairly standard), but I kept trying to convince them they should keep it as a collector's item. They didn't listen.
Really enjoyed my XR4Ti while i had it. That engine was basically from a tractor with a turbo slapped on though lol
I had a few Fox body 5.0's but I liked the T-Birds
One friend had the turbo, another had the 5.0 in his
hey there i would pick the 3rd option witch was in the middle the 1980's mercury cougar x7 its a little of both and cant believe you forgot it
My first car was a 1988 fox body Thunderbird. It was only the 3.8L, loved the car though.
Always loved these cars.
Does anyone else remember the Monte Carlo turbo?
I had one in high school.
Avocado green outside, pea soup green inside.
Ugly as sin, but it was Grand National fast.
Too bad I let it go. Found out way too late how rare they were!
If only I had it now....
My uncle has 2 turbo coupes, and a v6 coupe. They're the most good looking thunderbird in my opinion.
Great vid! And, I totally agree! I'd take an LSC over any t-bird in a heartbeat. Not even close. I owned a '97 t-bird with the 4.6 and it was a great daily driver car that ultimately got traded in for a used 01 Bullitt Mustang #246). I actually still have a full 4 wheel set of gorgeous factory 16" LSC wheels and lug nuts that I currently use 2 of on a home built utility trailer that I built 40 years ago!
Too much money needed to make a 4.6L Tbird go fast. I was considering buying a Allen Supercharger to hopefully get into the 13s............I decided to get a 1997 Camaro Z28 instead - easier to mod and faster from the factory.
I had one of the turbo coupes and modified it to get more boost. That thing was fast and comfy
I had a 1988 turbo coupe thunderbird in the early 2000's and the only thing that was done to it was a exhaust that was not so restricted and that little turbo 4 cylinder in that heavy car was nasty I was gaping Z28 's
The turbo t-bird looks so much better than mark 7. That's what I thought when I was the kid in the 80s and that's what I think now.
Inherited my dad's 87 TC 5 speed, coming along nicely.
Did they make a Fila edition of this vehicle ?
My buddy Barry had a used 84' Thunderbird with the 2.3 turbo. He would race it up and down his street until he finally got it on the road a year later! He had it on the road less than a week, lost control went over a cornered medium totaled the car, and hurt his neck... Bum Deal Barry. I felt bad for him.. The man waited a year till he had his license to drive the thing and he had it for less than a week..